grrlscientist | April 5, 2009tags: Eurasian Jackdaw, Corvus monedula, body language, behavior, peer-reviewed paper
Eurasian Jackdaw, Corvus monedula.
This is the smallest species of corvid (crows and ravens).
Image: Wikipedia [larger view].
Those of you who go birding will know what I am talking about when I say that birds are so capable of reading human body language that they know when we are looking at them, which frequently causes them to hide from our gaze. However, this capacity has never before been scientifically studied in birds, until now, that is.
A newly published paper studied handraised, tame…
grrlscientist | April 5, 2009tags: Chambers Street, Park Place, World Trade Center, Oculus, Andrew Ginzel, Kristin Jones, subway art, NYC through my eye, photography, NYC
Oculus #30, 1998.
Stone mosaic on walls throughout Chambers Street station complex (A & C trains); also, there is a stone and glass floor mosaic at Park Place entrance, which connects to this station via a tunnel.
Artists: Andrew Ginzel & Kristin Jones.
Image: GrrlScientist, 3 January 2009 [larger view].
Oculus is located in passageways under the World Trade Center and was largely untouched by the events of 9/11. Oculus will also be…
grrlscientist | April 5, 2009tags: sunset, Helsinki, Finland, image of the day
Auringonlasku (sunset).
Sunset in Helsinki, Finland.
Image: GrrlScientist, 1 March 2009 [larger view].
grrlscientist | April 5, 2009tags: Birdbooker Report, bird books, animal books, natural history books, ecology books
"One cannot have too many good bird books"
--Ralph Hoffmann, Birds of the Pacific States (1927).
The Birdbooker Report is a special weekly report of a wide variety of science, nature and behavior books that currently are, or soon will be available for purchase. This report is written by one of my Seattle birding pals and book collector, Ian "Birdbooker" Paulsen, and is edited by me and published here for your information and enjoyment. Below the fold is this week's issue of The Birdbooker Report which…
grrlscientist | April 5, 2009
Image: wemidji (Jacques Marcoux).
Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est (And thus knowledge itself is power)
-- Sir Francis Bacon.
Since Tangled Bank has gone the way of the Dodo (Passenger Pigeon, Carolina Parakeet, Ivory-Billed Woodpecker -- insert the name of your favorite extinct species here) and will probably never be seen again, despite promises to the contrary, there is a huge hole in the science writing blogosphere. A hole that must be filled. So I am proposing to do just that: I am starting a new science blog carnival, Scientia, which will be be THE science blog writing carnival.…
grrlscientist | April 5, 2009tags: Ferruginous Hawk, Buteo regalis, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Ferruginous Hawk, Buteo regalis, photographed on the Fort Pierre National Grasslands south of Pierre, South Dakota. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Terry Sohl, 16 February 2009 [larger view].
Photo taken with a Canon 50D, 400 5.6L.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Rick Wright, Managing Director of WINGS Birding Tours Worldwide, writes:
Here's a long-winged, long-tailed buteo with a dull white tail. For many of us, that might have been enough to…
grrlscientist | April 5, 2009tags: prayer, religion, humor, satire, streaming video
This streaming video is a commercial for the PrayerMAX5000! Finally, Prayer Amplification Technology⢠can be yours -- either at home or on the go [2:00]
grrlscientist | April 5, 2009tags: prayer, religion, humor, satire, streaming video
This streaming video shows Edward Current's new contraption, where he exploits science to build a prayer amplifier, the PrayerMax5000. Edward says, "I have faith that with my new invention, praying to God will be effective and reliable, finally." [3:55]
grrlscientist | April 4, 2009tags: Chambers Street, Park Place, World Trade Center, Oculus, Andrew Ginzel, Kristin Jones, subway art, NYC through my eye, photography, NYC
Oculus #29, 1998.
Stone mosaic on walls throughout Chambers Street station complex (A & C trains); also, there is a stone and glass floor mosaic at Park Place entrance, which connects to this station via a tunnel.
Artists: Andrew Ginzel & Kristin Jones.
Image: GrrlScientist, 3 January 2009 [larger view].
Oculus is located in passageways under the World Trade Center and was largely untouched by the events of 9/11. Oculus will also be…
grrlscientist | April 4, 2009tags: Trees at sunset, Suomenlinna, Helsinki, Finland, image of the day
Puu auringonlaskun aikaan (Trees at sunset).
Sunset in Helsinki, Finland.
