Starship Asterisk*

Hello All,

One of the most remarkable owls is the Great Grey of the Northern climes around and along the Arctic Circle. It's flying range is some 1,500 miles! This species needs to consume the equivalent of one third of it's body weight daily. At first I thought it was an enormous amount of food, however, though pictures make it appear to be a large bird (which it is in height- 24-33", and wingspan-60") the reality of it is: it weighs only 1.5 pounds.

Birds as you've never seen them before
New Scientist | Culture Lab | 14 June 2010

"It's like Vogue for birds," says Erin Estell, a bird trainer at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, of photographer Andrew Zuckerman's latest book, Bird. Against Zuckerman's signature white backdrop, the birds' brilliantly coloured plumage comes to life.

Gallery: Top shots from the bird catwalk

Andrew Zuckerman: Bird Film (flash video)
Bird: Behind the Scenes (flash video)

Ooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry... I mean, "Thank you!!!!!"

(source)

In other bird news, I've got a plant in my back yard, not sure what it's called...long green stalks with bright red flowers on it. Drives the hummingbirds nuts! They visit very frequently, sometimes even landing to hang out for a rest.

The funny thing is, if two show up at the same time they fight. I've read somewhere that hummingbirds are not the cute, kindly creatures they appear to be; they can be rather aggressive toward each other. You'd think that a plant that's 4 feet wide and 5 feet tall with 3 dozen flowers would be able to support two 3 inch hummingbirds at a time. But nooo!

Mom had this honeysuckle shrub hat the hummingbirds really loved. I don't recall and bird fights then; but I was quite young at the time.

I don't know why doesn't it look happy about it, I would switch places with it any time <=>

makc wrote:
(source)

Makc; where did you ever find a baby picture of owlice? She sure was kinda cute in her "fuzzy" stage!

on the internets. I visit them often. btw, all animals are cute when they are young. except eaglets. those are ugly. but then, it could be a matter of perspective, I kinda like the one on the left here.

btw, this owlet looks very different:

could it be it's just small, not young?

HA-HA-HA-HA I guess you have to be "SMALL" and fuzzy to be cute -- unless of course you are the mother!

I just spent some time perusing this "Ode to Owlice" and discovered the Barred Owl video. It sounds just like a Great Horned Owl, but a little muffled and slightly muted.

Baby Flammulated Owl
Discover Blogs | The intersection | 12 Aug 2010

Chris Mooney wrote:Is this not the cutest thing ever? Read on below to learn how my mother and aunt encountered (and rescued) this little guy….

My Aunt Wendy reports from Park City, Utah:

Baby Flammulated Owl

Click to view full size image

• Ok…Sally and I did a 5 mile hike up at Deer Valley and at the 4.5 point I spotted this amazing little fluffball about the size of a tennisball on the side of the trail…..ended up putting him in my fannypack and taking him down the chair lift, letting him sit under the table while we ate Chile Rellenos for lunch, then giving him a bus ride up the mountain to where my car was, then giving him/her a car ride to Salt Lake City to a Bird Rescue person…..he/she was the absolute cutest thing we had ever seen, and although our day’s plans were sort of messed up thanks to finding it, we feel very good that we saved that sweet thing. He is now having meal worms before he gets moved to the actual rescue faciltiy tomorrow….long life to the baby owl!!!

neufer wrote:Baby Flammulated Owl = Tribble?

With Attitude

I never knew being Flammulated could do that to your feathers. Lucky I don't have any.

Rob

BMAONE23 wrote:

neufer wrote:Baby Flammulated Owl = Tribble?

With Attitude

Attitude??? If you want Attitude - look at owlice's avatar. No, this little owl dosen't give a hoot. It coos instead. Right now it has one of the most powerful forces in the universe working for it -- cuteness!! You just can't beat the cuteness factor. The cuteness factor is greater even than the Sno-Ball pun!

beyond wrote:
No, this little owl doesn't give a hoot. It coos instead. Right now it has one of the most powerful forces in the universe working for it -- cuteness!! You just can't beat the cuteness factor. The cuteness factor is greater even than the Sno-Ball pun!

I'm cute (In a number #3 sort of way.)

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cute wrote:

• Cute, a. [An abbrev. of acute.]
  
  • 1. Possessing physical features, behaviors, personality traits or other properties
    . that are mainly attributed to infants and small or cuddly animals.
    
    2. Generally, attractive or pleasing, especially in a youthful, dainty, quaint or fun-spirited way.
    
    3. Affected or contrived to charm; mincingly clever; precious; cutesy.
    
    • "Don't get cute with me, boy!"
      
      "The actor's performance was too cute for me.
      All that mugging to the audience killed the humor."

Hey neufer, in your #3, you forgot the word "Humble."

beyond wrote:Hey neufer, in your #3, you forgot the word "Humble."

When I was quite a young boy, I got to know what umbleness did, and I took to it. I ate umble pie with an appetite. I stopped at the umble point of my learning. I am very umble to the present moment.

neufer wrote:

beyond wrote:Hey neufer, in your #3, you forgot the word "Humble."

When I was quite a young boy, I got to know what umbleness did, and I took to it. I ate umble pie with an appetite. I stopped at the umble point of my learning. I am very umble to the present moment.

When you were quite a young boy -- that was way before there was such a word as "umble" wasn't it

beyond wrote:

neufer wrote:

beyond wrote:Hey neufer, in your #3, you forgot the word "Humble."

When I was quite a young boy, I got to know what umbleness did, and I took to it. I ate umble pie with an appetite. I stopped at the umble point of my learning. I am very umble to the present moment.

When you were quite a young boy -- that was way before there was such a word as "umble" wasn't it

Cute.