Ming Dynasty Tombs, Chinese spider, unknown species. Shot with Canon 300mm f/4L IS lens about 3 feet away.
"Flight of the Eurasian Tree Sparrow" A Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) in flight captured in Bacolod, Philippines. A very common bird in the Philippines, Europe, and the rest of Asia. This bird is often wrongly identified as a "maya". This bird is not native to the Philippines and has never been a national bird. Of interesting note, Chairman Mao Zedong of China attempted in April 1958 to reduce crop damage by Tree Sparrows, by placing scarecrows and mobilizing 3 million people. He underestimated the amount of insects and locusts these sparrows ate and the campaign against the sparrows extended a famine that killed 30 million Chinese people between 1959 and 1961. The lesson that was learned? Don't kill sparrows.
"Stop Eating My Rice!" A Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) stealing rice from chickens. A very common bird in the Philippines, Europe, and the rest of Asia. This bird is often wrongly identified as a "maya". This bird is not native to the Philippines and has never been a national bird. Of interesting note, Chairman Mao Zedong of China attempted in April 1958 to reduce crop damage by Tree Sparrows, by placing scarecrows and mobilizing 3 million people. He underestimated the amount of insects and locusts these sparrows ate and the campaign against the sparrows extended a famine that killed 30 million Chinese people between 1959 and 1961. The lesson that was learned? Don't kill sparrows.