bird
bleimanb | May 6, 2008Across the U.K., ravens, once peaceful scavengers, have taken to attacking livestock in huge murderous storms. Scottish and Welsh farmers have recently reported flocks of ravens descending on lambs and literally pecking them to death. Kind of like the movie The Birds! just more sensationalized by the British media...
Beware! Poor metaphors and juvenile symbolism ahead!
Jimmy Mills, a farmer from the town of Stratherrick claims to have lost seven lambs in the last two weeks. In this article in the Daily Mail, he said "The lambs are born at...
...1pm and by four o'clock they've been taken to…
grrlscientist | May 5, 2008tags: Purple-Crested Turaco, Tauraco porphyreolophus, birds, Image of the Day
First in a series of non-passerine images by this photographer.
Purple-Crested Turaco, Tauraco porphyreolophus.
Image: John Del Rio [larger view].
The turacos are classified into the bird family Musophagidae, which translates as "banana-eaters". Musophagidae also include the plantain-eaters and go-away-birds. Musophagidae are medium-sized arboreal birds that are endemic to sub-Saharan Africa. They live in forests, woodland and savanna. They have weak flight but run quickly through the tree canopy. Musophagidae…
grrlscientist | April 30, 2008tags: Yellow-Throated Laughing Thrush, Garrulax galbanus, birds, Image of the Day
This is the third in a series of passerine images by this photographer.
Yellow-Throated Laughing Thrush, Garrulax galbanus.
Image: John Del Rio. [larger view].
grrlscientist | April 29, 2008tags: Melba Waxbill, Pytilia melba, birds, Image of the Day
This is the second image in a series of passerine images by this photographer.
Melba Finch, Pytilia melba, also known as the Melba Waxbill or the Green-winged Pytilia.
Image: John Del Rio. [larger view].
grrlscientist | April 28, 2008tags: Turquoise Tanager, Tangara mexicana, birds, Image of the Day
This is the first in a series of passerine images by this photographer.
Turquoise Tanager, Tangara mexicana.
Image: John Del Rio. [larger view].
grrlscientist | April 27, 2008tags: spring, nature, Image of the Day
Spring, 2.
This is the Canada goose family (slightly increased in size) in College Park that you saw earlier.
Image: Karen Davis [larger].
grrlscientist | April 24, 2008tags: Common Pochard, Aythya ferina, birds, Image of the Day
Common Pochard, Aythya ferina (Hiroshima, Japan).
Image: Bardiac [larger].
grrlscientist | April 23, 2008tags: Japanese White-Eye, Zosterops japonicus, birds, Image of the Day
Japanese White-Eye, Zosterops japonicus (Osaka Prefecture, Japan).
Image: Bardiac [larger].
grrlscientist | April 22, 2008tags: Grey Heron, Ardea cinerea, birds, Image of the Day
Grey Heron, Ardea cinerea (Kumamoto, Japan).
Image: Bardiac [larger].
grrlscientist | April 20, 2008tags: birds, Northern cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis, ornithology, Image of the Day
Note the paper teabag wrapper in the photo. I think it adds a "New Yorkish touch" to its construction.
Nest of the Northern cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis, located in a tree in the traffic circle in front of the Museum's parking garage.
Image: Bob Levy, author of Club George [larger view].
Did you notice the pale blue eggs in the nest?
grrlscientist | April 19, 2008tags: birds, Northern cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis, ornithology, Image of the Day
Papa Museum's left eye was unwaveringly fixed on mine.
Male Northern cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis.
Image: Bob Levy, author of Club George [larger view].
Bob Levy writes:
A sure sign that "spring hath sprunged" is the appearance of songbird nests. I found my first one this season in an unexpected fashion but then I have come to expect the unexpected when bird-watching. For several minutes I had been standing beside a wrought iron fence where the sight and sound of a singing male House Finch mesmerized…
grrlscientist | April 18, 2008tags: mountain bluebird, Sialia currucoides, birds, Image of the Day
Female mountain bluebird, Sialia currucoides.
This bird surprised birders in Washington state by visiting Bainbridge Island this past weekend.
Image: Eva Gerdts, April 2008. [larger view].
grrlscientist | April 17, 2008tags: mountain bluebird, Sialia currucoides, birds, Image of the Day
Male mountain bluebird, Sialia currucoides.
This bird surprised birders in Washington state by visiting Bainbridge Island this past weekend.
Image: Eva Gerdts, April 2008 [larger view].
grrlscientist | April 15, 2008tags: Harlequin Duck, Histrionicus histrionicus, birds, Image of the Day
Last in a series of duck images by this photographer. Stay tuned: there are plenty more images by John that will appear soon!
ABSTRACT: Male Harlequin Duck, Histrionicus histrionicus.
Image: John Del Rio. [larger view].
grrlscientist | April 14, 2008tags: Long-tailed Duck, Clangula hyemalis, birds, Image of the Day
Next-to-last in a series of duck images by this photographer. But there are plenty more images by John that will appear soon!
Long-tailed Duck (formerly: Oldsquaw), Clangula hyemalis.
Image: John Del Rio. [larger view].
grrlscientist | March 25, 2008tags: birds, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Sitta canadensis, ornithology, Image of the Day
Red-breasted Nuthatch, Sitta canadensis.
Image: Dave Rintoul, KSU. [larger view].
By the time this image pops up, I will be meeting my hosts, Dave and Elizabeth, at the Kansas City, MO, airport. I'll probably be dragging my dufflebag along, while carrying my precious laptop, digital camera, and binoculars -- all crammed into the super-strong computer bag that I have packed them into. Hopefully, the airlines will treat me well and will allow me to pre-board each flight (I switch planes in Detroit -- another…
grrlscientist | March 24, 2008tags: birds, Eastern Phoebe, Sayornis phoebe, ornithology, Image of the Day
Eastern Phoebe, Sayornis phoebe.
Image: Dave Rintoul, KSU. [larger view].
With any luck, by the time you are looking at this image, I will have finished running around the city trying to get last minute tasks completed, such as buying food for my birds, cleaning my birds as much as possible (I've given up on cleaning my apartment and caved-in bathroom so both are complete disasters), doing my looong-overdue laundry (I have no idea how I will do this one-handed since it involves hauling a mountain of dirty clothes…
grrlscientist | March 21, 2008tags: birds,California Condor, Gymnogyps californianus, ornithology, Image of the Day
California condor, Gymnogyps californianus, #97,
flying over Bright Angel Lodge at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, August 2006.
Image: Jeff Lanam. [larger size].
grrlscientist | March 18, 2008tags: birds,Ocellated Turkey, Meleagris ocellata, ornithology, Image of the Day
Ocellated Turkey, Meleagris ocellata,
in the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve in the Southern Yucatan
in the state of Campeche. They are endemic to the region
and are known locally as both Pavo Ocelado or Guajalote Ocelato.
Image: Kevin Sharp. [larger size].
Kevin writes:
The Ocellated Turkey, Meleagris ocellata, is one of only two species of wild turkey. The Ocellated Turkey is near-endemic to Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. The species' range also extends a bit into Guatemala and Belize, but all total encompasses…
grrlscientist | March 17, 2008tags: birds,Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, ornithology, Image of the Day
Immature Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, in the Yucatan.
Image: Kevin Sharp. [larger size].