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Lichen are neither plants nor animals. They are various types of cooperative, symbiotic aggregations of algae, fungi and microbes.
This particular type of lichen grows and spreads in two dimensions. As shown here, its growth habit is roughly circular on a relatively flat surface. Also as shown here, aggregations compete with one another for the 2D space.
These lichen seem to have grown on a surface first populated with moss. In my experience, if 2D lichen aggregations are left undisturbed, they persist for years where they form; even decades.
Location: Top, flat surface of a cement parapet. It surrounds the courtyard of St. Chrischona Church, in the St. Chrischona settlement, Bettingen BS Swizerland.
In my album: Dan's Little Lives.
Vachellia tortilis, widely known as Acacia tortilis but now attributed to the genus Vachellia, is the umbrella thorn acacia, also known as umbrella thorn and Israeli babool, a medium to large canopied tree native to most of Africa, primarily to the savanna and Sahel of Africa (especially the Somali peninsula and Sudan), but also occurring in the Middle East.
The giraffe (Giraffa) is an African artiodactyl mammal, the tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant. It is traditionally considered to be one species, Giraffa camelopardalis, with nine subspecies. However the existence of up to eight extant giraffe species have been described, based upon research into the mitochondrial and nuclear DNA, as well as morphological measurements of Giraffa. The giraffe's chief distinguishing characteristics are its extremely long neck and legs, its horn-like ossicones, and its distinctive coat patterns. It is classified under the family Giraffidae, along with its closest extant relative, the okapi. Its scattered range extends from Chad in the north to South Africa in the south, and from Niger in the west to Somalia in the east. Giraffes usually inhabit savannahs and woodlands. Their food source is leaves, fruits and flowers of woody plants, primarily acacia species, which they browse at heights most other herbivores cannot reach. They may be preyed on by lions, leopards, spotted hyenas and African wild dogs. Giraffes live in herds of related females and their offspring, or bachelor herds of unrelated adult males, but are gregarious and may gather in large aggregations. Males establish social hierarchies through 'necking', which are combat bouts where the neck is used as a weapon. Dominant males gain mating access to females, which bear the sole responsibility for raising the young. S20N_754
Bay View-Edison Road & Sullivan Road.
Snow Geese by the thousands start arriving from the Arctic in early October. Typically between 60 to 120 thousand Snow Geese migrate from Wrangel Island Russia to winter and feed in Washington's Skagit / Fraser Delta, 70,000 to 90,000 of those winter in North Puget Sound and stay until late March or early April.
The Fraser-Skagit Population Dynamic: "Snow geese that over-winter in northwest Washington comprise a unique population of intercontinental travelers shared by three countries: the United States, Canada and Russia. These snow geese make an arduous, annual flight to Russia's Chuckchi Sea, to breed on Wrangel Island off the north coast of Siberia. They are called the Fraser-Skagit population, because the same identification collaring/banding studies that disclosed details of their migration timing and itinerary, found that snow geese of this group had a high fidelity to one nesting site on Wrangel Island and to one wintering area, here. They stay apart from the other snow geese aggregations that nest separately on Wrangel and winter in California." ~ wdfw.wa.gov
The opposite view of the same fishing poles after sunset.
Taken at the same place, lake Biwa, as a previous photo titled "aggregation of thin piles".
Thank you so much for your visits, comments and supports!
A Pandora pinemoth, Coloradia pandora, exhausted and waiting for the inevitable.. These large moths, with wingspans of 3 to 4.5 inches, have no mouthparts and consequently cannot eat--they reproduce and promptly die. I found a dense aggregation of these at dawn at a gas station in Big Water, UT--they had been attracted during the night to the bright lights over the gas pumps.
We were staying in Cemoro Lawang, a small town close to the Sea of Sand. We were told by the jeep tour organizers that the road was broken, that we needed 3 hours to reach the view point by foot and that we really needed to take the jeep tour. :)
But with some fellow travelers, we decided to do the hike. We were told that, by foot, we needed to get up at 1:30 am if we wanted to do it in time before sunrise.
We kind of knew we were lied to, to make us buy their tour but we didn't know by how much!
So we left at 2:30 am...
An hour later we were there... A local confirmed that we were at the best spot: high point with no tourist around!
We sure could have get 2 hours of extra sleep!
So I suggest anybody going there to do the hike: only 5km! You will have the same view but without the 500 daily aggregation of tourists where the jeeps brings you.
