| Mongolian Cabinet holds meeting in Gobi desert By GANBAT NAMJILSANGARAV 2010-08-30T00:34:10ZGASHUUNII KHOOLOI, Mongolia (AP) -- Top Mongolian officials donned dark green baseball caps reading "Save our planet" and set up chairs and tables in the sands of the Gobi desert for a Cabinet meeting aimed at drawing attention to climate change.... hosted.ap.org |
Teen trio going to world technology finals Three Brisbane teenagers will represent Australia in the world finals of a schools technology challenge. abc.net.au |
In Trove of Letters, Rivalry Among DNA Sleuths Comes to Life The letters, written by and to Francis Crick over 26 years and thought to have been destroyed decades ago, surfaced among the papers of a former office mate. feeds.nytimes.com |
Video: A curious cat gets into a prickly situation | GrrlScientist A curious cat gets into a prickly situationJust in time for Caturday, a new episode of Simon's Cat!A curious cat gets into a prickly situation. Yes, I know it's silly. But it's Caturday, and if a person can't be silly on Caturday, when can they be silly?GrrlScientistguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Mystery Bird: Northern Mockingbird, Mimus polyglottos The feature that I think is most amazing about this species is its singing ability: it is a talented songster and mimicNorthern mockingbird, Mimus polyglottos (formerly, Turdus polyglottos), photographed during the Smith Point Hawk Watch at Gulf Coast Bird Observatory, Texas, USA. Image: Joseph Kennedy, 4 October 2010 [with binoculars].Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece1/750s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400Question: This rather plain-looking North American mystery bird is quite remarkable in many ways. Can you identify this species and tell me what you think is most remarkable about it?Response: This is a Northern mockingbird, Mimus polyglottos, which is a talented songster and mimic -- the feature that I think is most amazing about this species. Both the male and female sing -- and loudly -- and they will do so night and day during most of the year, much to the consternation of humans living nearby. Besides singing, Northern mockingbirds also mimic nearly everything they hear; other birds' songs, animals, humans and even man-made objects, such as car alarms. There is some evidence that suggests that males attract females by having a large song repertoire. The average male Northern mockingbird will have a song repertoire of 50-200 sounds. Embedded below is a 2 minute radio programme about the Northern mockingbird, thanks to my friends at BirdNote Radio:If you have bird images, video or mp3 files that you'd like to share with a large and appreciate audience, feel free to email them to me for consideration.GrrlScientistguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |