Photographed by turtlemom4bacon
A Great Blue Heron seen at John’s Landing Boardwalk.
We had the best time yesterday meeting Cheryl (cheroberta123) and her hubby Ron st St. Petersburg Beach! They are great people and we throughly enjoyed ourselves
There was so much wildlife around there… and Cheryl and I had the best time snapping photos all day long!Please view on the LARGER sizes ~
– License
Flickrfan: Something Happened To This Room
April 30, 2009
Flickrfan: Vigie
April 30, 2009
Flickrfan: YIP: 04.29.09 & 52.17
April 30, 2009
Photographed by wine me up
dual purpose picture today.
work, man. there’s llittle else to report unless i get into all the angsty bits about how incredibly awful a communicator and listener my co-worker is. i could tell you about how i walked out on a meeting when i got news today that is just so ridiculous and BS that it’s making me laugh in disbelief now. unflippinbelievable.
ultimately, the best thing happened today and it’s going to make things so much better. when i got home from work and shared my news with the dude he sat down with his laptop and put together a spread sheet with all of the action items i have to complete either on my own or with a co-worker, along with approximate times to complete each task and the gaps that need to be filled in order to close said items. he used to work for the same company so he gets the idea, but not all the deets. i’m choosing to focus on how fab that was of him and how much it’s going to help me keep calm when i go to my boss with all of these issues tomorrow.
– License
Photographed by Phoney Nickle
Frogs are a huge huge huge phobia of mine. I know I have one tattooed on my foot, but that is in tribute to one of my favorite Tori Amos songs, not to the actual animal.
I remember once, in the 10th grade, we had gotten frogs in the house from a small opening in the sliding glass doors. They were COVERING the ceiling all over the place and I thought I was going to die right there.
I know, frogs? Seriously? Ew. Ew ew ew!
Onto happier thoughts?? I leave for Seattle in 6 days!!
– License
Flickrfan: Bali Mynah at the San Diego Zoo
April 30, 2009
Photographed by Michael McDonough
*The Bali Starling, Leucopsar rothschildi, also known as Rothschild’s Mynah, Bali Myna or Bali Mynah is a medium-sized (up to 25cm long), stocky myna, almost wholly white with a long, drooping crest, and black tips on the wings and tail. The bird has blue bare skin around the eyes, greyish legs and a yellow bill. Both sexes are similar.
Placed in the monotypic genus Leucopsar, it appears to be most closely related to Sturnia and the Brahminy Starling which is currently placed in Sturnus but will probably soon be split therefrom as Sturnus as presently delimited is highly paraphyletic (Jønsson & Fjeldså 2006). The specific name commemorates the British ornithologist Lord Rothschild, who described the bird in 1912.
The Bali Starling is distributed and endemic to the island of Bali in Indonesia, where it is the island’s only surviving endemic species. This rare bird was discovered in 1910. The other Bali’s endemic, the Bali Tiger, was declared extinct in 1937. In 1991, the Bali Starling was designated the fauna symbol of Bali; its local name is kedis putih ("white bird"[verification needed]).
It is a very conspicuous bird when seen from up close. In its natural habitat however it is far less conspicuous, using tree tops for cover and – unlike other starlings – usually coming only to the ground to drink; this would seem to be an adaptation to the fact that it is instantly noticeable to predators when out in the open.
The Bali Starling is critically endangered, hovering immediately above extinction in the wild for several years now (BirdLife International 2006). The last stronghold of the species is at Bali Barat National Park; about 1,000 individuals are believed to be held in captivity legally. In fact, the Bali Starling is so much in danger that that national park has been set up just for the Bali Starling’s survival. The wild population was at an all-time low of just 6 birds in 2001, after the late-1990s wild population of 3-4 dozen was reduced by poachers for the illegal pet trade. There is at least one well-funded armed gang with access to bomb-making equipment and possibly inside information that raided the local breeding and release facilities in the early 2000s. Continuing releases raised the number of wild birds to 24 by March, 2005.
Its decline towards extinction has been caused by the urbanization of the island and by illegal trapping for the caged-bird trade; indeed, the number of captive birds bought on black market is estimated to be twice the number of legally-acquired individuals in the captive breeding program. The Bali Starling is listed in Appendix I of CITES. Trade even in captive-bred specimens is strictly regulated and the species is not generally available legally to private individuals. However, experienced aviculturalists may become affiliated with the captive-breeding program, allowing them to legally keep this species.
*Wikipedia
– License
Flickrfan: Performer at Medieval Fair 2009
April 30, 2009
Flickrfan: Sky blue
April 29, 2009
Photographed by 1D110
www.flickriver.com/photos/22297595@N02/
Exlpore Highest position: 7 on Wednesday, April 29, 2009
– License
