Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Happy New Year




This is an amazing owl!

The owl featured is a Southern White Faced Scops owl from South Africa called Popochan. As soon as it saw the slightly larger barn owl, Popochan will raise its wings high and pump up its plumage to increase its volume to increase its aggressiveness.

However when it was presented a larger Eagle owl, Popochan tries to hide its presence and decreases its volume by contracting its plumage.

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Saw this today...


A woodpecker right outside my apartment on the tree. It was pecking away. Very fun to see, especially since I live in an urban pit. This has been quite a year of animal sightings...some of the more rare incidences...(well it also includes Costa Rica)...
1. A Sloth
2. A Toucan
3. A pair of turkeys (in my Teaneck backyard)
4. A 6 ft. Boa crossing the road
5. A moth the size of a bird
6. Orchid spiders (about 50 of them)
7. A glimpse of a black monkey

Most Polluted Cities in the US...I am surprised NYC isn't there!

The 2008 Lists:

Top 10 U.S. Cities Most Polluted by Short-Term Particle Pollution:

1) Pittsburgh, Pa.
2) Los Angeles/Long Beach/Riverside, Calif.
3) Fresno/Madera, Calif.
4) Bakersfield, Calif.
5) Birmingham, Ala.
6) Logan, Utah
7) Salt Lake City, Utah
8) Sacramento, Calif.
9) Detroit, Mich.
10) Baltimore, Md./Washington, D.C./Northern Virginia.

Top 10 U.S. Cities Most Polluted by Year-Round Particle Pollution:

1) Los Angeles/Long Beach/Riverside, Calif.
2) Pittsburgh, Pa.
3) Bakersfield, Calif.
4) Birmingham, Ala.
5) Visalia/Porterville, Calif.
6) Atlanta, Ga.
7) Cincinnati, Ohio
8) Fresno/Madera, Calif.
9) Hanford/Corcoran, Calif.
10) Detroit, Mich.

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Friday, December 5, 2008

Fall & Winter

I love all the seasons. But there is something about the fall and winter that I adore. Taking long walks with Aaron along the Hudson is part of the reason why.


From where we are standing, Manhattan is to the right, and the Tapanzee Bridge is the the left. We are actually right by the George Washington Bridge.

CC wanted up.