...that yesterday was National Punctuation Day?


They even have a website.  This year they're sponsoring a haiku contest.  I liked this sample by Craig Harrison:

Dot dot ellipses
The yada yada of print.
So on and so forth.

Thanks, Ei... imagine that! I sure will be checking that site. (Never could compose a decent haiku, and your example certainly impresses...)

Whatever the case may be, it was another exciting morning for this falcon watcher.

For sure, MAK... what a morning!

And doncha just love the footprints with the tail mark right down the middle?

Good pix, Donna. And such sapphire-blue skies... it must be so fresh and clean. That penguin (Emperor?) is obviously a member of the crew now. They always seem so confiding.

[MAKfalcon (MAK):]

MAKfalcon (MAK): Cant locate her She must b on the ground somewhere. She was losing altitude! WOW

Link:
http://twitter.com/MAKfalcon/statuses/25490993287

No wonder she was losing altitude with that mega-brunch in her talons. What a sight that must have been. Who else was there to see it, Yarak?

[Climate risks greater for long-distance migratory birds]

Climate risks greater for long-distance migratory birds

By Mark Kinver, Science and environment reporter, BBC News

Birds embarking on long-distance migrations are more vulnerable to shifts in the climate than ones making shorter journeys, a study suggests.

Scientists say the increasingly early arrival of spring at breeding sites in Europe makes it harder for the birds to attract a mate or find food.

The researchers warn that the "increasing ecological mismatch" can lead to a decline in bird populations.

The findings appear in the journal Proceedings B of the Royal Society...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11408439

[MAKfalcon (MAK):]

MAKfalcon (MAK): 4 the 1st time I saw A and B work together catching prey. A flushed out pigeons B stooped and missed. They both put on a show flying up  ...

Wow, MAK! You must have been high-fiving all over the place for that one! You go, Girl! What an experience! Cranes at Montezuma and now this? You. Are. On. A. ROLL!

I have a Cuckoo that comes out every hour with a bunch of dancers and sings to me!

Arrrrrrrrggggh!

It's really great to hear some happy news for once

We have had so many good things happen lately.

There sure have been! And when I read the posts, the excitement is there! Thanks again for doing this on our behalf. Not sure I would have either the tenacity or the energy...

OK, today's bird: What am I?

It's hard without seeing beak and feets. I never heard of it but....

Red-billed Chough? Or Yellow-billed Chough?

I say Chough too, Annette. Red-billed, if it was photographed in an Irish setting...

Check this out!!

Golden eagle carrying off a booted eagle taken out of the air - Tarifa, Spain 2008

Nooooooooo!!!

OK, today's bird: What am I?

It's hard without seeing beak and feets. I never heard of it but....

I know! I know! At least I think I do... (Beak and Feet could be the important words in this one, Gang! Habitat might also give a hint...)

I have never seen a cuckoo in the States, but I assume there are some... perhaps a number of species? Here's a good piece on their incubation...

A cuckoo has a remarkable ability to hold its egg inside it for an extra 24 hours before releasing it into a host bird's nest, researchers have found.

They say this "internal incubation" lets a cuckoo hatch before its nest mates, chuck them out and have the food foster parents bring all to itself.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11401254

CHIRPY BIRD-DAY, BC!

Cannot even begin to compete with Donna's visuals, so I will just send a wave and good wishes!

 

Slainte!

Two ursine tales for today... the first one about a Montana woman who saw off a black bear by wielding a zucchini (aka courgette)...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11401167

And this one about another stowaway! This time, it's a cub stuck on a train in Canada.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11401171