[WATCH]: YogTrailers – Birds of Steel
Can’t wait for “early 2012″!
Considerations for Bird House Plans
Whether for attracting birds, for mark and recapture tracking or just for the love of woodworking, a bird house is an extremely popular choice for a first project. Also known as a nesting box, bird house design and size is limited only by your imagination. For those who are just starting out in woodworking you may prefer to consult woodworking plans to guide you on your way.
As you scan through the available projects, you will probably notice that most bird house plans have a similar design. A square or rectangular base, a sloping roof and hinged access point either in the top, sides or front. The size of the bird house that you choose should be driven either by the type of bird you are attempting to attract or the birds that frequent your area. A general rule is if you are trying to attract small birds then a smaller bird house is preferable. If it is larger species you are after then the size of the house will increase. Before searching for your bird house plans, ensure that you have done a small amount of research on the bird life that frequent your area.
It is quite important that the bird house plans you choose allow for a hinged access point to the interior. As a minimum you will require access to clean the inside following nesting season to remove the old nest material and any parasites that may be present. If you wish to use the bird house longer than one season, this step will have to be completed. If you are using the bird house for bird ringing or if it is for a domesticated species that you are breeding, you will also require access to the birds or their young.
The final positioning of your bird house will have to be considered seriously. To alleviate the problems of poor climate, predators and illness you should ensure the following:
Your bird house plan can be as simple or as detailed as you want to attempt. Dependant on the species you want to attract, take these following factors into account:
By following these few simple guidelines your bird house should be attracting birds for years to come. To help you to complete your project, ensure that you only use easy to follow, step by step bird house plans that will guide you through every aspect of the project from collecting materials to its final finish.
BennyA has 10 articles online
Although it can be daunting, woodworking will provide you with years of enjoyment if you persevere and hone your skills. To take the headache out of your initial and future projects, ensure you get hold of detailed, step by step woodworking plans.
Filed under Uncategorized | Tags: bird house plans, wood plans, woodworking, woodworking plans | Comment (0)[WATCH]: Angry Birds Space – Level 1-18 – 3 Star Walkthrough
3 Star Walkthrough Level 1-18 (Pig Bang) Full 3 Star Walkthrough: wikigameguides.com Everything Angry Birds Space! Gameplay, Walkthrough, All Levels 3 Stars, how to win, help, Guide, teaser, trailer, hidden collectibles wikigameguides.com wikigameguides.com John T (Beer_Baron) https…
Monster Birds Of The Americas
For most of modern human’s existence, say over the past 50,000 to 100,000 years, if we saw something fly under its own power, it was a bird, a bat or an insect – maybe a ‘flying’ fish or ‘flying’ fox if you want to stretch things a bit. Relatively few of these feature prominently in any culture’s mythology. Bats might have an association with vampires, but your average run-of-the-mill garden variety bird is usually taken for granted – unless they are monstrous in size and like humans for dinner.
If there’s nearly one thing universal in Native American mythology it’s giant birds, monster birds, even the Thunderbird (which has been adopted as a brand name for many products not to mention the name of a TV show with associated spin-off motion pictures). Now apart from the actual observations of these winged monstrosities, there’s nothing all that unusual about giant flying creatures in mythology. What sets these ‘birds’ apart is that they often like to snack on the natives – as takeaways, not dine in. Is there any natural terrestrial explanation for birds carrying away humans, like a crow picking up a kernel of corn? Or, might one have to resort to another, more unnatural and perhaps extraterrestrial explanation?
Mythological Monster ‘Birds’ of theAmericas
Dragons: While primarily connected with the Old World (Europe, the Far East, etc.), dragons have some, albeit lesser well known connection in the New World of the Americas, perhaps a bit more in the guise of serpents, that is taking on a serpentine appearance. This is most notably so with respect to that famous feathered serpent (sounds more like a bird actually) Quetzalcoatl, a central Aztec deity, but noted as well in Mayan culture and that other, and mysterious initial Mesoamerican civilization, the Olmecs.
