Hi again everyone.

Well spring is just around the corner and a new season of data collecting will soon be here. So a good time to set personal goals for species you've never seen before yourself, or localities you've never visited in the past.

So tips to remember: right after spring floods is a good time to drop by shallow bends in small to medium rivers and creeks to scour shores and sandbars where shells tend to accumulate, especially in the clumps of shoreline vegetation of sharp bends. Best time for this sort of search is around mid May, before that same vegetation starts to green up and thus conceal what you're looking for.

Next opportunity is low water levels in those same sized water courses to scour the shallows. This is optimally done after about ten days of low-or-no precipitations or more, so the waters turn clear enough to see through a foot or two of depth. For the larger rivers low water periods tend to be optimum only later around mid July to early September. But this tends to vary a lot after big downpours so best keep an eye on water levels using internet tools before heading out to your target river. One of these very helpful tools is:

https://wateroffice.ec.gc.ca/mainmenu/real_time_data_index_e.html .

You can follow water levels in real time for most of your provinces' main waterways, and if the one you plan to visit isn't covered, you can at least extrapolate from nearby ones that are. Some provinces also have their own provincial list of rivers that they keep similar data on, thus complementing the federal list. This strategy of remotely tracking water levels prior to visits is a real time - and gas - saver!

As for target species, well just look at our Canaiad data for those taxon we have less than 10 records of and you have our priority list. But always keep in mind federal and provincial laws and regulations related to freshwater mussels and their capture as there are important restrictions depending on where you will be searching for specimens. To keep it very simple, you shouldn't worry if you only seek empty shells and leave them where you found them after taking sufficient detailed photographs in order for peers to confirm your identifications to species level.

As for sheer numbers goals, 2019 should be the year we pass 1000 observations!

And lastly, a new feature of the yearly "goal post", the Year's Target Species! 2019's target is...
Alasmidonta viridis, from Southern Ontario.

Have yourselves a great musseling season!

Phil

Good job everyone - we're up to 40 thousand observations......
Should make it to 50K by the end of 2019 at this rate...

Lots of new species to HK turning up this last few weeks, so keep your eyes firmly open and keep posting the observations you make. It all greatly helps put HK on the map and biodiversity on HK's agenda.

Upcoming - City Nature Challenge . . . announcement shortly.

Saturday, March 23, 2019. Time 3:32. It was sunny with the temperature of -1 degree Celcius. I was going to Centennials Wood when get interrupted by many bird song along the way near Redstone Loft entrance. There are four species in sight: Cedar Waxwing, European Starling, House Sparrow, and American Robin. All of the species was resting and foraging near each other except for the sparrow. The environment was also supporting their differences in foraging where there is a lot of small bushes, small trees, and one large size tree, moreover, for the ground covered by grass with some patches of snow over the grass.

In term of foraging, between Cedar Waxwing and American Robin have a major difference which is the area where they were foraging. For the Waxwing, they forage in the top area or on the small trees, and for the Robin, they forage in the ground. However, between the Robin and the Starling, they forage in the same area and hard to tell the differences between them from the distance. In term of plumage color, they have the same back plumage color variation which is dark coloration. They have the same yellow bill coloration, same size, and the sound also hard to differentiate because of the Starling ability to mimic other species song. But, when I got a closer look, I can tell the difference between them because of the belly plumage where Robin has reddish-orange coloration and Starling just pure black. They also signaling each other through vocalization to locate each other. I said that their song hard to differentiate, but when you hear closer, you actually can tell the difference between them where Robin has a smoother song and Starling has a slightly rougher song. Unfortunately, for the Cedar Waxwing do not sing more often than the Robin and the Starling. These because they have a different area in term of foraging.

For the resting place, all of the species share the same place to each other. However, the difference in sizes affects the area where they rest in one tree. In my observation, the big size bird, which is the Robin dominate more upside and inward toward the tree trunk area. And for the Cedar Waxwing, they dominate the outside area of the tree. For the House Sparrow, they dominate the bottom side of the tree. For the Starling, I don't really saw where the resting area is because they flew behind the building after foraging. When I start to focus on the individual species (in this case I choose the American Robin because there are about 20 birds in sight and easy to observe) the pattern of their foraging activity is really interesting. They make some kind of a small territory for foraging and each territory can contain up to 2 birds inside (could include different species). The pattern of the territory is not random, instead, they are more uniform. In term of circadian rhythm, their behavior of foraging and resting are matched to the rhythm that time because it was sunny, the sun shining bright and the weather also supporting their activity that time (not too cold, not too hot).

Finally, each species have their own way to differentiate each other when they resting or foraging together. It could be by song (auditory cues) and with visual cues like the body size or plumage coloration. For the mini activity, I tried to phishing at the bird and what I observed is that the birds stop foraging and try to locate where the sound comes from. They look more like curious to the phishing sound I made or I might say they looking around for their surrounding. With this kind of reaction, I would suggest that the phishing sound is more like a sound that the bird communicates with each other. Its more like a danger call for the birds so they know what happens in the surrounding area.

I went on this bird walk on Sunday March 25 from 11am-12pm. It was a really nice day, 37 degrees and sunny with no wind. I thought that the best places to see some mixed groups of small birds would be near residential areas with fruit shrubs or bird feeders because more likely to be using and sharing those resources. I walked from my dorm to the Waterman Green to some of the residential areas of Burlington. As usual, there were a lot of little groups of birds around Redstone and down South Prospect St. It was a bright warm sunny day so I had more luck finding and hearing birds than the last time I went out.
Behind Robinson there was a mixed group of birds in some small trees and a larger spruce. There was a Northern Cardinal, 3 American Robins, and several European Starlings. I could also hear a Mourning Dove somewhere, but it could’ve been on a power-line nearby. There was a lot of movement as the birds moved around in and between the trees, but most of the cues I was able to detect were audio. A lot of it was a jumble of different clacks and squeaks, sharp and short or musical notes. I think I was more easily able to decipher the interactions of another group of just European Starlings that were in a cedar hedge along the sidewalk. I wasn’t able to count them all, but there was a lot of chatter and some individuals moving out of the hedge to nearby trees. They were making very sharp, short caws at each other that seemed to indicate a warning or annoyance like “don’t get too close to me.” They all seemed a little agitated. In contrast, another group of about 10 European Starlings seemed more relaxed resting in a tree together. They were making more musical “chi” notes. When I got closer to them, however, they gathered more closely in their tree and flew away together to another tree while making the sharper caw that the other flock had been making.
Two species I observed were the Northern Cardinal and American Robin. The plumages of these 2 species are obviously very distinct from one another. The male Cardinal is a vibrant red with a black mask and throat, whereas the Robin is grey-brown with a dark head and orange underparts. The vibrancy of the male Cardinal may make it more appealing to mates, because it makes him stand out. The black mask could be intimidating to other birds or accentuate his thick, prominent bill. In contrast to the Cardinal, the American Robin blends in more with its surroundings because of its wash of brown tones; this would help camouflage them from predators. Its orange breast and underparts, however, make them stand out. Like the Cardinal, this may attract females to males with a brighter color. This improves the male’s chances of reproducing and passing his genes on.
There was an American Robin in the fruit bushes in front of CWP - not making any sounds as it was too busy eating. This fits in the context of the changing seasons. As the weather warms and the snow thaws, birds will be taking advantage of the increased foraging opportunities that weren’t available during the winter months. They may have to spend a bit more time foraging this time of year in order to gain back some weight they may have lost during the winter - a time with scarcer resources and increased physiological demand for thermoregulating.
I tried to use the “psssh” trick on the group of birds but I wasn’t successful at attracting any toward me. It might have driven them away, or my presence in general did. I think that this trick generally works with small birds because it might resemble a noise that would normally indicate a threat or food such as an insect. They could also just be curious about it. A pish is short like the call of many birds, so it could encourage small birds to come out and see if there is an intruder to drive out.

