hello tweets,

greetings from cold and windy helsinki, where i am checking out the local birdlife. Unfortunately, of all the zillions of bird field guides I own, the Collins guide is not among them, but my host does have a copy, so I am keeping a list of the birds seen here (so far, i've seen four species, including the nearly ubiquitous great tits, who are all in splendid plumage).

the most recently demystified mystery bird was an African Scops-Owl, Otus senegalensis, as all of you correctly identified;

http://scienceblogs.com/grrlscientist/2008/11/todays_mystery_bird_for_you_to_71.php

be sure to check that link to read Rick's analysis of the bird.

today's mystery bird, courtesy of photographer Richard Ditch, can be viewed here;

http://scienceblogs.com/grrlscientist/2008/11/todays_mystery_bird_for_you_to_47.php

This is an amazing real-life adventure of one gentoo penguin, a pod of hungry orcas, and a small rubber rant filled with scientists and video cameras in Antarctica;

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

cheers,

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