However, we do have the Piasa Bird which is depicted as a dragon in a Native American Indian mural above the Mississippi River near modern dayAlton,Illinois. It’s thought that the originals were done by the Cahokia Indians way before any white settlers arrived in their territory. Their pictographs of animals, birds such as the falcon, bird-men and serpents (monstrous snakes) were common, as was the Thunderbird icon. According to a local professor living in the area in the 1830′s, John Russell, the Piasa Bird depicted in the mural was a monstrous bird that inhabited the area and attacked and ate the locals that inhabited various Indian villages in the area. Apparently it got a taste for human flesh after scavenging human carrion (corpses).
Thunderbirds & Related: These beasties are nearly universal in Native American Indian mythology, and what’s more they carry many similar features. They tend to be very large birds that are seen as the personification of thunder (the beating of their wings) and lightning and all things stormy; a sort of Zeus or Thor but with wings, talons, a beak and feathers. The Native Americans believed that the giant Thunderbird could shoot lightning from its eyes. Say what? Even odder is that the Thunderbird often has teeth in its beak. We’ve all heard the phrase “rare as hen’s teeth” – well that’s because modern birds are toothless.
Thunderbirds were also associated with the Great Spirits so common in Indian lore. They were servants of these deities and apparently acted as messenger-boys (sorry, messenger-birds) – a sort of extra-large carrier pigeon – carrying communications between these various Great Spirits. Thunderbirds were associated with the weather as we’ve seen, and also with water. Now an interesting parallel is that dragons in theOld Worldare often viewed as go-betweens between the gods and humanity (sort of again like carrier pigeons) and their having some control over the weather and the waters was a common feature as well.
So, this mythological monster bird is common throughout Indian legends. Actually in one case there was a Thunderbird that resembled a giant eagle that was large enough, and powerful enough to carry a whale in its claws. Say what again? According to the Makah people of theNorthwestCoast, a Thunderbird saved a village from famine by snatching up a whale from thePacific Oceanand giving it to the community to feed off of, giving the village food lasting for many weeks. Would this be an American example of a case of manna from Heaven? Now no bird could actually carry even a small whale in its beak or talons, so there must be another explanation.
I’ve previously related how the Navajos have associated Ship Rock (or Shiprock) in New Mexico with a legend that says they were flown by a ‘flying rock’ (Ship Rock) provided by their Great Spirit to escape their enemies from up north. The Navajos, in other legends, have associated Ship Rock with the presence of ‘Bird Monsters’ or cliff monsters that preyed and feed on human Navajo and Zunis flesh. I wonder if that could be a garbled tale of UFO abduction.
Related are the tales of the Yaqui from around theSonoraregion in NW Mexico. Yaqui legends tell of enormous birds aroundSkeletonMountainthat carried off men, women and children.
There’s a petroglyph at Puerco Pueblo (or village) located in the Petrified Forest National Park of an enormous bird with a human suspended in the air by its beak. If we assume the human is of average height, say 5′ 6″ tall, then the bird, to scale, is roughly 13′ 9″ tall. That’s one very big bird! The petroglyph was carved into stone many, many hundreds upon hundreds of years ago by the ancestors of the Hopis, maybe even by the lost Anasazis.
When it comes to the Thunderbirds, scholars of mythology strongly suggest that this creature is just the embellishment of the California condor, eagles, or the extinct teratorns. However, to my way of thinking, one doesn’t usually associate birds with thunder and lightning (i.e. – storms). Now you may see birds riding the thermals that might precede a storm, but you don’t tend to see birds out and about in stormy weather – they seek shelter from the elements too. Yet many tribes like the Lakota Sioux or the Ojibwa of the Great Lakes Region make the connection between these Thunderbirds and lightning in particular. Perhaps the association with something flying and thunder and lightning suggests something a bit more technological!
I mean something that can serve as a monster carrier pigeon between the gods, lift huge weights, abduct humans (recorded in many Indian legends) and shoot out lightning bolts doesn’t sound like biology to me, rather more something artificial. Now perhaps all these legends of abducting and man-eating giant birds are nothing more than a rogue eagle or condor with too much testosterone in its system who, feeling threatened, attacked a lone Indian and like the fish that got away, the bird just grew and got embellished, and grew some more and got even more embellished until it reached ridiculous proportions and abilities. Well maybe.
