[Climate change threatens slow-swimming narwhals]

Not every day that one gets to read about narwhals. Wherever in the course of evolution did they make the decision to have those tusks! I include the link. Hope you can play the video - from another splendid BBC natural history series called "Nature's Great Events". Worth seeking out on DVD.

Climate change threatens slow-swimming narwhals

Matt Walker, Editor, Earth News

Narwhals are the 'marathon runners' of the oceans, scientists have discovered. The Arctic-living tusked whales are exceptional endurance athletes, possessing a greater density of slow-twitch fibres in their muscles than any other marine mammal studied.

But this ability also means they are one of the sea's slowest swimmers. That places them at high risk from climate change, as narwhals will not be able to cope with shifting, highly mobile ice floes caused by warmer seas...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8972000/8972021.stm

Donna is a "gentle person". She can read about ick she just can't look at it!   

What's the saying?

"It's not always your enemies who drop you in it... and it's not always your friends who get you out!"

FYI Bobbie it's a tern-like bird!   

Thanks, MAK... I kinda thought there was a resemblance.

I saw that lice piece too but thought it might be too "Ick" for the gentle-persons of the Forum. But not Our Donna!!!

 :

For my information - is the Black Skimmer a species of tern?

It's "The Cat in the Vat".

Hannibal the Vulture? I'm in love!

   It's actually chilly,breezy and quite overcast here today. Very autumn like. Fine by me it's my favorite season!   

Guess I should not rely on local websites for the weather... D&C proclaims that it is (will be?) in the low 80s today... not?? Is this the tail-end of a hurricane? And... while I was waiting for someone to "Play" this morning, the Watchers were out there in the field. Funny that - if you don't have to get up early, you can get up early!!! (I remember that from Snow Days as a kid... normally, The Parentals could not get us up. But if we thought a Snow Day was in the offing... whoosh! We were up, radio on... Snow Day confirmed... and we were outa there!)

I have always been fascinated by animal myths, especially since moving to Ireland, where the mythic and fantastical are just below the surface.

One myth involves Barnacle Geese... pretty little geese that winter on Irish shores. It was once thought that they did not hatch from eggs, but from "goose barnacles", which echoed their facial  markings. And they are still called "Barnacle Geese" because of this.

Lent, of course, always meant abstinence from meat... but since it was believed that Barnacle Geese hatched from barnacles, consuming them during Lent was acceptable...

There is always a "work-around"...

My first guess is prothonotary warbler

Oh my word! The things I do not know! Sweet wee bird - but I bow to those who could even begin to make a sensible guess... At this time of year, who knows what might turn up as migration continues apace. How wonderful to be in the company of such a creature!

Being totally fed up  with something on Little Mac that it took me ages to sort (!), I decided I would see what's up on the Forum... but... nobody home! Then I remembered... you are all out there, getting ready for your Labor Day Outings... Have fun, everyone! Looks like a lovely day where you are.

Slainte!

Anne, on this side of the pond, it is some of the common species that are causing concern. Our greenfinches have contracted some sort of virus... and they even say the house sparrow is becoming more scarce, tho not at our feeders... I think we have the National Collection. I am actually quite fond of starlings... tho, until we had new fascias put up, it was not lots of fun to have them in the roof space! Somehow, I think they have a sense of humour...

After weeks of sapphire skies, the weather here has changed suddenly, with torrential downpours since Saturday. And it's still at it! The Met report this morning tells us:

"Rain will clear to showers this afternoon."

Where else would clear still mean showers?

My favourite is one from a late summer forecast... when farmers anxiously watch the skies, hoping the fields and crops will be dry enough for harvest. They were told:

"Good drying today, except during showers."

Now we know...

[Move as millions... survive as one...]

I don't know how readily available the National Geographic Channel is, but their new autumn series about animal migration sounds like something in which we would all be interested. It does not give dates or times... just "Fall 2010". Worth watching for...

Move as millions... survive as one...

National Geographic Channel’s Great Migrations is a seven-part global programming event that takes viewers around the world on the arduous journeys millions of animals undertake to ensure the survival of their species. Shot from land and air, in trees and cliff-blinds, on ice floes and underwater, Great Migrations tells the formidable, powerful stories of many of the planet’s species and their movements, while revealing new scientific discoveries with breathtaking high-definition clarity.

Great birds, those Purple Herons. I've only seen them in southern Spain. Another heron species, the Cattle Egret, is now breeding in Ireland - and the reason given is also climate change. What other wonders await us?