| UN: Climate funds shouldn't divert poverty aid By 2010-09-02T11:22:52ZGENEVA (AP) -- The U.N.'s climate chief says poor countries are right to expect that any funding they receive to combat global warming be kept separate from development aid or poverty relief.... hosted.ap.org |
Today's mystery bird for you to identify A friend sent me his stunning capture of a common bird that I had to share with you (includes a couple challenging questions to keep you busy).Mystery bird photographed on the island of Anglesey, north-east Wales, UK. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]Image: Richard Carter, 8 September 2010. [larger view].Canon EOS 5D Mark II. This stunning picture depicts a mystery bird that is probably not mysterious to anyone, but I liked the picture and wanted to share it with you. Of course, since this bird is such an easy ID, that means I get to ask you challenging questions about it, so here are my questions: first, if you were walking around Anglesey and saw this bird in midsummer, what five other bird species would you expect to see as well? Which of those species would still be present in midwinter? Being a logolept, I am most interested to know the etymology for how the heck this bird got such weird common and scientific names?Daily mystery bird rules: 1. Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification, keeping in mind that more than one field mark is often necessary to distinguish between species. IDs without any supporting information are not valid and may be deleted by the moderators. 2. Expert and intermediate level birders: do NOT try to be the first to blurt out the mystery bird's ID. Instead, please provide helpful hints, such as descriptions, literary references, puns, personal anecdotes, and other forms of discussion and assistance for beginning birders and for those following on their iPhones without naming the species. Expert and intermediate birders are free to name the bird species 24 or more hours after it was first published.3. Each mystery bird is usually accompanied by a question or two. These questions can be useful for identifying the pictured species, but may instead be used to illustrate an interesting aspect of avian biology, behaviour or evolution, or may be intended to generate conversation on other topics, such as conservation. 4. Each bird species will be demystified 48 hours after publication. 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 |
Mystery Bird: Eurasian collared dove, Streptopelia decaocto | GrrlScientist What is this Old World species doing in southern California? My friends at BirdNote Radio answer this questionEurasian collared dove, Streptopelia decaocto, sometimes hyphenated as Eurasian collared-dove or known simply as the collared dove, photographed in San Dimas, Los Angeles county, southern California, USA. Image: Steve Duncan, 19 April 2009. [how about looking at this bird with binoculars?]Question: If you can identify this mystery bird, then I have a question for you: what is it doing in southern California?Response: This is a Eurasian collared dove, Streptopelia decaocto, hanging around in southern California. What is this Old World species doing there, so far from home? Embedded below is a 2 minute podcast of the popular radio programme BirdNote Radio, by some of my Seattle birding pals. In this episode, they talk about the Eurasian collared dove and answer this question: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 |
Whale of a Trip: Humpback makes record migration By RAPHAEL G. SATTER 2010-10-13T22:03:15ZLONDON (AP) -- It wasn't love. It could have been adventure. Or maybe she just got lost.... hosted.ap.org |
Image shows echoes from before big bang Concentric circles on an image of the early universe are an imprint of violent events before the big bang, according to a new study. abc.net.au |