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Bluebells in Hertfordshire, England
Bluebells in Hertfordshire, England
For just a few weeks every spring, across the pond in England and under the newly forming woodland canopy, one of the most enchanting flowers begins to bloom. The bluebell is known by many names but those who know it as the "fairy flower" might be the most prepared to withstand its strong, sweetly scented allure. According to British folklore, a blooming bluebell carpet on the woodland floor is a mystical place where fairies live. The legends hold that fairies hang their spells on the flowers to dry, and disturbing them would unleash the magic. In earlier times, children were warned that picking bluebells would cause them to be spirited away. Even adults could fall victim to the flower, being doomed to wander the woods and never escape. And heaven forbid you ever happen to hear the fairies ring the bluebells for their gatherings—it means your death is imminent, a belief that inspired another name for bluebells: "dead men"s bells."Desktop Version
Menton, France
Menton, France
Anchoring the eastern end of the French Riviera near the Italian border is Menton, the so-called Pearl of France. It"s prized for its beauty and incredible weather that features an average of 316 days a year with full or partial sun. That climate enables Menton to enjoy amazing lemon yields that have given rise to the annual Fête du Citron, or Menton Lemon Festival, a 17-day extravaganza in February featuring floats and sculptures created out of lemons and oranges. More than 200,000 visitors marvel at the nearly 150 tons of fruit used in the festival.Desktop Version
World Lizard Day
World Lizard Day
When trying to draw attention to World Lizard Day, you don"t want to lead off with a scary Gila monster or monitor lizard. Nope, what you want front and center is a cute little gecko like the one we see here. Geckos come in varying sizes across 1,500 species and are unique among lizards for their vocalizations for mating, distress, and social interactions.Desktop Version
Welcome to my neck of the woods
Welcome to my neck of the woods
It"s peak tourist season in the Tsavo region of Kenya, when the weather"s cooler and dry—a good time to spot wildlife like this gerenuk in Tsavo National Parks. The protected area is actually made up of two separate parks, Tsavo East National Park and Tsavo West National Park, separated by a highway and rail line. Together they cover 8,036 square miles, with the East park consisting of flat, dry plains, and the West including mountains, volcanoes, lakes, and springs. The gerenuk (which means giraffe-necked antelope in Somali) is a long-necked antelope also known as the giraffe gazelle. It uses its lengthy neck and ability to stand on its hind legs to nibble on shrubs and trees that other types of antelope can"t reach. It"s less social then other gazelles, so seeing one alone, as we are in this photo, is common.Desktop Version
Prince Christian Sound in southern Greenland
Prince Christian Sound in southern Greenland
The sheer size of Greenland is hard to put in perspective. The world"s largest island is more than 836,000 square miles—that"s more than three times the size of Texas and 170,000 square miles larger than Alaska. It is a land of deep fjords and thick ice that must have made the Norse explorers feel right at home when they landed there a thousand years ago.Desktop Version
Old Fortress, Corfu, Greece
Old Fortress, Corfu, Greece
This imposing structure is the Old Fortress on the Greek island of Corfu, off the western coasts of Greece and Albania. Situated in a strategic location between the Ionian and Adriatic seas, Corfu became one of the most fortified places in Europe amid successive sieges by the Ottoman Empire. The island was ruled by the Republic of Venice for 400 years until the late 18th century, which built forts in Corfu"s Old Town to defend its maritime trading interests. They held off three Ottoman sieges in 1537, 1571, and 1716 but have been repaired, rebuilt, and added to over the centuries. The Old Fortress has witnessed the rise and fall of mighty empires for hundreds of years, from the tip of a rocky peninsula jutting into the sea. These days, however, it is home to the public library and Corfu"s archives.Desktop Version
A cry for independence
A cry for independence
The Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City has hosted art exhibits, music and dance performances, and much more since its opening in 1934. The ornate Art Nouveau building was originally planned to open years earlier in 1910 to mark the 100th anniversary of Mexico"s independence from Spain. Even though it missed that 1910 deadline, the Palacio de Bellas Artes is still considered a symbol of Mexican independence. To get the story of how Mexico broke with Spain, we must travel 200 miles from this spot and back in time to the early 1800s.Desktop Version
Winter solstice
Winter solstice