Real Monster ‘Birds’ of theAmericas
Pterosaurs and Pterodactyls: These beasties weren’t really birds-of-a-feather, rather just winged and flying (or gliding) reptiles that belonged way back in fact to ‘The Age of Reptiles’ – the Mesozoic Era. The largest of these discovered (to date) was Quetzalcoatlus, named obviously after that Mesoamerican feathered serpent deity. Quetza-baby had a 36 to 40 foot wingspan, and just might have been able to snack on a human. However, pterosaurs and pterodactyls all went kaput by the end of the Mesozoic – Q-baby made it in fact through to the end of the Cretaceous period, 65 millions of years ago. Alas, that was at least 64 million years before anything resembling humans walked the planet as a food source. While Native Americans were probably aware of the fossils of these flying reptiles, they had nothing to fear from them in terms of being snack-food.
Terror Birds: Well, these terrors really existed in theAmericasand for a while were thought to be contemporary with the earliest humans in theAmericas. Though they survived and thrived in mainly South America, some made it across the Isthmus of Panama land bridge into Central andNorth Americaabout 3 million years ago. The most recent of them is now thought to have gone extinct about 1.8 million years ago, well before humans arrived on the scene.
But even assuming humans and terror birds were contemporary, why the terror? Well, these crows-on-steroids were up to ten feet tall and could gallop after you at velocities up to some 37 miles per hour. Relatives of these monsters with equally large beaks and talons have been found inTexasandFlorida, and presumable bridged the geographical gap in-between. So, should the natives have been afraid; very afraid? Well, in this case the top apex predators probably succumbed to being ultimately human prey since the terror birds, along with the rest of the North, Central and South American mega-fauna went extinct in pretty quick-smart fashion after humans appeared on the scene. Now humans, if contemporary, probably didn’t engage in hand-to-wing combat with these ungodly raptors, but rather found their eggs as a handy-dandy breakfast food supplement to their gatherer nuts-and-berries fare. Alas, no baby terror birds hatchlings; ultimately no terror birds. In any event, terror birds were flightless, like the emus, cassowaries, the ostrich and kiwis, not to mention their extinct cousins the moa and dodos. Thus, terror birds don’t fit our description of birds that fly and pluck humans off the ground and feel us to their young.
Giant Condors & Related: The Andean condor at 11 to 15 kg (24 – 33 pounds) is currently the Guinness Book of Records holder for being the America’s largest flying feathered member of the avian clan, at least with respect to a roughly 10 to 12 foot wingspan. The California condor at 7 to 14 kg (15 to 31 pounds) comes a very close second with wingspans around ten feet. Then too there was the Pleistocene [Ice Age] teratorns weighing in at 15 kg to 23 kg (33 to 50 pounds), huge raptors resembling eagles with wingspans 12 to 17 feet across.
Overall the wandering albatross is on a par with the Andean condor for title of ‘king of the wingspan’ (up to 11 feet for the great albatrosses), but it isn’t a common sight inNorth America– then or now. There are several North Pacific varieties which reach the western coast ofNorth America, but because these are sea birds, feeding on seafood although scavenging carrion when on land (remote islands) for breeding purposes. The odds that Native American Indians would have noted the albatross as a regular part of their environment wouldn’t have been common for other than those living right on the Pacific Ocean.
Now the sixty-four cent question is, can any one or more of the above account for eyewitness accounts of monster birds abducting their comrades in arms? Well any sane person would eliminate dragons and Thunderbirds – they are mythological and therefore don’t exist. One cannot witness non-existence. Pterosaurs and pterodactyls were extinct long before humans were thought up in anyone’s philosophy. Terror birds couldn’t fly and probably weren’t actually contemporary with humans in any event. Condors, while big, aren’t big enough. I mean an average human should be large enough to punch a condor’s lights right out, and certainly humans are too large to be carried across the condor’s threshold.
Condors (Andean or Californian) are actually vultures and thus scavengers, feeding primarily on carrion, even though preferring large carcases like those of cattle. It has to feed while on the ground, and often stuffs itself silly when it does come across a suitable meal that it can’t, for a while, lift itself off the ground. This is hardly a bird likely to be the source of American Indian human-abducting mythology, although the bird certainly features in Native American mythology. However, as the condor is an endangered species, the bird had and has way more reason to fear the natives than the other way around.
The extinct teratorns however were contemporary with humans (Amerindians), but while large enough to cause more than sufficient trouble for a human infant, there’s evidence to suggest that overall, the humans were probably more the hunters than the hunted when crunch came crunch.