Burlington Intervale (3/24/19)- Field Notes

This week’s birding excursion took place at the Burlington Intervale Calkins trail on Sunday, March 24th. One other person, Kayley Dillon, was present as well, so our observations are the same, but all additional work will be completed independently. There was very little wind, with a sunny and clear sky, and the temperature ranged between the high 30s-40°F. We began our birding excursion at 9:22am. The majority of the trail that we traveled on was forested with riparian tree species such as Eastern cottonwood, ash trees and silver maples, and the Winooski River flowed close to the trail. Near the start of the trail, we were able to hear and observe a White-breasted Nuthatch, two American Crows, and a Northern Cardinal. We moved closer to the water to observe a flock of Mallards and were treated with a sighting of a Brown Creeper working its way up a large forked tree. Two sparrows that we later determined to be Song Sparrows landed in a nearby bush. There was a drumming sound behind us soon afterwards, and there was a Hairy Woodpecker working steadily away at a medium-sized snag. It was at this point that my phone, in a display of bitterness against the cold weather, powered completely down and took with it my only means of taking pictures for the remainder of the excursion.
There were multiple Mallards that flew overhead, usually either in pairs or by themselves. About four different pairs of Canada Geese were paddling in the river, and a large flock of about 20 individuals flew overhead. There was a large flock of both Mallards and Canada Geese near the shore across the river, with several Mallards resting on a fallen tree in the water. A loud call brought our attention to farther into the woods, and we were able to see the largest Hairy Woodpecker that I have personally ever come across. It was joined by two other Hairy Woodpeckers with two going to the same tree, and one occupying a different tree. A Downy Woodpecker was sighted not too far from this area. We saw a male Northern Cardinal land in a bush and heard another one close to us. An attempt at pishing attracted three Black-capped Chickadees to a nearby tree.
At this point, we crossed to a different trail that led us to an open field flanked by forest and that would eventually lead to a road. In the field there were about eight American Robins foraging and wandering to the middle of the trail. They were accompanied by about three different sparrows of which we could not confidently identify the species. These sparrows soon flew into dense bushes and foraged in this area. A male American Goldfinch in his brilliant breeding plumage perched proudly on a tall sapling and chirped his song, remaining for a few minutes before flying to the trees towards the end of the trail. A few more White-breasted Nuthatches were sighted in the forest along the field. We were able to see three more Hairy Woodpeckers on this portion of the trail, and three additional Downy Woodpeckers. As we were making our way across the road, our attention was diverted by the raucous cawing of five American Crows. We soon learned the cause of their alarm when they flushed a Red-tailed Hawk from its perch and drove it to a tree branch directly above us. They landed in the tree with the hawk and continued to “yell” at it. We observed for several minutes before heading back to the car, seeing one more American Crow joining the flock before ending our very successful excursion at 11:07am.

Social Behavior and Phenology
The Mallards that we observed in flocks in the water were composed of males and females. In the first group, there was a male and two females wading farther away from the larger group. When another male approached, the first male began quacking loudly and flapped his wings vigorously. The other male quietly retreated away from the three others in response. This combination of audio and visual display was clearly meant as a warning to the other male not to approach his females. Another brief aggressive display took place on the portion of the trail near the field between two Downy Woodpeckers. One individual was on a relatively large tree and the other was close by but on a separate tree. When the second woodpecker flew to the other occupied tree, it landed quite close to the first bird. This bird responded by fluffing out the bright red cap on its head and fluttering towards the newcomer, to which it responded by quickly retreating across the trail to another patch of forest. This visual display served as a warning that the bird was not willing to share its space. A final aggressive display took place between two different species, when five American Crows flushed a Red-tailed Hawk to a different tree. They surrounded the hawk when it landed and cawed loudly and continuously, clearly displeased with its presence and “encouraging” it to leave. The hawk was fluffed out, perhaps attempting to look larger and dissuade any more provocation, though it did not cry out or flap its wings while we were watching it.
One of the species we observed was a male Northern Cardinal, its bright red plumage visible even through the dense bush it was perched in. Another equally bright species was a male American Goldfinch. The bright red of the Cardinal and the vibrant gold of the Goldfinch are both factors in attracting attention from potential mates. However, while the Northern Cardinal retains its vibrancy throughout winter, the American Goldfinch develops a drabber winter plumage. Although the darker coat makes the American Goldfinch less conspicuous to predators, the Northern Cardinal is visible to potential mates year-round, and this is advantageous for their sometimes-early breeding season of February.
One of the Canada Geese that we observed was resting on the bank along the river. This fits into the context of its circannual rhythm of migration, as the flight these birds must make requires periods of rest to maintain the energy they will need to complete the journey.

Pishing Mini Activity
There are a few different theories as to why pishing works to attract small birds such as Black-capped Chickadees. One idea is that the whispering noise resembles a bird that is anxious, prompting other birds to survey the potential threat and investigate the individual in trouble. It is also possible that the pishing noise resembles the alarm call of a squirrel, and small birds fly in to investigate the source of the disturbance.

4:30-6:15; 3/24/19; golf course south of UVM; clear skies, 40ºF, low wind; urban forest edge mix

Today, Nigel and I went to the golf course south of campus to see what we could find. Upon arriving, we immediately heard the call of 2-3 Northern Cardinals. Since we never found the one from the last outing, we were keen on finding this one. Long story short, we did; but ran into a couple other species before. The first birds we noticed were robins–everywhere we looked, there had to be a pair of them perched on a branch. AND they were singing, always a constant flow of notes during our visit. Since it's early spring, I would assume that the calls we heard were males trying to find a mate and if it wasn't, then the calls were most likely flocking announcements between groups for possible intruders or food.
Then Nigel pointed out the Hairy Woodpecker that was hanging out, drilling some holes into a tree. When observed, she (due to the lack of the red splotch on the head) didn't interact much with any of the other birds. She did her thing and eventually left, flying off who knows where. My best guess is that she's looking for food (beetles, ants or other insects).
Shortly after, we located the cardinal and man he was beautiful. He was calling back and forth with 2 other individuals (we couldn't get a visual on them) and I think it was more of a mating call. It is spring after all.
Now, the male cardinal's coloring stands out from the rest of the environment, not only making it easy for us humans to see but predators as well. However, today it didn't seem that there were many predators in the air (that we couldn't see) and it was most likely mating displays to the females. In comparison, starlings are black and speckled with white circles, which will change darker and glossier as the season goes on. The darker pattern would better camouflage the starling than the bright contrasting red that the cardinal has.
Now at the end, we were walking back and found a little group of black-capped chickadees; however, I had given the camera to Nigel for the time being and he was unable to take any usable photos. BUT, we were able to complete the little activity and practice our "pish" calls. After doing a couple, we noticed that the chickadees were liveliar both in sound and noise. In a songbird context, I believe that this response stems from the "pishing" sound mimicking a group alarm call in response to a predator. Now this group would most likely be a multitude of species, not limited to any singular taxa.
Today's search was a success. We found a cardinal and even spotted a noisy European Starling on a gorgeous day.
–AR

March 24, 2019 (Sunday) 7:00 am – 12:00 pm

@biohexx1 and his family joined me this morning for the weekend roadkill count (all the way from San Diego!!). @biohexx1 took one side of the road and I took the other. I found 130 freshly killed newts (within 2-3 days, i.e., since the last survey). I also found 84 partially decomposed newts. I’ll need to compare these with previous observations to ensure no duplicates are added to the project. This may take days or weeks to complete.

The injured newt I found on 3/17/2019 is now dead.

See: https://www.inaturalist.org/calendar/truthseqr/2019/3/24

Other roadkill: 2 Western Fence Lizards and a millipede. I also saw a headless mouse, but I think it was the victim of predation, not roadkill.

Coverage: (100%) St. Joseph’s Hill OSP to Aldercroft Heights Rd. (4.1 miles)

Rainfall: (MTD: 4.35 in; YTD: 23.51 in) It didn’t rain today. It was chilly this morning with an overnight low of 41.8 degrees (borderline for seeing fresh newt roadkill).

Traffic: I didn’t pay much attention to traffic today, so I can’t report on it. I did notice the County put up all the “Newt Crossing” signs they promised to install.

The date for my birdwatch was 3/14/19 from 1:30-2:30. The weather was sunny and warm, but very windy. There is lots of interaction between the birds, usually fighting over who is at the feeder. The most frequent communication is birds arriving onto the feeder are fighting with the bird that is already at the feeder. It also seems like the Black-capped Chickadees are definitely the most vocal, although I also definitely heard the cardinals, White-breasted Nuthatches, House Sparrows, and Tufted Titmice.

The chickadees are also much braver than any of the other species, they seem to not care as much when humans are sitting around. I think they're probably watching each other's backs in the event of a predator, and communicating that nobody is making threatening moves towards them. The chickadees have a blueish gray color to them, as do the white-breasted nuthatches. I'm assuming they evolved that way as they can blend in pretty well in the winter when there isn't much color on the landscape. I was wondering the significance of the cap on chickadees though. What advantage does that have?

There was a chickadee that was foraging for food which is super important for something that has such a high metabolism and stays during the winter. I would imagine that they do this for the majority of the day in order to survive.