This bird looked very notable and smart with it's white throat patch. It looked almost like an exotic species. It feels a bit early to be feeding young but Blackbirds can be fairly early nesters and will get 3 clutches in.
www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/b/blackbird/
The males live up to their name but, confusingly, females are brown often with spots and streaks on their breasts. The bright orange-yellow beak and eye-ring make adult male blackbirds one of the most striking garden birds. One of the commonest UK birds, its mellow song is also a favourite.
Overview
Latin name
Turdus merula
Family
Chats and thrushes (Turdidae)
Where to see them
Found everywhere in gardens and countryside and from coasts to hills, although not on the highest peaks.
When to see them
All year round.
What they eat
Insects, worms and berries.
Population:-
UK Breeding:- 5,100,000 pairs
UK Wintering:- 10-15 million birds
Behaviour
Blackbirds tend to be solitary birds. Small feeding and roosting aggregation sometimes form at good sites, but there is no proper social interaction.
Male blackbirds establish a territory during their first year, which they will hold throughout their lives. The territory is essential for pair formation and nesting, although only a part of the food is obtained from within it.
Territory size varies depending on the habitat, and can be as small as 0.2 ha. Territory boundaries break down when the last broods have fledged and adults moult. During this period, territorial drive is low, and many birds will feed outside their territories at abundant food sources.
Territories are re-established in the late autumn, and from spring until July they are defended against all other blackbirds.
Breeding
The breeding season lasts from early March to late July, and chicks are often found in a nest well into August.
During this period, blackbirds rear 2-3 broods. In a good year, fourth broods may be attempted. Weather determines the timing of the breeding season.
Warm or cold spells in spring can bring the breeding season forward or delay it by several days. Dry weather in June can shorten the season and even cause starvation of late broods. The nesting season starts up to two weeks earlier in gardens than in woodland.
The nest, built by the female, is low down in any suitable cover. Trees, shrubs and climbers are preferred, but nests can be found inside buildings, occasionally even on the ground.
The nest is a substantial cup of grass, straw, small twigs and other plant material. It is plastered inside with mud and lined with fine grass. It can take two weeks to complete, and sometimes the same nest is used for successive broods.
The normal clutch size is 3-5. Larger clutches are laid in woodland than in gardens. The female incubates alone, and the chicks hatch 13-14 days later. Only the female broods the chicks, but both parents feed them. Chicks in gardens are fed on earthworms when they are available; woodland chicks are fed mainly on caterpillars.
The chicks are ready to fledge at 13-14 days, but if the nest is disturbed, they can leave and survive as early as nine days old. This ability to fledge early is an important anti-predator adaptation. The young birds creep and flutter from the nest, and remain in nearby cover for the following few days.
They are flightless at first, but within a week will have learned to fly. By this time, they begin to experiment with foods, learning by trial and error what is edible. As their skills and confidence grow, they begin to explore their parents' territory and range more widely. The young become independent three weeks after leaving the nest, and leave the natal area shortly after. They are not driven away by the male.
Fledged young are often left in the care of the male, while the female prepares for the next nesting attempt. The last brood of the season is usually divided between the parents, with each adult taking sole care of some of the young.
There are considerable losses at the egg and chick stage, with at best 30-40% of nests producing fledged young. Despite smaller clutch sizes, birds in towns fledge more chicks per nest than birds in the countryside.
Funny feathers?
Young blackbirds (sometimes called juveniles) can be confused with thrushes or even robins, due to their speckly brown feathers. They're often a rich, reddish brown colour, especially on their breasts.
You'll often see them following their parents around, pestering for food.
Baby blackbirds usually leave the nest before they can actually fly, and hop and scramble their way around trees and bushes.
They can be vulnerable from predators at this time, but you should resist the temptation to make a 'rescue' - the parent birds can do a much better job that we ever can.
If you look in a book, you might be fooled into thinking that birds change from one plumage into another overnight.
It's not that simple.
Here's a photo of a young male blackbird. He's getting rid of the first set of feathers he grew while in the nest, with the much darker, dull-black ones coming through from underneath. He's at that awkward, 'teenage' in-between stage, but it's a great chance for us to see how birds replace their feathers.
The process when old feathers are replaced by new is called moulting. Adult birds do it too, often growing their new feathers after the breeding season when they've been rushing around for months to feed and care for their young.
