Hello Tweeties,

the most recently identified mystery birds was a pair of birds, Pacific Golden-Plover, Pluvialis fulva, and American Golden-Plover, P. dominica, provided by photographer Marv Breece;

http://scienceblogs.com/grrlscientist/2008/10/todays_mystery_bird_for_you_to_40.php

Marv, if you are reading this, Rick is very curious to know how you identified these two birds, so please add your comments to the blog comment thread so everyone can read and learn from them!

today's mystery bird, courtesy of photographer, Richard Ditch, is a very cute, bit deceptively challenging little bird;

http://scienceblogs.com/grrlscientist/2008/11/todays_mystery_bird_for_you_to_54.php

I also wanted to let you know that, thanks to one of my generous readers, I will be attending a presentation and book reading in NYC by scientist Irene Pepperberg, who researches cognition and learning in parrots, and who is of "Alex the African grey parrot" fame. I plan to take photographs and to ask as many questions as I am allowed, but I will also be meeting with her in a coffee shop in her hotel around noon tomorrow to interview her further. If you have any questions you'd like me to ask her, or photographs that you'd like me to try to take, please let me know in the comment thread on this blog entry (who knows? i might have wifi access at the hotel tomorrow and can check your comments then?);

http://scienceblogs.com/grrlscientist/2008/10/what_would_you_like_to_ask_ire.php

also, here's a video of Alex, just to remind you of his talents (it also includes my question for Irene);

http://scienceblogs.com/grrlscientist/2008/11/alex_the_african_grey_parrot_w.php

Alos, regarding this touching photoessay of a pair of barn swallows, i am getting a variety of stories and personal accounts that either claim the healthy bird is consoling the dying partner, or that the healthy bird is "having his way with" a bird that cannot resist its attentions. what do you think?

http://scienceblogs.com/grrlscientist/2008/10/one_of_lifes_tiny_dramas.php

i think this photoessay points out the difficulty of interpreting images, and even film, of an event, and serves as a valuable lesson for all of us regarding how we interpret what we see.

cheers,

GrrlScientist
Devorah
http://scienceblogs.com/grrlscientist/
Roosting high up a tree somewhere in Central Park, NYC