grrlscientist | December 21, 2008tags: 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: GrrlScientist 5 November 2008 [larger view].
The commission for this work was received in 1992 and the art work was finally installed in 2004 and 2005. The complete work consists of 35 ceramic panels installed in over 800 feet of passages at Times Square.
Toby Buonagurio is a lifetime resident of…
grrlscientist | December 21, 2008tags: Central Park, NYC, juvenile cardinal, image of the day
Central Park Cardinal.
Image: Bob Levy, author of Club George [larger view].
The photographer writes:
When I pointed my camera at this perky juvenile Northern Cardinal she surprised me with her savvy and sophistication. "If you want any more images", she seemed to intone politely but firmly, "Please call my agent." Well, I guess this is the kind of thing I might have expected from any young and upwardly mobile New York City songbirds even in these tumultuous times, right?
...But seriously folks this little beauty is one of the…
grrlscientist | December 21, 2008tags: 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 | December 21, 2008tags: Yellow-headed Blackbird, Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Yellow-headed Blackbird, Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus, photographed in Mary Ann Creek Rd & Chesaw Rd, Okanogan County, Washington State. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Marv Breece, 1 April 2008 [larger view].
Canon EOS 350D 1/2000s f/7.1 at 300.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Rick Wright, Managing Director of WINGS Birding Tours Worldwide, writes:
It's a yellow-headed black bird -- it's a Yellow-…
grrlscientist | December 20, 2008tags: 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: GrrlScientist 5 November 2008 [larger view].
The commission for this work was received in 1992 and the art work was finally installed in 2004 and 2005. The complete work consists of 35 ceramic panels installed in over 800 feet of passages at Times Square.
Toby Buonagurio is a lifetime resident of…
grrlscientist | December 20, 2008tags: blogosphere, meme, 100 unusual lifetime experiences meme
I discovered this meme at Guadalupe Storm-petrel, and thought it sounded interesting. This meme lists 100 unusual experiences that one might have had in his lifetime, and so I've emboldened those I've experienced, and placed a red asterix in front of those I'd like to experience someday.
Started my own blog
Slept under the stars -- many many times
Played in a band -- I was in a handbell choir, I hope this counts
*Visited Hawaii
Watched a meteor shower
Given more than I can afford to charity
Been to Disneyland/world --…
grrlscientist | December 20, 2008tags: Central Park, NYC, house finch, image of the day
Central Park House Finch
Image: Bob Levy, author of Club George [larger view].
The photographer writes:
I found this male House Finch and a female (maybe it was a juvenile?) gobbling up Hawthorn berries in Central Park. The fall colors of the tree compete with this bird but I think it's a draw. How about you?
grrlscientist | December 20, 2008tags: American Black Vulture, Coragyps atratus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery birds] American Black Vulture, Coragyps atratus, photographed the Quintana Beach and Jetty area, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 18 November 2008 [larger view].
Nikon D200 1/640s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Rick Wright, Managing Director of WINGS Birding Tours Worldwide, writes:
This is clearly a large bird, and readily identified by a number of features visible in our quiz photo. But…
grrlscientist | December 20, 2008tags: high fuel prices, funny, humor, parody, streaming video
This odd little streaming video is part of an ad, but the actual footage of the commercial itself seems to suggest -- somewhat tongue-in-cheek -- what life might be like after fuel prices have gone so high that no one can afford to use it [0:51]
grrlscientist | December 19, 2008tags: 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: GrrlScientist 5 November 2008 [larger view].
Unfortunately, the vandals have attacked this piece, too.
The commission for this work was received in 1992 and the art work was finally installed in 2004 and 2005. The complete work consists of 35 ceramic panels installed in over 800 feet of passages at…
grrlscientist | December 19, 2008How could I let Friday sneak away without letting you know about the latest edition of the Friday Ark? This is, as you know, a photographic celebration of all non-human life forms on this planet, a spin-off of Friday Cat Blogging, so I hope you go there to appreciate living things other than humans.
grrlscientist | December 19, 2008tags: evolution, behavioral ecology, parental care, egg incubation, dinosaurs, birds
The Oviraptorid dinosaur, Citipati osmolskae,
on a nest of eggs that was unearthed in the Gobi desert
of Mongolia by the American Museum of Natural History.