Here's a photo of young male blackbird, taken in March. He hatched the previous spring or summer. How can we tell?
Look at the longest wing feathers, known as the primaries. They're a dull brown colour, which contrasts with the rest of his body, which is blackish.
Young female blackbirds keep their brown wing feathers too, but it's not as easy to spot them.
A few months earlier, his beak would have been dark, too, instead of the usual bright yellow. It can be confusing when you see a blackbird that's dark from head to toe - they're males that hatched the previous spring.
Some birds grow funny-coloured feathers where they're not meant to.
Here's a male blackbird that's a great example.
This condition is called partial albinism, and it's usually inherited but can be caused by other factors.
Some birds have just one or two white feathers, while others can be white all over or with big white blotches.
Blackbirds seem to be some of the birds most commonly affected, but that might be because they're common garden birds where it's easy to spot the white feathers.
Some birds have just one or two white feathers, while others can be white all over or covered with big white blotches.
Birds with white patches might be vulnerable to attack from predators, as they stand out from the crowd.
These individuals with strange coloration can also be shunned by their own kind.
They even get picked on by other birds which seem to know they're not the same!
Though it's often male blackbirds that are seen with partial albinism, females are sometimes affected, too.
We get quite a lot of e-mails from people saying: 'I've got a funny-looking bird in my garden. It's shaped like a blackbird, it behaves like a blackbird and it's got a yellow beak, but it's got white bits on it so it can't be one. What is it?'
Often, the answer is 'it's a blackbird' - those white feathers can be very confusing.
Legal status
Blackbirds and their nests are fully protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which makes it an offence to intentionally kill, injure or take any wild bird.
It is an offence to intentionally take, damage or destroy the eggs, young or nest of a blackbird while it is being built or in use. It is therefore essential to ensure nests are not destroyed if hedge trimming or tree felling has to be carried out in the breeding season.
Orphaned birds
Now and again partly developed blackbird chicks are found outside the nest, often because of predators such as cats. If possible, the chick should be returned to the nest. Should this not be possible, the chicks survival is dependent on human care. Intervene only if the chick is not fully feathered. Hand-rearing is time-consuming and difficult, and the chance of success is low: attempt it only as a last resort. In most instances orphaned young should be passed on to an expert rehabilitator.
Young blackbirds leave the nest when they are fully feathered but not yet able to fly. They remain flightless for a couple of days. Since the parents will continue to look after it for a further three weeks, a fledgling is extremely unlikely to be abandoned. If the fledgling is in an unsuitable place such as the middle of a footpath, it makes sense to move it a few feet out of harms way. Fledglings should almost never be rescued, but should be left well alone and in the care of their own parents.
Threats
Blackbirds are relatively short-lived birds. They live on average only 3-4 years, but a few reach quite an advanced age.
The oldest known wild individual was 21 years and 1 month. Mortality is high especially during the breeding season - over half of all deaths occur between March and June.
The population trend for the blackbird shows a sustained period of decline from the 1970s to the mid-1990s, followed by a period of recovery, with a 26 per cent increase recorded by the Breeding Bird Survey between 1995 and 2008.
The recent increase in population has seen the blackbird transferred from the Amber to Green list of Birds of Conservation Concern. Causes for the observed population changes remain unknown, although hedgerow loss and drainage of farmland may have affected blackbirds.
In gardens, blackbird populations have remained stable, and the number of chicks that fledge per nest is higher than in many other habitats. However, food availability is often a problem, and starvation of chicks is a common occurrence, particularly in dry weather.
Gardeners can help blackbirds by avoiding the use of garden chemicals, and by planting shrubs that provide blackbirds with caterpillars, berries, or both.
I think this is an Arctic Skua - a bird I'm not totally familiar with that was patrolling the beach at Ohope.
Skuas or jaegers are strong-flying piratical seabirds allied to gulls. The Arctic skua is the commonest of the three holarctic skua species that visit New Zealand during the austral summer before migrating north to Arctic and subarctic breeding grounds. They are often seen in New Zealand coastal waters, although it is unusual to see aggregations of more than 10 birds at once. A few immature birds over-winter. Arctic skuas are usually seen in coastal waters, harbours, sounds and estuaries. Pursues other seabirds forcing them to drop fish they have caught. www.nzbirdsonline.org.nz/species/arctic-skua
© Dominic Scott 2022
Got a tip off from the wife today whilst at work that she found this barnacle covered log on our local beach. So after work, I raced home, grabbed my camera and ventured out in search of said log. Nice of the sun to make an appearance too!