The pishing was an interesting activity, the chickadees were really interested in what I was doing. However, I couldn't quite seem to figure out the right frequency, so they kept disappearing and reappearing. I have no idea why that sound would be enticing to birds.

On March 11th at 3 p.m., I observed the bird species present at the Gateway National Recreation Area in Sandy Hook, New Jersey. The weather was very warm (about 54° F) with light cloud coverage and strong winds. Sandy Hook is a national park on the coast of the Jersey shoreline, so many gulls were seen. The first species I came across was the Canada Goose, where I saw a flock of them occupying a grassy area at the entrance of the park. Multiple flocks of Herring Gulls were seen throughout my time there, and a Turkey Vulture was spotted flying overhead.
The flock of geese was seen near a road, most likely because this species has evolved to live near human-altered landscapes. The individuals seemed to be calling to each other with the classic goose “honk.” This could be to signal a food source to one another or to find their mates. The individuals were walking slightly, but not moving very far from one another. This could be due to the fact that this species is monogamous and mates for life, so the geese kept each other in close company. A few minutes later, a Turkey Vulture was spotted flying overhead, identified by its dark plumage and large wingspan. This individual was most likely scavenging for food, possibly to bring back to its young.
I continued walking along the water and during that time, many flocks of Herring Gulls were seen. Although there were many flocks seen, at least a few in each flock exhibited a “keow” call, which signifies personal identification of individuals. This indicates that these individuals could be signaling to each other to find certain individuals, possibly mates. Some of the birds seemed to be showing lots of movement, flying short lengths along the coast, but they mainly stayed in a flock. This could be due to the fact that it may be easier to find prey in such an open, sandy area. As with Canada Geese, it is clear that this species likes to stick with other individuals of the same species because of the benefits of group living.
Every individual seen was fairly active, most likely because it was a sunny afternoon, which relates to the circadian rhythm of each individual. The amount of activity and foraging would most likely be different if it was late at night, when most individuals rest. The plumage of a Herring Gull is very light, which could be advantageous because of the habitat they occupy. These birds are normally seen by a coast, and in my case, they were all seen on the sandy shore of the beach. This lighter plumage blends in more with the light sand color, as opposed to the Canada Goose. The Turkey Vulture’s dark plumage stands out, but there is no evolutionary disadvantage since this species has very few natural predators. In regards to the “pishing” activity, there were no small flocks of foraging birds seen during the time interval, possibly because of the location.

Sunny. Clear. Low 70's with little wind. Located in Hollywood SC, we revisited Dixie plantation to revisit some old traps, and open some new ones. we focused on a large lake in particular with many traps in it with many different fish species and crayfish. We also discovered frogs, tadpoles and a salamander. It is spring time, so plants are starting to bloom and more creatures are out. we visited 2 different sections of dixie plantation to check their aquatic traps set out.

DATE: March 24, 2019
TIME: 1:00 PM
WEATHER: Sunny, mostly clear blue sky. 6 °C. Winds: S 9 mph.
LOCATION: Casavant Natural Area, Winooski, VT

Birds are constantly communicating with one another through calls, songs, bright flashes of plumage, or even drumming on a tree. By far the most abundant bird I encountered today was the American Robin. These robins were being very vocal, and I noticed them mostly on the ground of the forest, probably looking for food, judging by their calls and movements. There was a decent sized group of them, about 6-8 individuals, and they were almost constantly calling to one another, as if to say, “I found some food over here!” Now that it is officially Spring, robins are gearing up for their breeding season. Their mating song is very melodic, and sounds very different from the foraging calls I heard today. They have a number of other distinct vocalizations too, each serving a different purpose (ex: alarm calls, defense calls, etc.). Robins (along with many other species of songbirds) have a fine-tuned lexicon of vocal communication.
There was one particular robin that I was able to observe on for a minute or so. This robin was hopping around on the forest floor, probably looking for insects or some fallen berries/seeds. Considering that I went on my bird walk around 1 PM, I wasn’t surprised to see this robin, and the group that it was part of, foraging. The ground is cold and frozen in the morning and at night this time of year, but the sun is at its peak in the early afternoon, and therefore the ground is as thawed out as it is going to get at this time. This would be the optimal time to forage in the dirt. It’s also possible that this was a male robin, perhaps gathering materials to bring to his mate to build a nest, though it may be a bit early in the year for this behavior, and I did not notice any mating songs.
Communication between robins also involves visual cues. Robins are fiercely territorial over their nesting sites, mates, and resources. Male robins use their red breasts to settle territorial disputes, especially during the breeding season. Dominant, older males typically have a larger area of red on their breast, which sends a visual “back off” signal to other younger males. Robins weren’t the only “red” birds I observed today. I caught a quick glimpse of a male Northern Cardinal- but a glimpse is all you need to identify these birds. The males are bright red, all over, save for a black patch around their bill. The red plumage of a cardinal serves a different purpose than the red breast of a robin. Unlike the robin, male and female cardinals are very easy to tell apart. Cardinals exhibit a classic case of sexual dimorphism- while the male is a vibrant, flamboyant red, the female has a mute brown/orange body, with touches of red at the tips of her wings and tail. The bright red plumage of the male cardinal indicates to the female that he would be a mate worthy of choosing- the pigmentation and intensity of his plumage reflects his ability to find food that is rich in proteins and carotenoids. Both the robin and the cardinal display stunning red plumage, but for entirely different reasons.

Eufala skipper (Lerodea eufala)
Fiery skipper (Hylephila phyleus)
Funereal duskywing (Erynnis funeralis)
Mournful duskywing (Erynnis tristis)
Umber skipper (Poanes melane)

PARADISE — An emaciated bear cub found Wednesday in Yankee Hill is likely a Camp Fire survivor, due to the severe burns found on his paws and the conspicuous absence of his mother, said Henry Lomeli, a biologist for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

http://www.chicoer.com/badly-burned-bear-cub-rescued-recovering

To the editor: The growing extinction threat to Southern California mountain lions exemplifies a larger problem. Every year about 100 mountain lions are killed on California roads, and millions of other animals like imperiled San Joaquin kit foxes and desert tortoises also become roadkill.

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-ol-le-mountain-lions-extinction-freeways-20190324-story.html

-At Klopp Lake the tide is very high and there aren't many organisms present.
-The weather is 55° and cloudy with light rain and wind of s8 mph.
-There aren't any avocets present in the area due to the high tide and there are small clusters (or pairs) of ducks in the water feeding.
-The waves from the tide are very aggressive towards the rocks and the the organisms that are floating around.
-The assigned willow tree(K2) has shown drastic growth as usual since the last visit, the leaf sizes have increased and there are buds sprouting from them.
-The moss that is normally there is barely there and the 1st branch has shown a lot of growth but not the 2nd branch.

This batch of observations took place on March 23rd 2019, in Winooski Vermont, along the river. The weather was fairly cold, and the sky was cloudy with some wind and snow remaining from the overnight storm. A variety of species were observed along the walk, most of the sightings were of birds in and around the Winooski River. The first species I saw on the walk was several Herring Gulls. They were flying over the river and around the more populated area of the bank of the river. It is likely that they were foraging for food, specifically food left by humans. The individuals expressed several calls to one another, communicating location of a food source or warning others to stay away. This behavior seemed normal as this time of day is beneficial for foraging, due to limited human presence, as well as it providing an opportunity to warm up after the storm. In contrast, several groups of Canada Goose were seen interacting with one another. Two individuals were distinctly separate. They sat near each other on the bank of the river. It is likely that they were mates. A large group of these birds was seen on a patch of ice in the middle of the river. They appeared to be resting. Due to the time of day, I assumed they were still warming up after a cold night. Later on, I heard multiple calls from the Canada Goose. Due to the lack of human presence, I assumed these calls were a form of courtship or friendly communication. In addition to the Canada Goose, two Mallards were seen swimming in the river. These individuals were not foraging but rather appeared to be traveling together. The pair was composed of a male and female. The group was likely a breeding pair, as one was following the other. However, little observable communication was seen. Besides the male Mallard, all the individuals observed in and around the river were of gray, black, white, or brown tones. These tones are useful in this gray, bleak setting because it allows the birds to easily blend with the background. The male Mallard had an iridescent green head, which made it easy to spot against the gray water and white snow. This male's head plumage may be negative in the sense that it does not provide good camouflage, but it creates an attractive appearance for a mate. This advantage apparently paid off, as evident by his companion.

