Hedwig Pöllöläinen
grrlscientist
Posts by this author
December 4, 2008
tags: peer-reviewed paper, psychology, gift wrapping, wrapping paper, behavior, holidays, holidaze
Besides bright lights, my favorite thing about the holidays is wrapping gifts. I love covering a boxed gift with colored papers (or even with plain brown paper bags), I get tremendous satisfaction…
December 4, 2008
tags: Female Mountain Bluebird, Sialia currucoides, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Female Mountain Bluebird, Sialia currucoides, photographed on Bainbridge Island in Washington State. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Eva Gerdts, April 2008 [larger view].…
December 4, 2008
tags: talking parrots, amazon parrots, behavior, Tonight Show, Jay Leno, streaming video
This streaming video is a clip from the Tonight Show, hosted by Jay Leno. This show was guest hosted by several talking parrots, who actually stole the show, if you ask me [8:35].
December 3, 2008
tags: Times Square, 42nd street Times Square, 35 Times, subway art, NYC through my eye, photography, NYC
35 Times (2005).
Glazed ceramic panels. Artist: Toby Buonagurio. Photographed at 42nd Street Times Square in the transfer corridor (between the 1, 2, and 3 trains and the Shuttle).
Image:…
December 3, 2008
Richard "Dick" Davisson in the courtyard outside the physics building
at the University of Washington (2000 or 2001).
Image courtesy of Christophe Verlinde.
I have been lucky to know a lot of talented scientists while I was working my way through school. One of my very good friends (and drinking…
December 3, 2008
Here's the latest carnivalia for you to enjoy!
Carnival of the Blue, issue 19. This blog carnival focuses on the oceans and everything involved with them -- an important topic in today's world, and one that I write about from time to time.
December 3, 2008
tags: sunset, Hawaii, landscape, nature, image of the day
Sunset, Wailea, Maui.
Image: John del Rio [larger view].
December 3, 2008
Offensive Christmas Ornament created by Seattle artist, Deborah Lawrence.
Image: Deborah Lawrence.
Seattle artist, Deborah Lawrence, was one of 370 artists who were given the honor of creating a Christmas ornament for the White House's official Christmas trees. This was after Laura Bush invited…
December 3, 2008
tags: Crested Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Crested Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos, photographed in Arizona. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Rick Wright [larger view].
Please name at least one field mark that supports your…
December 3, 2008
tags: Indonesian Mimetic Octopus, invertebrates, behavior, streaming video
This fascinating creature was discovered in 1998 off the coast of Sulawesi in Indonesia, the mimic octopus is the first known species to take on the characteristics of multiple species. This octopus is able to copy the…
December 2, 2008
tags: Times Square, 42nd street Times Square, 35 Times, subway art, NYC through my eye, photography, NYC
35 Times (2005).
Glazed ceramic panels. Artist: Toby Buonagurio. Photographed at 42nd Street Times Square in the transfer corridor (between the 1, 2, and 3 trains and the Shuttle).
Image:…
December 2, 2008
Here's a few more blog carnivals for you to enjoy;
History Carnival, December 2008 edition. This blog carnival focuses on history, both recent and long past history.
Europe Travel, 1 December issue. This blog carnival is crammed with lots of travel photoessays, and lots of gorgeous images, too.…
December 2, 2008
tags: wild stallions, National Geographic, international photography contest, image of the day
Wild Stallions
Image: Chris Gimmeson,
Nature Honorable Mention,
2008 International Photography Contest [larger view].
The photographer writes:
These are two wild stallions from the McCullough Peak's…
December 2, 2008
It's nice to know that a PhD in science is good for something .. what was your score?
December 2, 2008
tags: Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Pheucticus ludovicianus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Pheucticus ludovicianus, photographed at Sabine Woods and Sabine Pass area, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 28 April 2008 […
December 2, 2008
tags: Snowball, dancing cockatoo, behavior, streaming video
This streaming video is a clip from a longer DVD, Snowball's Snowy Christmas DVD, which is now available for Christmas gift giving. Children love Snowball and this DVD features the sulfur-crested cockatoo, Snowball, dancing to Christmas…
December 1, 2008
tags: Times Square, 42nd street, 35 Times, subway art, NYC through my eye, photography, NYC
35 Times (2005).
Glazed ceramic panels. Artist: Toby Buonagurio. Photographed at 42nd Street Times Square in the transfer corridor (between the 1, 2, and 3 trains and the Shuttle).
Image: GrrlScientist 5…
December 1, 2008
tags: Ivory-billed Woodpecker, Ghost Bird, movie trailer, streaming video
This streaming video is a clip from an upcoming movie called Ghost Bird. This film is a documentary about the controversial rediscovery of North America's largest woodpecker species, the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, which went…
December 1, 2008
Oh wow, more blog carnivals to educate and entertain you!
Carnival of Family Life, the Snowman Edition. This blog carnival features all sorts of family stuff, along with a bunch of snowcreatures, almost all of which are nearly identical humanoid snowblobs.
Movie Monday blog carnival, 1 December…
December 1, 2008
tags: three eagles, National Geographic, international photography contest, image of the day
Image: Jose Hernandez,
Nature Honorable Mention,
2008 International Photography Contest [larger view].
The photographer writes;
This is a shot of three [bald] eagles fighting over a fish in Homer,…
December 1, 2008
tags: animal cognition, animal communication, animal behavior, birds, parrots, Alex and me, Irene Pepperberg, book review
He was not ours, he was not mine.
Thank you for sharing him with us.
He brought us much joy. We loved him well.
-- Irene Pepperberg (p. 226), modified from Karen Blixen's…
December 1, 2008
tags: Birds in the News, BirdNews, ornithology, birds, avian, newsletter
Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus at Bolivar Flats, Texas.
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 2 July 2008 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/2000s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Christmas Bird Count…
December 1, 2008
I receive a fair number of books to review each week, so I thought I should do what several magazines and other publications do; list those books that have arrived in my mailbox so you know that this is the pool of books from which I will be reading and reviewing on my blog.
Red State, Blue…
December 1, 2008
tags: Male Hooded Merganser, Lophodytes cucullatus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Male Hooded Merganser, Lophodytes cucullatus, photographed in Arizona. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Rick Wright.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your…
December 1, 2008
tags: Thick-billed Parrot, streaming news report, conservation, streaming video
This streaming video is a Bird News Network (BNN) video by American Bird Conservancy, and includes some amazing footage of the Thick-billed Parrot taken by Greg Homel, Natural Elements Productions. The video discusses…
November 30, 2008
tags: The Freaking Brothers, humor, silly, funny, entertainment, streaming video
I thought this was a viagra commercial, but now I realize this is a career option that I am -- genuinely -- not qualified for. [1:50].
November 30, 2008
tags: Times Square, 42nd street, The Revelers, subway art, NYC through my eye, photography, NYC
The Revelers (2007).
Artist: Jane Dickson. Photographed in the passageway at 42nd Street/Times Square traveling east between the 8th Avenue/Port Authority Bus Terminal A, C, & E trains) and the…
November 30, 2008
I know that the holidays were originally celebrated by non-religious folk -- more commonly known as "godless heathens" by the religious wingnuts of all persuations in the crowd -- but our holidays were savagely stolen, repackaged and sold as religious consumer events devoted to orgiastic…
November 30, 2008
tags: Etu-Töölö, Helsinki, Finland, nature, image of the day
Walking through Helsinki after the snowstorm.
Etu-Töölö, Helsinki, Finland, 24 November 2008.
Image: GrrlScientist, 24 November 2008 [larger view].