The Truth About Large Scale Bird Mortality Events

Bird Watching - Part 2 - Learning About Bird Watching

Some Interesting Facts About Pigeons

3 Things About Animals You Know That Just Ain't So

Will Rogers once said about some Yahoo, "It's not what he don't know that bothers me. It's what he knows that just ain't so."

The following 3 things you know probably wouldn't have upset ol' Will, but nonetheless, they just ain't so.

Lemmings Commit Mass Suicide

The idea of lemmings committing suicide by running in packs off of cliffs goes back at least 100 years but didn't really enter popular culture until 1958. The interesting thing is who put it there -- our buddies at that money factory known as Disney.

In their supposed "documentary", White Wilderness, Disney had dozens of lemmings shipped to Alberta, Canada, where they have never lived, then herded them off of a cliff. They then passed this off as nonfiction.

Truth is lemming are not suicidal - just dumb. They occasionally do fall off cliffs while running. But so do other animals and people.

When Elephants Die They Go to the Elephant Graveyard

No, sorry. When elephants die they fall down right where they are, just live everything else.

This popular myth stems from the fact that early explorers in Africa never saw an elephant carcass. They could not fathom that such a large beast could just disappear so assumed that they were going to some hidden place to die. What they didn't realize is that the scavengers in sub-Saharan Africa can make very short work of even the largest beast.

Throwing Rice at Weddings Will Cause Birds to Explode

Please. How can anyone believe this? There are many birds whose primary food is uncooked rice. Throw rice at a wedding gives other birds something new and good to eat.

This myth is fairly young. It was spread or maybe even started by Ann Landers in 1988. The USA Rice Federation immediately debunked the story but to little avail.

Being Ojective About Binoculars

Here's the remainder of the information you might need to have in order to buy those new binoculars you have been wanting.

Brightness

You've got your bird in your binoculars, but just what color is he?

Brightness is given in that second number in the details, 8x40. This number is called the objective. The larger the objective, the more light will be allowed in and the more detail you can see on the birds.

So do you need the biggest number you can get? No. Think about the times you will normally be looking at birds. If you look at them in bright sunlight fairly close, then binoculars with an objective lens of 35 will be fine.

If you like to go out at dusk or into the shady areas with deep shadows, the difference between 30mm and 50mm will be very apparent. Many different coats of compounds on the lens do improve visibility, but can make your binoculars cost the moon. Forget any pair that a company tries to sell you on their wonderful "relative" brightness. That's just a scam.

Other factors

You also need to be aware that putting binoculars close to your eyes will cause you to blink and can cause eyestrain. They make eyecups from 10mm to 15mm and of different widths that will help relieve this. You should try the binoculars on for size to see if the eyecups are comfortable. Also people with glasses, be sure the eyecups retract or roll down.

Next comes the weight of the binoculars. These things can get heavy to hold up to your eyes and even heavier to wear around your neck for hours on end. Check to see how they feel in your hand and put them around your neck. If necessary you can get a special strap to wear around your neck. But check the weight. It should be listed.

Then comes durability. First of all waterproof binoculars are very expensive. Binoculars are not waterproof unless you spend a fortune on ones full of nitrogen, which has no latent water vapor to condense on the internal optics or foster the growth of mold or fungus. (Yuck.) Anyway, that means don't drop non-waterproof binoculars in the water. However, you can get water-resistant ones for less. This is supposed to be a good compromise.

Finally, you might unexpectedly drop them or fall wearing them. To make sure you have a good pair look for the ones that are well sealed and say they are cushioned. This is worth the extra price.

So what do you want?

The bottom line is that there isn't just one right pair of binoculars out there, just like there aren't just one right pair of shoes for everyone. You have to try on each pair and compare for yourself.

I found prices ranging from $1 to $1,000 for binoculars on the Internet; but remember that you get what you pay for, at least up to maybe $200-$400. I think you could get a nice pair for around $35- $75. Check Wal-Mart and Radio Shack.

When you get that pair of binoculars, you will really begin the adventure of seeing what all there is in our own backyard. But remember, don't put them away in your bedroom with your field guide. Put them both near your backdoor.

