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No salesman will call, at least not from us. Maybe from someone else.
Chameleons don’t change color to match their environment; it’s just the opposite. How do they do it? By manipulating tiny crystals in their skin. Now, UC Berkeley researchers are on a quest to create synthetic chameleon skin inspired by these reptiles’ uncanny ability.
This is another installment of the PBS Deep Look series. If no film or link appears in this email, go to the blog to view it by clicking on the blog title above. If the film stops & starts in an annoying manner, press pause (lower left double bars ||) to let it buffer and get ahead of you. [Chuck Almdale]
Why Don’t Woodpeckers Get Concussions? | PBS Science Video
More head-banging news from the land of hard knocks.
This is an installment of the PBS – It’s OK to be Smart series. If no film or link appears in this email, go to the blog to view it by clicking on the blog title above. If the film stops & starts in an annoying manner, press pause (lower left double bars ||) to let it buffer and get ahead of you. [Chuck Almdale]
Great Backyard Bird Count Video
Don’t forget the GBBC starts today, Friday, Feb. 17, 2017
Here’s a short video you can watch to whet your appetite.
Similar to Project FeederWatch, the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) helps scientists learn about the distribution and abundance of birds. But the GBBC works a little differently and takes place over only four days—from February 17 through 20, 2017.
For the GBBC, you count the number of individuals of each species you see during a single counting session, and you submit a checklist for each counting session (not a two-day tally like you do for FeederWatch). You can count in more than one location—just submit a separate checklist for each location each time you count. You can report the same birds to GBBC that you are reporting to Project FeederWatch as well as any other birds you see, even those birds flying overhead that don’t count for FeederWatch.
With the El Niño weather phenomenon warming Pacific waters to temperatures matching the highest ever recorded, participants in the 2017 GBBC may be in for a few surprises. Information gathered and reported online at birdcount.org will help scientists track changes in bird distribution, some of which may be traced to El Niño storms and unusual weather patterns.
[Chuck Almdale]
These Crazy Cute Baby Turtles Want Their Lake Back | Deep Look Video
Turtles grow up without parents, which might sound lonely. But for threatened baby turtles raised in a zoo it’s an advantage: they can learn to catch crickets all by themselves. There’s a paradox, though. When they are ready to leave the nursery, there is little wilderness where they can make a home.
This is another installment of the PBS Deep Look series. If no film or link appears in this email, go to the blog to view it by clicking on the blog title above. If the film stops & starts in an annoying manner, press pause (lower left double bars ||) to let it buffer and get ahead of you. [Chuck Almdale]
Great Backyard Bird Count starts Friday, Feb. 17, 2017
Count birds for the Great Backyard Bird Count
Gambel’s Quail couple
(Andy Byerly, Tucson AZ – Cornell GBBC 2016 photos)
Similar to Project FeederWatch, the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) helps scientists learn about the distribution and abundance of birds. But the GBBC works a little differently and takes place over only four days—from February 17 through 20, 2017.
For the GBBC, you count the number of individuals of each species you see during a single counting session, and you submit a checklist for each counting session (not a two-day tally like you do for FeederWatch). You can count in more than one location—just submit a separate checklist for each location each time you count. You can report the same birds to GBBC that you are reporting to Project FeederWatch as well as any other birds you see, even those birds flying overhead that don’t count for FeederWatch.
With the El Niño weather phenomenon warming Pacific waters to temperatures matching the highest ever recorded, participants in the 2017 GBBC may be in for a few surprises. Information gathered and reported online at birdcount.org will help scientists track changes in bird distribution, some of which may be traced to El Niño storms and unusual weather patterns.
Though rarities and out-of-range species are exciting, it’s important to keep track of more common birds, too. Many species around the world are in steep decline and tracking changes in distribution and numbers over time is vital to determine if conservation measures are needed. Everyone can play a role.
Learn more about how to take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count at birdcount.org. The GBBC is a joint project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society with partner Bird Studies Canada and is made possible in part by sponsor Wild Birds Unlimited.
| Project FeederWatch is a joint project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Bird Studies Canada.
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a nonprofit organization supported by friends and members. Our mission is to interpret and conserve the earth’s biological diversity through research, education, and citizen science focused on birds. Bird Studies Canada is our country’s leading national charitable organization dedicated to bird research and conservation. Our mission is to conserve wild birds of Canada through sound sicience, on-the-ground actions, innovative partnerships, public engagement, and science based advocacy.
[Posted by Chuck “Rip ‘n’ Read” Almdale]
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Project FeederWatch Contact Information
For U.S. participants: For Canadian participants: P.O. Box 160, |
SANTA MONICA BAY AUDUBON SOCIETY BLOG 