The Eagle, Er, Blue Crane Has Landed - Etosha National Park, Namibia

The Blue Crane (Anthropoides paradisea), Etosha.

Birds R cool. Yes, you heard it here. In terms of biodiversity, they wack the number of mammalian species in the Park.

There are approximately 280 species of birds found in Etosha. Few are more majestic or graceful than the Blue Crane. Adults grow to a height of 100 to 120 cm and up to 6.2 kg in mass.

I like that crane's bulbous head...

Unfortunately, the numbers of Blue Cranes is dwindling. The ICUN Red List classifies the species as vulnerable, meaning eventual extinction if mitigating factors such as habitat destructions aren't dealt with.

The Blue Crane population in the Park is around 70 breeding individuals.

As we were watching these cranes, I couldn't believe cars were whizzing by without stopping for a look...

Blue Crane Factoid of the Day...

The Blue Crane is the National Bird of South Africa.

The Eagle Has Landed...

If you know me, and most of my loyal readers do, you know that I'm a NASA-outer space exploration-astronomy junkie.

Well, this week marks the 40th Anniversary of Neil Armstrong stepping onto the surface of the Moon.

If you missed this inspirational moment back in 1969, surf to We Choose the Moon, a really neat website that is "replaying" the events that transpired in "real time", complete with the original soundtrack of the mission. If you're into twitter, the website will send you "tweets" to keep you up-to-date with mission happenings.

As of writing, the crew is 90 hr. 18 min and 15 sec from landing on the moon.

NASA has posted new digitally enhanced Apollo footage on it's site. The footage is crystal clear, as if it was filmed in a Hollywood sound stage just yesterday. Oops. Forget about that last comment.

If you haven't signed it out of the local public library, or rented it, make sure you watch the documentary In the Shadow of the Moon.

Or, else.

I guarantee it will make you cry like a little baby...

I did.

Finally, as a tribute to both the moon landing and Michael Jackson, I leave you with this link.

MJ, I know you're up there somewhere...doing the eternal moonwalk with the rest of us...

Who let the birds out? Part One... The Helmeted Guineafowl (Numida meleagris), Etosha National Park, Namibia

Recite "ker-bek-ker-bek-ker-bek-krrrrr..." repeatedly and you'll likely attract flocks of the Helmeted Guineafowl (Numida meleagris).

The above is one of my all time favourite wildlife pix.

Described as "very common" in sub-Saharan Africa by Newman's Birds of Southern Africa, I love these birds. Their plummage is so psychodelic. Just gaze at their bodies. It's mesmerizing. Their heads are crazy, futuristic looking.

And, unlike most birds that are tiny, I can get a decent image of them with my measly Nikon 75-300 mm (1.5X crop factor) zoom lens.

Helmeted Guineafowl Factoids of the Day...

Tastes like chicken... just kidding...

Bigger than a bucket of KFC, but smaller than a turkey...

Extremely gregarious when not breeding. Flocks are composed of up to 25 birds...

Flamingos, flamingos, flamingos - Walvis Bay, Namibia

After spending the first two weeks of our trip wallowing in the hell fires of the Kalahari and Namib Deserts, we were finally greeted by the fresh sea breezes lapping the Atlantic coastline of Namibia.

Greater Flamingos (Phoenicopterus roseus) off a Walvis Bay beach...
Walvis Bay, renown birdwatching hotspot because of nearby wetlands, was where we caught our first glimpse of flamingos. Flamingo sightings are infrequent in Southern Africa; however, Walvis Bay has a regular population of flamingos.

Greater flamingos and Lesser flamingos (Phoenicopterus minor) sometimes flock together. The latter species have pinker plummage and darker maroon bills than the Greater Flamingos. Immature individuals are grey/brown (foreground).

hinterland who's who: mergus merganser...not your stereotypical duck.

exquisite in its form, mergus merganser, also known as the common merganser, is ubiquitous on the open waters of Canada's deep running rivers, and lakes.

these rather large ducks are characterized by long, slim necks and thin, serrated, and hooked red bills, allowing them to feed on small fish, crustaceans and aquatic insects.

the female, whose call consists of a deep, harsh, croaking kar-r-r and a quick kokokokok, is recognized by it's chestnut brown, crested head.

the male, whose call is also a deep croak but interspersed with twanging singular bell-like notes, is distinguished by it's dark green, non-crested head and pure white chest.

mergus merganser journeys with the canadian snowbird to the warmer environs of the southern united states in winter, only to return to the expanses of the great white north in the spring to the delight of canadian birdwatchers.

have a nice weekend...

not much to report today. so, i guess it's time for some fun stuff... and an observation.

check out this hilarious 1968 clip of johnny carson and jack webb (sargent joe friday of dragnet fame):



ever since qtlibrarian posted a perfect example a flash application, where the kinematics of a particular ladies undergarment was analyzed, i've searched the www far and wide for one that she and other ladies might enjoy...

i think i found one. click here.

perhaps one of the most irritating things about going to a hockey/football game is the astronomical prices for beer, eh...

here's the solution we've all been waiting for. click here. i think it'd make an excellent present for the upcoming mother's day.



if you're bored at your desk today, you can stare at a bird sitting on her/his eggs for a while. click here.

well, what would life be without one of my astute observations:

i was running by the local catholic junior high this morning. a class, i assumed it was PE, was outside playing soccer. nothing out of the ordinary, i guess, except all the kids were dressed in all-black uniforms. both teams.

peer pressure and goth culture are way out of control in today's schools.

look!! it's a Carpodacus mexicanus, eh...

lil red bird #1

lil red bird #2

i'm not much of a birdwatcher. strictly a duck/pelican guy. you know, big birds. not little chirpy birds. ok, i know what a robin looks like. on a good day, i can spot a house sparrow or even a chickadee.

most of the time the lil chirpy birds turn out to be LBJ's (the common birdwatching term for Little Brown Jobs - birds that are indistinguishable, non-descript).

now and then i see something special like a waxwing or like yesterday i spotted a red coloured bird. holy crap! how many times do you see a red coloured bird in calgary?! (see above pix).

i blew up the pix and i think i have a positive ID. the lil red bird was most likely a house finch. not a very exotic name, eh. (i like Carpodacus mexicanus better)

this bird bears a close resemblance to the purple finch. (i don't understand the convention for naming birds. purple finches are red!). however, i believe the brownish streaks on its flanks are tell tale signs that it's a house finch.

you be the judge.


source: the sibley guide to birds...