travel
grrlscientist | August 25, 2009tags: Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia, cities
A tunnel to an open street in Tallinn's Old Town.
Photographed in Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia.
Image: GrrlScientist, 22 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)
grrlscientist | August 25, 2009tags: Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia, cities
Light.
Photographed in Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia.
Image: GrrlScientist, 22 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)
I thought I was done sharing pictures from the wall surrounding the Old Town portion of Tallinn, but I was wrong. After looking through my images today, I realized I have more that I want to share with you.
The wall.
Photographed in Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia.
Image: GrrlScientist, 22 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)
This is a look at the wall as it curves around the city. I really like this image because there is so much to see…
grrlscientist | August 25, 2009tags: Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Archilochus colubris, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Moulting adult female Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Archilochus colubris, photographed in Brandon, South Dakota. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Terry Sohl, 12 August 2009 [larger view]
Photo taken with Canon 50D, 400 5.6L.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | August 24, 2009tags: Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia, cities
Looking towards the next tower along the wall around Old Town.
Photographed in Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia.
Image: GrrlScientist, 22 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)
This is, in my opinion, one of the most spectacular views I've ever had the pleasure to see. I hope my photographs from atop the wall around Old Town can capture this for you well enough that you understand what I saw and experienced while I was in Tallinn.
Looking towards the next tower along the inner portion of wall around Old Town.
Photographed in Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia.…
grrlscientist | August 24, 2009tags: White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher,, Melaenornis fischeri, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher, Melaenornis fischeri, photographed in Nakuru National Park, Kenya, Africa. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Dan Logen, 29 August 2006 [larger view].
Nikon D2X, 200-400 VR lens at 310 mm ISO 160, f/4.5, 1/160 sec.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | August 23, 2009tags: Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia, cities
A room inside the wall around Old Town.
Photographed in Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia.
Image: GrrlScientist, 22 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)
This is a room inside the wall that surrounds the Old Town portion of Tallinn, Estonia. As you can see, this room is in remarkably pristine condition, despite being older than god. Sorry that the pic is so bad, but the ambient lighting was impossible to deal with.
Another look at the room inside the wall around Old Town.
Photographed in Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia.
Image: GrrlScientist, 22 July 2009 […
grrlscientist | August 23, 2009tags: Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia, cities
The wall around Old Town.
Photographed in Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia.
Image: GrrlScientist, 22 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)
The Historic Center of Tallinn, known as "Old Town", was one of the best fortified cities in Europe, with 66 towers adorning the city wall. Today, only 20 or so of these cannon towers remain. The history of Talinn as a trading town is still evident in the beauty of its buildings (for example, refer to the lovely dragons that I photographed on this building, which is now an art gallery).
Entrance to the Castle…
skookumchick | August 23, 2009Okay. I've been back a week now, and am getting myself a little recombobulated, so now it's time to jump back in to blogging. Thanks for your patience while I've been offline.
Our trip out west was phenomenal. As I've mentioned, my parents have a cabin north of Vancouver, and it's really the place we try gather -- holidays are nice, but really we all want to go to the cabin. My husband and I decided to drive because then we could visit friends along the way, and then we figured it would make less CO2 than flying to visit all those folks.
We started in Indiana, and spent nights in Nebraska…
grrlscientist | August 23, 2009tags: Black Tern, Chlidonias niger, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Black Tern, Chlidonias niger, photographed at Galveston's East Beach, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 14 July 2009 [larger view].
Nikon D200 ,Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/800s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
[Mystery bird] Black Tern, Chlidonias niger, photographed at Galveston's East Beach, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48…
grrlscientist | August 22, 2009tags: Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia, cities
Amber Mall.
Photographed in Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia.
Image: GrrlScientist, 22 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)
This lovely building reminded me of NYC's Flatiron Building in Manhattan, a triangular-shaped building that once was the tallest building in the world. This building in the Old Town portion of Tallinn, Estonia, is where Baltic amber -- fossilized pine tree resin -- is sold. Baltic amber is the oldest amber in the world, but it is not as likely to have insect "inclusions" as the much younger ambers found in the Dominican Republic (the…
grrlscientist | August 22, 2009tags: Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia, cities
Sightseeing Train.
Photographed in Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia.
Image: GrrlScientist, 22 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)
grrlscientist | August 22, 2009tags: Crowned Plover, Crowned Lapwing, Vanellus coronatus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Crowned Plover, also known as the Crowned Lapwing, Vanellus coronatus, photographed in Tarangire National Park, Tanzania, Africa. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Dan Logen, 29 August 2007 [larger view].
Nikon D2X, 200-400 Nikon Lens at 400.
So of course, before you give me an ID, I have to ask you how many legs you see in this picture.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | August 21, 2009tags: Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia, cities
Phallus.
Photographed in Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia.
Image: GrrlScientist, 22 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)
grrlscientist | August 21, 2009tags: Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia, cities
Phallus.
Photographed in Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia.
Image: GrrlScientist, 22 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)
It has been observed that I tend to photograph tall, pointy objects that reach to the sky. In my defense, such objects are plentiful in architecture, and are noticeable and often are iconic on any particular skyline.
Dragons on a church.
Photographed in Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia.
Image: GrrlScientist, 22 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)
Unlike most phalluses, this particular phallus is attached to a church. In this case, the…
grrlscientist | August 21, 2009tags: Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia, cities
Spices.
Photographed in Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia.
Image: GrrlScientist, 22 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)
One of the many items sold in the Old Town Square of Tallinn, Estonia were a variety of spices. They smelled so delicious that I almost purchased some just so I could carry them with me to sniff whenever I wished to.
Handmade Blank Books.
Photographed in Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia.
Image: GrrlScientist, 22 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)
Another item that I am partial to are handmade blank books. I wanted to get one or two, but…
grrlscientist | August 21, 2009tags: Wilson's Plover, Charadrius wilsonia, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Adult Wilson's Plover, Charadrius wilsonia, with chick, photographed at Brazoria Wildlife Refuge, Texas. [I will identify this bird species for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 31 July 2009 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/160s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Before you ID this bird species, tell me: how many legs do you see?
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | August 20, 2009tags: Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia, cities
Girl Power in Tallinn, Estonia.
Photographed in Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia.
Image: GrrlScientist, 22 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)
This poster is advertizing a student photography show. I just really liked the sign because of the juxtaposition between the traditional and the modern.
grrlscientist | August 20, 2009tags: Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia, cities
Streets of Tallinn
Photographed in Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia.
Image: GrrlScientist, 22 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)
Emerging from the Olde Hansa restaurant after lunch, it was obvious that the weather had changed once more -- I've never seen weather conditions change as quickly as they do in Estonia.
grrlscientist | August 20, 2009tags: Juvenile Red-winged Blackbird, Agelaius phoeniceus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Juvenile Red-winged Blackbird, Agelaius phoeniceus, photographed at Galveston East Beach, Texas. [even the photographer doesn't know the identify of this bird, maybe you can help and come to a consensus ID?]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 11 August 2009 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/1000s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | August 19, 2009tags: Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia, cities
Lunch at the Olde Hansa Restaurant.
Photographed in Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia.
Image: GrrlScientist, 22 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)
This isn't the best picture I've ever taken, but most of the lighting was provided by candlelight. The interior of the building was quite dark, which made it almost impossible to get a sharply focused image without using a flash (and you know how much I hate flash).
Candlelight.
Photographed in Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia.
Image: GrrlScientist, 22 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)
When you order a beer…