Interesting and Fun Facts About Tigers

By Linda Aviles Linda Aviles
Level: Platinum

Linda Aviles enjoys reading, writing and giving advice on many different subjects. She enjoys writing about Home Improvement and Interior Design.

Tony the Tiger was nothing compared to the power and strength of a real life tiger. They weigh around 720 pounds and measure 6 feet in length. The tail alone measures 3 feet alone, now that's a big cat! They are considered to be Obligate Carnivores because they depend on animal meat for nutrition and survival. Their powerful jaws are able to bring down prey such as deer and antelope. They hunt alone unlike the lion. Hunting alone gives them the advantage of catching its prey because it is much easier for one tiger to sneak up on a prey rather than a group of tigers.

The tiger symbolizes strength, power and invisibility. In Japanese Tattoo, a tiger with a dragon symbolizes heaven and earth. According to Shaolin Martial Arts, tigers are known to have a "hard" form of martial arts while the dragon has a "soft" style of fighting. Together they represent the balance of power. This beautiful wild cat is also one of the 12 Chinese Zodiac Animals. Those born under this ferocious animal sign are said to be born leaders. To see this large cat in a dream can actually be a wake up call telling you to discover a new passion, start a new adventure or even take more of a leadership role. It can also mean female sexuality, aggression and seduction.

Tigers are considered to be one of the five largest cats in the world, which includes the African Lion, Jaguar, Puma and Leopard. Tigers can live 10 to 15 years in the wild and 20 to 25 in captivity. Unfortunately, this beautiful wild cat is classified as an endangered species, which means they are endangered of extinction. There are only 2,500 tigers left in the world and it is so sad to think that we humans are there only known enemies and the main cause of the extinction.

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Article Submitted On: February 04, 2011

Brief Information About Deep Sea Animals

There are lots of interesting things living in the sea. Here is some information about Minuscule Sea Animals, Sea invertebrates, Sea Reptiles, Sea Mammals, Sea birds and other sea creatures.

Minuscule Sea Animals

Zooplanktons are the very small animals in the ocean biome - which mainly include of small crustaceans and fish larvae. Some examples of zooplanktons are protozoa, chaetognaths, mollusks, arthropods, annelids etc. There are 500 types of zooplankton animals recorded in the Sargasso Sea in the North Atlantic Ocean alone, whereas the total number of Zooplanktons in the entire world is expected to be more than a million.

Sea Invertebrates

Jellyfish, Octopus, Crab, these are sea animals which are usually distinguished by the absence of a vertebral column. These types of invertebrates are generally found in the surrounding area of coral reefs and these also referred to as coral reef animals. Examples of invertebrates in the marine biome include jelly fish, deep sea worms, shellfish, squid, octopus, star fish, crabs etc. As in the case of different land biomes, invertebrates make up an important portion of living organisms in water biomes.

Fish Species

There are more than 31,500 variety of fishes are there in various oceans of the world. These fish species range from microscopic fat infant fish to large whale sharks. Examples of well know fish species of the world include sardines, halibut, sharks etc.

Sea Reptiles

Sea Reptiles includes different types of sea snakes, sea turtles, and also some types which common between sea and ground such as the sea iguana and saltwater crocodiles. Most of the seas reptiles are found in the oceans are oviparous that is animals which put down eggs, with sea snakes being the only exception. Due to their tendency to come on land regularly, these reptile species are most frequently seen in low waters close to land. Although sea snakes rarely come on land, they do prefer shallow waters of estuaries particularly wherein they can get protection from their predators.

Sea Mammals

Dolphins and blue whales these are the two names that's comes to your mind when we talk about sea mammals. Apart from these animals, Sea mammals include seals, sea otters and other types of whales include gray whale and humpback whale. In marine mammals list, Polar bears strictly don't be eligible because due to the key role they take part in in marine ecosystem in polar areas.

Seabirds

Seabirds are also called as marine birds. Seabirds differ very much in lifestyle, behavior and physiology. Some of the well known seabirds include penguins, albatross, seagulls, etc. These seabirds are also popular for their traveling habits.

That was short information about sea animals which have an important share when it comes to the biodiversity of earth.