Appreciate Beauty of Nature with @phortun: round 178

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Hey there my Hive friends and followers!

Welcome to the 178th round of my special weekly photo challenge known as Appreciate Beauty of Nature with @phortun :)

I know a lot of photo contests with nature as the main theme were/are/will be hosted by various people on the Hive blockchain but I wanted to come up with something more than just another photo contest where participants would submit their best natural photos. Therefore, I decided to go for quite an unusual concept that I am going to introduce in the following lines.

The aim of the Appreciate Beauty of Nature with @phortun photo challenge is not to make you dig up your photo archives and submit the best pictures of nature that you have ever taken. Instead, I want you guys to go out and appreciate the beauty of our nature right now.

The internet (and the Hive blockchain as well) is flooded with picture perfect shots of landscapes, mountains, forests, beaches etc. taken years ago. But this is not what I want to see in this challenge. I want to see shots that may not be necessarily stunning but they must be fresh, proving that you have just physically spent some time outdoors in the fresh air. But remember that nature comes in many forms. It doesn´t have to be a pristine jungle or a deep remote forest. An urban park, a botanical garden, a little grove on the outskirts of your town - pretty much any place with some trees, plants, rocks, bodies of water or any other natural features would be just as fine ;)

Obviously, there is no way for me to verify whether the photo that you submit in the challenge is really fresh or if it was even taken by you so I am relying on your honesty guys. The prizes for the winners (as described below) are more symbolical than overly motivating so I don´t expect too much fraudulent behavior in this challenge anyway.

I want to keep the rules of this challenge as simple and benevolent as possible so let´s agree on just this:

Only one entry (photo) per person per round.

The photo must be yours and not older than one week.

Add a few words about the photo, at least where and when you took it.


You can start submitting your entries to this round in the comment section below from now until the next round. If you want to create a separate post as your entry, you can do that but please always remember to submit your entry in the form of a comment here in this post as well. I only check the entries submitted here as comments.

Prior to publishing the next round post, I will pick 3 winners, give my full upvote on their entries and feature them in the next round of the challenge. I also give some smaller upvotes on the other entries too so that all participants get rewarded for their engagement.

I usually host the challenge on Thursday but when needed for some reason, I can host it on some other day so better check my blog regularly not to miss out on it ;)

To keep up with you guys, I submit my own fresh natural photo to every round´s post too :) Here is my contribution to start out this round:


IMG_20230719_174842.jpg

After a period of unbearably hot days, we finally got some colder weather here in the Czech Republic. Yesterday, we even enjoyed a little but very nice and refreshing summer shower and it was right after the rain that I headed out to what the locals call the Central Park here in the Prague neighborhood of Stodulky. There were just a few people in there because of the rain and it felt really good to roam around the empty paths in the refreshing humid air. The paths were empty indeed but when I looked at the flowers, I saw a lot of busy, hard working insects doing their job. I don´t know what species these beautiful blue flowers are but many of them were being pollinated by the bumble bees. This little furry fella didn´t even mind my phone and struck this cool pose for me :)




In the last round, we had 7 participants. After some thorough consideration, I decided to pick these 3 winners:


@haastrecht with this entry from the Netherlands:

2dk2RRM2dZ8gKjXsrozapsD83FxL3Xbyyi5LFttAhrXxr16mCe4arfLHaaMXtToH3cwq3dYmagtL4kiNf7u7DNi2itSx8jdK66ALEeSh5FJnGCz2vaLe9AnzXU5NomFAZDBw8fuBaYb4emmv7FozovMZGVmbRxuMtbfhBmnGAz.jpg

My entry is from my Wednesday walk yesterday! I went on a little storm chasing in nature reserve Heidestein in Zeist, the Netherlands!


