From Billions to None - Passenger Pigeons

A documentary movie about species extinction and a bird of transcendent beauty - the Passenger Pigeon. On Sept. 1, 1914, the last known passenger pigeon in existence, Martha, died in the Cincinnati Zoo. For decades, billions of passenger pigeons filled the sky. The documentary, “From Billions to None: The Passenger Pigeon's Flight to Extinction,” follows naturalist and author Joel Greenberg on a journey to discover how and why this species went extinct, and how this story is more relevant than ever today.

http://www.billionstonone.com/

Bored Panda

Photo @ http://www.boredpanda.com/

Cool website: http://www.boredpanda.com/

One-third of American birds are endangered

“Half of the birds of North America are at risk of extinction,” says Audubon’s chief scientist. That estimate is based on the 314 bird species, out of 588 studied, that could lose most of the area they currently occupy, because of a warming planet. Nearly 200 of these threatened species may find hospitable conditions elsewhere, but for 126 species there will be nowhere else to go, Audubon estimates in a report released yesterday. Shifts in climate could affect the range of grasslands, forests, and other bird habitats.

http://climate.audubon.org/
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-29116412

American Goldfinch in Boblink Meadow

We went for a walk in Bobolink Meadow this afternoon and saw an American Goldfinch.  
http://birds.audubon.org/birds/american-goldfinch 

Unfortunately there were also clouds of mosquitoes...

Photo: Jane Masterson

Harvest Moon and Last Supermoon of Summer

Tonight is the Harvest Moon and the last Supermoon of Summer. I cycled over to Promontory Point and took these two photos.  The Harvest Moon is the full moon that falls closest to the fall equinox. It got the name "Harvest moon" because it gives off a little extra light just as farmers are harvesting their crops.

Photos: Marge Ishmael

Northern Cardinal and Great Egret

Spotted two birds on our afternoon walk at Jackson Park. Northern Cardinal 8-9" (20-23 cm). Male, bright red with crest, black face, stout red bill. [Female buff-brown tinged with red on crest, wings, and tail.] Rich voiced: "what-cheer, cheer, cheer; purty-purty-purty-purty or sweet-sweet-sweet-sweet". Also a metallic chip.  

Photos: Marge Ishmael

Second bird was a Great Egret: found near water, salt or fresh, and feed in wetlands, streams, ponds, tidal flats, and other areas. They snare prey by walking slowly or standing still for long periods, waiting for an animal to come within range of their long necks and blade-like bills. The deathblow is delivered with a quick thrust of the sharp bill, and the prey is swallowed whole. Fish are a dietary staple, but great egrets use similar techniques to eat amphibians, reptiles, mice, and other small animals.

Tree Frog - Indiana

I found this tree frog clinging to my chair leg last weekend.  As the name implies, these frogs are typically found in trees or other high-growing vegetation. They do not normally descend to the ground, except to mate and spawn though some build foam nests on leaves and rarely leave the trees at all as adults. Many tree frogs can change their color for better camouflage.

Photo: Marge Ishmael