The giraffe (Giraffa) is an African artiodactyl mammal, the tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant. It is traditionally considered to be one species, Giraffa camelopardalis, with nine subspecies. However, the existence of up to eight extant giraffe species has been described, based upon research into the mitochondrial and nuclear DNA, as well as morphological measurements of Giraffa. Seven other species are extinct, prehistoric species known from fossils.
The giraffe's chief distinguishing characteristics are its extremely long neck and legs, its horn-like ossicones, and its distinctive coat patterns. It is classified under the family Giraffidae, along with its closest extant relative, the okapi. Its scattered range extends from Chad in the north to South Africa in the south, and from Niger in the west to Somalia in the east. Giraffes usually inhabit savannahs and woodlands. Their food source is leaves, fruits and flowers of woody plants, primarily acacia species, which they browse at heights most other herbivores cannot reach. They may be preyed on by lions, leopards, spotted hyenas and African wild dogs. Giraffes live in herds of related females and their offspring, or bachelor herds of unrelated adult males, but are gregarious and may gather in large aggregations. Males establish social hierarchies through "necking", which are combat bouts where the neck is used as a weapon. Dominant males gain mating access to females, which bear the sole responsibility for raising the young.
The giraffe has intrigued various cultures, both ancient and modern, for its peculiar appearance, and has often been featured in paintings, books, and cartoons. It is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as vulnerable to extinction, and has been extirpated from many parts of its former range. Giraffes are still found in numerous national parks and game reserves but estimates as of 2016 indicate that there are approximately 97,500 members of Giraffa in the wild. More than 1,600 were kept in zoos in 2010.
The South African giraffe (G. c. giraffa) is found in northern South Africa, southern Botswana, southern Zimbabwe, and south-western Mozambique.[21] It has dark, somewhat rounded patches "with some fine projections" on a tawny background colour. The spots extend down the legs and get smaller. The median lump of males is less developed.[29]:52 A maximum of 31,500 are estimated to remain in the wild,[21] and around 45 are kept in zoos.[30]
The red-wattled lapwing (Vanellus indicus) is an Asian lapwing or large plover, a wader in the family Charadriidae. Like other lapwings they are ground birds that are incapable of perching. Their characteristic loud alarm calls are indicators of human or animal movements and the sounds have been variously rendered as did he do it or pity to do it[2] leading to the colloquial name of did-he-do-it bird.[3] Usually seen in pairs or small groups and usually not far from water they sometimes form large aggregations in the non-breeding season (winter). They nest in a ground scrape laying three to four camouflaged eggs. Adults near the nest fly around, diving at potential predators while calling noisily. The cryptically patterned chicks hatch and immediately follow their parents to feed, hiding by lying low on the ground or in the grass when threatened.[4]
2012. Mann Road. Fir Island.
"Snow Geese by the thousands start arriving from the Arctic in early October. Typically 70,000 to 90,000 winter in North Puget Sound until late March or April"
Fraser-Skagit Population Dynamic. "Snow geese that over-winter in northwest Washington comprise a unique population of intercontinental travelers shared by three countries: the United States, Canada and Russia. These snow geese make an arduous, annual flight to Russia’s Chuckchi Sea, to breed on Wrangel Island off the north coast of Siberia. They are called the Fraser-Skagit population, because the same identification collaring/banding studies that disclosed details of their migration timing and itinerary, found that snow geese of this group had a high fidelity to one nesting site on Wrangel Island and to one wintering area, here. They stay apart from the other snow geese aggregations that nest separately on Wrangel and winter in California." wdfw.wa.gov
Up to now I’ve only ever ‘found’ this species at already known sites. Exploring Shaftoe Crags in Northumberland though I finally came across them at a new site with a sizeable population of over 100 nesting in the edge of a section of exposed soft soil.