However, even at a weight of fifty pounds and a wingspan of 17 feet, could a teratorn have actually picked up and carried away an adult human, with a weight say at least twice or thrice that of the raptor? Fossil evidence suggests that small mammals, even fish, and carrion were its usual means of sustenance. Since the Native Americans say it’s so – at least according to their mythology – you have to ask yourself whether or not a 50 pound bird, who could obviously carry its own weight and probably a bit more through the air, could actually fly with a 100 to 150 pound payload? That’s 150 to 200 pounds all up the bird is carrying. Now that’s a pretty big ask.
Has anyone seen an owl or an eagle or other flying raptor carry off prey two to three times its own weight? Now it might be one thing for a very large bird to pick you up (especially if you’re dead and not struggling) and carry you off while in contact with the ground, like the terror birds, at least for a short way since after all you’re still very heavy compared to the bird. But it’s quite other kettle of fish for a bird to pick you up and actually fly away with you without any leg and ground support at all. Flying (flapping wings) is very energy intensive at the best of times (we’ve all seen birds in gliding mode in order to conserve energy), far less trying to lift up and flap wings with twice or thrice its normal body weight to struggle with.
Now we’ve all seen wildlife documentaries showing a large carnivorous bird swooping low over the water and then grabbing an unsuspecting fish out of the water with its talons. Now that fish may even be as large and heavy as the bird itself, but the prey can’t be that much larger and certainly not twice as large and heavy as the predator. The bird, so close to the water, can not afford to be dragged down by extra unmanageable weight into the water – then it’s bye-bye birdie.
Moving back to the land, raptor birds can and do attack prey much larger than themselves. The bones of these large prey animals have been found in the raptor’s nests or lairs. An eagle might attack a deer or fawn. The deer can’t really defend itself very well out in the open. But that’s not to say that the eagle can actually carry off the deer carcass whole, rather it’s going to tear out chunks at a time and carry them take-away style back to the nest. If not feeding young, it just might dine in on the spot, only flapping away if threatened by the appearance of larger scavengers.
In human terms, a normal average fit human may be able to life twice its body weight but can’t hardly be expected to run an obstacle course carrying it. Half a human’s body weight maybe, but not twice far less thrice.
Now in more ‘modern’ times, there have been a few sightings of giant and other unknown birds – critters that fall within the realm of study called cryptozoology. Having looked over the ‘modern’ (1850 to date) cryptozoological literature, most sightings prove to be ordinary birds though perhaps viewed out of their normal territory and thus somewhat unfamiliar to the viewer. Most unexplained avian species remain unverified and usually too small to be the sort of critter we’ve been looking for. Sightings of monster birds, while they exist, have never yielded up the sort of data that would have confirmed their reality. No dung, no feathers, no carcass, no bones. Unknown monster birds, if they do still exist, are running out of habitat to hide in; in fact they probably have run out of viable environmental living space. If they haven’t been confirmed by now they probably won’t ever be. Besides, any unknown North American birds, monster or otherwise, would have long since been shot out of the sky by trigger-happy Americans.
Conclusions: No flying bird that is or was contemporary with humans (like the America Indian) was capable of lifting up and carrying off anything other than perhaps a small infant; certainly not adults. Flying birds are lightweights – they have to be in order to lift themselves up into the air. The largest of the predatory flightless birds (terror birds) were probably capable of running down, capturing, and lifting up human adults, but that’s not what the legends describe. But to a technologically unsophisticated Native American, living hundreds to thousands of years ago, a UFO abduction event might only have made natural sense to them in a Thunderbird related scenario.
FurtherReadingsabout Monster Birds:
Allan, Tony; “Beasts of the air” (in); The Mythic Bestiary: The Illustrated Guide to the World’s Most Fantastical Creatures; Duncan Baird Publishers, London; 2008; pages 14-53.
Bord, Colin & Bord, Janet; “Giant birds and birdmen” (in); Alien Animals: A Worldwide Investigation; Panther Books,London; Revised Edition 1985; pages 109-135.
Clark, Jerome & Coleman, Loren; “Things with wings” (in); Creatures of the Outer Edge; Warner Books, New York; 1978; pages 165-194.
