How did this thread devolve from status reports on Jemison's condition to cats?

Gayle

I would call this a once in a lifetime event!  A huge group of blue whales and humpback whales were observed feeding on krill in Monterey Bay.  I have seen blue whales several times, but never in a pod greater than five.

http://www.ksbw.com/news/24158429/detail.html

I once spent a week on Monterey Bay with Nancy.  We were then studying porpoises and I think we only spotted a few humpbacks on that trip.

By the way, blue whales can get up to 100 feet long and weigh 200 tons.  They are the largest animals ever to have lived, bigger than the largest dinosaur.

Gayle

While the faithful Rochester watchers are doing their utmost to ensure the peregrine fledglings are successful, other similiarly-minded people are doing the same with the whooping cranes in Necedah, Wisconsin.  Here is the account of some of those efforts.

http://www.savingcranes.org/egg-swap-july-4-2010.html

Gayle

Thank you all for the birthday greetings.  Aafke, thanks for the beautiful card.  I admire your talent for creating them!  Each year, I print it and hang it on my bullletin board.  It is a great reminder of the commitment of so many who care about the preservatiion of our wild creatures.

And, Aafke, congratulations to your country on the amazing defeat of Brazil in the World Cup!!!

Gayle

Whar a wonderful look at an eyas screwing up her courage to become a FLEDGLING!  Thank you!

Gayle

Thanks Paul.  You do such a great job on your videos.  Thanks for schlepping your equipment into the site and for sharing the results with us.

Gayle

Happy birthday Brian!

(Aafke, your card is wonderful!)

Gayle

Try as I might, after reducing the size of the image, I am unable to post my photograph of the mottled Jacana so just look it up in wikipedia!!!

But as several others have mentioned, the best dad that we all knew was Kaver!
Gayle

Here are the Dad thick-billed murre in the sea at the bottom of the cliff.

Gayle

I do have photographs of the two species, but the forum is being obstinate tonight.  I will try again tomorrow!

Gayle

I am sure there are many other examples of good dads  I have seen two in the bird world.

The thick-billed murre nests on rocky cliffs in Hudson Bay and other places. The female incubates the single egg.  The male brings food and when the chick is a few weeks old, the male, in the water below the cliff, calls to the chick and induces it to leap from the cliff.  The male attends to the chick and teaches it the ways of the murre.  The female, whose job is done, flies off in a great flock with other females!

The female jacana, found in Central America and throughout the Southern Hemisphere, is more extreme.  She lays the eggs and splits!  Dad does all the rest!

Gayle

I just happened across this video which features the cranes and the ultralights.  It was made on the migration southward the year before Katrina.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGX52B9iXXU&NR=1

And here are two engaged in a mating dance filmed at a zoo.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=UM_GeD8w0QI

Gayle

That is one incredible photograph!   Thank you.

Gayle

Any new wild hatchings are signs of progress in the recovery of this species.

Gayle

Hurray!  There are six wild hatched chicks at Necedah.  Here is an account of them.

http://www.savingcranes.org/by-the-numbers-five-new-whooping-crane-chicks-hatch-in-the-wild-june-13-2010.html

They are still most vulnerable however.

Gayle