June 13, 2008
What we must learn, Dolphin disasters
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Much of their behaviour remains a mystery and no one knows for sure why dolphins, such as those in Cornwall, apparently commit mass suicide. The theories are many. One is that ailing dolphins, which are air-breathing mammals, would rather beach themselves than drown - tragically, leading their fellows ashore in the process.
Another is that dolphins, like whales and porpoises, navigate using the Earth's electromagnetic fields but that anomalies in these can sometimes lead them perilously close to land.
Most disturbingly, we could be playing a central role in their demise. One theory regarding the Cornish dolphins is that Navy live fire exercises knocked them off course. I have never heard of this happening before, but the increasingly loud sonar used both by the world's navies, and by underwater oil prospecting, has long been thought to affect their ability to navigate.
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Full Story, lots of pictures here
Posted by sue at 09:10 AM | Comments (0)
June 05, 2008
New Beak for wounded Eagle
ST. MARIES, Idaho - More than three years after a poacher shot off her upper beak, a bald eagle named Beauty can finally live up to her name - with the help of volunteers.
A team attached an artificial beak to the 15-pound eagle in mid-May, improving her appearance and, more importantly, helping her grasp food.
"She's got a grill," joked Nate Calvin, the Boise engineer who spent 200 hours designing the complex beak.
Posted by sue at 10:16 AM | Comments (0)
May 27, 2008
Orca Whales do kill Dolphins
It looks like a playful display of animal gymnastics as a dolphin dives inches away from a killer whale.
In fact, it is leaping for its life. Killer whales, or orcas, are themselves members of the dolphin family and it had been thought that they avoided attacking their cousins.
But wildlife expert Rainer Schimpf found the opposite when he took these pictures off Algoa Bay, near Port Elizabeth in South Africa.
Posted by sue at 10:51 AM | Comments (0)
April 21, 2008
Super Fish!
NATURE details the epic ocean journeys and bizarre life cycles of the largest and most highly prized of all game fish – marlins, swordfish, spearfish and sailfish in Superfish, premiering Sunday, May 4 at 8 p.m. (ET) on PBS (check local listings).
Sunday May 4th at 8PM on PBS
Posted by sue at 12:14 PM | Comments (0)
November 26, 2007
Dancing bird even MoonWalks!
Posted by sue at 01:25 PM | Comments (0)
November 13, 2007
Indian Summer
During this time, many people will use the phrase "Indian Summer" to describe just about every warm spell that occurs, much like they would use "Dog Days" during a stretch of stifling hot, humid days in late July or early August.
Most people are familiar with the phrase, but few know exactly where it came from, and or what it means exactly...
In their Glossary of Meteorology, The American Meteorological Society (AMS) defines "Indian Summer" as a period in mid- or late autumn (Fall), of abnormally warm weather, with generally clear skies, sunny but hazy days, and cool nights.
Several different explanations exist about the origins of the term, "Indian Summer":
The Most Likely: "Indian Summer" was the period that early Native Americans used for hunting. The warm conditions encouraged animals to stay outside, and the hazy air gave humans a natural advantage.
Another Possibility: Early Native Americans would allow the warmer conditions following a significant frost to fully ripen their crops for harvesting, which then would be gathered and stored with extra food before even colder weather associated with the harsh New England winter arrived killing the crops all together!
Outside the U.S., conditions similar to our "Indian Summer" can be observed in England as well as many countries throughout the Mediterranean. These conditions also occur in late autumn, and are referred to as "Saint Martin`s Summer", or "All Hallows Summer", relating to our All Hallows Eve, or Halloween.
Posted by sue at 02:46 PM | Comments (0)