Mining bees are solitary nesters unlike the Bumblebees most people are familiar with. Digging their own burrow they work alone but do nest in aggregations close to one another and other mining bee species too. There were at least 4 different types of bee nesting in a relatively small area
The red-wattled lapwing (Vanellus indicus) is an Asian lapwing or large plover, a wader in the family Charadriidae. Like other lapwings they are ground birds that are incapable of perching. Their characteristic loud alarm calls are indicators of human or animal movements and the sounds have been variously rendered as did he do it or pity to do it[2] leading to the colloquial name of did-he-do-it bird.[3] Usually seen in pairs or small groups and usually not far from water they sometimes form large aggregations in the non-breeding season (winter). They nest in a ground scrape laying three to four camouflaged eggs. Adults near the nest fly around, diving at potential predators while calling noisily. The cryptically patterned chicks hatch and immediately follow their parents to feed, hiding by lying low on the ground or in the grass when threatened. [4]
These photos show just a few individuals in what was one of several immense nesting aggregations in the chalk grassland. Ivy bees everywhere! And to think they were first recorded in Britain less than 20 years ago.
Taken with Panny 100-300mm lens + 10mm extension tube.
Cherhill Down / Calstone Down, Wilts
The Great Egret is characteristically large and white, with dark legs and feet and a bare facial skin patch that reaches beyond the eye. These birds are found throughout almost the entirety of Central and South America save parts of the Pacific Coast of Chile and Tierra del Fuego. Great Egrets live in all kinds of wetlands, both inland and coastal, and feed on a variety of aquatic organisms such as fish, snakes and crustaceans. Although these egrets primarily are solitary "stand and wait" feeders, they may congregate in aggregations of hundreds or more if food abundant. Great Egrets are colonial nesters and may be found in mixed species colonies of ten or more pairs.
neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/Species-Account/nb/species/...
[co-lo-ny]
-any group of individuals having similar interests, occupations.
-an aggregation of bacteria growing together as the descendants of a single cell.
-a group of organisms of the same kind, living or growing in close association.
[co-lo-ny]
-any group of individuals having similar interests, occupations.
-an aggregation of bacteria growing together as the descendants of a single cell.
-a group of organisms of the same kind, living or growing in close association.
Please View On Black
[co-lo-ny]
-any group of individuals having similar interests, occupations.
-an aggregation of bacteria growing together as the descendants of a single cell.
-a group of organisms of the same kind, living or growing in close association.
Hippodamia convergens,
Cerro Alto, Los Padres National Forest,
San Luis Obispo Co., California
"In the western United States, these beetles may spend up to nine months in diapause in large aggregations in mountain valleys, far from their aphid food sources. In spring, the adults spread out and search for suitable sites to lay their eggs where aphids are plentiful. This dispersal trait is especially marked in this species as compared to other lady beetles."--Wikipedia
Wild bees from south of France sleeping : small Eucera sp. Aggregation of sleeping males.
Fieldstack based on 26 images, assembled using Zerene Stacker (Pmax & Dmap).
Post production using Adobe Photoshop CC 2019 and Lightroom 5.6.
Canon 600D. Canon EF 100mm macro, ISO-400, F/5.6, 1/50 sec. Natural morning light.
Wikipedia: The red-wattled lapwing (Vanellus indicus) is an Asian lapwing or large plover, a wader in the family Charadriidae. Like other lapwings they are ground birds that are incapable of perching. Their characteristic loud alarm calls are indicators of human or animal movements and the sounds have been variously rendered as did he do it or pity to do it leading to the colloquial name of did-he-do-it bird. Usually seen in pairs or small groups and usually not far from water they sometimes form large aggregations in the non-breeding season (winter). They nest in a ground scrape laying three to four camouflaged eggs. Adults near the nest fly around, diving at potential predators while calling noisily. The cryptically patterned chicks hatch and immediately follow their parents to feed, hiding by lying low on the ground or in the grass when threatened
The adult butterfly is easily recognised by its dark brown wings that are spotted white along the margins. The male's forewing has a bow-shaped hind margin, while the female's is straight.
The Common Crow Butterfly is found in Queensland and northern New South Wales, and also occurs across northern Australia as far west as Onslow in Western Australia. It has on occasion extended its range as far south as Victoria, and pupae have been found in Cootamundra and Kandos, New South Wales, which are west of the Great Dividing Range. It has been found in Alice Springs, Adelaide and Lord Howe Island. It has also been common at times in Sydney (1947-48; 1954-55 and more recently).
Adult Common Crow Butterflies overwinter together for protection in large aggregations of one to two thousand butterflies. The butterflies go into a dormant state in which they live on their fat reserves and nearby nectar sources until warmer weather returns. These aggregations occur in sheltered coastal sites and on offshore islands in the tropics and subtropics of northern and eastern Australia.
