Alexandra Sanders AKA LadyWhoLovesBirds
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Weaverbirds in the Kalahari Desert

3/30/2014

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I just read an article in Audubon Magazine about Weaver Birds who actually build their own apartment houses in the Kalahari desert. The giant nests keep the birds cool in the heat of summer and warm in winter. In both seasons, the birds are able to use less energy and consequently are able to need less water and less food. Very interesting article and check out these HOTELS.

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Wood DucksĀ and the JUMP the baby ducks make....

3/23/2014

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Wood ducks are one of the most beautiful birds on the planet, certainly the most beautiful duck. These birds live in wooded swamps. Natural cavities for nesting, such as holes in trees,  are scarce, and the Wood Duck readily uses nest boxes put up around lake margins. If nest boxes are placed too close together, many females lay eggs in the nests of other females. They are one of the few duck species equipped with strong claws that can grip bark and perch on branches. 
Usually the Wood Duck nests in trees near water, sometimes directly over water, but other times up to 2 km (1.2 mi) away. After hatching, the ducklings jump down from the nest tree and make their way to water. The mother calls them to her, but does not help them in any way. The ducklings may jump from heights of up to 89 m (290 ft) without injury. ( all about birds)

Then this is very interesting.....a study on wood ducks  published this. A researcher was trying to raise baby wood ducks in similar conditions to nature & they were not surviving. He analyzed what he was missing & it was the jump to the ground just after hatching. Once he added that to the process - the hatchlings thrived. Apparently that jump & bump is critical & starts something working! Nature works in many ways...

Apparently other ducklings do a similar JUMP. A banker is Spokane Washington saved 12 baby ducklings who one by one jumped off the ledge of a building some 20 feet up. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-vQBMkkE1M It is unknown if these duckling NEED to jump and bump in order to survive! These appear to be mallards.





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Cool Facts about Hummingbirds

3/16/2014

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Cool Facts

  • In the first half of the 20th century, the Anna's Hummingbird bred only in northern Baja California and southern California. The planting of exotic flowering trees provided nectar and nesting sites, and allowed the hummingbird to greatly expand its breeding range.
  • The dive display of the Anna's Hummingbird lasts about 12 seconds, and the male may fly to a height of 40 m (131 feet) during the display. He starts by hovering two to four meters (6-13 feet) in front of the display object (hummingbird or person), and then climbs in a wavering fashion straight up. He plummets in a near-vertical dive from the top of the climb and ends with an explosive squeak within half a meter of the display object. He then makes a circular arc back to the point where he began. On sunny days the dives are oriented so that the sun is reflected from the iridescent throat and crown directly at the object of the dive.
  • On rare occasions, bees and wasps may become impaled on the bill of an Anna's Hummingbird, causing the bird to starve to death.
  • Hummingbirds are strictly a New World animal. They fascinated the first Europeans who arrived on the continent. Christopher Columbus wrote about them and many wondered if they were a cross between a bird and an insect (at one point being called “flybirds”). Later, their feathers became fashionable ornaments in Europe (a practice that has thankfully fallen out of favor).
  • What do you call a flock of hummingbirds? Few animals have so many applicable terms, and none so beautiful. Instead of calling them a flock, choose between a bouquet, a glittering, a hover, a shimmer, or a tune of hummingbirds.
  • Native Americans held hummingbirds in high esteem. Many of their legends describe them as busily bring the rain to quench eruptions or poking holes in the night sky that became the stars. The Navajo say that the characteristic mating dive is a way for them to check what is above the blue of the sky.
  • The iridescent throat patch of male hummingbirds is called a gorget. The Anna’s gorget extends over its head, making it more of a balaclava than a bib. Oddly, female Anna’s have a tiny red gorget—females of most species have none.
  • Anna's Hummingbirds normally have a body temperature of around 107 degrees Fahrenheit—that's a scorching temperature for a human. When outside temperatures fall, Anna's and many other species of hummingbirds enter torpor. Their breathing and heart rate slow, and their body temperature can fall as low as 48 degrees Fahrenheit. When the temperature warms, the hummingbirds can become active again in a few minutes.
  • Hummingbirds have tiny legs and can neither hop nor walk, though they can sort of scoot sideways while perched.

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Why Birds Fly in a V Formation

3/16/2014

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This is an interesting article where scientists studying why birds fly in V formation have determined they do so to conserve energy. This was done with the help of a group of bald ibises that were fitted with tracking devices. These ibises  were hatched at Zoo Vienna in March 2011 and raised as part of a conservation project aimed at reintroducing the critically endangered species to its natural range in Europe. Some of the study’s authors served as human foster parents, taking the young birds on training flights in Salzburg, Austria. The humans rode in a paraplane, a lightweight aircraft that looks like a dune buggy attached to a parachute, and the birds followed. Eventually, the foster parents taught the birds their 600-mile migration route from Salzburg to Orbetello, Italy, by flying alongside them. The ibises made it to Tuscany in September 2011. They are expected to spend a few years there and then, if all goes well, migrate back to Salzburg this spring. I'll keep you posted.

Here is the link to one of the articles.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/21/science/bird-data-confirms-that-vs-help-save-energy.html?_r=0


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    Author

    I love birds; I love water; I love
    art. 
    I feel privileged to have found a way to combine
    these three elements 
    and create images of the birds I so enjoy.

    Alexandra Sanders

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