Image: Mick Ellison, American Museum of Natural History.
Oviraptors ("egg seizer") were given their name because their fossil remains were first discovered on top of a pile of eggs. Because of their close proximity to clutches of dinosaur eggs, it was initially assumed that these dinosaurs were eating them. However, in his 1924 paper, their…
grrlscientist | December 19, 2008tags: Central Park Lake, NYC, reflections, image of the day
A Drizzly Evening On Central Park Lake 5:56PM November 13, 2008
Image: Bob Levy, author of Club George [larger view].
grrlscientist | December 19, 2008tags: Male Northern Pintail, Anas acuta, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Male Northern Pintail, Anas acuta, photographed in Arizona. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Rick Wright.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Rick Wright, Managing Director of WINGS Birding Tours Worldwide, writes:
Just a bit of a bird -- but what bit? Those of us who figured out that this was the head of a bird looking straight away probably figured out the species with little difficulty. We have a very tall-headed bird with a narrow crown,…
grrlscientist | December 19, 2008tags: merry christmas, funny, humor, parody, streaming video
Thisstreaming video shows an amazing "stupid pet trick" performed by a human and it's just in time for the holidays, too! [0:46]
grrlscientist | December 18, 2008tags: 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: GrrlScientist 5 November 2008 [larger view].
The commission for this work was received in 1992 and the art work was finally installed in 2004 and 2005. The complete work consists of 35 ceramic panels installed in over 800 feet of passages at Times Square.
Toby Buonagurio is a lifetime resident of…
grrlscientist | December 18, 2008tags: annual science communication conference, ScienceOnline'09, SciO09, Sigma Xi, Research Triangle Park, science blogging conference, nature blog writing
Okay everyone, you may be aware of the fact that I will be co-hosting a session about writing about nature on a blog at the upcoming ScienceOnline '09 conference in North Carolina. As you can tell from the official schedule, I and my colleague, Kevin Zelnio, will be hosting our session first thing on Sunday morning, 18 January 2008. Of course, my goal is to make this a useful and productive time for all of you, whether you attend in real…
grrlscientist | December 18, 2008Feeling a little down? Unappreciated? Below the fold is a link to the Norwegian compliment generator, along with a few of the Norwegian compliments that I received today.
Behold, The Surrealist Norwegian Compliment generator and a sampling of the compliments I received today;
You have the patience of a trilobite.
Cretins and vermin cannot compare with the depths of your cousins.
Your raw sensuality flusters me as the dog sneezes into the ventilation fan.
Your face is like an imperfectly shaven tennis ball.
The expanse of your intelligence is a void no universe could ever fill.
You have no…
grrlscientist | December 18, 2008tags: Austroraptor cabazai, dinosaurs, Dromaeosauridae, birds, fossils, taxonomy, evolution
The newly unveiled Austroraptor cabazai (left) attacks a juvenile sauropod dinosaur in an artist's interpretation.
The giant raptor, found in Argentina, measured between 16.5 and 21 feet (5 to 6.5 meters) long, making it one of the largest raptors to roam Earth 70 million years ago, a new study finds.
A dramatic new carnivorous dinosaur that was bigger than a car was unveiled yesterday in public at the Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales (the Argentine, or Bernardino Rivadavia, Museum of Natural…
grrlscientist | December 18, 2008Here's some newly published blog carnivals to keep you informed and entertained!
Carnival of Evolution, issue 7. This little blog carnival is really starting to get a readship as well as attracting some interesting submissions, so please go there and enjoy the submissions they have!
Carnival of Satire, issue 108. Yes, it's a fun read, so don't miss it!