Image: GrrlScientist, 2 March 2009 [larger view].
grrlscientist | April 4, 2009Okay my peeps, due to my own inept planning abilities, it seems I am helping to rejuvenate one blog carnival (Circus of the Spineless) while I am also launching another carnival, Scientia, on precisely the same day. Was this really dumb of me? Of course it was. However, I am going to make this happen for you because I said I would. So I need your help! So if you have written a "translation" of a scientific paper, or an essay, a photoessay or if you have a stunning image of a squishy (or crusty) living entity that lacks a backbone -- not including American politicians -- to share with the…
grrlscientist | April 4, 2009tags: mystery bird, identify this bird, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] American Crow, Corvus brachyrhynchos, photographed in Brazos Bend State Park, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 10 March 2009 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/1500s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Another view;
American Crow, Corvus brachyrhynchos, photographed in Brazos Bend State Park, Texas.
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 10 March 2009 [larger view].…
grrlscientist | April 4, 2009tags: prayer, religion, humor, satire, streaming video
This streaming video shows a little chat with Edward Current, who pleads, "My Grampa seriously needs to stay alive. Fortunately when there's something we have no control over, there are still things we can do!" I'll bet you can't guess what that might be [4:09]
grrlscientist | April 3, 2009tags: Chambers Street, Park Place, World Trade Center, Oculus, Andrew Ginzel, Kristin Jones, subway art, NYC through my eye, photography, NYC
Oculus #28, 1998.
Stone mosaic on walls throughout Chambers Street station complex (A & C trains); also, there is a stone and glass floor mosaic at Park Place entrance, which connects to this station via a tunnel.
Artists: Andrew Ginzel & Kristin Jones.
Image: GrrlScientist, 3 January 2009 [larger view].
Oculus is located in passageways under the World Trade Center and was largely untouched by the events of 9/11. Oculus will also be…
grrlscientist | April 3, 2009Here's the latest carnivalia for you to read and enjoy;
I and the Bird, #97. As the name implies, this is the blog carnival about wild birds and birding.
Canival of the Vanities, G20 edition. This is the granddaddy of all blog carnivals, the one that spawned a million or so other blog carnivals.
Festival of the Trees, #34. By reading this festival, you will learn all sorts of interesting things, from photographs of trees to soft toilet paper rolls being more ecologically damaging than driving a hummer.
Carnival of Evolution, #10. This blog carnival focuses on writings about evolution.
grrlscientist | April 3, 2009tags: anastamoses, Suomenlinna, Helsinki, Finland, image of the day
Here's a picture of some really cold birds .. but thanks to the wonders of evolution and anastamoses, their feet haven't frozen off!
Photographed from the ferry that runs between Helsinki and Suomenlinna
on Kalevalapaäivä (Kalevala Day). Suomenlinna is one of my
favorite places to visit in Helsinki, Finland.
Image: GrrlScientist, 28 February 2009 [larger view].
grrlscientist | April 3, 2009tags: Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Polioptila caerulea, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Polioptila caerulea, photographed in Arizona. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Richard Ditch, 24 December 2008 [larger view].
Date Time Original: 2008:12:24 08:21:25
Exposure Time: 1/200
F-Number: 5.60
ISO: 320
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | April 3, 2009
Image: wemidji (Jacques Marcoux).
Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est (And thus knowledge itself is power)
-- Sir Francis Bacon.
Since Tangled Bank has gone the way of the Dodo (Passenger Pigeon, Carolina Parakeet, Ivory-Billed Woodpecker -- insert the name of your favorite extinct species here) and will probably never be seen again, despite promises to the contrary, there is a huge hole in the science writing blogosphere. A hole that must be filled. So I am proposing to do just that: I am starting a new science blog carnival, Scientia, which will be be THE science blog writing carnival.…
grrlscientist | April 3, 2009tags: captive dolphins, SeaWorld Orlando, bubble ring, animal behavior, streaming video
This streaming video shows the dolphins at SeaWorld Orlando's Dolphin Cove as they artfully create and play with underwater bubble rings and hear what SeaWorlds trainers, educators and guests have to say about this fun and fascinating behavior [3:25]
grrlscientist | April 2, 2009
Image: wemidji (Jacques Marcoux).
Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est (And thus knowledge itself is power)
-- Sir Francis Bacon.
Scientia Pro Publica (Science for the People) blog carnival is seeking your recently published blog entries (within the previous 60 days) about science, nature and medicine for inclusion in tomorrow's edition. To send submissions to Scientia Pro Publica, either use this automated submission form or use the cute little widget on the right. Be sure to include the URL or "permalink", the essay title and, to make life easier for the host, a 2-3 sentence summary.…