Date: 10/20
Location: Galapagos Islands
These little hawks are so amazing to watch fly over the islands. We witnessed one catch a lava lizard for breakfast.
Date: 10/13
Location: Galapagos Islands
We watched these birds soar from the boat and then as we were on land watching the Sally Lightfoot crabs. These amazing sea birds are so graceful in the air, diving down to catch their meals. Sea going birds are a favorite at the University- Professor Baxter might be a bit bias though :). Hehehehe!
Date: 10/6
Location: Galapagos Island
We had a great time hanging out with Professor Baxter today. It was so fun meeting his relatives. They are quiet the funny lot. As clumsy as they are on land, watching them dive for fish is amazing! They have always been one of our favorite birds and now they are even more so!
Date:9/29
Location: Amazon rainforest
We had another high climb today. Whew! We are tired and ready to head back to the University for a few days! Watching the military macaws fly in their large flocks was worth the sore fluff- hehehe! These magnificent birds belong in the wild though. We know macaws are popular pets, but they are high maintenance and often are loud, stressed and can outlive their owners!
Date:9/7
Location: Amazon Rainforest
Observations:
Name from old Mayan legend that the king vulture was a carrier of message between humans & the Gods
We went to same spot on the edge of the forest to see if we could spot any vultures. We saw a carcass of a large animal across the open grass field the day before and were hoping the vultures would come today. It didn’t take long before the turkey vultures showed up! And then finally a king vulture swooped in and everyone else moved out its way. They definitely are kings of the carcass! Hahahaha!
Who’s That Bird?
We have a fabulous Brazilian bird for you today! If you remember from the other day- Brazil is one of the richest bird habitats in the world. Nearly 2,000 species call Brazil home! Wow! Who knew? It’s a bird’s paradise! Today we’re meeting just one of those spectacular birds! Let’s get to it!
Toco Tucan Fun Facts:
Toco Toucans are really pretty birds with their shiny black feathers and large orange beaks! And man does that beak come in handy when you’re trying to get the fruit on the end of the branch! They also have a really cool call. Take a listen here!
SHOREBIRDS ROCK!
We’re off to meet some of the birds that live near camp! So let’s get started!
Brown Pelican Facts:
They live in Coastal North America.
They are listed as threatened.
They nest in colonies.
Pelicans dive to get their fish.
They are the only pelican to dive head first for prey.
Sanderling Sandpiper Fun Facts:
They breed in the Arctic.
Sanderlings spend their winter in the south.
They run back & forth with the waves.
They eat worms, mollusks & crustaceans.
They are very territorial.
Herring gulls Fun Facts:
They prefer to drink freshwater- but will drink sea water because they can excrete the salt from nostrils.
Herring gulls have been seen using tools to catch fish (bread as bait).
Herring gulls eat mussels, clams, worms.
They are loud & gregarious.
They are large with pink legs.
Piping Plover Fun Facts:
They are a small shorebird.
They have yellow legs.
They have orange bills with black tips.
They are listed as near threatened.
Piping plovers eat insects and small invertebrates.
These are just some of the our bird friends that live by the sea side! We have some worms to share with them at camp!
Do you have any favorite shore bird friends?
That is One Big Parrot!
We are off to land down under to meet one extraordinary parrot! Who else is excited?
We love these fat little parrots! There is great organization helping protect these birds from man introduced parrots, like rats and cats; Kakapo Recovery! There may only be only a few birds left, but this group is helping!
NATIONAL BIRD DAY!!
Professor Baxter is sharing some fun facts about his bird friends for us today! Woohoo, we do love our feathered friends!
WOW! Birds have so many fascinating adaptions! With over 9,000 species they very greatly! We love them from the tiniest bee hummingbird to the ostrich!
A Very Helpful Bird!
Today we meet a little bird that plenty of animals of the African Savannah know.. the Red-billed oxpecker! These little birds play a vital role out their on the plains, come learn more about them and find out why!
Red-billed oxpeckers are interesting little birds. They do share a symbiotic relationship with their host animal, even if they do take in some blood. One bird can eat hundreds of ticks in a day and we know every animal is better off without all those creepy critters!
The Adventures of Ellie and Edmond 