As I moved away from the river, I saw and heard fewer species. After several minutes walking in a more wooded area, I began to here two Black-capped Chickadees calling to one another. They communicated for several seconds. Before, I was able to take a recording, the calls stopped. These individuals were likely warning each other of our presence and/or another predator, as it was the call and not the song I heard. However, it is likely that at this time the individuals were engaging in foraging, and could have been communicating on a food source, perhaps warning another to not approach one. Their behavior and communication is fairly common of Black-capped Chickadees at this time of year. During the nicer days these individuals will be active in order to obtain energy and remain warm. This was the only bird sighting I had in the more wooded area in this location. Therefore, I moved back to the more populated section of the river. Here, I saw two American Robins perching in trees along the street. This location is normal for these types of birds to be seen as it provides ample view of human provided food sources. This time of year leaves little to be found in the woods. Therefore, more species will be seen in and around populated areas to get food from humans. These two individuals were not interacting at all. This behavior seemed strange to me. I assume that due to the lack of stimulus, for competition for a food source, there was no need for them to communicate. The plumage of these birds was also more noticeable then other species observed on the walk. The American Robins had a noticeable rusty colored chest. This may decrease camouflage for predators. Like the Mallard, the color will be more attractive for suitable mates, as breeding season approaches.

In order to further analyze communication and interaction of the observed species, I made several pish calling sounds in the presence of the Black-capped Chickadees. I had initially heard a call of one individual when I decided to try out the technique, in hopes to get a better view of the birds. I did the sound several times and then waited. The individuals called several more times, and then I repeated the noise in a deeper and louder pitch. After my second attempt, I did not see or hear the individuals again. I believe that initially the birds were interested in the noise, and were perhaps issuing a warning. However, when I made the noise again, this likely drove them away, due to the louder and deeper tone I used. The Black-capped Chickadees and other similar species are likely attracted by this noise, to a degree, because it resembles the noise of another bird. Therefore, they may be interested to have an encounter, scare away the newcomer, or defend themselves from a possible predator. I believe I had limited success because the second time I made the noise, it was too deep and likely frightened the individuals away. I hope to try the technique again with a softer and higher pitch, in order to have a better interaction with the birds. This field observation was highly successful, as I had not been expecting to see many birds after the storm. I was fascinated by the amount and variety I saw.

For this journal entry, I will be going over birds that I saw on multiple different days and times throughout my trip to Fort Pierce, FL over spring break. Each bird is in the observations linked to this post, so the specific date and time for each one can be seen there. The weather over the three days that I spent in Florida was about the same every day: sunny, mid 70s, with a slight breeze. The area was a mostly residential island with the ocean on one side and a river on the other. The shores were often covered with mangroves. The species that I was able to observe the most was the Brown Pelican. These birds were out over the water from dawn till dusk, seemingly feeding all day. I observed mostly adults, as well as a few juveniles, which are distinguishable by their plain brown plumage. The males and females look the same so I was unable to determine which gender I was encountering. Interestingly, I observed individuals with and without breeding plumage. During the breeding season, these pelicans develop brown feathers along the back of their otherwise white neck. Brown Pelican breeding season peaks in March, so I was there at the perfect time to witness this. There could be a variety of reasons why some of the pelicans did not have their breeding plumage: not enough food, no mate, mate not in breeding condition. As I said earlier, it seemed like the Brown Pelicans were spending the majority of their day feeding. This is no coincidence, as Brown Pelicans, and birds in general, need extra food during breeding season. Breeding season is even coordinated with when the most food will be available. Pelicans know when breeding season starts due to the changing length of days. Changes in amount of daylight stimulates neural receptors in the brain to start/stop certain behaviors, resulting in pelicans (and most birds) being able to time the beginning and end of the breeding season perfectly.
The feeding was very entertaining to watch. A pelican would circle over the water for a minute or two, using mostly soaring and very little flapping. Then it would appear to almost freeze in mid air, and turn its body facing straight down, then plummet face first into the water. This is so their large bill will stun whatever fish they are targeting, so they can then scoop it up. The pelican would rise up almost immediately, and just float on the water like nothing had happened. In a few seconds, I could easily tell whether the pelican had been successful or not, as successful pelicans would tip their head back with their mouth slightly open. Surprisingly, it seemed as though the pelicans were only successful about 20% of the time. This may explain why they seem to spend so much time hunting. Despite the low success rate, fish has a high assimilation efficiency, so this must cancel out the energy spent on hunting and make for a high profitability.
One bird that I witnessed whose plumage was a clear example of an evolutionary advantage was the Osprey. There was an Osprey that perched right outside the house I was staying in every day in the exact same spot, on top of a sail boat. I never saw it hunt, but it always had a fish with it when it flew over to its perch. Ospreys are a perfect example of counter shading. The majority of their dorsal plumage is a dark brown, making them blend in with the ground from above. However, their ventral plumage is white, making them blend in with the sky if looking from below. Although Ospreys are never really a prey item, counter shading is still useful for them as they are susceptible to having their prey (usually fish) stolen by other birds of prey. Therefore, the ability to blend in against the sky and the ground is clearly advantageous for them. The Ruddy Turnstones that I witnessed on a jetty also employ counter shading, as a protection from predators. Their white ventral plumage can be especially useful as a reflector on very sunny days, when the strong sunlight causes it to take on the hue of the surface underneath it. Another bird that I saw, the Red-bellied Woodpecker, exhibits a very different strategy with its plumage. By having large patches of bright red on its head and all along its ventral plumage, it is certainly not counter shading. The bright red is an example of a bold coloring pattern, which can be a benefit for breeding, but often make the bird much more conspicuous. The specimen that I encountered, foraging on a palm tree, was a male (re crown and nape), and his colors were especially bright. The Red-bellied Woodpecker breeding season is also happening at the moment, so while the bright colors benefit him now, they may be trouble in the future.
The birds that I observed vocalizing the most were Common Grackles. It seemed like I could not escape the grackles no matter where I went. They seemed to be most active at dawn and dusk. I was acutely aware of this fact as they were actually so loud that they woke me up every morning. From about 6 AM to 8 AM, a group of about 15 would sit on the telephone lines in front of the house and make as much noise as possible. For many bird species, this might be something fun to listen to, but grackles make just about the least pleasant sounds of any bird ever. It was, however, interesting to observe the uniform amount of space that they left between each other. Being a small group, there was usually a foot or two between grackles on the lines. This amount of space decreases the risk of agonistic behavior among members of the group. I believe that the calls that I was hearing the most were the short, nasal calls distinctive of males when perching with flocks. This makes the most sense as the grackles were in a group, and they did not seem to be under any threat of predation, so there would be little reason to make alarm calls. The breeding season for Common Grackles starts in March, so it is entirely possible that the calls I was hearing were mating calls, or merely social calls to let other grackles know that the area is safe and they can come join the group.
Black-capped Chickadees are not found in Florida, so I had to go searching for some in Centennial Woods in order to attempt "pishing". I found a group of about 4 foraging around the Boxelders near the entrance of the woods. I don't think they were very impressed with my attempts at "pishing", as they flew away after about 3 tries. I definitely felt very foolish, especially as I tried louder attempts in the hope of getting some sort of response. There are a few reasons why this technique might work if done correctly. I think that it is possible that the "pishing" sounds may sound like insects to some birds, and they thus are attracted to them as a possible food source. It could also sound like some sort of call that is meant to gather a group together, such as an alarm. Small birds often will come together in the threat of a large predator to chase it off, so it could have something to do with that.

Nudi hunters were out and about for the census over the weekend of 15-18th March.
The nudi were not as plentiful as the previous census, but that didnt curve my excitement.
I managed by stroke of luck to get some time off work and dived Fri with Kerry and Bex as well as Sat and Sun with Bex.
A few new Nudi species for my collection made me a happy boy.
Now to wait and see the results. See how badly Bex beat me by this year.

