The Natural World

[Dave B]

Latest post of the previous page:

Blimey, need a lot of millet to keep that lot satisfied!

[Alan H]

Blimey, need a lot of millet to keep that lot satisfied!

Think of the sandpaper...

[Dave B]

Blimey, need a lot of millet to keep that lot satisfied!

Think of the sandpaper...

and the barrow for the, er, outcome, every morning.

[Alan H]

Tortoise uprights his tortoise friend after he falls on his back and the world is beautiful again.

[Alan H]

This amazing animation shows how babies get made

12-16-14.gif (1.65 MiB) Viewed 6237 times

[Dave B]

Clever!

[Alan H]

Weird sea ghost breaks record for deepest living fish

[Alan H]

[Dave B]

I got myself "bonded" to a sulphur crested cockatoo when I worked at a local animal centre. They also had an African grey, supposed to be the most intelligent of parrots, but Arthur was the better socialiser and great fun. I hgot a perfectly preened beard and tache every time I met him.

Six months after they moved to Somerset I went down there. Arthur saw me coming about a hundred yards away, jumped of his perch and ran to me. They have good facial memories as well!

But that dancing was something else!

[Alan H]

[Fia]

That's nae breast stroke! Being clearly similar but more laid back than the butterfly it's possibly owl stroke ... I'll try it next time I'm in a pool

[Compassionist]

This is awesome! I had no idea that birds could dance. Thank you for sharing.

[Compassionist]

Wow! I didn't know owls could swim! Why isn't it flying away instead of swimming?

[Dave B]

Once in the water the under feathers would be waterlogged, probably weigh a lot more and wet feathers don't work well. Non aquatic birds have surface oils but only for rain.

The swimming may be modified flying, slow because of the water. It was probably trying to fly, desperately! Unless it got to shore or something it would be very quickly exhausted.

I should add the the surface tension of water is actually quite strong, it can hold a small floatplane down making it nedd to "wiggle" to break the grip.

All birds enjoy a daily bath but thats a bit too much. Caring farmers put plastic milk crates, upside down, in cattle troughs, these float just under the surface, cows push them down but they will support a large bird to take a drink. Unless it is experienced a bird may have trouble telling a puddle and a pond appart.

[Compassionist]

Once in the water the under feathers would be waterlogged, probably weigh a lot more and wet feathers don't work well. Non aquatic birds have surface oils but only for rain.

The swimming may be modified flying, slow because of the water. It was probably trying to fly, desperately! Unless it got to shore or something it would be very quickly exhausted.

I should add the the surface tension of water is actually quite strong, it can hold a small floatplane down making it nedd to "wiggle" to break the grip.

All birds enjoy a daily bath but thats a bit too much. Caring farmers put plastic milk crates, upside down, in cattle troughs, these float just under the surface, cows push them down but they will support a large bird to take a drink. Unless it is experienced a bird may have trouble telling a puddle and a pond appart.

That's interesting Dave. Hope someone rescued the bird.

[Maria Mac]

Just had to post this one - a red-capped woodpecker, the like of which I once spotted in my suburban garden so I know it's not that big, was apparently pounced on by a baby weasel. The woodpecker understandably took flight with the weasel clinging to his back!

Story here: http://time.com/3729535/woodpecker-weasel-photograph/

[Dave B]

That has to be the epitome of the "lucky shot"!

[Maria Mac]

This one's even luckier....

https://twitter.com/msteeman/status/572 ... 84/photo/1

[Maria Mac]

No prizes but does anyone know what this creature from Brazil is?

[Maria Mac]

Alan reckons it's a coypu. I'm inclined to agree unless anyone's got any better ideas.

[Alan H]

Coypu.