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Dressed to impress
Dressed to impress
This time of year, from late spring to summer, male adult indigo buntings take it up a notch and turn a brilliant deep blue. They fly to a high perch—like our cheerful fellow atop a sunflower—and sing from morning to night to try to catch the attention of females. Indigo buntings are members of the "blue" clade (subgroup) of the cardinal family. During breeding season, you"ll find the small, seed-loving songbirds in brushy habitats in pastures, along roadways, and at the edges of forests throughout eastern and central North America, from southern Canada down to Florida. But you"ll have to keep a sharp eye out for the plain brown females, who are usually tending to their young deep in the thicket.Desktop Version
Hot and Spicy Food Day
Hot and Spicy Food Day
The super-spicy curries of Bangladeshi cuisine start out here in the chili fields, where workers harvest and sort red chili peppers by hand. Once picked, the peppers are sun-dried and used whole or ground into powder. The chilis not only add a flavorful kick to foods but help kill bacteria as well. Plus, spicy foods help diners cool down: One natural reaction to capsaicin, the active chemical in chilis, is sweating, which can help chill the skin amid tropical heat.Desktop Version
It s leap day!
It s leap day!
For leap day (the extra day added to February every four years), we"re looking at a Wallace"s flying frog. Also known as parachute frogs, these critters live in the tropical jungles of Malaysia and Borneo. They spend most of their time in trees, gliding down to the ground to mate and lay eggs. They "fly" by leaping and using their webbed fingers and toes to glide as far as 50 feet.Desktop Version
A visionary artist paints his own garden view
A visionary artist paints his own garden view
On Global Accessibility Awareness Day today, consider this uncommon painting. If you"re seeing brightly colored flowers against a multihued backdrop, you"re experiencing something the painter of today"s Bing homepage image hasn"t fully seen since he was a young boy, before a brain tumor damaged his optic nerve. Today, Jeff Hanson is a successful artist who only vaguely sees shapes and colors. Although legally blind, he"s developed a unique tactile process that helps him feel his compositions by first plastering the canvas with a thick plastic goop. Once that hardens, he uses the plastic ridges to navigate a piece, lending the composition form so he can add his signature vibrant color. He playfully calls each painting "a sight for sore eyes" and sells his art to appreciators like Warren Buffett, Elton John, and other collectors. Yet, one of the most creative aspects of Hanson"s life is the way he"s had to develop assistive methods to paint.Desktop Version
Santorini, Greece
Santorini, Greece
Officially known as Thira, Santorini is perhaps the most famous of all the Greek islands. Located at the southern end of the Aegean Sea, Santorini is part of the Cyclades group of islands and receives about 2 million visitors a year. That"s a lot of adoring attention for a small island (only 28 square miles) of 15,000 residents, and it"s no wonder why. The whitewashed, clifftop villages of Santorini, like Oia featured in this image, are postcard-perfect. And so are the unlimited panoramic views of the azure Mediterranean Sea.Desktop Version
The Grand Départ: Tour de France begins
The Grand Départ: Tour de France begins
All eyes are on France today as 22 teams begin the 105th Tour de France, the prestigious cycling race that takes competitors more than 2,000 miles through the countryside. Our image show the peloton (the main pack of riders) racing down a tree-lined road from Montélimar to the Parc des Oiseaux in Villars-les-Dombes during Stage 14 of the Tour de France in 2016. If you’re new to the competition, here’s what you need to know: The race includes 21 stages that span 22 days. Competitors will climb at grades of up to 11 percent through the Alps and Pyrenees, and pedal over miles of cobblestone and dirt roads, country lanes and highways, at last coming to a finish at the Champs-Élysées in Paris. When you see the peloton, keep an eye out for the yellow jersey–at each stage it’s worn by the cyclist with the overall leading time and is ultimately awarded to the winner. Bonne chance, riders!Desktop Version
It s only Wednesday
It s only Wednesday
After looking at this adorable gray seal pup you may be surprised to learn that its Latin name translates to hooked-nose sea pig (or piglet, in this pup"s case). Over 110,000 gray seals, more than 35% of the world"s population, make their home in and around the coastal waters of the British Isles. As autumn approaches, pupping season begins, and fuzzy pups—like the one photographed here—can be spotted on the coasts and beaches of the eastern Atlantic. About a month after the seal pups are born, they"re abruptly weaned when their mothers return to the sea to hunt for food and find a new mate. The older pups then congregate for protection in groups called weaner pods. Within weeks they shed their thick pup fur and take to the sea to learn how to catch their own fish.Desktop Version
Did they forget to fly south?
Did they forget to fly south?
