Horse of the woods

 

 

[Visit Scotland]

“Scotland is blessed with an abundance of marvellous creatures great and small which inhabit land, water and air. Here is an introduction to one of the native Scottish species which features in our fantastic Scottish Wildlife Series ebook.

Meet the capercaillie, one of the most iconic Scottish wildlife species, and yet also one of its most elusive. This large wood grouse inhabits Scottish native pinewoods and conifer plantations. The male of the species, with its inky plumage, fanned tail, gleaning turquoise breast and crimson fringed eyes, is a particularly striking sight.

Unfortunately the increasingly scarcity of these habitats makes spotting these birds quite difficult. So much so in fact, that it faces a real possibility of extinction and currently features on the ‘Red List’. But there is still a chance you could catch sight of one! Even if you’re more likely to hear rather than see it.

During the ‘lekking’ or mating season which lasts from around March to the end of June, listen carefully and you might hear the distinctive call of the male – best described a low-decimal series of ‘clicks and ‘pops’ – to lure potential mates. Autumn is also a prime time to try a catch a glimpse of these shy birds before they vanish to hibernate for the winter.

Download our Scottish Wildlife Series ebook now to learn more fascinating facts about these magnificent birds and five other favourite Scottish animals.”

Learn more about Scotland’s wildlife : HERE

 

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Look up #13 – Live now

[LabofOrnithology]

This FeederWatch cam is located in the Treman Bird Feeding Garden at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Perched on the edge of both Sapsucker Woods and its 10-acre pond, these feeders attract both forest species like chickadees and woodpeckers as well as some species that prefer open environments near water like Red-winged Blackbirds.

Watch LIVE at  All About Birds  for news, updates, and more information about the pond and its surroundings.

The world of birds at your fingertips HERE

Look up #12

[LabofOrnithology]

Birds can use their feathers for much more than flight. In some species, for example, they produce sound. The secondary wing feathers of the male Club-Winged Manakin, a bird from South America, are large and rigid. He strikes them together at about 107 times per second to create a buzzing sound, which is used during courtship displays.

The world of birds at your fingertips HERE

Look up #11

[LabofOrnithology]

Bird parents build nests of all different shapes and sizes to keep their young safe and warm. Bald Eagles, for example, build massive structures out of twigs that can be over 5 feet in diameter. Hummingbirds, such as this Cuban Emerald have a much more discreet approach. The cup-shaped nests they construct out of materials such as leaves and spiderwebs are only slightly bigger than a quarter and typically house two eggs weighing less than a gram a piece.

Look up #10

[wild vision]

Look Up #9

Great Big Story

 

“With a wingspan up to 10 feet in length, the mighty Andean condor is one of the largest flying birds in the world. Found throughout the Andes Mountains, the condor is a national symbol for many South American countries. This massive bird has a hairless head, which will change color depending on its emotional state. Though the condor can live up to 70 years, its population is in decline, largely due to the destruction of its natural habitat” [Great big Story]

Vocabulary chunks to learn after watching the video :

• With wings that spread up to 10ft apart
• One of the largest flying birds in the world
• Found throughout the Andes Mountains
• A national symbol
• Emotional state
• Used to attract females
• With some Condors living for more that 70 years
• It is a scavenger bird
• South American coast
• The population is in decline
• Due to the destruction of its natural habitat
• Lead poisoning from carcasses shot by hunters

 

 

I’m pretty sure I have the best job in the world

[The Great Big Story]

Vocabulary chunks to learn after watching the video

• Being in a Bald Eagle nest is surreal
• Take your time
• I’m a Forest Canopy Ecologist
• A Wild Life Biologist
• I’m pretty sure I have the best job in the world
• Capture and work with chicks
• Get blood samples
• Environment contaminants
• The Bald Eagle’s food source
• To grab a hold of you
• A whole 360 degree view
• Nesting on the sea cliffs
• A host of different sea birds
• Our research, it may look invasive
• Our primary concern is the safety of these young birds that we are handling
• We go to great lengths to ensure that we don’t injure them
• The Bald Eagles are national birds
• Take in the view
• For that moment in time

Want to work in the ‘green economy’?

