Tag: wildlife
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The Really Stunning Courtship Behavior of the Great Egret Part II
The courtship and mating behavior of the great egret is full of intricate movements designed to attract a mate while also halting the advances of the competition. Aside from the stunning displays, the Great Egret’s mating ritual is an annual extravaganza that includes the development of special feathers and color changes.
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The Stunning Courtship Behavior of The Great Egret, an Unmissable Spectacle!
The great egret has a behavioral repertoire that includes over 16 different displays. And only some of them are more prominent during courtship with the aigrettes, the spectacular scapular plumes, playing a critical role in helping magnify the optical effects of the displays.
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Can we stop the relentless spread of Bd, the infamous frog-killing-fungus?
It is odd that we have so little relationship with nature, with the insects and the leaping frog and the owl that hoots among the hills calling for its mate. We never seem to have a feeling for all living things on the earth. Jiddu Krishnamurti Early this month an article in National Geographic prompted…
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Nuts About Hornbills: A Fascinating Evolutionary Story
The extraordinary habit of the male, in plastering up the female with her egg, and feeding her during the whole time of incubation, and until the young one is fledged, is common to several of the large hornbills, and is one of those strange facts in natural history which are “stranger than fiction.” -Alfred Russel…
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Much Ado About Puffins
“Seabirds are ideal symbols for ocean conservation… Because they live in a variety of habitats-including oceans, islands, estuaries and beaches-they can show visitors how all coastal life is connected and spark new interest in coastal conservation. Long-term conservation success hinges on public understanding and community support.” – Stephen Kress They look like cartoon characters taken…
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Surprisingly Wonderful Newfoundland: OUR PLANET Geological History At Its Best
I WENT TO PHOTOGRAPH PUFFINS, BUT I ENDED UP WITH SO MUCH MORE “It’s the place where land, water and sky embrace like old friends”. -Newfoundland Saying At the beginning of 2012 I began looking for a destination for my next photo safari, after being in Africa the previous year I must confess it was…
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2012 in review
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog. Here’s an excerpt: 600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 4,400 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 7 years to get…
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The Mighty Elephant, the Real King of the Savanna
“The premature elimination of elephants over much of their range represents one of the most wasteful mammalian tragedies of the century” -Ian Douglas Hamilton, 1987 I’m closing these series of posts exactly one year after my unforgettable trip to the Masai Mara, and for the end I left the best, my absolute favorite animal, the…
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From Dik-Dik to Eland, there is an Antelope for Everything
“One of the most impressive aspects of the African wildlife experience is the presence of up to a dozen different antelopes in the same area. Yet it was by taking measures to minimize competition by becoming different species that such a diverse array of antelopes came to exist in the first place.” -Robert D. Estes,…
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Goodbye Clawed, Enjoy Savanna Heaven!
“Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle: when…
Conservation and Photography 