While wandering around the University of Limerick campus in Ireland around noon on March twelfth, I was able to observe many different bird species (both familiar and unfamiliar) interacting with one another. The temperature was a warm fifty degrees, rain drizzled from the tree tops, and sunshine peeked through gray clouds as I crossed a muddy soccer field on my way to the southern side of campus. To my left, I noticed a flock of about thirty Rooks; many of them pecking at the ground in search of worms, grasshoppers, and other tasty insects. Upon closer observation, I realized that some of the Rooks were walking in discrete pairs -- hesitating every once in a while to touch bills and gently preen each other’s feathers. Some of the pairs also made deep, croaking calls to one another as they walked to and fro. Every once in a while, the gurgling croaks would be followed by snapping noises from their bills or a quick string of vocalizations that sounded like a human hand knocking on a door. Given the season, these acts of communication are part of courtship displays between Rook mates.
The second bird species that I came across were two White Wagtails, small, sparrow sized birds with distinctive black, gray, and white coloration. The bold black markings on the back of their heads indicated that they were male wagtails. These little passerines were running in haphazard zigzag directions chasing small beetles and ants in the grass. Unlike birds in Vermont who are subject to frigid temperatures and dense snowfall this time of year, White Wagtails do not need to focus on conserving energy in order to stay warm. Instead, these birds can spend more caloric energy pursuing prey on the ground and in the skies throughout the day. It appeared as though these males were following one another as they chased the insects -- perhaps working together to pursue the abundant amount of visible prey.
After walking across the grassy field, I entered a sparsely wooded landscape dotted with a variety deciduous trees. After finding a sit spot, I noticed a plump Mourning Dove preening itself on a low hanging tree branch about ten feet away and a male Mallard waddling across a gravel trail toward the direction of a nearby stream. Mourning Doves have pale gray and peach colored plumage with large black spots on their wind converts -- a coloration that helps them blend into the nooks and crannies of trees and fields where they usually live. In contrast, the male Mallard, with his iridescent green head and bright yellow bill, has a bold coloration as a result of sexual selection (i.e. the bright coloration of male Mallard plumage shows females that he is an attractive mate).
Although my attempts at pishing were pretty foolish and unsuccessful, I was able to capture the attention of a couple of White Wagtails by making the repeated “pssh” sound. When done right, pishing sounds can be effective imitations of the harsh, loud noises that many birds make when they want to signal alarm (in the face of a predator or intruder in their territory). These noises attract birds of other species who were previously hiding and want to see what is going on. In the case of the White Wagtails, they hopped closer to my location and one of them made a metallic “tzilip” call in response.

For this field observation I went out to Red Rocks for a second and more successful time. As we are now a few days into spring, Vermont seems to be warming up slowly but surely. Today marks the 24th day of March, with temperatures in the low 40s and partial cloudy skies. Upon entry to to Red Rocks forest around 12:30, I could hear bird songs loud and clear from species such as the Black-capped Chickadee, Northern Cardinal, Blue Jay, American Crow, woodpeckers, some sort of Gull, and many more I couldn't pin down. Although there were many birds out and about on this beautiful day, it made me realize that perhaps Red Rocks isn't the best place for bird observation. The forest is beautiful and relatively old, with pines, maples, and oaks that tower above you. Because of this it was harder for me to spot bird activity with my eyes. I could hear the birds and follow the songs, but when I craned my neck to look up, the tops of the trees were too far up for me to find who was making the song. After standing in a section of the forest for a while I was able to follow the movement of a few birds and take down some good observations, but next time I would like to find myself a good brush with newer growth.
In terms of bird communication it was easiest for me to distinguish calls coming from different Black-capped Chickadees. They also tended to fly a little bit lower in the trees and move a lot which allowed me to find them easily with my eyes. I found that it was pretty common to find Chickadees in pairs of two. If I saw one flying around there was likely a second one nearby that closely followed the other. They never got too close to each other but seemed to be content with the company. I heard two different calls from various chickadees, most of which I couldn’t see. The less common one was “chicka dee dee dee” which I only heard a few times. Due to how shrill and repetitive this song is it almost seems like a sort of warning call. It is also very loud and easily detectable. The second song I heard I like to call the “ham-bur-ger” call, which is just three notes with the ham part a little bit higher than the bur-ger part which are the same note. This song was a lot more common and I observed something interesting just by hearing this call between two birds. I could tell two birds were making this call because one would do it in the regular high pitched tone that I usually hear, and then another bird not far away would reply to it in what seemed like an octave lower. This went on for at least five minutes until I walked away from the area. This call I find to be a little softer and soothing so I wouldn't think it was a warning call, but because two birds seemed to be actively communicating with each other using this call perhaps it is a sort of mating call.
The two species I was able to see were as I mentioned, the Black-capped Chickadee and I believe a Downy Woodpecker (although it may have been a Hairy). These two birds are made up of similar colors, black and white, that I find to be the most common colors in other birds too. However their patterns are very different. The Chickadee does have some grey too which makes it a little more muted and harder to spot. However it does have very distinguishable chunks of black around its beak which it could have evolved over time because it makes its mouth area look a little bit bigger and given how tiny the bird is this could be an advantage to scare off other birds. The Woodpecker on the other hand, uses the same colors, but they aren't as blocky. The black and white come together to make a checkered pattern on their backs and wings that make them stand out a little more to the eye. They also have a red dot on the backs of their heads. To me this makes the Woodpeckers much more easier for my eye to see, partially because of the red and partially because the checkered pattern is not something you typically see in nature so maybe they evolved to be this way so they could stand out. They are also slightly larger birds with powerful beaks so they don’t have to try and blend in as much as smaller birds like the Chickadees. So the red and checkered pattern being so visible could be a sign to other birds to stay away.
While I was observing these birds I tried to call them in a little bit more by doing some pishing but they didn’t really seem to notice. I may have been doing it wrong. The Woodpecker didn’t move at all, but the Chickadees did, but they seems more distracted by frantically flying around with one another. Also after observation of these birds I have come to realize that they follow their circadian rhythm a lot better than humans. While I tend to stay up until all hours of the night with the darkness having little effect on my day and habits, birds seem to strictly follow the patterns of day and night. I don’t hear any birds calling at all when the sun goes down. But the second it rises in the morning (on sunny days) I am awoken by their song. Today being a lovely, sunny, warm day, with the noon sun high up in the sky, the Woodpecker and Chickadees I observed were very active. The Chickadees seemed busy finding mates and flying around together while the Woodpecker was hopping around on various branches and pecking at them before moving on to the next like he was trying to find the perfect place where food might be. I have come to realize how important the sun is to these animals. They have no clocks or direct sense of time, only sun is out and sun is away. In the times I have gone to observe birds and the sun is out, all types of birds seem to be on the hunt for something, whether that is a mate or food all while being very methodological about how they spend their energy. Perhaps I have a thing or two to learn about how birds operate around their circadian rhythm.

Après-midi à Champ-Pittet pour revoir la parade des grèbes huppés.
Ils sont nombreux, avec aussi un couple d'oies.
Observation de divers espèces aquatiques dans les étangs du Centre Pro Natura.

Ciao a tutti!

Volevo farvi sapere che quest’anno la città di Napoli partecipa all’evento City Nature Challenge 2019 (http://citynaturechallenge.org/)! Dal 26 al 29 aprile, utilizzate iNaturalist per fare osservazioni di animali, piante o funghi che trovate all’interno della città!

Vi ho taggato in questo post perché ho visto che siete “top observer” per la città di Napoli o avete contribuito, anche in minima parte, a compiere osservazioni di biodiversità nell’area. Spero davvero che parteciperete a questa iniziativa, contribuendo non solo ad aumentare le nostre conoscenze sulla biodiversità urbana di Napoli ma, perché no, anche a far vincere la nostra città tra le oltre 160 in tutto il mondo che parteciperanno quest’anno!

Il modo più semplice per partecipare consiste nel fare quante più osservazioni possibili sul maggior numero di specie nell’area della città di Napoli nel periodo tra il 26 e il 29 aprile. E, naturalmente, spargere la voce! Il progetto a cui dovrete collegare le vostre osservazioni fatte con iNaturalist è: BiodiversiNA – City Nature Challenge 2019: Naples (https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/biodiversina-city-nature-challenge-2019-naples).

Sul sito della Società dei Naturalisti in Napoli (http://societanaturalistinapoli.it/) troverete tutte le info dettagliate su come partecipare all’iniziativa, consigli su come scattare foto ed utilizzare l’app. Ma credo che per molti di voi queste info siano superflue!

