Birb - Page 13

Undertoad · 07-01-2019, 08:03 PM

In the last 45 seconds, the younger Hanover birb flies for the first time. It's not much to see; kid finally gets up his gumption. But it's lovely they captured it.

The rest of the video is mostly younger birb wingersizing, and making the trip up and back from the branch next to the camera. You can almost see him thinking, big brother did it, I should be able to do it...

Griff · 07-02-2019, 06:10 AM

Nice!

I have a hen hatching chicks right now, somehow less dramatic than an eagle.

Gravdigr · 07-03-2019, 01:37 PM

...and only slightly less dignified.

Gravdigr · 07-08-2019, 10:26 AM

California eagles defy odds by taking in baby hawk

Name: adoption.JPG
Views: 3799
Size: 84.9 KB

...the hell?

Griff · 07-10-2019, 11:11 AM

It'll give their squadron more functionality.

xoxoxoBruce · 07-18-2019, 12:27 AM

Kea...

Griff · 07-18-2019, 06:36 AM

These guys are cute as hell and love to eat rubber off cars. Our bus driver gave a tourist hell for molesting one, she was asking for it.

In other En Zed bird news:

New Zealand kakapos hatching in record numbers, boosting endangered native parrot's numbers

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-04-...aland/11030582

They love their birbs.

Diaphone Jim · 08-09-2019, 12:16 PM

I love watching those beauties fly.
Their slow wing beats seem like what pterodactyls must have looked like.

fargon · 08-09-2019, 01:32 PM

We have Blue Herons and Sandhill Cranes. And yes they are beautiful Birbs.

fargon · 08-09-2019, 01:32 PM

And Pelicans in the spring.

Carruthers · 08-09-2019, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fargon

And Pelicans in the spring.

That brings back happy memories.

I remember one occasion driving north in deepest Wyoming in June when I caught sight of four large birds coming the other way.

It took a few seconds for me to register that they were Pelicans. I just couldn't believe the size of them.

Happy days!

xoxoxoBruce · 08-09-2019, 02:33 PM

You were mistaken, Pelicans can't fly they're too nose heavy. They have stunt doubles for the flight sequences.
If they actually flew they would look like this...

Carruthers · 08-10-2019, 12:50 PM

I'd quite forgotten that there is a small colony of Pelicans on the lake in St James' Park, London.

I'd assumed that their wings had been clipped but apparently not.

One individual made a habit of flying to Regent's Park (London Zoo) and stealing fish from the Pelican enclosure there.

So, instead of flying over 4,500 miles to see these magnificent birds, I could have travelled about 40 miles and been home in time for tea.

OTOH I think it unlikely that I would have seen Bison roaming around Trafalgar Square.

Link

Undertoad · 08-10-2019, 01:21 PM

The Hanover eagles' nest collapsed away to nothing, after serving its purpose. The family would only visit it every once in a while.

It was interesting to see the progress of the nest, and to realize: this collapse happened on purpose.

When they build, the eagles complete the basic structure of the nest with just sticks; then they start bringing straw/dry grass to the middle, and they keep on bringing that until the eggs hatch. That makes the nest comfy, with a safe resting place for the eggs.

When the nest is just sticks and a little straw, rain can easily just seep through. It drips away, and the eggs stay dry. But as the birds are are always bringing straw, it builds up. Eventually, the bottom layer stays damp with rain that has dripped through the top layers. After a while, that layer turns to mulch.

This creates a very solid platform. (It has to hold up to 75 pounds of moving/landing birds.) The original sticks are like the beams, and the straw/mulch is cement and planks between them.

As the youngsters grow, the nest "fills up" and the mulch bottom layer gets thicker. Now all that mulch is rotting the sticks away. Once enough sticks are rotted, the whole thing becomes unstable.

The timing of all this has been worked out over millions of years. The birds start with a stick size that will take 6 months to rot away - just enough time for the youngsters to fledge. They bring just enough straw to make this rot happen with the right timing. So the Hanover babies learned how to live outside the nest, and three weeks later, the nest collapsed. Hand of evolution.

Griff · 08-12-2019, 04:29 PM

Wow. I just learned a thing.

07-02-2019, 06:10 AM	#2
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	Nice! I have a hen hatching chicks right now, somehow less dramatic than an eagle. __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

07-03-2019, 01:37 PM	#3
Gravdigr The Un-Tuckian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: South Central...KY that is Posts: 39,517	...and only slightly less dignified. __________________ These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA, EPA, FBI, DEA, CDC, or FDIC. These statements are not intended to diagnose, cause, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. If you feel you have been harmed/offended by, or, disagree with any of the above statements or images, please feel free to fuck right off.