Frost-covered birch trees add a graceful touch to this winter landscape in the German state of Bavaria. This region is home to the villages of Uffing and Schöffau, on the shores of Staffelsee lake, and is often covered in mist and snow, creating an ethereal ambience. A winter chill is to be expected today, on the shortest day of the year. Typically falling on December 21, the solstice marks the beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere. While we"re wrapping up warm, the Southern Hemisphere is celebrating the start of summer on their longest day of the year.Desktop Version
It’s surströmming time
It’s surströmming time
The historic wooden pier of Smögen, Sweden, will be busy—and pungent—today. The third Thursday in August means one thing: surströmming season has arrived and all over Sweden, brave residents stand at the ready with can openers in hand. If you"ve never taken part in a surströmmingsskiva, the Swedish word for this particular event, you"re going to need a bucket of water, some side dishes, and a strong constitution.Desktop Version
Daiichi Tadami River Bridge, Fukushima, Japan
Daiichi Tadami River Bridge, Fukushima, Japan
The Tadami Line is one of the most scenic railway lines in Japan. It winds through beautiful landscapes over 84 miles from Aizu-Wakamatsu, Fukushima prefecture, to Uonuma, Niigata prefecture. As travelers cross the Daiichi Tadami River Bridge, pictured in today"s image, they are treated to gorgeous vistas of the river below and the forests that blanket the area. After a snowfall, the icy blue water of the Tadami River cuts a bold streak through the forest, providing a welcome splash of color in a blanket of white.Desktop Version
Seville, Spain
Seville, Spain
The first recorded expedition to successfully circumnavigate the Earth returned here to Seville, Spain, 500 years ago today. This was the remnants of the Spanish fleet that had set sail under the command of Ferdinand Magellan almost exactly three years previously with the goal of finding a western sea route to the rich Spice Islands of Indonesia. While Magellan gets the glory as leader of the expedition, he didn"t actually complete the marathon voyage—he had been killed in a skirmish in the Philippines in April 1521. In the end, his place as leader of the five-ship voyage was filled by Juan Sebastián Elcano, whose command ship, the "Vittoria," was the only one in the convoy that survived the trip. Harsh conditions, starvation, scurvy, hostile encounters, and other struggles had taken their toll: Of the roughly 270 crew members who set out, only 18 returned with the expedition.Desktop Version
Mandarin duck, Richmond Park, London, England
Mandarin duck, Richmond Park, London, England
The cold, dreary backdrop of winter can be the perfect time to show off a little color. This male mandarin duck is doing just that with his handsome crest and vibrant plumage. Come molting season, he will look more like his brown-and-white female counterpart, except for his brightly colored beak.Desktop Version
Azaleas blooming on Hwangmaesan Mountain, South Korea
Azaleas blooming on Hwangmaesan Mountain, South Korea
Vast colonies of royal azaleas paint the sides of South Korea’s Hwangmaesan Mountain a vibrant purple as summer approaches. Sightseers flock to see this striking pink and purple carpet of flowers which was created gradually as dairy cows and sheep ate the grass and plants, but left behind the poisonous azaleas which spread across the mountain.Desktop Version
World Reef Awareness Day
World Reef Awareness Day
The Great Barrier Reef runs for 1,430 miles along Australia"s northeastern coast, providing a home for thousands of species, including more than 1,500 types of fish. Here, you"ll find whales, dolphins, turtles, sharks, dugongs, and algae, all living together in a delicate ecosystem that relies on the coral reef. Sadly, climate change and pollution threaten this iconic site, the largest reef in the world. On June 1, we observe World Reef Awareness Day to remind people of the importance of safeguarding coral reefs, which provide food and shelter for about 25% of all marine life, to maintain the balance of nature.Desktop Version
Cordouan Lighthouse, France
Cordouan Lighthouse, France
Built between 1584 and 1611, the Cordouan Lighthouse is France"s oldest working lighthouse and the only one in the country that is still inhabited by keepers. For centuries, this maritime marvel has watched over the Gironde Estuary, on France"s Atlantic coast, a treacherous area where shipwrecks were once common.Desktop Version
Discovery Day in Yukon, Canada
Discovery Day in Yukon, Canada
It"s Discovery Day in Yukon, Canada, a day to commemorate the 1896 discovery of gold at Bonanza Creek. The event set off the Klondike Gold Rush, which attracted thousands of prospectors to the region in search of gold, leading to significant economic and social changes. The population increase led to Yukon separating from the Northwest Territories and the formation of Yukon Territory in 1898.Desktop Version
Great Backyard Bird Count
Great Backyard Bird Count
The Great Backyard Bird Count has begun! Time to pay more attention to our feathered friends and help scientists learn about wild bird populations. The event runs over four days and will see people using apps and websites to identify local birds and share their sightings from their backyards, or other favorite spots, for as little as 15 minutes a day.Desktop Version
