An interesting bird name is “swallow.” In late Old English and Middle English it meant “gulf, abyss, hole in the earth, whirlpool,” also, in Middle English, “throat, gullet.” The name apparently stuck to the birds because of their dizzying, whirlpool-like flight, or their voracious eating habits. A In Ancient Greece, swallows were associated with Aphrodite. …
I received an email the other day from someone who destroyed the nest of a bird which was built in a patio cover next to the house. She thought it was a health hazard. That is highly unlikely. Birds, however, do carry a variety of diseases, some of which can be transmitted to humans but …
I have taken photos of birds in the field, primarily for research purposes. Mostly they were terrible. A friend of mine who sees himself as a great bird photographer has made albums of his photos, framed blowups, and entered art shows. They were not much better than mine, unless you consider blurry shots a form …
Madagascar, the fourth largest island in the world, is an unusual environment and as a result, 90 percent of its plant and animal species are endemic. It has 23 species of raptors, 17 diurnal and 6 nocturnal. Of these, 13 are endemic to the island. The Madagascar Serpent Eagle (Eutriorchis astur) is one of the …
If you Google “life list”, you come up with various definitions such as goals for your life, bucket list wishes, or any other list of things you want to possess or achieve. Some people want to visit every major league ballpark or every state capitol building or own all the versions of Beanie Babies. But …