There are many reasons why we should all keep an eye on the ‘green economy’. You could be passionate about environmental issues or just interested in which jobs might emerge in the coming years. Whether you’re a committed green or not, one thing’s for sure, over the coming years we’re going to hear more and more about environmental issues. But why are they important? And how will they affect your working life? We try to answer some of your questions below.

Why do we need a green economy?

There’s been lots of research into the effect that human activity is having on our planet. This includes:

• industries that use a lot of fossil fuels like coal and produce a lot of greenhouse gas emissions, which can bring about climate change
• continuing to extract and rely heavily on fuel sources that will eventually dry up – oil and coal, for example
• upsetting the natural balance of our ecosystem by destroying places where plants and animals live
• using up more fuel than we need to in activities like transporting food from one side of the world to the other.

Read more

Which jobs will grow and which skills will be in demand?

Here are some of the job opportunities that are predicted to come from the move towards a green economy.

Renewable & Sustainable Energy

The drive to find new ways of creating energy from resources that will not run out could create jobs for people involved in wind energy, solar power, fuel cells, biofuels, wave power, hydro power, geothermal energy.

Energy efficiency

As our natural fuel sources (such as oil) will eventually run out, we will need to make sure we don’t waste any of the energy they produce. This could mean jobs for people involved in energy-efficient lighting, voltage optimisation, energy management, low power electronic equipment, and insulation.

Resource efficiency

Every product we make, from a yoghurt carton to a wooden chair, takes resources and energy to produce it. So we need to make sure the production methods are efficient and that the product gets used again if possible. This could create jobs for people involved in recycling materials, less energy-intensive manufacturing methods, reducing packaging, sustainable agriculture, low-carbon materials.

But it’s not just jobs that are directly related to energy efficiency, renewable energy and cutting down on waste that will be in demand in the green economy. There are many existing jobs that will be needed in the green economy, such as PR officer, community liaison and jobs in administration or information technology.

Read more

[National Careers Service UK]

 

 

Look Up #6

Great Big Story

 

The milky eagle owl, also known as Verreaux’s eagle-owl, is as powerful as it is beautiful. Found throughout sub-Saharan Africa, it is the continent’s largest owl. With wingspans that can stretch up to five feet in length, its size and power make it one of only a few African birds that can hunt a porcupine successfully. While it is a dominant bird, the combined effects of habitat loss, hunting, drought and disease have drastically reduced its population.

Vocabulary chunks to learn after watching the video :

• A milky eagle owl
• The largest African Owl
• It is found throughout Sub Saharan Africa 
• The Eagle in their name refers to their large size
• Females are much larger than males
• Over a third bigger
• They feed on a large variety of animals
• Using their sharp vision
• They spot prey
• Seizing them with their powerful talons
• A dominant bird
• Its population has seen a decline
• Due to a combination of
• Loss of suitable habitat, hunting, disease and drought
• A slow reproductive rate
• Difficult for the population to recover quickly

Look Up #5

Great Big Story

 

The toco is the largest and perhaps most recognizable of the toucan family. Its striking, brightly colored bill comprises almost half of its body surface area. Toco toucans are found throughout South and Central America, but populations have declined over the last decade due mainly to the pet trade and the destruction of their rainforest habitats.  Can this beaky bird shake off these threats?

Vocabulary chunks to learn after watching the video :

• The largest and most recognizable
• They are found throughout Southern and Central America
• Their population has continued to decline
• Their appearance is striking
• Its iconic bill
• It is rather light
• To pluck out-of-reach fruit from trees
• They are considered extremely gregarious and social birds living in flocks
• The pet trade and the destruction of the rain forests are the main cause for decrease in population

 

 

Inspire me #10

[Chris Notap]

Make a bird house the easy way. Use an old kettle!  They make a great bird house nesting spot for birds. Just rotate the kettle so the spout is pointing upwards then find a tree or post where you can mount the bird house. One screw and washer through the spout and into the bottom is all you need to hold it. Already this season there has been 3 sparrow families that have raised their young in this bird house. Small birds search for any small space as a home and will nest wherever they can if the opening size is right and a kettle opening is perfect for nest-building for a bird house.