Earth Science Week
Earth Science Week
Hundreds of shades of blue are marbled together in this cool shot. No, it"s not a work of modern art, it"s right off the brush of nature. This is a satellite photo of phytoplankton blooming near Alaska as the cool, salty Chukchi Sea mingles with warmer, fresher water closer to shore.Desktop Version
Windmills in Kinderdijk, the Netherlands
Windmills in Kinderdijk, the Netherlands
This stretch of windmills is one of the best-known Dutch tourist sites—you probably recognize them from postcards and calendars. Both iconic and historic, the windmills in the village of Kinderdijk have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997. The Netherlands has about 1,200 windmills, though only 300 or so are still operational. Over the years they"ve played a major role in pumping sea water away from the nation"s reclaimed land. Keeping the water at bay is a perennial issue for the flat Low Countries, where much of the ground is below sea level.Desktop Version
Ravens
Ravens
With their black feathers standing in sharp contrast to the misty Alaskan background, this group of ravens perched on a leafless tree conjures up a fitting image for this spooky time of year. In the folkloric traditions of many cultures around the world, these highly adaptable, intelligent birds have been considered symbols of all manner of unpleasantness. In Chinese mythology, they"re blamed for bad weather, while Celts associated them with warfare. In some Native American traditions ravens are often represented as mischievous tricksters, while many European cultures associate them with evil spirits, usually of demonic origin. In English, a gathering of ravens like this is even called an "unkindness"!Desktop Version
With leaves this tasty, who cares about a view?
With leaves this tasty, who cares about a view?
In the canopy of Uganda"s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a mountain gorilla leans into a meal of succulent green leaves. By day"s end, she"ll likely eat close to 40 pounds of foliage. Locals call this forest Bwindi, which means "impenetrable," but to this mountain gorilla, it"s simply home. Like us (and most primates), these gentle giants have opposable thumbs, which makes picking and eating an easy task. Also like us, mountain gorillas prefer hanging out on the ground. In fact, they"re known to stand upright and walk short distances with a remarkably human-like gait. We humans share 98 percent of our DNA with gorillas (both the eastern and western species), nearly as much as we share with chimps and bonobos. So yes, even though they have more body hair, we"re all hominids.Desktop Version
Salmon return to the Copper River
Salmon return to the Copper River
This is the vast delta of the Copper River in south central Alaska. The river is known for its large salmon run, which starts in early May when the sockeye and king salmon come back in huge numbers to spawn. Accompanied by much marketing fanfare, this Copper River catch also signals the return of fresh wild Pacific salmon to grocery stores and restaurants. The price per pound, especially in the early days of the commercial season, is as rich as the fish are in Omega-3 fatty acids.Desktop Version
Gentoo penguins in Antarctica
Gentoo penguins in Antarctica
For the uninitiated, the origins of the made-up holiday Festivus can be traced back to an episode of the hit "90s show, "Seinfeld." Based on the real family tradition of one of the show"s writers, Festivus has taken on a life of its own in the real world and provides fans with a fun, tongue-in-cheek way to celebrate the holiday season while ignoring its pressures and commercialism.Desktop Version
Winter solstice
Winter solstice
The days only get longer from here! The Northern Hemisphere marks the beginning of winter today, but the winter solstice is also the shortest day of the year. The rainbow that encircles the sun in our image, a sun halo, is above Lake Antermoia, in the Dolomite Mountains of northern Italy. Sun halos form when sun or moon light shines through ice crystals suspended in the upper atmosphere. When the light of the sun hits the crystals they serve as a prism, separating the light into individual colors of the spectrum, the same way rainbows occur after a rain shower.Desktop Version
Florentine garden brings generations together
Florentine garden brings generations together
Because it’s hidden just beyond the walls of the Palazzo Corsini al Prato, the Corsini Garden is never seen by many of the tourists who visit the grand palace. You’ll find the garden and palace in Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance and capital of Italy"s Tuscany region. Designed by architect Bernardo Buontalenti in the early 1590s, the Palazzo Corsini al Prato and Corsini Garden will host the third annual New Generation Festival this week. The festival features a "new generation" of musical talent from around the world performing in a different musical genre each night. For four nights, young and old will enjoy opera, jazz, and classical music in an Italian garden that has enchanted visitors for more than a dozen generations.Desktop Version