grrlscientist | October 26, 2008Here's the latest carnivalia for you to enjoy;
The inaugural issue of the Carnival of Political Humor and Commentary for you to enjoy.
grrlscientist | October 26, 2008tags: Palouse Falls, Washington, landscape, nature, photography, Image of the Day
Palouse Falls, Washington.
Image: Joe Fuhrman, 2008 [larger view].
[The Palouse is a semi-arid "rain shadow" region in Eastern Washington State and portions of the Idaho panhandle, USA]
grrlscientist | October 26, 2008tags: po'ouli, Melamprosops phaeosoma, endangered species, endangered species act, conservation, extinction, birds, island species, Hawai'i, book review
For scientists, naturalists and birders, islands are the most amazing places on earth because their evolutionary legacy has provided them with their own fascinating flora and fauna that are found nowhere else in the world. But because humans also like to live on islands, along with their pets and crop plants, islands are a conservation nightmare, and certainly, the Hawai'ian islands are no exception. In Alvin Powell's book, The Race to Save…
grrlscientist | October 26, 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 wide variety of science, nature and behavior books that 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 published here for your enjoyment. Here's this week's issue of the Birdbooker Report by which lists ecology, environment, natural history and bird…
grrlscientist | October 26, 2008tags: American Avocet, Recurvirostra americana, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] American Avocet, Recurvirostra americana, photographed in Arizona. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Richard Ditch, 2007 [larger view].
Date Time Original: 2007:03:09 09:10:55
Exposure Time: 1/1250
F-Number: 8.00
ISO: 200
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Since I know this bird is easy for you guys, I am going to ask you to tell me what you think the bird is doing, standing there like that with its wings standing straight up.
Rick Wright…
grrlscientist | October 26, 2008tags: Rooney the talking magpie, birds, behavior, pets, streaming video
This is Rooney, a talking magpie. He has a sweet little voice. NOTE: It is illegal to keep this species in captivity in the United States [1:33]
grrlscientist | October 25, 2008tags: 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 7th Avenue/Broadway (1, 2, & 3 trains) platforms.
I watched the workmen install these mosaics (I wish I had photographed the process to share with you) and photographed them all after the adhesive had dried.
Image: GrrlScientist 9 September 2008 [larger view].
I have photographed glass tile…
grrlscientist | October 25, 2008tags: Autumn in the Palouse, landscape, nature, photography, Image of the Day
Autumn in the Palouse.
[Eastern Washington State, USA]
Image: Joe Fuhrman, 2008 [larger view].
The Palouse is where I grew up.
grrlscientist | October 25, 2008tags: Neotropical Cormorant, Phalacrocorax brasilianus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Neotropical Cormorant, Phalacrocorax brasilianus, photographed in Arizona. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Richard Ditch, 2006 [larger view].
Date Time Original: 2006:10:01 07:47:53
Exposure Time: 1/249
F-Number: 8.00
ISO: 200
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Rick Wright, Managing Director of WINGS Birding Tours Worldwide, writes:
Look carefully at this bird's right foot, and you'll see that the web actually includes all four…
grrlscientist | October 25, 2008tags: Weewoo The Talking Starling, Sturnis vulgaris, birds, behavior, pets, streaming video
Mozart had a pet starling whom he thought of as his musical companion. When his bird died, he had a funeral for him and invited his friends. This video should give you an appreciation for how talented these birds are as mimics [3:15]
grrlscientist | October 24, 2008tags: 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 7th Avenue/Broadway (1, 2, & 3 trains) platforms.
I watched the workmen install these mosaics (I wish I had photographed the process to share with you) and photographed them all after the adhesive had dried.
Image: GrrlScientist 9 September 2008 [larger view].
I have photographed glass tile…
grrlscientist | October 24, 2008tags: Lantana blossoms, flowers, nature, photography, Image of the Day
Lantana blossoms.
Photographed at High Island and Bolivar, Texas.
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 5 March 2008 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/400s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
grrlscientist | October 24, 2008Here's the latest carnivalia for you to enjoy;
Carnival of the Vanities, 23 October 2008 edition. This blog carnival focuses on excellent blog writing, regardless of topic. Did you know this blog carnival has been ongoing for six years now?
Carnival of Satire, for those of you who need to read a little snarkiness to start your weekend.
Carnival of Rants, for those of you who take snarkiness a little too far.
grrlscientist | October 24, 2008tags: DonorsChoose2008, education, public school education, fund raising, evolution education, nature education, bird education
Excellent news, my peeps! Seed Media Group has stepped up to donate matching funds of up to $15,000 to our DonorsChoose! This money will be divided evenly between all 21 of us ScienceBloggers who have set up a DonorsChoose Challenge.
Collectively, and thanks to our wonderful readers, all of the ScienceBloggers have raised more than $18,000 for our DonorsChoose Challenge classrooms. Best of all, the average reader donation has been slightly more than $75 each, so we…
grrlscientist | October 24, 2008tags: mystery bird, identify this bird, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos, photographed in Arizona. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Richard Ditch, 2005 [larger view].
Date Time Original: 2005:12:10 08:20:56
Exposure Time: 1/400
F-Number: 7.10
ISO: 200
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Rick Wright, Managing Director of WINGS Birding Tours Worldwide, writes:
What seems at first regard a completely straightforward identification leads us down a tangled path indeed. Nearly everyone will have…
grrlscientist | October 24, 2008tags: Damar The Talking Starling, Sturnis vulgaris, birds, behavior, pets, ornithology, streaming video
A friend of mine in California who handfeeds European starling chicks and then sells them as pets, refers to them as "the poor man's mynah bird." This video should give you an appreciation for how talented these birds are as mimics [3:27]
grrlscientist | October 24, 2008tags: parrots, endangered species, conservation, birds, ornithology, Indonesia
Masakambing (Abbott's) yellow-crested cockatoo, Cacatua sulphurea abbotti at Sukun tree.
Image: Indonesian Parrot Project, summer 2008 [larger view].
I had the most fascinating telephone discussion with Bonnie Zimmermann, Vice President of the Indonesian Parrot Project, about the recent reported rediscovery of several individuals of the rarest cockatoo in the world. This species, known as the Masakambing (Abbott's) yellow-crested cockatoo, Cacatua sulphurea abbotti, is a subspecies of Yellow (Sulfur)-crested…
grrlscientist | October 23, 2008tags: London England, London Zoo, sciblog, zoological gardens, travel
Entrance, London Zoo.
Image: GrrlScientist, 2 September 2008 [larger view].
After a leisurely morning walk through part of London's Regents Park, Bob O'Hara and I then spent the rest of the day at the London Zoo.
The London Zoo is quite proud of their environmentally-friendly facilities, and they have a sign near the main entrance that describes their water conservation project;
Sign near zoo entrance describing the zoo's water conservation project.
London Zoo.
Image: GrrlScientist, 2 September 2008 [larger view…
grrlscientist | October 23, 2008tags: 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 7th Avenue/Broadway (1, 2, & 3 trains) platforms.
I watched the workmen install these mosaics (I wish I had photographed the process to share with you) and photographed them all after the adhesive had dried.
Image: GrrlScientist 9 September 2008 [larger view].
I have photographed glass tile…
grrlscientist | October 23, 2008tags: lotus blossom, flowers, nature, photography, Image of the Day
Lotus blossom.
Photographed at Attwater, Texas.
Image: Joseph Kennedy, June 2006 [larger view].