Vi aspetto numerosi

Daniele

@mdv @giolama @pasqualearcheoguide89 @sal_von_ferre @laosenese @lancillotto @tonydiver @fcalabrese @roberto_bastone @andreadagnese @dalantech @mercantour @mariano11 @beethoven242 @chavansonali @fornaeffe @michellemyrup @merymaid @gugmag @zanskar @claudio_f @monelloavellino @araldo @davidegioielli @robirwin @mccm @giovannijones @dlebowitz @ger45 @raffaeleb @sheiska @snail @thunderwing @alexnaturalist @ronald63 @berndtherat @elisabettasbrega @henryt @jessintx @mimmo_68 @alexis58 @allievidellatartaruga @kpmcfarland @petemella @ptrprkr22 @agostino4 @dom-iovino @giuseppe2 @marcomartinelli @michele88 @morandi @tommasomagaldi @usagetta @diegoarosa @fabri @jeffhunter32 @lucabluesdambrosio @madmark71 @markbuy @melbrune @mikegrutherford @miss_o @mmlink @pearmonger @petra_cze @remipjgpattyn @sharondee @theotherdada @vesuvionatura @antragos @chiara81 @ciro14 @dgclaro @grebebird @hfb @jfgodeau @jkrzeptowski @littlelumpo @martinac1 @maurilio3 @notomista @rita22 @sarahb @scubale @simona40 @stefano9 @umby71 @urania @w_mupo @zizizio @adriano_physique @angelo74 @aniko2 @aureliana @avamattis @barbara171 @biglu @budowski @carol151 @ccorn @cvalls @dan280 @davide555 @davidenicosia @dylanglass @federica24 @franceny3 @franco24 @giovanni81 @giovanniangelone @giuseppe20 @giuseppe85 @jonahevans @lucam1 @luigi15 @luigi43 @marcello7 @mariadaniela @mario128 @martina122 @matteobma @mattiaskallvi @max09 @max193 @picci94 @rangercathy @roberta59 @sarah02q5 @sarah948 @scrambledstep @snakeinmypocket @theglitch @tizianab @yurj @zermat @adele3

Today I had the opportunity to visit the Intervale with Meghan, a good friend of mine. We took off relatively early this morning (March 24th, 2019); we arrived shortly after 9:00 AM and left a little after 11:00 AM. It was a sunny morning after a few less pleasant days, so we were optimistic. We followed the trail along the Winooski River for the first stretch of our walk, then looped back through the woods and past the fields to return. This route gave us the opportunity to search for waterfowl on the river and search the woods for songbirds, woodpeckers, and any other birds we may see.

Today's trip certainly didn't disappoint. Our first exciting sighting was a Brown Creeper, who was both singing and visible on the side of a tree. It's a species I haven't seen before and one that's relatively shy, so it was a pleasure to get to see one in person.

Shortly after, we encountered a large group of Mallards on the river. Most of the birds were either resting on a small island or feeding around it. A few seemed to be taking watch, including a male who notably kept his head up and remained alert while we were watching. This behavior highlights the benefits of being in a flock that we discussed in my Ornithology class. Overall scanning time is decreased, and individuals are able to spend more time foraging. They're both safer and more successful. A similar pattern was seen in groups of Canada Geese as well.

Another incident that stuck out to me was an interaction between a pair of Downy Woodpeckers. Both were pecking on a few trees and snags, and one flew in and chased the other bird off of a branch. The second bird was fluffed up and the red spot on the back of its head was particularly noticeable. The first bird didn't attempt to regain its place, and the second continued searching for food in the cavity. It seemed like the second bird was using this physical cue to lay claim to a food resource and scare the other bird off.

Before leaving, we also encountered a Red-tailed Hawk being mobbed by a group of American Crows. The crows chased the hawk into a tree and vocalized frequently in an attempt to scare the hawk off. The hawk remained perched in the tree. It was an excellent example of cooperative behavior for mutual benefit.

Overall, we encountered a wide variety of other birds today as well, including American Goldfinches, Song Sparrows, American Robins, Northern Cardinals, Black-capped Chickadees, and White-breasted Nuthatch. We tried some pishing while out and about, and some chickadees actually responded pretty consistently. It was a technique we had discussed in class before; I think the "pish" sound actually resembles the Black-capped Chickadee's call. Chickadees are pretty bold birds, so they may respond and can encourage other birds to make themselves known. It's a fun technique, and a good way to attract chickadees and other birds that interact with them.

The trip was as successful as I'd hoped, and it's wonderful to see so many birds active in the morning again. Hopefully spring is finally on its way in the great Northeast. I'm looking forward to more trips as the weather improves and the migrants start to return for the summer.

Filistatidae es un grupo pequeño y homogéneo de arañas cribeladas y sedentarias con distribu-ción cosmopolita. Se han descripto en todo el mundo 16 géneros y 109 especies, de los cuales cuatro géneros y doce especies son conocidas dela Argentina. Las dos subfamilias actualmente re-conocidas, Filistatinae y Prithinae, están represen-tadas en la Argentina. Los filistátidos se recono-cen por la avanzada posición de las hileras y eltubérculo anal, el cefalotórax aplanado y acuminado con ocho ojos en un promontorio, el cribelo dividido y por detalles de las fúsulas de las hileras. Algunos caracteres morfológicos y compotamentales sugieren que los filistátidos tienen una posición crucial entre las araneomorfas basales, y la elucidación de sus parentescos filogenéticos es un dilema muy interesante.

Descarga Directa: https://mega.nz/#!P810wITS!imshHBLA2uCxPsT4rZgMyXP3ZkDVPy40GqI5y1BEmi0

Sul sito della Società dei Naturalisti in Napoli (http://www.societanaturalistinapoli.it/) sono disponili i link che illustrano come partecipare all'iniziativa, come utilizzare l'app iNaturalist per fare le tue osservazioni e consigli per scattare foto. Ti aspettiamo!

Меня часто спрашивают: почему птицы?
Все началось в далеком 2013 году, когда летом я поменял обычную мыльницу на зум-мыльницу 30Х, с которой получился красивый кадр взлета утки с воды. Еще была кукушка, цапля, пестрый дятел и какие-то большие куры на кустарнике у труднодоступного лесного озера. Специалисты определили тетерок (самки тетерева). Стало очень интересно что у нас есть такие птицы, которых даже можно увидеть самому! В следующем 2014-м, когда на том же озере рыбачили с лодки, снял момент когда коршун поднимал с воды ужика и бросал, пока на третий раз не улетел с ним. Я узнал что оказывается у нас есть коршуны!!! (между прочим это самый распространенный вид среди хищников, которых можно увидеть в любое время дня даже на окраине города). Еще в лесу на земле нашли кладку яиц. На форуме СОПР определили, что это гнездо кулика вальдшнепа. Есть оказывается такие длинноклювые птицы!
Сменил камеру на такую же, только с зумом Х50.
В сентябре съездил в Узбекистан, откуда привез фототрофеи - зеленых щурок, сизоворонку и орла-карлика. Пусть карлик, но это уже был настоящий орел! Раньше я и не думал, что смогу увидеть орла в природе.
Несколько раз сходил на фотоохоту зимой, где узнал про овсянок, лазоревку, белоспинного дятла. А какое было впечатление, когда удалось снять зимняка!
В феврале 2015-го из окна машины заметил далеко на окраине зеленого хвойного леса белое пятнышко, подумал опять зимняк, остановился, сфотографировал. Уже дома на мониторе это оказалась сова - длиннохвостая неясыть. Качество снимка оставляет желать лучшего, но на тот момент он стал самым ценным моим кадром!
И тут всё началось. В феврале 2015-го покупаю свой первый автомобиль. Специально для бердинга! А с весны я забросил рыбалку и каждый выходной день стал проводить в наблюдениях и поисках пернатых.
В январе 2016 перехожу на скорострельную зеркалку 70d с объективом 100-400 мм.
В 2016/2017 гг в Большом годе http://ru-birds.ru/statistika-konkursa.html отснято 168/164 видов по Нижегородской области. А всего по области можно встретить около 300 видов. Поэтому есть к чему стремиться.

Напоминаем - первый биоблиц Зимующие птицы завершается 31 марта - https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/blitz-01_wintering-birds

Следите за новостями, анонсами новых конкурсов

Phylum: Arthropoda
Higher Class: Parasitiformes
Name: Lxodida

(note: this will be a shorter post, due to time limit. I try to write the most important areas.)

It started in the 2000s, the rise of Lyme disease (borreliosis). Most cases are found in the east coast and east north central states. The reason may be because of the habitat of these states. Let's take a look at the insect that causes Lyme disease.

There are over 850 different species of ticks, 90 of them are in the United States. The female will look for a host using her senses to sense carbon dioxide that humans and animals give off. She needs to get enough blood to reproduce eggs (remember only females feed on blood, like other insects. This may be due to the rich iron. For a better understanding, female humans also need rich iron). The female tick causes disease, and not males, for they do not feed on hosts. When a female is ready to lay her eggs, she will drop off the host and lay thousands. At larval stage is called the seed tick (they have six legs at this time).
Females live three years, but only eat three meals
Ticks need moisture place to live like forests. They will climb on tall grass (only 18-24 inches high). They also live in the gardens. They cannot jump, so they wait until a host (animal or human) come by.
Not all ticks have the disease. When they feed on mice or other mammals that have been infected with the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, they will have it in their system.

