Happy LOL Day: January 2008

1.31.2008

"Here's some parsley for you."

"Here's some parsley for you."
Originally uploaded by craftybeaver.
Looks like his day is going well! :)

Thumper Thursday, Little furry kids

Little furry kids
Originally uploaded by roseinthedark.
"Is it Thumper Thursday again? It's my favoritest day!"
One of mine too! :) Happy "TT" to all! :)

You Are My Sunshine

For Mary :)

1.30.2008

Hummingbird Beeps With Its Feathers!

I just thought this was such a cute story! Members of the Wee Bird Society!

All for the Girl
During the mating season, male Anna's hummingbirds dive from heights of 100 feet or more and then spread their tapered, narrow-tipped outer tail feathers at the swoop's nadir. In that instant, the feathers act like a clarinet reed, with the wind "playing" the single note
Hummingbird Beeps With Its Feathers
Jennifer Viegas, Discovery News
Jan. 30, 2008 -- Given their tiny anatomy, very small birds would only seem to produce quiet sounds, but a notable exception is the male Anna's hummingbird, which researchers have just determined produces a loud chirp with its unusually shaped tail feathers.
The noises fill the western U.S. skies during the mating season when males of this common species dive from heights of 100 feet or more and then spread their tapered, narrow-tipped outer tail feathers at the swoop's nadir. In that instant, the feathers act like a clarinet reed, with the wind "playing" the single note.
"The sound that the males make at the bottom of their display dive is brief and loud with a frequency of around 4 kilohertz, which is roughly four octaves above middle C, or the highest key on a piano, and has been described as a beep, chirp or whistle by various people," co-author Teresa Feo told Discovery News.
Feo, a researcher at the University of California at Berkeley's Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, and colleague Christopher Clark further describe the sound, and their findings, in a paper published in this week's online version of the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
The study represents the first time that this feather-vibrating sound mechanism in birds has been documented. Other birds, however, such as sparrow-sized manakins, are known to snap or clap their wings or to rub their feathers together to produce noise.

Read the whole news story here! :)

baby male Anna's Hummingbird
Originally uploaded by capt video.

This little baby will learn all those ways one day and start a family of his own! :)

Smallest Patient at WildCare

Smallest Patient at WildCare
Originally uploaded by 88ZERO.
Such a sweet tiny creature. This is what the photographer says:
A photojournalism assignment- WildCare's smallest patient, a baby squirrel with a serious neck injury. To donate or learn about their awesome organization, go to: www.wildcaremarin.org.

Read all about the people helping this baby here! :)

Wee Baby Gibbon :)

Baby Gibbon
Originally uploaded by Verlage Photo.

Too cute to wait until Monkey Monday this Wee baby is so sweet! This is what the photographer says:
551 gram Penelope, a baby White-Handed Gibbon, is held by Zookeeper Andi Sime while on display for the media at Edmonton's Valley Zoo on Wednesday, January 9, 2008. Penelope was born on December 9, 2007 via emergency caesarian section and is currently being raised by Zookeeper Andi Sime. (Photo - Jordan Verlage Special to the Sun)

Check out this precious poppet's photo set here! :)

Wee Wednesday, Furry Flair

Wee stripes are very stylish :)
Hope you have a wonderful Wee Wednesday!

"Some of us know how to rock that furry stripey look.. observe!"

"I like the look kitty!"

"Oh please darlings you don't need fur to have stripey flair! :)"

Others share hair too! :)

1.29.2008

My Balloon World

"Come visit me.."

"..on my little island."

"I have a pretty garden.."

"...fun neighbors.."

"..even their pets are friendly!"

"And the sunsets.. are amazing!

"Sounds like paradise! I'll be right over :)"

For the inspiring Citlali who showed me the amazing sunset picture too :)

Brother and sister

Brother and sister
Originally uploaded by roseinthedark.
Some x-treme bunnish cuteness!
What the photographer says :):
Hi, these two bunnies are Neve and Ribes, my small crazy sweet rabbits. They came into my family almost 3 year ago: I had just lost my beloved lop eared Johnny and then I read about two small rabbits looking for a new home...so the story has began..

Bo with two orphans

Bo with two orphans
Originally uploaded by ijphotos.com.
Beautiful Bo helping comfort the babies. Why not go to your local shelter and volunteer to help or maybe even adopt a wonderful furry or feathery friend? :)

Two-fur Tuesday, Like Brothers

Like Brothers
Originally uploaded by *eSThER*.
Hope you are having a cuddly cozy Two-fur Tuesday! :)

A Seal Visits the Upper West Side

It's always wonderful when animals visit the city! We sometimes ride our bikes past this place, it has some great looking houseboats there where people actually live! I love it and there is a fun restaurant up in the park beyond. I hope the seal comes back to visit often! I would like to see him sometime :)

A seal in the Hudson River, off West 79th Street, on Monday. This is not such an unusual sight in recent years, park rangers say, perhaps because the river is cleaner. (Photo: Joyce Dopkeen/The New York Times)

A Seal Visits the Upper West Side
by John Sullivan
Cute is not a word normally associated with the Hudson River waterfront but when a juvenile harbor seal decided to take some sun at the 79th Street boat basin, the word sprang to mind. “He was moving around pretty fine, yawning and sunning himself,” said Sgt. Rakeem Taylor, an urban park ranger for the city Parks Department.

Sergeant Taylor said the workers spotted the seal just before 10 a.m. The animal, which he estimated to be 3 to 4 feet long and about 90 pounds, was lying on the dock.

“It’s not that unusual, but we don’t usually get a chance to see them,” Sergeant Taylor said of the visitor. “It’s about as unusual as getting the occasional coyote.”

He said the presence of the seal was a positive one. “It is definitely a sign that the river is in better shape that they are coming up this far for fish,” he said.

Harbor seals typically stay around for day or two before moving on. Sergeant Taylor said he watched the seal for about 40 minutes on Monday and planned to return “tomorrow and see if he is still hanging out.”

On a scale of 1 to 10 for unusual animals, Sergeant Taylor said, the seal rated about a 4 or 5. The strangest animal he has seen in eight years with the department?

“A nine-foot boa constrictor in Central Park,” he said.
“That had to be an 8 or a 9.”

Read the news story here!
Thanks Rick! :)