The Common Crow Butterfly has a strong scent that may allow predators to identify it as inedible. It also produces (from chemicals in its food plants) toxins so strong that eating just one butterfly may induce a bird to vomit. However, not all birds are sensitive to the toxins, and common invertebrate predators and parasites such as spiders, dragonflies, flies and wasps suffer no ill effects from eating these butterflies.
The adult butterfly has a life span of 11 - 13 weeks. The adults feed upon nectar from various flowering plants, including eucalypts.
See more at: australianmuseum.net.au/common-crow-butterfly#sthash.Fxg1...
In the previous photo description I gave you an extensive introduction to the role the Giraffe has had in our understanding of science. But meeting the Giraffes in person is quite a thing. That man in the red shirt is dwarfed by the animals looking down on him.
Like all enclosures at the Melbourne Zoo, particular care has been taken to reproduce the kind of environmental conditions in which the animals thrive in the wild. Their social lives have been studied closely:
"Giraffes live in herds of related females and their offspring, or bachelor herds of unrelated adult males, but are gregarious and may gather in large aggregations. Males establish social hierarchies through 'necking', which are combat bouts where the neck is used as a weapon. Dominant males gain mating access to females, which bear the sole responsibility for raising the young." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giraffe
The strange yet humble Giraffe has made a bigger impact on humans than we could imagine.
The zebra shark (Stegostoma fasciatum) is a species of carpet shark and the sole member of the family Stegostomatidae. It is found throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific, frequenting coral reefs and sandy flats to a depth of 62 m. Adult zebra sharks are distinctive in appearance, with five longitudinal ridges on a cylindrical body, a low caudal fin comprising nearly half the total length, and usually a pattern of dark spots on a pale background. Young zebra sharks under 50–90 cm long have a completely different pattern, consisting of light vertical stripes on a brown background, and lack the ridges. This species attains a length of 2.5 m. Zebra sharks are nocturnal and spend most of the day resting motionless on the sea floor. At night, they actively hunt for molluscs, crustaceans, small bony fishes, and possibly sea snakes inside holes and crevices in the reef. Though solitary for most of the year, they form large seasonal aggregations. The zebra shark is oviparous: females produce several dozen large egg capsules, which they anchor to underwater structures via adhesive tendrils. Innocuous to humans and hardy in captivity, zebra sharks are popular subjects of ecotourism dives and public aquaria. The World Conservation Union has assessed this species as Endangered worldwide, as it is taken by commercial fisheries across most of its range (except off Australia) for meat, fins, and liver oil. There is evidence that its numbers are dwindling. 24670
From Wikipedia:
The blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), also called the common wildebeest, white-bearded wildebeest, white-bearded gnu or brindled gnu, is a large antelope and one of the two species of wildebeest. It is placed in the genus Connochaetes and family Bovidae, and has a close taxonomic relationship with the black wildebeest. The blue wildebeest is known to have five subspecies. This broad-shouldered antelope has a muscular, front-heavy appearance, with a distinctive, robust muzzle. Young blue wildebeest are born tawny brown, and begin to take on their adult coloration at the age of 2 months. The adults' hues range from a deep slate or bluish-gray to light gray or even grayish-brown. Both sexes possess a pair of large curved horns.
The blue wildebeest is a herbivore, feeding primarily on short grasses. It forms herds which move about in loose aggregations, the animals being fast runners and extremely wary. The mating season begins at the end of the rainy season and a single calf is usually born after a gestational period of about 8.5 months. The calf remains with its mother for 8 months, after which it joins a juvenile herd. Oddly, rare blue wildebeest can have a glow or luminescent coat during the change of seasons between fall and winter. Blue wildebeest are found in short-grass plains bordering bush-covered acacia savannas in southern and eastern Africa, thriving in areas that are neither too wet nor too arid. Three African populations of blue wildebeest take part in a long-distance migration, timed to coincide with the annual pattern of rainfall and grass growth on the short-grass plains where they can find the nutrient-rich forage necessary for lactation and calf growth.
The blue wildebeest is native to Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Today, it is extinct in Malawi, but has been successfully reintroduced in Namibia. The southern limit of the blue wildebeest range is the Orange River, while the western limit is bounded by Lake Victoria and Mount Kenya. The blue wildebeest is widespread and is being introduced into private game farms, reserves, and conservancies. So, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources rates the blue wildebeest as being of least concern. The population has been estimated to be around 1.5 million, and the population trend is stable.