Lyme disease is not the only disease that ticks carry. Tickborne diseases include Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain, Spotted fever, Tularemia, to name most of them.

Deer ticks won't survive 24 hours if unfed. Ticks on moist clothing can survive 2-3 days. Ticks that have fed on a blood meal can survive longer. Most only live up to 3 years.
When sucking blood, they will ingest the pathogen with the blood.

How do I protect myself and my pets against ticks?

Understand, the more your pet is outside (near woods), the higher the chance it will get ticks. Outside cats are at the highest point, due to walking in tall grass and different areas. Your pet can also get ticks from walking in the woody areas (as my dog did). Try to look around your pet after they go out or walks. Ticks like the neck area the best.
Giving your pet medicine for fleas and ticks. There are topical medicines that you put on to neck all down to the tail, this can last to 30 days. Shampoo and powders are less effective, but can be used with treatments.
The most effective is the pill form. It can start its effect within 4-5 hours after taking it. They are more expensive and most are vet needed.
If your pet is out a lot, Flea and Tick collars are very effective, just look for the word "kill" with the word "prevent"

Humans aren't common for ticks to attach themselves on, but it does happen. Bacteria: Borrelia burgdorferi, Borrelia mayonii, Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii bacteria. The four species of bacteria that causes Lyme disease, the tick must bite you to actually get the bacteria. Ticks can be attached to you for 36 hours to a few days (until they get the most blood they need). So what are ways to prevent it?

Unfortunately, there are no medicines (like for pets) for people to use. There are sprays though (there are sprays for pets as well).
The best tick repellent is called "Nantucket Spider Tick Repelling" spray. It's natural, and many people reported that it works the best. It is also the first and top choice by Pest Strategies. You can use other sprays that help prevent/kill ticks.

Cover up yourself, wearing long clothes, semi-thick should help prevent ticks from hooking up on your skin. Although they might hook up on your clothes, you can easily shake them off.
Always check yourself after going outside (especially if you near the woods). You won't feel the tick, because they have secrete novel pain killers, called kininases, in their saliva which help them go unnoticed. This also is seen in some mosquitos (female).
A red mark that are itchy is seen after being bitten.

Read up about the species of ticks that are common in your area. Read up on different state's insects and most common insect diseases of that state (and what year and season was the highest).

What happens if you don't get help?

Lymes disease is nothing to mess with, and especially when it doesn't get treated. Lymes disease is a bacterial infection, so all bacteria can become worse. Untreated Lymes can cause the bacteria to go to your brain, heart, and joints.

Stage 2 can cause: Numbness or pain in the nerve area, Paralysis or weakness in the muscles of the face, Heart problems, such as skipped heartbeats (palpitations), chest pain, or shortness of breath
Symptoms of late disseminated stage 3 can occur months or years after the infection, and can cause: Abnormal muscle movement, Joint swelling, Muscle weakness. Numbness and tingling, Speech problems, Thinking (cognitive) problems

Stage 3 (late disseminated) can cause long-term joint inflammation (Lyme arthritis), heart rhythm problems, Brain and nervous system problems. These can include: Decreased concentration, memory disorders, nerve damage, paralysis of the face muscles, sleeping disorders and sometimes sight problems

Lymes can cause serious heart (cardiac) issues, and most people die of the heart effect of Lymes disease. People with weak immune systems or long-term heart issues are at a higher risk.

There are some people that don't see Lymes disease as a serious issue, due mostly because of the symptoms were flu-like. That shouldn't stop people. The Flu (influenza) can kill and has killed over 49,000 people and 700,000 people in the hospital. The flu actually affected healthy young men. It came out of nowhere, and children were more likely to get over it. This made doctors and scientists very confused. No one should be afraid to go in for a Lymes test, even though they might not have it, it's a good sign. Remember tuberculosis (which I had when I was younger) starts off as a cough, over time it gets worse and to the point of death. Not feeling well is always a sign from your body that something is not normal and it's hard for the body to fight and needs help.

The nectar from flowers (which is a sugar produced by glands of the plant called nectaries) is collected by honey bees. The nectar goes into the bee's "special" stomach (called a honey stomach),
The stomach can weigh as much as the bee itself, when full. In the stomach, the digestive enzymes work on the nectar. When the worker comes back to the hive, she will vomit into another worker's mouth (this goes on and on). This is also the process of making honey. More enzymes are added as the "honey" goes to mouth to mouth of different workers. Helping complex sugars convert into simple sugars (monosaccharides). Because of all this, the bees need to make it less liquid-like. They will vomit into a honeycomb and will beat their wings (%H2O = <20%). They will use beeswax to cover it up.

Bacteria

Bacteria are microscopic single-celled organisms that diverse. They can live about anywhere, from the soil to the human body. There are different types of bacteria. Some can be seen in creating yogurt and helping our digestive system (Known as good bacteria). For the most part, we hear about the "bad" bacteria, which causes diseases like Tuberculosis, salmonellosis, pneumonia and other bacteria causing sickness. Bacteria are prokaryotes (single cell with simple internal structures). Bacterial DNA can float freely inside the twisted thread-like mass (nucleoid).
Bacteria contain separate (circular parts of DNA named plasmids). The outside cells are surrounded by two protective layers (the outer cell and inner cell membrane) Some can have three layers (called capsule). Although some bacteria like mycoplasmas do not have any cell walls.
The human gut is a great place for bacteria (good and bad).

Bacteria are well-known to become resistant to antibiotics, once resistant, always resistant. In most cases. This seems to happen when bacteria changes in some way that affects the efficiency of the antibiotic. Some bacterial cells may not be affected by the drug, and those can carry when reproducing.

All Bacteria need energy. Water dissolves food and lets food get inside the cell, making energy for the bacteria cells to grow.
This is the reason why when humans are sick, they don't drink as much. The host's body knows that bacteria inside can't survive without water. There is much more to bacteria than what I present in this post, but this is a simple overview of bacteria.

Honey
Honey has 82% of carbohydrates that are in monosaccharides.
Fructose: 38.2%
Glucose: 31%
Disaccharides: ~9%
Sucrose, maltose, isomaltose, maltose, turanose, kojibiose and other. Oligosaccharides (4.2%) include: erlose, theanderose, and panose. From incomplete breakdowns of higher saccharides in nectar and honeydew.
Enzymes like invertases, which converts sucrose to glucose and fructose. Amylase, which breaks starch down into smaller units. Glucose oxidase converts glucose to gluconolactone, turning into gluconic acid and hydrogen peroxide. Catalase breaks down peroxide by glucose oxidase to water and oxygen. Acid phosphorylase removes inorganic phosphate from organic phosphates.

Vitamins and minerals of honey
Riboflavin (B2)
Niacin (B3)
Folic acid (B2)
Pantothenic acid (B5)
Vitamin B6.
Vitamin C
Calcium (Ca)
Zinc (Zn)
Potassium (K)
Phosphorus (P)
Magnesium (Mg)
Selenium (Se)
Chrominum (Cr)
Manganese (Mn)

Antioxidants are flavonoids. Contains amino acids (from abundant proline). Pinocembrin can be found in darker honey.
Other compounds:

organic acids: acetic, butanoic, formic, citric, succinic, lactic, malic, pyroglutamic and gluconic.
Honey also contains hydroxymethylfurfural (is a product to break down simple sugars below pH5).
Honey is water soluble (may granulate 10° and 18° and is slightly acidic (pH 3.4-6.1)
Why honey is good as antibiotic
It is due to the high sugar and low level of water content. Methylglyoxal and the antimicrobial peptide is found to be the well-known antibacterial compounds in honey.

When putting honey on a wound, it can act as a dry sponge (it spares any water). It draws fluid away from the infection, helping kill bacteria. Because honey contains pH levels of 3-4 (as much as orange juice), bacteria is killed in acidic environments. Although, if there is more water or less honey, it can be diluted, bacteria can grow back again. The hydrogen peroxide in honey is from an enzyme (glucose oxidase) added to nectar from bees.

Hydrogen peroxide (3% USP) is used to clean cuts and can kill bacteria from destroying their protective layers.

Honey has been used as a natural medicine for centuries. The Egyptians used honey to cure skin and eye infections. The faster they used the honey, the less chance that bacteria would build up.

