Wednesday, November 19, 2014

common loon

The common loon is a species of bird that is most closely related to the duck, mainly due to the ability of the common loon to dive underwater in order to hunt for food.The common loon is found in parts of Canada, Alaska, Greenland, Iceland and Scotland, but common loon have recently been found in other watery parts across Europe and North America.The common loon, like all divers, is a specialist fish-eater, as the common loon catches its prey underwater. The common loon has been seen diving as deep as 200 feet  to get its lunch. The common loon that have a very freshwater diet mainly eat pike, perch, sunfish, trout, and bass. The common loon that have a more salt-water diet feed on rock fish, flounder, sea trout, and herring.The common loon needs a long distance to gain momentum for take-off, and is ungainly on landing. Its clumsiness on land is due to the legs being positioned at the rear of the body of the common loon which is ideal for diving but is not well-suited for assistance the common loon with walking. When the birds land on water, they skim along on their bellies to slow down, rather than on their feet, as the feet of a common loon are set too far back.The common loon has almost completely disappeared from the waters of eastern North America, mainly due to pollution in the water and excess pollutants causing acid rain to occur.

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

beautiful cat

Cats  seem to date back to around ancient Egyptian times, when they were worshiped and heralded as sacred animals to the Gods in Egypt. The cat has since become an honored and valued member of family homes worldwide.A cats senses are superior amongst the animal world, with exceptional sight, smell and taste, cats are able to subtly sneak up on, and catch their prey with immense success.Despite the cats unbeatable night-vision, a cats eyesight during the day is actually not too dissimilar from a humans! Due to this, cats are more nocturnal hunters looking for smal l rodents and birds.The average domestic cat sleeps for around 18 hours a day and tends to spend their waking time hunting for food. Despite wild cats being solitary animals, the domestic cat is known to enjoy attention from humans and other animals and will often even get on well with some dogs.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Dall sheep animals

The Dall sheep is mammal animals. Also known as thinhorn, dall sheep are the northernmost wild sheep in the world. Their horns take up to 8 years to grow and are composed of keratin, the same material as our fingernails. The age of the sheep can be calculated from the number of growth rings on their horns. Dall sheep spend most of their lives on the jagged slopes of mountains. Their cloven hooves with rough pads help them cling to cliff edges and broken ledges, where they flock to elude predators. In spring and early summer, dall sheep often visit mineral licks to restore the nutrients they lost during the long winter.Habitat Dry mountainous regions and select sub-alpine grass and low shrub terrains; Arctic, Subarctic: most of Alaska, the Yukon Territory, extreme northwest and north-central British Columbia.