07-08-2019, 10:26 AM	#4
Gravdigr The Un-Tuckian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: South Central...KY that is Posts: 39,517	California eagles defy odds by taking in baby hawk ...the hell? __________________ These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA, EPA, FBI, DEA, CDC, or FDIC. These statements are not intended to diagnose, cause, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. If you feel you have been harmed/offended by, or, disagree with any of the above statements or images, please feel free to fuck right off.

07-10-2019, 11:11 AM	#5
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	It'll give their squadron more functionality. __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

07-18-2019, 12:27 AM	#6
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	Kea... Attached Images __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

07-01-2019, 08:03 PM	#1
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	In the last 45 seconds, the younger Hanover birb flies for the first time. It's not much to see; kid finally gets up his gumption. But it's lovely they captured it. The rest of the video is mostly younger birb wingersizing, and making the trip up and back from the branch next to the camera. You can almost see him thinking, big brother did it, I should be able to do it...

07-18-2019, 06:36 AM	#7
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	These guys are cute as hell and love to eat rubber off cars. Our bus driver gave a tourist hell for molesting one, she was asking for it. In other En Zed bird news: New Zealand kakapos hatching in record numbers, boosting endangered native parrot's numbers https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-04-...aland/11030582 They love their birbs. __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

08-09-2019, 12:16 PM	#8
Diaphone Jim Junior Master Dwellar Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Northern California Posts: 2,122	I love watching those beauties fly. Their slow wing beats seem like what pterodactyls must have looked like.

08-09-2019, 01:32 PM	#9
fargon Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: La Crosse, WI Posts: 8,924	We have Blue Herons and Sandhill Cranes. And yes they are beautiful Birbs. __________________ Annoy the ones that ignore you!!! I live a blessed life I Love my Country, I Fear the Government!!! Heavily medicated for the good of mankind.

08-09-2019, 01:32 PM	#10
fargon Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: La Crosse, WI Posts: 8,924	And Pelicans in the spring. __________________ Annoy the ones that ignore you!!! I live a blessed life I Love my Country, I Fear the Government!!! Heavily medicated for the good of mankind.

08-09-2019, 02:33 PM	#12
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	You were mistaken, Pelicans can't fly they're too nose heavy. They have stunt doubles for the flight sequences. If they actually flew they would look like this... Attached Images __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

08-10-2019, 12:50 PM	#13
Carruthers Junior Master Dwellar Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Buckinghamshire UK Posts: 4,059	I'd quite forgotten that there is a small colony of Pelicans on the lake in St James' Park, London. I'd assumed that their wings had been clipped but apparently not. One individual made a habit of flying to Regent's Park (London Zoo) and stealing fish from the Pelican enclosure there. So, instead of flying over 4,500 miles to see these magnificent birds, I could have travelled about 40 miles and been home in time for tea. OTOH I think it unlikely that I would have seen Bison roaming around Trafalgar Square. Link __________________

08-10-2019, 01:21 PM	#14
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	The Hanover eagles' nest collapsed away to nothing, after serving its purpose. The family would only visit it every once in a while. It was interesting to see the progress of the nest, and to realize: this collapse happened on purpose. When they build, the eagles complete the basic structure of the nest with just sticks; then they start bringing straw/dry grass to the middle, and they keep on bringing that until the eggs hatch. That makes the nest comfy, with a safe resting place for the eggs. When the nest is just sticks and a little straw, rain can easily just seep through. It drips away, and the eggs stay dry. But as the birds are are always bringing straw, it builds up. Eventually, the bottom layer stays damp with rain that has dripped through the top layers. After a while, that layer turns to mulch. This creates a very solid platform. (It has to hold up to 75 pounds of moving/landing birds.) The original sticks are like the beams, and the straw/mulch is cement and planks between them. As the youngsters grow, the nest "fills up" and the mulch bottom layer gets thicker. Now all that mulch is rotting the sticks away. Once enough sticks are rotted, the whole thing becomes unstable. The timing of all this has been worked out over millions of years. The birds start with a stick size that will take 6 months to rot away - just enough time for the youngsters to fledge. They bring just enough straw to make this rot happen with the right timing. So the Hanover babies learned how to live outside the nest, and three weeks later, the nest collapsed. Hand of evolution.

08-12-2019, 04:29 PM	#15
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	Wow. I just learned a thing. __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

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