Feliformia:

(Some species names are from a list from Wikipedia under "List of species in order Carnivora" in order to make it easier on myself. Other writings are created by myself). If I have missed anything or got some info wrong, please tell me.

Twelve subfamilies, seven extant families, 114 species and 56 genera in the suborder Feliformia. 41 extant species of Felidae (Tigers, lions, domestic cats, etc). Many people think of lions, tigers, cheetahs, but Feliformia is a suborder and contains subfamilies in below order but above family. Subfamily Genus Pantherinae which can contain consists of lions (Panthera leo), tigers (Panthera tigris), Jaguars (Panthera onca), leopards (Panthera pardus), snow leopards (Panthera uncia), and Genus Neofelis consists of clouded leopards (Neofelis nebulosa), the Bornean clouded leopard (Neoflis diardi). Subfamily Felinae are small to medium-sized cats and consists of Genus Acinonyx: Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), Genus Caracal: Caracal (Caracal caracal) African golden cat (Caracal aurata), Genus Catopuma: Asian golden cat (Catopuma temminckii), Bay cat (Catopuma badia) Genus Felis: European wildcat (Felis silvestris), African wildcat (Felis lybica), Chinese mountain cat (Felis bieti), Domestic cat (Felis catus), Jungle cat (Felis chaus), Sand cat (Felis margarita), Black-footed cat (Felis nigripes), Genus Leopardus: Geoffroy's cat (Leopardus geoffroyi), Kodkod (Leopardus guigna), Andean mountain cat (Leopardus jacobitus), Pampas cat (Leopardus colocola), Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), Oncilla (Leopardus tigrinus), Southern tigrina (Leopardus guttulus), Margay (Leopardus wiedii), Genus Leptailurus: Serval (Leptailurus serval), Genus Lynx: Canadian lynx (Lynx canadensis), Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx), Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus), Bobcat (Lynx rufus),Genus Otocolobus: Pallas's cat (Otocolobus manul), Genus Pardofelis: Marbled cat (Pardofelis marmorata), Genus Prionailurus: Leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis), Sunda leopard cat (Prionailurus javanensis), Flat-headed cat (Prionailurus planiceps), Rusty-spotted cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus), Fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) Genus Puma: Cougar (Puma concolor), and Jaguarundi (Herpailurus yagouaroundi).
In the suborder of Feliformia, Viverrids (Viverridae) are small mammals that are no surprise to be in this suborder. Here is a list of all known species.

Subfamily Paradoxurinae: Genus Arctictis: Binturong (Arctictis binturong), Genus Arctogalidia: Small-toothed palm civet (Arctogalidia trivirgata), Genus Macrogalidia: Sulawesi palm civet (Macrogalidia musschenbroekii),Genus Paguma: Masked palm civet (Paguma larvata), Genus Paradoxurus: Asian palm civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus), Jerdon's palm civet (Paradoxurus jerdoni), Golden palm civet (Paradoxurus zeylonensis). Subfamily Hemigalina: Genus Chrotogale: Owston's palm civet (Chrotogale owstoni), Genus Cynogale: Otter civet (Cynogale bennettii), Genus Diplogale: Hose's palm civet (Diplogale hosei), Genus Hemigalus: Banded palm civet (Hemigalus derbyanus). Subfamily Prionodontinae: Genus Prionodon: Banded linsang (Prionodon linsang), Spotted linsang (Prionodon pardicolor). Subfamily Viverrinae: Genus Civettictis: African civet (Civettictis civetta), Genus Genetta: Abyssinian genet (Genetta abyssinica), Angolan genet (Genetta angolensis), Bourlon's genet (Genetta bourloni), Crested servaline genet (Genetta cristata), Common genet (Genetta genetta), Johnston's genet (Genetta johnstoni). Rusty-spotted genet (Genetta maculata), Pardine genet (Genetta pardina), Aquatic genet (Genetta piscivora), King genet (Genetta poensis), Servaline genet (Genetta servalina), Haussa genet (Genetta thierryi), Cape genet (Genetta tigrina), Giant forest genet (Genetta victoriae),
Genus Poiana: Leighton's linsang (Poiana leightoni), African linsang (Poiana richardsonii), Genus Viverra:Malabar large-spotted civet (Viverra civettina), Large-spotted civet (Viverra megaspila), Malayan civet (Viverra tangalunga), Large Indian civet (Viverra zibetha), Genus Viverricula: Small Indian civet (Viverricula indica), Family Eupleridae (Malagasy carnivores), Subfamily Euplerinae: Genus Cryptoprocta: Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox), Genus Eupleres: Falanouc (Eupleres goudotii), Genus Fossa: Malagasy civet (Fossa fossana), Subfamily Galidiinae: Genus Galidia: Ring-tailed mongoose (Galidia elegans), Genus Galidictis: Broad-striped Malagasy mongoose (Galidictis fasciata), Grandidier's mongoose (Galidictis grandidieri), Genus Mungotictis: Narrow-striped mongoose (Mungotictis decemlineata), Genus Salanoia: Brown-tailed mongoose (Salanoia concolor), Family Nandiniidae (African palm civet), Genus Nandinia African palm civet (Nandinia binotata), Family Herpestidae (mongooses), Genus Atilax: Marsh mongoose (Atilax paludinosus), Genus Bdeogale: Bushy-tailed mongoose (Bdeogale crassicaudata), Jackson's mongoose (Bdeogale jacksoni),Black-footed mongoose (Bdeogale nigripes), Genus Crossarchus: Alexander's kusimanse (Crossarchus alexandri), Angolan kusimanse (Crossarchus ansorgei), Common kusimanse (Crossarchus obscurus), Flat-headed kusimanse (Crossarchus platycephalus), Genus Cynictis: Yellow mongoose (Cynictis penicillata), Genus Dologale: Pousargues's mongoose (Dologale dybowskii), Genus Galerella: Angolan slender mongoose (Galerella flavescens) Somalian slender mongoose (Galerella ochracea), Cape gray mongoose (Galerella pulverulenta), Slender mongoose (Galerella sanguinea), Genus Helogale: Ethiopian dwarf mongoose (Helogale hirtula), Common dwarf mongoose (Helogale parvula), Genus Herpestes: Short-tailed mongoose (Herpestes brachyurus), Indian gray mongoose (Herpestes edwardsi), Indian brown mongoose (Herpestes fuscus), Egyptian mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon), Small Asian mongoose (Herpestes javanicus), Long-nosed mongoose (Herpestes naso), Collared mongoose (Herpestes semitorquatus), Ruddy mongoose (Herpestes smithii), Crab-eating mongoose (Herpestes urva), Stripe-necked mongoose (Herpestes vitticollis), Genus Ichneumia: White-tailed mongoose (Ichneumia albicauda), Genus Liberiictis: Liberian mongoose (Liberiictis kuhni), Genus Mungos: Gambian mongoose (Mungos gambianus), Banded mongoose (Mungos mungo), Genus Paracynictis: Selous' mongoose (Paracynictis selousi), Genus Rhynchogale: Meller's mongoose (Rhynchogale melleri), Genus Suricata: Meerkat (Suricata suricatta), Family Hyaenidae (hyenas), Genus Crocuta: Spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta), Genus Hyaena: Brown hyena (Hyaena brunnea), Striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena), Genus Proteles: Aardwolf (Proteles cristata).

Feliformia (feloidea) is within the order Carnivora. This suborder consists of "cat-like" mammals that are carnivores. Although there are different groupings of families and genera, molecular phylogenies propose that all feliforms are monophyletic (a group/clade that are organisms of a common ancestor) evolved.

All extant feliforms have a common characteristic, auditory bullae (bony capsules surrounded by the middle ear and inner ear) this is a double-chambered and under two bones joined by the septum, unlike the single-chambered auditory bullae in caniforms. This is a way of classifying species from either feliforms or caniforms. Although Nimravidae (an extinct family that contains smilodons (also known as "saber-tooth cat") do not have this feature, having ossified bullae and no septum.
Feliforms also have retractable (can also have semi-retractile) claws, many are semi-arboreal or arboreal. They tend to walk on their toes (digitigrade), unlike most caniforms that are non-retractile, and terrestrial and be plantigrade.
Most of the time feliforms have shorter rostrums, fewer teeth, and more designed carnassials than caniforms. Their behavior is also different from caniforms, meaning they are more ambush hunters. Most species are arboreal/semi-arboreal ambush hunters, and smaller feliforms hunt small mammals, insects, and invertebrates.