All About Birds

On Birding: How to identify that bird??

All About Birds: "Birds in the same general group often have the same body shape and proportions, although they may vary in size. Silhouette alone gives many clues to a bird's identity, allowing birders to assign a bird to the correct group or even the exact species."

BI420 - Mgt Wildlife Popul

Someone got all of these wild birds to land in their hands!!

BI420 - Mgt Wildlife Popul

Hawk Mountain raptor id quiz

Thanks to a link from Mom, and following a link of a New England birder who might be related to Mark and Mike Morytko, I found my way to this hawk quiz. Someone went to the effort of putting easily confused birds together. Good luck! --Kate

Hawk Mountain raptor id quiz

[E] - Unplugging : Living off the Grid (by Jim Motavalli)

Troy, Maine Highlighted!

I thought about trying this this summer in my cabin a few miles away.. I could bathe in the lake, use the outhouse, keep candles, and reset my internal alarm clock to go to bed at sunset and up at sunrise... Sounds tempting, but I admit I called up yesterday to get some electricity turned on!

--Kate

[E] - Unplugging : Living off the Grid (by Jim Motavalli): "Agnew lived the story herself, homesteading 62 acres in Troy, Maine, with her husband and kids. But for her and others, life without major appliances became too difficult. “It gets kind of old to be poor when you have kids,” says Pam Read Hanna, one of the book’s many vivid characters. “I’m just tired of everything being a big job,” sighed another escapee, Jim Carlson. Refugees complained that it was too cold in the winter, and the work was too hard.

But what if you could go “off the grid” and still have all your “stuff”? That’s the premise for many of today’s back-to-the-landers, who are building more comfortable retreats from civilization, complete with electricity courtesy of solar panels and windmills."

UN Foundation: Environment

Going through a link test today, I realized the united nations updated their Environment home page URL.

Here is the new one, complete today with a picture of a monkey, a la Ross Geller, in the jungle:

UN Foundation: Environment

This Oregano never grew mucu. Guessing the root ball wasn't given enough space, and that the dirt is too compact there.The dirt on the leaves is from a rough watering with the hose and no sprayer. 

"Reproductive cycle" of my whild bird food source 

Auto Industy Nears Tipping Point On Clean Cars

Auto Industy Nears Tipping Point On Clean Cars: "Currently, U.S. auto companies are losing market share and profits to foreign competitors - like Toyota and Honda - that use better technologies and designs. Additionally, as gas price hit record highs, consumers are shunning gas guzzling pickups and SUVs. The clean car efforts underway in Oregon, Washington, California, the Northeastern states, and Canada could be a boon for automakers - forcing them to make the hot selling hybrids and other clean cars that consumers want.

'Hybrids and other clean car technologies offer U.S. automakers a chance to make a clean break with their gas guzzling past,' continued Becker. 'If they embrace clean car technology, they can staunch their bleeding market share and begin to rebuild their strength and U.S. jobs.' "

Sierra Club Applauds Introduction of Mercury Mariner Hybrid SUV

Sierra Club Applauds Introduction of Mercury Mariner Hybrid SUV: "The new Mercury Mariner Hybrid SUV’s electric motor allows its 133-horsepower gas engine to automatically shut down in stop-and-go traffic.

"As a result, it gets better mileage in the city (33 miles per gallon) than on the highway (29 mpg). Additionally, the Mariner includes regenerative braking -- applying the brake generates electricity that recharges the motor. The new Mariner Hybrid is American-made and built by union workers. It will appear in showrooms this fall, but will go on sale online starting today."

Cedar WaxWing in Windsor, hanging at my spruce the other day. There were two of them, but only this on allowed photos.
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Jewel Weed - I normally only see it in Maine, but some how this tuberous plant, which we used for insect bites, has sprung up in my backyard garden. There is a bird feeder there and I have to be careful to dump the water now and then since wriggler (mosquitoe larvae) show up otherwise. Seems I have my own little mini environment going on here!
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"Weeds" with bright blue delicate flowers decorate this patch of mulch under the back stairs. The black rubber is the coil Bob used to tame the weed killer before installing mulch under a nearby flowering tree.
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REcycled sunflower seeds. I feed the birds. The squirrel steals seeds and knocks some to the ground. They grow, and sunflowers burst with a new batch of seeds!~ Elementary!
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The Solaire | Environmentally Engineered for Advanced Living | The Green Initiative

New York City: Getting Greener?

The Solaire | Environmentally Engineered for Advanced Living | The Green Initiative: "It takes extraordinary leadership to envision and implement a building as remarkable as The Solaire. We would like to recognize the following individuals and organizations for their professionalism, dedication and exceptional commitment to this landmark development that will provide its residents with healthier homes, while conserving our planet’s resources:
• Governor George E. Pataki
• Hugh L. Carey Battery Park City Authority–
James F. Gill, Chairman
Charles J. Urstadt, Vice Chairman
David Cornstein, Member
Timothy S. Carey, President & CEO
• New York State Energy Research Development Authority
• U.S. Department of Energy"

New York Academy of Sciences

New York Academy of Sciences: "Since 1817, the New York Academy of Sciences has been bringing together scientists of different disciplines from around the world. Their purpose is to advance the understanding of science, technology, and medicine, and to stimulate new ways to think about how their research is applied in society and the world."