Wood Thrush

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Wood Thrush, Hylocichla mustelina, is a North American passerine bird. It is closely related to other thrushes such as the American Robin and is widely distributed across North America, wintering in Central America and southern Mexico. The Wood Thrush is the official bird of the District of Columbia.^[2]

The Wood Thrush is a medium-sized thrush, with brown upper parts with mottled brown and white underparts. The male and female are similar in appearance. The song of the male is often cited as one of the most beautiful in North America.^{[citation needed]}

The Wood Thrush is an omnivore, and feeds preferentially on soil invertebrates and larvae, but will also eat fruits. In the summer, it feeds on insects continuously in order to meet daily metabolic needs. It is solitary, but sometimes form mixed-species flocks. The Wood Thrush defends a territory that ranges in size from 800 to 28,000 square meters. The Wood Thrush is monogamous, and its breeding season begins in the spring; about 50% of all mated pairs are able to raise two broods, ranging in size from 2 to 4 chicks.^[3]

Wood Thrush

Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)^[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Turdidae
Genus:	Hylocichla Baird, 1864
Species:	H. mustelina
Binomial name
*Hylocichla mustelina* (Gmelin, 1789)

The Barn Swallow

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barn_Swallow

Barn Swallow

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) is the most widespread species of swallow in the world.^[2] It is a distinctive passerine bird with blue upperparts, a long, deeply forked tail and curved, pointed wings. It is found in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas.^[2] In Anglophone Europe it is just called theSwallow; in Northern Europe it is the only common species called a "swallow" rather than a "martin".^[3]

There are six subspecies of Barn Swallow, which breed across the Northern Hemisphere. Four are strongly migratory, and their wintering grounds cover much of the Southern Hemisphere as far south as central Argentina, the Cape Province of South Africa, and northern Australia.^[2] Its huge range means that the Barn Swallow is not endangered, although there may be local population declines due to specific threats.

The Barn Swallow is a bird of open country which normally uses man-made structures to breed and consequently has spread with human expansion. It builds a cup nest from mud pellets in barns or similar structures and feeds on insects caught in flight.^[4] This species lives in close association with humans, and its insect-eating habits mean that it is tolerated by man; this acceptance was reinforced in the past by superstitions regarding the bird and its nest. There are frequent cultural references to the Barn Swallow in literary and religious works due to both its living in close proximity to humans and its annual migration.^[5] The Barn Swallow is the national bird of Austria and Estonia.

Barn Swallow

European subspecies, H. r. rustica in Denmark
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)^[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Hirundinidae
Genus:	Hirundo
Species:	H. rustica
Binomial name
*Hirundo rustica* Linnaeus, 1758

Breeding range Resident year-round Non-breeding range

The Pineapple Guava

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acca_sellowiana

Acca sellowiana

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Acca sellowiana, a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, is native to the highlands of southern Brazil, eastern Paraguay, Uruguay, and northern Argentina,and Colombia.^[1] It is widely cultivated as a garden plant and fruiting tree in New Zealand, and can be found as a garden plant elsewhere such as inAustralia, Azerbaijan, West part of Georgia, South part of Russia and South Africa. ^[2] Common names includefeijoa (pron.: /feɪˈʒoʊ.ə/, /feɪˈdʒoʊ.ə/,^[3] or /feɪˈhoʊ.ə/)^[4] pineapple guava and guavasteen. It is an evergreen,perennial shrub or small tree, 1–7 metres (3.3–23 ft) in height, widely cultivated as a garden plant and fruiting tree. The German botanist Otto Karl Berg named feijoa after João da Silva Feijó, a Portuguese botanist born in the colony of Brazil.^{[citation needed]}

Acca sellowiana

Fruit
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Myrtales
Family:	Myrtaceae
Genus:	Acca
Species:	A. sellowiana
Binomial name
*Acca sellowiana* (O.Berg) Burret
Synonyms
Feijoa sellowiana (O.Berg) O.Berg Orthostemon sellowianus O.Berg^[1]

The Christmas Cardinal

To Fly or Not to Fly

BBCWorldwide

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3eqSevtuKU

Uploaded on Apr 9, 2009

David Attenborough presents a ten-part insight into the evolution and behaviours of birds. In this first programme, computer graphics recreate the period 150 million years ago when small, fast-running dinosaurs evolved feathers and took to the air. In New Zealand, David examines the environment required by birds which have survived without recourse to flight, and enjoys a midnight encounter with a kiwi, captured on a starlight-sensitive camera.

...this is brendasue signing off from Rainbow Creek. See You next time. Remember to feed the Birds extra feed while they travel. Photograph what You see!

Of course, one more great performance from
Google You Tube Site:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6g2BoHQGwk