@onlavu with this entry from the Czech Republic:

26uUsAjKTsXCDw7zixZR182JbFKvgzJ9YwsFpTVcRaGCmsqhA1unTgpr3Tn2p7JUw1Tdnn7jEfK8i2UZrwPNbV9hwbxbVzCVamhADzngcnoKRsqdBMvs5s6WLWpXNk8XPFK2M2kbz5DYkEw2ya1Cd2JtcQVNFvafnx4cBp.jpg

Hey there! Last Saturday night, we had a swim at a public outdoor swimming pool (in Czechia) which is actually a biotope, not any chemical plant like traditional public pools. We came across this little guy there, the European Hedgehog.


@nenio with this entry from Chile:

antofagasta-sky-001.jpg

Without doubt, in the landscape/seascape photography the sky is a very important element to consider. In this photo the sky introduces a very “dramatic element”. It is almost covered by clouds and the sunbeams are filtered through them, illuminating the sea. On the waters there is an anchored cargo ship. I like very much this effect. They were taken last Monday in Antofagasta, Chile.




Congratulations guys! It was my pleasure to give you 100% upvotes on your entries :)

I am looking forward to what you will come up with in this round.

Have fun and appreciate the beauty of nature!


I post this series in the Amazing Nature community, a great community for all nature lovers. Feel free to check it out ;)




This post was created by me for the Hive blockchain exclusively. All rights reserved.



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Thank you for visiting my blog. If you like posts about Nature, Traveling, Photography, Animals, Ecology, Crypto, Sport, Fitness and discovering secrets and beauties of the World, feel free to follow me as these are the topics I mostly write about. Have a wonderful day and keep on hiving, guys! :)



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97 comments
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Hi @phortun mate!

I took this photo last week when it got cloudy towards evening. Strangely, the weather and leaves on the ground reminded me of autumn in summer :) Also, it is difficult to find roads empty in Istanbul.

Location: Istanbul, Türkiye.

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It does feel like autumn indeed, that´s interesting. But I guess the leaves just fell because of the hot and dry weather... Anyway, thanks for your entry man!

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Congratulations to the lucky winners!

The gorgeous blue globe flowers in your photo are too stunning not to learn the name of, so I did a reverse lookup to find out more. They are called Echinops bannaticus, known as the blue globe-thistle @phortun 💠💙💠

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Wow, thank you Nina! :) So blue globe thistle, pretty apt name hehe :)

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I can't get over how perfectly round the blue globe thistle's blooms are and beautifully graced with individual starfish shaped petals! The bee provided the perfect finishing touch as a model! @phortun
🐝💜💫

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Aww, thank you! You know, sometimes, when I don´t have time to go for a real hike to the forest and need to take my picture for this challenge just in the park, I worry that that picture will not be interesting / nice enough. So your feedback really made my day. It was taken in the park, just a few minutes walk from our apartment, but apparently, people like it :) Thanks again for identifying these lovely flowers!

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este post foi lido,aprovado e votado pelo curador @pataty69, e pela trail de curadoria. Desejo que continues a contribuir com publicações de interesse e qualidade para a blockchain Hive.
this post was read, approved and voted by the curator @pataty69, and curation trail. I wish you continue to contribute with interesting and quality publications to the Hive blockchain.

Translated and formatted with Hive Translator by @noakmilo.

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Congratulations @phortun! You have completed the following achievement on the Hive blockchain And have been rewarded with New badge(s)

You published more than 1800 posts.
Your next target is to reach 1900 posts.

You can view your badges on your board and compare yourself to others in the Ranking
If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word STOP

To support your work, I also upvoted your post!

Check out our last posts:

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1800 posts, wow, thanks for the info guys! :)

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You're welcome @phortun. Looking forward to you reaching your new target 😄👍

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Ah, I was going to share something for this week but I just realize that everything I have taken recently is over a week old. I'm going away again soon, so maybe next week! Awesome stuff here. I love the tree in the field. Looks like an album cover!

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No problem, we will be looking forward to checking out your entry in the next round :) Greetings to the States!