Sunday, December 15, 2013

Bank Swallow

The Bank Swallow is a small, slender song bird. In its typical adult appearance, the bird is white on the underneath and brown on top of its feather coat, with a dark band running across and extending all the way down to the middle of its chest. It has a small bill and supports long wings of about 25-29 cm which help it during flight. They are usually 12-14 cm in length, and weigh around 10-19 grams. Traditionally, Bank Swallows nest in colonies along the streamside banks of North America, but they can also be found across Europe and Asia. The British name for Bank Swallows is Sand Martin and is commonly used across Britain; other Spanish and French names for the bird are also commonly used in the respective countries.
Since they live in low areas mostly around rivers, streams, ocean coasts or reservoirs, the territories they are found in are vertical cliffs or banks. Here they nest in colonies which include up to 20,000 nests. In the past, Bank Swallow bird was commonly found around natural bluffs or on the streamside. However, with the seemingly increased eroding, the Bank Swallows have re-located their colonies to more man-made sites like quarries made out of sand or gravel, or road cuts. These locations offer the same support as a vertical cliff and allow for stability of their nests. As you can see in bank swallow pictures, these nests are very carefully made and placed. Each nest is made in such a way that it forms a chamber. The male member uses his small, cone shaped bill along with feet and wings to dig burrows which are perpendicular to the ground level and go about 25 inches into the side of the banks. These burrows eventually lead to the nest chamber, as the male widens them upwards and from both sides in such a way that constant temperatures can be maintained inside the burrow. Then the female member builds the nest by constructing a mat of straw, grasses, leaves, or rootlets that she collects from around the banks. This mat is 1 inch thick and 5 inches in diameter to offer support and firmness. Since the Bank Swallows make nests in large colonies, they do it around fairly loose soils so that it is easy to burrow in. Similarly, these areas are located near water bodies so that there is vertical space for the birds to fly. It is one of the interesting bank swallow facts that every individual chooses a colony first, then a nest location within that colony area. Interestingly, it is the male that digs the burrow before it has a mate. It is only then that a female hovers itself over the burrow she chooses and then mates with the male in that nest site. The Bank Swallows carefully choose a location that is in the upper third part of the bank so that few ground predators can attack them. They mostly eat insects like bees, wasps, ants, butterflies or moths. Since they live near water, it is easy for the Bank Swallows to catch food. They fly at a height of about 50 ft above open water or ground and catch insects, and then feed either singly or with large groups from their colonies. Bank Swallows have a set of distinctive behavior that instantly distinguishes them from other such bird species. These include the seemingly different pattern of flying with shallow, fluttery wing beats. They glide for 2 seconds but have a less twisty and straighter flight than other Swallows. Bank Swallows are 

Monday, December 9, 2013

Dragonfly

Insect. Dragonflies first lived 300 million years ago, and predate dinosaurs by more than 100 million years and birds by some 150 million. They had wingspans up to 61 centimeters 24 inches. Dragonflies spend only a very short part of their lives as flying insects. Instead they live as nymphs  for up to four years, shedding their skin as much as fifteen times, finally maturing into adults who will survive only a few months. They can fly up to 97 kilometers 60 miles per hour and are able to make lightning stops and starts, and instant right-angle turns. Insect. Dragonflies first lived 300 million years ago, and predate dinosaurs by more than 100 million years and birds by some 150 million. They had wingspans up to 61 centimeters 24 inches. Dragonflies spend only a very short part of their lives as flying insects. Instead they live as nymphs wingless, immature form for up to four years, shedding their skin as much as fifteen times, finally maturing into adults who will survive only a few months. They can fly up to 97 kilometers 60 miles per hour and are able to make lightning stops and starts, and instant right-angle turns.

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Buzzard birds



Buzzard, or Turkey Vulture, a large American bird that lives in a wide range of habitats, including grasslands, forests, and deserts. The buzzard is a carrion scavenger, feeding chiefly on the remains of dead animals. The adult bird is about 30 inches (76 cm) long with a wingspread of 6 feet (1.8 m). It has a slightly hooked beak, a bare, bright red head, and grayish-black plumage.The buzzard lays its eggs in a depression in the ground. The two, or sometimes three, creamy white eggs are speckled in brown or lavender. The young buzzards, when hatched, are covered with white down. Buzzards are graceful in flight, soaring at great heights and moving their wings only to adjust to changing air currents. They fly by day, seeking carrion. Buzzards locate carrion both by sight and smell. (Unlike most other birds, buzzards have a well-developed sense of smell.)The buzzard's range extends from southern Canada to the southern tip of South America. Those in the northern parts of this range usually migrate south in autumn.

Monday, November 11, 2013

Wallabv.

Mammal. The rock wallaby is a small kangaroo. There are 15 species of rock wallaby. They live exclusively on rocky terrain and can leap up to 4 meters (13 feet) but cannot climb trees. During hot weather, they spend most of the day in the shade, searching for grass in the early morning and evening. On cooler days, they spend much of their time eating. Wallabies communicate a warning to others by thumping once or twice on the ground with their feet. A female wallaby can produce two different kinds of milk at the same time, one for her baby and another, richer blend, for her older offspring