Native to North America, trumpeter swans live near rivers, lakes, and coastal byways in northern and western US states in the lower 48, as well as in Canada and Alaska. Depending on where they live, these swans are either resident birds or medium-range migrators. What they all require, though, is year-round access to open water, since their diet consists almost entirely of aquatic plants. That may be why the swans in this image are drawn to the waters of Kelly Warm Springs in Wyoming, which won"t freeze even as snow lines the banks.Desktop Version
Fall comes to the Last Frontier
Fall comes to the Last Frontier
Join us in celebrating Alaska Day here at beautiful Mendenhall Lake, just a stone’s throw from the state capital of Juneau. It seems a timeless sight, but the lake actually began to form in the early 1900s as Mendenhall Glacier receded, leaving a deeply carved valley in its wake that was soon filled with glacial melt. Today, the glacier still feeds the lake, much to the delight of the many visitors who arrive in Juneau each summer on cruise ships.Desktop Version
Does this shark have an Irish accent?
Does this shark have an Irish accent?
Our Shark Awareness Day celebrity is a blue shark swimming in the cold waters off Cork, Ireland. The inspiration for its name comes from the blue shark’s back color, not its mood. It’s currently listed as ‘near threatened’—a status all too common for sharks today. Why celebrate an apex predator that most humans associate with horror movies? Because without sharks acting as population control on other marine life, the world’s oceans would be a very different place. Blue sharks eat a lot of squid and fish, and like land predators, help to keep their prey from overpopulation. Mother Nature keeps us in a delicate balance, so it’s important that we don’t accidentally remove a vital member of that system… even if that creature seems scary to most of us.Desktop Version
Bridge to infinity
Bridge to infinity
Infinity Day has us visiting Perth, Australia, and the Elizabeth Quay Bridge. From this aerial view, the bridge closely resembles a tilted ∞, the common symbol for infinity first popularized in a 17th-century mathematical text. We recognize this unofficial holiday every August 8, because the number 8 resembles the infinity symbol—at least when tipped on its side—and the eighth day of the eighth month is an infinitely superior day to celebrate the infinite.Desktop Version
It’s Canada’s national day
It’s Canada’s national day
For Canada Day, we’re dipping our paddles in Still Creek, a long gentle stream in British Columbia. The canoe has long been associated with Canada’s national history, linked with early explorers, fur traders, and colonists who ventured out into the wilderness of the great north. An image of a canoe even appeared on early versions of Canada’s silver dollar, a coin which was later replaced by the ‘loonie,’ so named for the depiction of a common loon on one side.Desktop Version
And you thought moths were boring
And you thought moths were boring
National Moth Week shines the porch light on an unlikely hero. Unlike their showier cousins, butterflies, moths get a bad rap from time to time, and that’s fair, as caterpillars of some moth species are agricultural pests. But before you break out the mothballs, take a gander at winged wonders like the comet moth, shown here. Scientists estimate that there are some 160,000 species of moths worldwide, many just as stunning as our comet moth, and tracking their health often helps us gauge the health of entire ecosystems.Desktop Version
Land ho in New Zealand 250 years ago
Land ho in New Zealand 250 years ago
On October 6, 1769—250 years ago today—Captain James Cook reached New Zealand on his first voyage to the Pacific. He would eventually map the entire New Zealand coastline, including the area here at Marlborough Sounds, a network of ancient sunken river valleys on New Zealand"s South Island. The main purpose of Cook"s voyage to the Pacific was to sail to Tahiti and observe the transit of Venus across the face of the sun. Only after completing this task did Cook unseal the rest of his orders and learn he was to search the South Pacific for signs of a fabled great southern continent, Terra Australis Incognito. European Renaissance geographers believed this hypothetical southern landmass must exist in order to counterbalance the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.Desktop Version
Racers pushing past sunflowers in the 2018 Tour de France
Racers pushing past sunflowers in the 2018 Tour de France
Cyclists have been competing in this prestigious, multi-stage race since 1903. The route is changed every year but always includes a mix of terrains and elevations, mostly in France. Originally conceived as a promotion for a newspaper, the Tour is now a worldwide sporting event that draws billions of viewers each year, making it more popular than the Super Bowl. Here, competitors are biking alongside the summertime sunflowers of southern France that are in full bloom during the race. This scenic image is a foil to the grueling duration of the race, which covers more than 2,000 miles over a 23-day span. Although athletes are organized into teams, the individual who completes the strenuous course in the overall shortest amount of time wins and gets a cash prize often shared with teammates. This year’s race starts in Belgium and will pedal past the iconic sunflowers around stage 16 before coming to a stop in Paris.Desktop Version
From the mind of Frank Gehry
From the mind of Frank Gehry
