Nature
Organisation Prepare For Mersey Maritime Awards
The whole of the UK maritime industry is due to take part in the voting process which will form part of this year's Mersey Maritime Industry Awards. The ceremony which is due to take place at Liverpool Football Club, on Friday 17th September is using a voting platform which was first used in 2019. Participants will compete against each other in a number of categories. The winners will be determined by a combination of an expert judging panel, and the wider input of the industry.
By Ashish Prabhu5 years ago in Earth
Kingfisher
A kingfisher at work by a river or canal is an unforgettable sight. A sudden flash of iridescent blue is followed by a small splash and then, almost immediately, its upward flight to a perch where the prey is stunned, turned head first and then swallowed. One can watch a kingfisher all day and never get bored!
By John Welford5 years ago in Earth
Kestrel
The kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) should not be confused with its smaller American cousin (Falco sparverius) or the sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus). The latter belongs to the family of kites, harriers and eagles, whereas the kestrel, as its botanical name suggests, is a falcon. If you see a smallish bird of prey hovering on the breeze near a British main road, there is a high chance that it is a kestrel, and none that it is a sparrowhawk, which never hovers!
By John Welford5 years ago in Earth
Mute swan
The mute swan (Cygnus olor) is a spectacular water bird that is seen on rivers, lakes, canals and estuaries in many parts of the world. It is native to Europe and Asia and has been introduced to North America and elsewhere. In the United Kingdom, mute swans are found in the wild virtually everywhere except the upland areas of Scotland, Wales and south-west England. Swans are regularly found in urban parks alongside ducks and geese.
By John Welford5 years ago in Earth
The 'nest custodians' protecting a toddler-sized bird
it was a dusty afternoon at the end of a long dry season, and Zimbabwean subsistence farmer Sofaya Ndlovu was sitting in the sun outside his home. Fifty metres away, between the clean-swept earth of his homestead and a small koppie (a hill in a flat area) of granite boulders, a ragged black bird with a puckered red face, long eyelashes and a voluptuous red wattle strutted over tufts of grass.
By MARK OLIVAREZ5 years ago in Earth
Non-Random Encounters With Swallow-Tailed Kites
“Our most beautiful bird of prey... Hanging motionless in the air, swooping and gliding, rolling upside down and then zooming high in the air with scarcely a motion of its wings, the Swallow-tailed Kite is a joy to watch.”-- The Audubon Guide to North American Birds
By Amethyst Qu5 years ago in Earth
Blackbrows, Velveteens, and Imeretian Saffron:
Marigold as one of many National symbols of Ukraine How had it become one, not being a native flower? Many years ago, arriving in an oiled leather satchel, the seeds were thrown into unfamiliar, but welcoming Ukrainian soil. They grew strong and tall stalks, nourished by abundant rains and nutritious turf. Fringed leaves unfurled and spread, golden heads bloomed and filled out with velvety broad petals. Hence one of the names assigned to it in Ukraine- Velveteens. The accommodating flower bloomed early and stayed bright throughout the summer, it dried beautifully and filled the house with warm scent during the winter. Marigolds were added to wreaths and headdresses, embroidered on shirts and grown around the houses as a symbol of good fortune. The Ukrainians have grown to love the versatile flower so much they composed legends and sang songs about it, so the flower had become a part of Ukrainian culture, taking deep root in folklore.
By Salomé Saffiri5 years ago in Earth
