This aerial photo of Lake Owens by Paul Hoelen won a 2020 Drone Photo Award in the Abstract category. As Hoelen notes, “The phoenix rising is a symbol of re-emergence from the ashes of fire.” Lake Owens was used for years in mining and other industries, which left the lake desiccated and depleted. But nature is beginning to recover; migratory birds have returned to the lake, and life is beginning anew. (Image credit: P. Hoelen; via Colossal)
Month: July 2021
Flamingo Filter-Feeding
Flamingoes are strange and ungainly creatures, but their hooked bills make much more sense when you see them eating underwater. The birds are filter feeders, and they suck water, mud, and silt in through the front of their bills and pump it back out the sides. In between hairy structures called lamellae help them separate algae, brine shrimp and other food from the mix. Be sure to turn the sound up on the video so that you can hear the sound of flamingoes at work. (Image and video credit: San Diego Zoo; via Colossal)