© MD ROKIBUL HASAN
Please seek for permission before use.
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The red-wattled lapwing (Vanellus indicus) is an Asian lapwing or large plover, a wader in the family Charadriidae. Like other lapwings they are ground birds that are incapable of perching. Usually seen in pairs or small groups and usually not far from water they sometimes form large aggregations in the non-breeding season (winter). They nest in a ground scrape laying three to four camouflaged eggs. Adults near the nest fly around, diving at potential predators while calling noisily. The cryptically patterned chicks hatch and immediately follow their parents to feed, hiding by lying low on the ground or in the grass when threatened.
Red-wattled lapwings are large waders, about 35 cm (14 in) long. The wings and back are light brown with a purple to green sheen, but the head, a bib on the front and back of the neck are black. Prominently white patch runs between these two colours, from belly and tail, flanking the neck to the sides of crown. Short tail is tipped black. A red fleshy wattle in front of each eye, black-tipped red bill, and the long legs are yellow. In flight, prominent white wing bars formed by the white on the secondary coverts. Males and females are similar in plumage but males have a 5% longer wing and tend to have a longer carpal spur. The length of the birds is 320–350 mm, wing of 208–247 mm with the nominate averaging 223 mm. The Bill is 31–36 mm and tarsus of 70–83 mm. Tail length is 104–128 mm.
The breeding season is mainly March to August.
The diet of the lapwing includes a range of insects, snails and other invertebrates, mostly picked from the ground. They may also feed on some grains. They feed mainly during the day but they may also feed at night. They may sometimes make use of the legs to disturb insect prey from soft soil.
Bird# 63
Took a walk in the local park to see large numbers of "Hibernating" Ladybugs. This is the biggest bunch we found.
On a walk today I discovered a single rabbitbrush plant that was positively swarming with Convergent Ladybugs. I'd seen pictures of this behavior before, but never witnessed it myself until now. This picture shows perhaps five percent of the total mass, which had to number in the thousands!
The first Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae) I've photographed in 2021. There's a front-garden in our Staffordshire village that supports a sizeable nesting aggregation and males are out in large numbers.
I'm assuming there must be other village nesting locations, but I'm yet to find them!
Ashy Mining Bees are early-flying solitary bees on the wing from March through to June. The females are one of the UK's most distinctive solitary bees, with a black coat and two broad ash-coloured bands on their thorax. Males are smaller, with more extensive ashy hairs on their thorax and longer antennae.
Ashy Mining Bees are ground-nesting bees, typically nesting in short turf or bare ground. As suggested by the name, females dig into the ground to create their nest burrows. They excavate a considerable amount of material and have been reported to excavate tunnels up to a depth of 20cm. The excavated material builds up around the nest entrance and forms distinctive volcano-like mounds, which is a characteristic feature of mining bees.
Ashy Mining Bees appear in spring, with males emerging a couple of weeks before the females. Once mated, females build their nest burrows while males die soon after mating. Although they are solitary bees, females can be found nesting close together and can form very large nesting aggregations.
A nest burrow consists of cells, each with an egg provisioned with pollen and nectar. Once a cell is completed, it is lined and waterproofed with a waxy substance. Females continue to lay eggs until the end of their lifespan, which is typically no longer than a couple of months after emergence.
At the end of foraging trips and during disturbance such as rain, females close the entrance to their nests. However, when nests are left open and unoccupied they are vulnerable to intruders e.g. the ‘cuckoo bee’ (Nomada lathburiana). Cuckoo females enter unoccupied nests of Ashy Mining Bees and lay their own eggs within. The cuckoo’s larvae feeds upon the contents, including the egg or larvae of the Ashy Mining Bee.
The Ashy Mining Bee frequents a variety of habitats and can be found in urban settings such as parks, cemeteries and gardens. A great range of flowering plants are visited for nectar and pollen. Pollen is carried back to the nest on the female’s hind legs and often extensively covers the legs. Provisioned with pollen, the female’s offspring develop and overwinter within their cells. Emerging as adults in the following spring, the cycle starts again.
Close-up on the paxillae (umbrella-shaped skeletal structures) of the sea star Odontaster validus. This species is one of the most abundant invertebrates in Antarctica and also one of the most studied. O. validus can be found from shallow waters to up to 1000-meter depth. It is an ecologically important species that can feed on various organisms through predation (e.g. mollusks, crustaceans) or scavenging (massive aggregations on dead marine mammals have notably been observed).