Mackal, Roy P.; “‘Alicein Wonderland’ birds” (in); Searching for Hidden Animals: An Inquiry Into Zoological Mysteries; Doubleday & Company,New York; 1980; pages 99-128.
Mayor, Adrienne; Fossil Legends of the First Americans;PrincetonUniversity Press,Princeton,New Jersey; 2005.
John Prytz has 1 articles online
Science librarian; retired.
Filed under Uncategorized | Tags: birds eye view, birds of america, birds of prey, birdscapes, how to get rid of birds, humana, humming birds, pictures of birds, prehistoric terror birds, tweety bird | Comment (0)[WATCH]: Andrew Bird – Effigy
How to Adopt a Bird
Another type of adoption that is making waves in the world today just like in dog and cat is bird adoption. May I also let you know at this point that lots and lots of birds are out there waiting for people like you to adopt them. You should also know that adopting a bird is not something you can just make up your mind all of a sudden to do, you must get yourself prepared to take very good care of them because they needs a lot of cares unlike other pets.
Taking care of birds needs patience and endurance, because at times you will see the feathers flying everywhere. However when you are sure that you have put a very good amount of bird food and enough water in the cage, the bird will no worry you. Secondly you must make sure that the cage is cleaned out every time, so that the birds dung does not accumulate. It is very advisable that you keep the birds cage outside the house most of the times because most of the times so that the bird will get free air. When the gate is outside, make sure that the door of the cage is properly locked, so that the door will not open by mistake and the bird flies away.
Most of the birds like owls, parrots are commonly used as pets, while birds like eagles, hawks and crows are not often use as pets rather they can be found in bird shelters. The most loving thing about birds especially the mocking birds though they are very rare to have as pet is their beautiful voice. If you have really made up your mind about adopting a bird as pet, then I will advice you to go up the internet and get clear and good information’s about it or even from any of the local bird centers. You may also know that birds eats and drinks as well as every other animals, and most of them likes seed and fruits also.
Uchegbu Ikenna has 1 articles online
My name is Ikenna Uchegbu a recognised authority on the subject of adoption.Please if you read my articles an it help you solve your problem consider visiting my site http://www.freeadoptiontips.com for more articles.
Filed under Uncategorized | Tags: adoption agencies, adoption forums, adoptions, all of a sudden i miss everyone, bird flu, birds of prey, make up your mind lyrics, pet adoption, up yours, waiting for godot | Comment (0)[WATCH]: Angry Birds Space – Walkthrough 1-26 3 stars Pig Bang level guide how to get three star levels
Angry Birds Space – Walkthrough 1-26 3 stars Pig Bang level guide how to get three star levels
Bird Proofing Commercial Office Buildings
If you own a corporate office building, you know that corporate leasing is down due to this bad economy. Your main goal this year is to fill that building with leasing businesses. You can’t afford to carry a half empty building. One thing you must do is make sure your office building always looks clean, and that things like A.C. systems and lighting systems are working properly. Bird proofing your building now can save you from all sorts of problems down the line.
Problem: You know from bitter experience that pest birds can create a number of problems for your building maintenance team. For one thing, bird droppings splattered all over your building’s façade and glass windows can quickly ruin your building’s image. And image is key when clients come looking for office space. Over time, bird droppings and nesting materials can ruin expensive A.C. units, blocking vents, freezing up fans, and clogging ducts. Bird droppings can also eat into the electrical wiring on rooftops and around signage, causing electrical shorts and possibly even a fire. Bird droppings can also block lighting and security cameras. And they can create dangerous slip-and-fall hazards on walkways and entrances that could pose a legal liability. All in all, pest birds are most unwelcome to your property. The sooner you implement an effective bird proofing strategy, the better.
Solution: One of the most effective ways to bird proof office buildings is through the use of Bird Spikes. Pest birds like to gather on rooftops and parapet walls. They like the advantage of a high perch where they observe the goings on. They also like to build their nests around your building’s A.C. units and other rooftop structures. Bird spikes deny birds–especially large birds like crows, pigeons and gulls–a place to land.
Bird spikes are easily installed on most any roofline, parapet wall, roof structure or A.C. unit. They come in rigid U.V.-resistant unbreakable polycarbonate or high strength, durable stainless steel. Stainless steel spikes are available in 3-, 5- and 8-inch widths to accommodate various bird species. The less expensive plastic spikes come in 3-, 5- and 7-inch widths. Bird spikes have blunted tips so they won’t harm birds and maintenance crews.
