18 May
Let me start off by saying that this is one of my favorite books of all time.
Feel free to cross the jump if you need more of a review than that. Continue reading
14 May
You know how when you see a few things converging at once from a distance, you pretty much know exactly what’s going to happen? And then when it does, you can’t help but laugh? And then when you do, the person it happened to spots you laughing and you feel like a jerkpants?
So this morning I’m walking the Pudge along the river, where there’s a sidewalk and on the other side, grass and ponderosas. As we approach one corner of the path, there’s a pair of goose parents guarding their deliciously adorable little brood, all huddled on the sidewalk. Sunka and I give them a wide berth, and I look at them from the side of my sunglasses, not head-on. Momma Goose still hisses, lowers her head, and raises her wings at us. I love her tenacity and after we pass the family, Sunka and I turn back and up onto a small hill where we can watch them without disturbing them.
As we watched, a woman approached with her schmoodle (that is to say, a small froofy, fluffy dog whose breed is a mystery to me). I thought at first she would do the smart thing: make a wide berth and keep walking her tiny predator past the goose family. No such luck. She paused about three feet away from them and took out her camera phone. Whilst waiting for the perfect shot, Momma Goose lost her temper. There was hissing, wings, and the chase was given. The goose chased that little schmoodle around its human’s legs three times before the human (her own squawking mixing with that of the goose’s) jerked up so hard on the leash that schmoodle went airborne and landed safely in her human’s arms. Human ran off, and Momma Goose returned to her goslings, no doubt with a deserved sense of accomplishment.
I felt terrible after the woman caught me laughing, but.. well, you don’t mess with Goose Mommas. Especially when you have a little predator with you! There’s your nature lesson for today. :)
“Don’t mess with my momma!”
Image via naturespics on Wiki
12 May
Today’s word is:
Pronounced: …lek. This one sounds like it looks!
Sciency Definition: A lek is a communal assembly area where members of certain species meet to carry on courtship behavior and impress the local ladies.
I could have said: Prairie Chicken party place! Musk Duck disco dance-off! Hermit Hummingbird ho-down! Capercaillie ass-kicking camp! (I could go on.)
What’s it do? A lek is a place of great testosteronal activity: males of species including ground-dwelling birds like Black Grouse (Tetrao tetrix) and Sage Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) gather in one designated spot, performing mating displays and challenging each other. “Lek” is a word of Swedish origin, coming from the word leka which means “to play.” “Lekking” is the act of performing at a lek, which may also be called a “strutting ground.” Superior males get prime real estate in the lek, with lesser contenders lingering further towards the outskirts. Females visit to survey the selection and choose a mate. Pretty neat, huh?
Example sentence: I don’t have an example sentence today; all I can think about is a group of human males getting together in a big field to flap their arms and stomp their feet and make noise, while mildly-amused women stand off to the side, muttering to each other. I need some coffee.
You can check out an outstanding video here of Sharp Tailed Grouse lekking it up! It very well may be the coolest thing you see all week.
Diagram of Sage Grouse Lekking Grounds Via Sadi Carnot on Wiki
More for the super-nerds
Just wanted to share this snippet of an article talking about male courtship behavior in animals like peacocks, cardinals, or any other species whose males aren’t exactly camoflauged:
“Zahavi declared that male sexual characteristics only convey useful information to the females if these traits confer a handicap on the male.[12]Otherwise, males could simply cheat: if the courtship displays have a neutral effect on survival, males could all perform equally and it would signify nothing to the females. But if the courtship display is somehow deleterious to the male’s survival—such as increased predator risk or time and energy expenditure—it becomes a test by which females can assess male quality. Under the “handicap principle,” males who excel at the courtship displays prove that they are of better quality and genotype, as they have already withstood the costs to having these traits.”
8 May
Hi friends.
As you all are already probably more than aware, I’ve been working hard to open my online shop, found on Etsy, as a way to supplement my income and do something I love. At the moment, the shop is full of bibs, stuffed animals, and other goodies, all handmade by yours truly. I do as much repurposing as I can, since finding items second hand is the best way to find unique prints, patterns, and fabrics.
I love what I do! While keeping my regular full time job, I sew away the nights and weekends, stoking my imagination and constantly asking my inner child her opinion. I’m always looking for fun, new ways to get moms and kids interactive. In the upcoming months I’ll be introducing some brand new stuffies and screen-printed items like fabric napkins.
I hope you’ll come and have a look around, and if you’re so inspired, please shoot me a “Like” on Zootopia’s facebook page! I’ll be sending out coupon codes and special offers, but won’t overwhelm your home page with shameless self-promotion. Er, like this.
And it’s all for a good cause: attempting to supplement my own income is practice for my future freelancing naturalist business. My intention is to provide to teachers and other educators innovative, exciting programming and teaching materials at a low, affordable cost, so they can expand their own curricula without breaking the budget. That’s really what this blog is all about; one day it will be a really spectacular website with things to download and video clips and whatall else!
Thanks for taking a minute of your day to check out this post, I really appreciate it. :) Have a great afternoon, wherever you are!
25 Apr
Hi friends! I’ve been toiling away at my online Etsy shop (found here!) and put together a fun ‘treasury,’ or collection, of dinosaur items found on Etsy. It’s a lot of fun and there are items for both kids and adults (check out the dino USB flash drive!!!). Hope you enjoy! (Click on the image to visit)
22 Apr
Today’s word is:
Pronounced: bite
Sciency Definition: A bend or curve in a shoreline, [or in a rope, as opposed to the ends of the rope]; also, a wide bay-type formation created by such a curve.
What’s it do? A bights is shallower than a sound and wider than a bay. Depending on location and local ecology, bights can be hotspots for upwellings of nutrient-rich waters. In these areas, food chains flourish. The Robson Bight of British Columbia is visited annually by orcas, and the marine mammals seem to rest and play more in the bight than when visiting other areas of the BC coast.
Example sentence: The Great Australian Bight is an example of a bight that does not harbor abundantly fertile waters due in part to a lack of runoff from the edge of the continent. Southern Right Whales and sharks are frequent visitors.
Southern California Bight.
19 Apr
Have you guys seen this yet? It’s pretty wild. I’m not really sure what exactly is bobbing in the water, to be honest, but my best guess is a dead or dying fish. Huge pectoral muscles that allow for flight also support limited swimming ability for these awesome raptors. Their talons may lock when they grab prey, and if the prey is too heavy to lift after the talons have locked, the eagles risk being drug beneath the surface of the water. Young eagles have been known to drown after being a little too ambitious with their choice of sushi! I’m wondering if perhaps this is what’s happened here, but the eagle definitely looks like he chose to swim on the last turn. Watching him go over and over again is exhausting – imagine how much energy this bird is expending trying to go after one meal!
(Now is a good time to be grateful for the grocery store and your refrigerator!)
tree-hugging animal-loving earth-saving nerdy fan of dirt, feathers, leaves, stones, creeks, mountains, hot sun and thunderstorms
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