Today"s image features the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas, designed by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry and his firm, Gehry Partners, in 2005. The building consists of three different elements: a medical building with spaces for patient care and research; the Life Activity Center, a for-hire event space which helps fund the center"s research; and a breezeway connecting the two spaces. Some have likened these elements to the hemispheres of the brain itself, with the medical building representing rational thinking and the event space (seen here) giving form to creative thinking.Desktop Version
Peel Castle on St. Patrick’s Isle with the Isle of Man in the background
Peel Castle on St. Patrick’s Isle with the Isle of Man in the background
The Isle of Man has a long and complicated history of invasions, conquests, and systems of government. Pictured on today’s homepage are the ruins of the cathedral on the grounds of Peel Castle, on St. Patrick’s Isle (which is connected by a causeway to the rest of the island). Vikings built the original wooden fortification during the 11th century on a location that had older Celtic monastic structures made of stone, which were incorporated into the castle. Over the next eight centuries, the various Norse, Scottish, and English rulers of the area added battlements, towers, and the cathedral to the grounds.Desktop Version
World Childrens Day
World Childrens Day
Children are the future and ensuring their well-being is fundamental to a thriving society. World Children"s Day marks the day in 1989 that the UN General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child, an international treaty setting out children"s rights all over the world.Desktop Version
Computer Science EDU Week
Computer Science EDU Week
In the decidedly pre-digital 19th century, English polymath Charles Babbage developed his design for an Analytical Engine, a machine that incorporates many of the functional ideas of modern computers. The diagram in our photo today shows the plans for the inner workings of Babbage"s mechanical computer. Construction was difficult and expensive, given the precision required for the crafted metal parts, so Babbage tinkered on his own but died before he saw his vision realized. Engineers have since built working models of Babbage"s machine.Desktop Version
Aw shucks, it’s oyster season in Galway
Aw shucks, it’s oyster season in Galway
When you think of Ireland, do you think of oysters? The proud oyster farmers here in Galway Bay think you should. This weekend, fans of the bivalve have poured into the Galway International Oyster and Seafood Festival, an event that claims to be the oldest oyster festival in the world--and the most recognized Irish festival outside of St. Patrick’s Day. Visit Galway yourself and you can sample the native oysters, which have been harvested here for centuries, and also try the Pacific varieties that were brought in during the 1970s. Fans of native Galway oysters tout their meaty texture and subtle flavor. They pair well with Guinness, we presume.Desktop Version
Autumn in the Prosecco Hills
Autumn in the Prosecco Hills
It"s fall here in the Prosecco Hills of northeastern Italy. We"re just outside Farra di Soligo, a village about 30 miles northwest of Venice. This region is known for growing the glera grape used to make the sparkling white wine called prosecco. Once considered a poor cousin to Champagne, prosecco now eclipses it in global popularity. More than 600 million bottles of prosecco were produced in Italy in 2018, about twice the amount of Champagne.Desktop Version
A city, a cliff, a canyon…and cheese
A city, a cliff, a canyon…and cheese
Gazing down the lush Alzou river valley at the vertically-oriented village of Rocamadour, you won"t be surprised some regard the medieval French town as a holy site: Its beauty alone is mystical. The gorges of southwestern France are home to numerous striking historic hamlets built along and atop their steep edges. But Rocamadour is special as a stop for thousands of pilgrims on the Way of Saint James, a UNESCO-recognized traditional route through France and Spain that still draws journeyers both pious and secular. The town"s cliff-top sanctuary and the black-painted Madonna statue within have been purported to have healing powers. If you"re drawn to more earthly sources of good health, though, Rocamadour also lends its name to a delicious, locally crafted goat cheese.Desktop Version
Is that a smile?
Is that a smile?
For World Smile Day, we bring you one animal that can’t really smile, at least not in a way that humans recognize. The common octopus, seen in this photo, has a mouth with a beak-like exterior which it uses to crack the shells of the crabs and shellfish it eats. That opening you can see in this photo, below the octopus’ eye, is an aperture, part of its breathing mechanism. Still, if you let your imagination run with it, the octopus does look like he just heard a really good joke. And really, isn’t a ‘grinning’ octopus enough to make you feel good on World Smile Day?Desktop Version
Who left the tub running?
Who left the tub running?
"Sound II," this sculpture by Antony Gormley, has stood here in the oft-flooded crypt of Winchester Cathedral in the south of England since 1986—not trying to get a plumber on the horn, but quietly standing guard and studying the water in its cupped hands. Elsewhere in the cathedral you"ll find another notable statue: The likeness of William "Diver Bill" Walker, a local hero who—for six years starting in 1906—worked alone in a heavy diving suit to shore up the increasingly flooded structure as it threatened to sink into the boggy soil beneath. Nowadays it"s stable, but the lowest level still sees its share of standing water during rainy periods.Desktop Version
Corfe gets creepy
Corfe gets creepy
Spying the crooked silhouette of Corfe Castle above the rolling, foggy hills of Dorset, England, you might not guess at the ruin"s former palatial beauty—you"ll more likely sense its long history of intrigue, and maybe feel a chill down your spine.Desktop Version