Properly installed, bird spikes are barely visible on your rood. They come in a non-reflective metal finish and a variety of colors, including white, tan, gray, black, brown, brick red and crystal clear.
Like all bird deterrents, it’s best to install bird spikes before birds arrive for spring. Take this preventive bird-proofing step and you won’t have to hire expensive cleaning and maintenance crews to keep your office building looking sharp and working at peak efficiency.
Alex Kecskes has 58 articles online
Alex Kecskes is a freelance writer focusing on effective and humane bird control products and methods. To learn more about bird spikes, visit Bird-B-Gone, Inc. Bird-B-Gone has a complete line of products to help keep birds off of or out of unwanted areas.
Filed under Uncategorized | Comment (0)[WATCH]: Angry Birds Space – Level 2-16 – 3 Star Walkthrough Cold Cuts
3 Star Walkthrough Level 2-16 Cold Cuts All Eggsteroids: www.youtube.com 3 Star Pig Bang Walkthrough: www.youtube.com Full 3 Star Walkthrough: wikigameguides.com Everything Angry Birds Space! Gameplay, Walkthrough, All Levels 3 Stars, how to win, help, Guide, teaser, trailer, hidden collectibles wikigameguides.com wikigameguides.com John T (Beer_Baron) https Dan B (Explicit D) twitter.com Google+ plus.google.com Facebook www.facebook.com angry birds space angry birds angry birds space walkthrough angry birds space trailer angry birds space level angry birds space gameplay angry birds space game angry birds space 3 star walkthrough
Some Fascinating Facts About Birds
People who study birds, fast realize that they are easily among the most captivating animals on the planet. In fact, man’s interest and fascination in them goes back centuries. Our primary fascination with them is that, aside from insects, they are one of the few creatures that have mastery of the air and can take off and travel to wherever they please. But, various species of birds have other fascinating traits as well.
A perfect example is the albatross. If you watch the majority of birds, in order to stay afloat in the air, they have to constantly flap their wings. This, as you might expect, burns a great deal of energy.
One of the few exceptions is the albatross. The albatross is an ocean bird. It spends the majority of its time above the open ocean, constantly searching for food. The air above the oceans is a unique environment. It is an environment consisting of air currents and one in which the wind is constantly in motion. The albatross has somehow evolved and learned how to take advantage of these wind currents and ride them expertly. It can effortlessly control its direction by changing from one wind current to another. And it can do all this for hours, without a single beat of its wings – thus expending no energy. It is the ultimate wind surfer.
A second example of a fascinating bird is the hummingbird. For instance, if you were to ask someone to name an animal that hibernates, the first animal that comes to the mind of most people is bears. Hardly anyone will mention the hummingbird.
The hummingbird is, by far, one of the most active birds around. All through the day, it uses up a tremendous amount of energy in its ceaseless search for nectar. Even while resting, its heartbeat has been measured at anywhere from 250 to 480 beats a minute. In fact, it uses so much energy during the day, that at night, in order to let its body recover and prepare for the next day, it shuts down its body almost totally. In effect, it is hibernating.
For decades, researchers and birdwatchers have been fascinated in wondering how birds manage to fly thousands of miles away and magically migrate back and forth from the same areas year after year. Based on research, it appears to be that they can sense the magnetic field of the earth. Researchers have proven this by taking a group of birds and equipping half of them with magnetic rods that interfere with the earth’s magnetism.
The birds in the second group had non-magnetic rods attached to them to test the placebo effect. The ones with the magnetic rods got lost. The birds equipped with the non-magnetic rods found their destination as usual. In a sense, it seems that many birds that their own built-in, internal GPS system that is dependent on the earths magnetic poles.
As these facts only begin to scratch the surface of all the interesting bird traits, it is no wonder that some bird watchers spend decades studying their favorite creatures.
Ken Lawless has 5598 articles online and 3 fans
Please visit our website for additional articles on bird related topics such as surfbirds and bird toys.
Filed under Uncategorized | Tags: birds of prey, capital one, fascinating womanhood, fascination lyrics, fascinations, mythological creatures, one of the few lyrics, one piece, one republic, one tree hill | Comment (0)