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Tu fotografía del abejorro y la flor azul es impresionante! Nunca había visto una flor parecida a esa, como envidio al animal justo ahora 😅 Esta mañana llovio un poco aqui tambien en el estado Monagas-Venezuela asi que aprovechare el clima fresco para salir a fotografiar y asi unirme a este genial desafio:)

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Gracias por tus amables palabras amiga. Las flores son realmente hermosas, estoy seguro de que los abejorros disfrutan su "trabajo" en ellas :) Estaremos ansiosos por ver tu entrada. Saludos!

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Oye disculpa la molestia pero tengo una duda, en las reglas planteadas dice una sola entrada (foto) por persona, eso quiere decir que solo debe ser una fotografía? No más?

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Sí, solo una foto y algún texto básico sobre ella, al menos para decirnos dónde y cuándo la tomaste. Por cierto, sería bueno que pudieras escribir el texto en inglés para que otros participantes también puedan entenderlo :) Gracias.

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Ok, thank you very much for the explanation:)

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@onlavu took a perfect photo. There are times when I can't get this close to hedgehogs haha. I've been absent for a couple of weeks but this week I'm going to participate more assertively in this contest, my friend!

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Yeah, @onlavu never fails to provide amusing entries for the challenge :) Awesome! See you here later then!

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Amazing Photos, I love the first one with a bee

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Heh, thanks, that bumble bee shot is actually mine :)

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Wow, nice shoot, you capture an interesting moment Of that Bumble Bee.

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Beautiful pictures

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Thanks for checking them out. Feel free to join the new round with your own entry :)

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You are highly Welcome 🤗
I will try

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All the photos are amazing, I like first one very much

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Thanks. Feel free to join us in the new round :)

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(Edited)

Picsart_23-07-21_09-12-46-007.jpg

So this is my first entry;
Not even a week had passed since it did not rain in North India for a day, so I moved my body which had been lying in one place for many days and thought that lets go to Sahastradhara today.
So I left with a little money in my pocket and a black umbrella in my hand. I reach Sahastradhara by local bus. There are dark clouds in the sky and it seems that it might rain anytime.
The name of this river which is visible in the photo is Sahastradhara, I used to come here everyday in summer to swim, today I am surprised to see the strong current in it. Out of habit, I sit on the bank of the river and watch the clouds, the forest, the flying bird, the bumblebees sitting on the flowers near me, and my lovely river flowing with purpose as if it will join the sea today itself.
I look at the river and think. Some questions about life, some about myself, some about the future. Light drops of rain bring me out of my thoughts. Since it has started raining heavily now let's go back. I have always liked to sit by the rivers, once I stayed in a tent on the river bank for 2 months, well that story again sometime.

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Amazing entry and a very nice write up too, thank you! :)

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I took this photo a few days ago, at first I thought it was a bee and I was trying to capture a bee taking honey from a flower, but I realized it was a fly. I took the photo when I went to meet my girlfriend's family in Ordu. It was one of the best days of my life.

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Hey buddy, good to see you here again! Happy to hear about your happy day :) Cheers!

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All these entries are just awesome and impressive. Many many congratulations to the winner.

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Thanks for checking them out and leaving this nice feedback here for the winners :)

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Great picks as always. Happy to see people getting involved in your contest/challenge :)

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Thanks! Yeah, cannot complain about the participation, usually about 10 entries in each round, which means 10 inspiring natural places from around the world :)

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I'm going to the woods on Sunday if it's not raining so I'll participate in the next one. Can't wait! ❤️

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Awesome! Looking forward to checking out your entry :)

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Today's hike highlight in Valencia Mountain, Philippines. Stunned struck by this very unique knight-looking grasshopper. I'm pretty sure there are many other animals and insects zoologists haven't even met.