Taken during the Belgica 121 expedition (more info: belgica120.be )
The blue wildebeest is a herbivore, feeding primarily on short grasses. It forms herds which move about in loose aggregations, the animals being fast runners and extremely wary. The mating season begins at the end of the rainy season and a single calf is usually born after a gestational period of about 8.5 months. The calf remains with its mother for 8 months, after which it joins a juvenile herd. Blue wildebeest are found in short-grass plains bordering bush-covered acacia savannas in southern and eastern Africa, thriving in areas that are neither too wet nor too arid.
sand tiger shark – „Here's looking at you, Kid!“ ¹ ;-)
Sand tiger sharks are often the targets of scuba divers who wish to observe or photograph these animals. A study near Sydney in Australia found that the behaviour of the sharks are affected by the proximity of scuba divers.
Diver activity affects the aggregation, swimming and respiratory behaviour of sharks, but only at short time scales. The group size of scuba divers was less important in affecting sand tiger behaviour than the distance within which they approached the sharks. Divers approaching to within 3 m of sharks affected their behaviour but after the divers had retreated, the sharks resumed normal behaviour.
Other studies indicate Sand Tigers can be indifferent to divers. Scuba divers are normally compliant when it comes to observing the Australian regulations for shark diving.
In North America World War II shipwrecks off the coast of North Carolina provide both a habitat for the sharks and the opportunity for close encounters between sharks and divers.
¹ Rick Blaine in "Casablanca".
(27.94421, -82.44501)
We stumbled upon a new location for bee-wolves at Hartland Moor in the Purbeck Heaths NNR. Like other digger wasps, they are solitary but often form nesting aggregations, presumably just because the conditions are right so many are attracted to the same place. I don't think they gain any advantage from being in a group as such. This is great for photography of course, because we never had to wait long for another bee-wolf to return to her burrow - often with a honey bee, captured to provision her nest (see the other shots).
In my experience, Grey Plovers tend to be loners. Even at high tide roosts when most waders assort themselves beautifully into their own kind, Grey Plovers seem to sit around singly among other roosting waders. So I was mildly surprised to see this small group roosting at high tide in Northumberland. I checked to see if there was a collective noun for "Plovers" as Grey Plover is too specific, and there are three; stand, congregation and wing, the latter presumably for flying plovers. These collective nouns are supposedly hunting terms used by those "in the know" to tell friends what was about without letting outsiders know. But there seem to be words that describe non-quarry birds, and birds that don't congregate, for example "a descent of woodpeckers". Back to these Grey Plovers, they were in a small, loose aggregation high on some rocks, but some distance apart from the other waders (Knot, Purple Sandpipers and Turnstones).
2012. The Fir Island Farms/Hayton Snow Goose Reserve - Snow Geese by the thousands start arriving from the Arctic in early October. Typically 70,000 to 90,000 winter in North Puget Sound until late March or April.
Fraser-Skagit Population Dynamic. "Snow geese that over-winter in northwest Washington comprise a unique population of intercontinental travelers shared by three countries: the United States, Canada and Russia. These snow geese make an arduous, annual flight to Russia’s Chuckchi Sea, to breed on Wrangel Island off the north coast of Siberia. They are called the Fraser-Skagit population, because the same identification collaring/banding studies that disclosed details of their migration timing and itinerary, found that snow geese of this group had a high fidelity to one nesting site on Wrangel Island and to one wintering area, here. They stay apart from the other snow geese aggregations that nest separately on Wrangel and winter in California." wdfw.wa.gov
Brandenburg Germany.
Cranes tend to be gregarious, forming large flocks to roost, socialise, and in some species feed. Species that feed predominately on vegetable matter in the non-breeding season feed in flocks to do so, whereas those that feed on animals usually feed in family groups, joining flocks only during resting periods, or in preparation for travel during migration. Large aggregations of cranes are important for safety when resting and also as places for young unmated birds to meet others
Cranes are highly vocal and have a large vocabulary of specialised calls. The vocabulary begins soon after hatching with low, purring calls for maintaining contact with their parents, as well as food-begging calls. Other calls used as chicks include alarm calls and "flight intention" calls, both of which are maintained into adulthood. The cranes' duet calls are most impressive. They can be used for individual recognition.