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Oh wow! Look at this creature! Some very interesting buddy... Thanks :)

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Damn, amazing photo. I wonder how the flower looks in a more "normal" photo

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Thanks! You mean those thistles? They really look pretty cool these days when they are blooming, like little blue shining disco balls :D

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I'm glad that today I can participate in this contest launched by @phortun, as I'm used to I really like to pose nature in different poses.
The photo was taken six days ago in the town of Campeni in Alba-Iulia County, Romania.
What was I doing there?
We were in this city just to see some very interesting sights, and on the way home we wanted to stop at a restaurant for a bite to eat.
That's how I came across a hotel that also had a restaurant with an outdoor terrace.
The photo was taken from our table at that restaurant.
I couldn't resist photographing the beauty of nature we saw.

poza.jpg

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Wow! What a view to enjoy while eating your lunch! Amazing, thank you :)

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You're welcome, it really was a wonderful experience.
Have a wonderful Sunday.

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Hello

This week has been stressful in the city of Valladolid. Very hot, hot asphalt, lots of people in the cooler areas of the city such as the shopping centres.

So I have experienced a huge pleasure when I left the city towards Asturias and I could stop for a few minutes in the sunflower fields 30 kilometres away from the city.

I don't know why I have always been so attracted to this beautiful and large flower that colours the fields with its combination of true colours and yellow.

A moment of peace.

Regards

https://peakd.com/hive-127788/@castri-ja/taking-refuge-in-a-field-of-sunflowers

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Hey there! Thank you for this lovely entry, sunflowers are amazing :) Saludos to Spain!

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Thank you. A pleasure to participate.

Have a nice weekend

!PIZZA

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(Edited)

I have never seen those flowers before, what's their name? They're beautiful 💜

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Blue globe thistle :) Beautiful flower that attracts a lot of insects.

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Very cool shot @phortun
It looks a bit surreal with those flowers.
Your comment on my post reminded me to join this cool contest again.

We have moved from the Garda lake in Italy to the Jura region in France. That is where I took the following picture during kayaking.

20230723_142520.jpg

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Hey man, good to see you here again! That´s an amazing shot, wow :) I love kayaking... Thanks for your entry. How old is this picture btw?

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Appreciate Beauty of Nature with @phortun: round 178

Excellent photo of the blue thistle... I haven't seen such a beautiful field of blue flowers, with a bumblebee in a long time.....

My flower this season is sunflowers...
One morning or afternoon walk yesterday, led me to a golden field... Just blooming and fresh sunflowers after a rainy night.... These are the fields of Banat, Serbia....

IMG_20230723_080410.jpg

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Hey Suzana! Nice to see you here again after a while :) That´s a lovely sunflower close up, thank you!

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(Edited)

Yesterday morning (Sunday 23) at one of the parks of my city, a beautiful butterfly flying and dancing around us 😊🦋

IMG_20230724_100726.jpg

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Wow, that´s a beauty! Do you want to tell us the name of your city or should we keep the location just as Venezuela? :)

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Thanks, nice you liked it 🤗
Sure, it's La Estación park in La Victoria 😊🌲🌳🌱🦋

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Currently we are in the rainy and storm season at the north of South America. During this time the plains of Colombia and Venezuela are flooded and the rivers are overflowed of their normal courses. Last weekend I flew over the north of Colombia over the departments of Magdalena and Bolivar, and I saw the overflow of the rivers and the plains under the water. I took this photo in that occasion.

flood-magdalena-004.jpg

This is a part of this post:
https://hive.blog/hive-127788/@nenio/floods-in-the-north-of-colombia-inundaciones-en-el-norte-de-colombia-en-es

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Very interesting and unique photo, thank you! I´m sorry to hear about the floods. Ironically, we would happily take all that water because here in Europe, there are extreme heatwaves, droughts and wildfires in many places, especially on the Mediterranean islands :(

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I know about the high temperatures in Europe from the news and also from relatives and friends that live there.
The heavy rains in the northern part of South America are a big contrast from the north of Chile, where rain is very rare. I have been living there for some years and I have not witness the first rain.

Thank you.

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You haven´t had rain there for years? Wow. That´s incredible. Is there any vegetation?

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When you go out of the city, you do not see any vegetation at all, not even cacti.

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Wow, that´s crazy. It must look like a Mars landscape or something...

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Wow. Looks like Mars indeed. Incredible.

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