Adelie Penguin, Petermann Island, Antarctic Peninsula
More random thoughts about bartending
9 years ago
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Irwin, the new Humboldt penguin at the Oregon Zoo (Images)
By Benjamin Brink, The Oregonian
June 28, 2013
The five new Humboldt penguin chicks that hatched at the
Oregon Zoo are now three months old and have begun to emerge from their
nest boxes and explore their surroundings. The young penguins are easy
to identify: they are not the stark black and white of adult Humboldts
and don't have the distinctive horseshoe-shaped band in the chest area.
Irwin, the chick named for Australian wildlife expert and “crocodile
hunter” Steve Irwin, waddles over the rocky terrain and darts through
the clear water of the zoo’s penguinarium, but often just stands still
as if thinking. Irwin, is as tall as his parents but is still being fed
by his mom and dad. At this age parents feed their young by eating
fish, digesting it, and then regurgitating it into their beak and into
the baby penguin's mouth. The keepers call it "fish smoothie."
source
Friday, June 28, 2013
Image of the Day
Macaroni penguin chick hatched May 31st at the Tennessee Aquarium and looking good! (click on image to enlarge)
New Baby Penguin Is Newest Addition At The Tennessee Aquarium
Thursday, June 27, 2013
- by Thom Benson
Tennessee Aquarium senior aviculturist Amy Graves holds a baby Macaroni Penguin, the first to hatch this season.
- photo by Tennessee Aquarium
- photo by Tennessee Aquarium
This newest addition is the first offspring for parents “Merlin” and “Sweet Pea,” but they seem to be adjusting to parenthood quickly. “They make an awesome combination,” said Graves. “Merlin is a good protector and Sweet Pea is very nurturing and better at feeding the chick.”
New penguin parents don’t always have the best parental instincts. While Merlin and Sweet Pea have done a pretty good job so far, the Aquarium’s penguin experts have had to supplement the feeding routine a couple of times to ensure this tiny bird was receiving enough nutrients. Fortunately this pair has a gentle demeanor that makes caring for the chick a bit easier. “Both Sweet Pea and Merlin are really laid-back with easy-going personalities,” said Ms. Graves. “That makes it easier for us to perform regular weight checks, clean the nest and feed when necessary.”
Guests can see this chick in an acrylic “playpen” on the right-hand side of the exhibit. It has grown enough since hatching on May 31, to be visible most of the time. Although sometimes visitors may only see its bottom. “Merlin still likes to try tucking the chick under him for protection even though it’s too big to fit underneath,” Ms. Graves said with a chuckle. “The chick still wants to be tucked in, so every once in awhile you’ll see its head underneath Merlin.”
A blood test will be performed later to determine the gender of this new penguin.
This could still be a very busy season for the Aquarium’s penguin keepers. There are several Gentoo Penguins with eggs and two couples that might still lay eggs. “Zeus and Pebbles are showing interest in nesting right now,” said Ms. Graves. “And, we’re still waiting to see what will happen with Poncho and Peep. They produced a chick last year but seem to be in no hurry this year.”
Here is a look at the current egg count:
Nipper and Flower – two eggs
Bug and Big T – two eggs
Biscuit and Blue – one egg
Guests might want to add the afternoon Backstage Pass to their upcoming Tennessee Aquarium visit to get a bird’s-eye view of the nesting penguins.
source
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Plucky Vic penguin is squeaky clean
Wednesday June 26, 2013
An oil-soaked penguin found on a Victorian beach has been given a clean-up and vets are optimistic it will make a full recovery.
The
blue penguin was being tossed about by the dog but was saved on Sunday
by a Middle Park resident and taken to the zoo for treatment.
The bird has had several warm baths to help remove oil and restore natural waterproofing to its feathers.
Melbourne Zoo associate vet Megan Curick is cautiously optimistic the penguin will make a full recovery.
source
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
No breeding allowed for Granite Island penguins
Professor Sonia Kleindorfer and Victor Harbor businessman Sam Lawson at the penguin dinner where professor Kleindorfer gave a presentation on the decline of the penguins on Granite Island.
The Department Environment Water & Natural Resources (DEWNR) say there are no plans to fund a Little Penguin breeding program and that the Victor Harbor Penguin Interpretive Centre was never intended to be a breeding facility.
"Its enclosure is small and was designed simply to display four male little penguins from Adelaide Zoo," DEWNR spokeperson said.
"Over time, rescued penguins were added and breeding took place until there were 14 birds living at the centre.
"The enclosure and its pool are not big enough to house more than 10 birds at the absolute maximum, meaning the birds were overcrowded.
"This was also in contravention of the conditions of the original permit issued for the zoo penguins, which did not allow for rescue, rehabilitation or breeding.
"DEWNR said an agreement with the centre was reached that the number of birds living in the enclosure would be reduced to 10 through natural attrition and no more eggs would be hatched.
"If the males and females were kept apart, there would be no need to remove eggs," spokesperson said.
"The penguin centre is at full capacity with current numbers.
"If more birds were kept under these conditions, it would result in substandard welfare conditions for all of the penguins at the centre.
"The centre keeps male and female birds together in the enclosure in contravention of the original permit.
"Breeding will occur and without the capacity to handle the extra birds hatched, regrettably the only option is to destroy the eggs.
"Penguins have been in decline around Granite Island over the past 10 years with more than 1000 birds disappearing.
According to DWNR there are various reasons for this, including predation by land-based feral predators such as dogs, cats and rats, habitat loss and disturbance of nesting and breeding areas by humans.
"Predation by New Zealand fur seals is also a factor, but this is a natural process as fur seals have always taken penguins and other sea birds as a small part of their diet," spokesperson said.
"There may also be other factors that we do not yet fully understand.
"Until all the factors contributing to the penguins' decline are fully understood, captive breeding and release would do little to bolster population numbers.
"The department is working with South Australian Research Development Institute (SARDI) and other research bodies to investigate the factors contributing to the decline of little penguin numbers at some South Australian colonies.
"An eight million dollar facility is established at Flinders University for penguin research and the program is not funded by the state government.
"The university initiated it," the spokesperson said.
Flnders University pay $115 a year for their permit to keep two Little Penguins and according to DEWNR they waive the permit cost for the Victor Harbor Penguin Centre, "as a de factor wildlife rescue organisation."
"Two eggs will be allowed to hatch this year and the young birds transferred to the Flinders Uni facility when they are independent in order to assist research into penguin behaviour," spokesperson added.
State wide problem - fur seals to blame
John Ayliffe manager of the Kangaroo Island Penguin Centre at Kingscote and Deidre Morrison from KI is aware of the decline in penguin numbers.
"The event held in Victor Harbor to raise awareness of the penguins was very timely, as I visited the state's largest penguin colony on Pearson Island last month," Mr Ayliffe said.
"The state government claims there are 12,000 penguins on Pearson Island, off the West Coast of South Australia, but after walking on it for 10 hours I only heard one penguin.
"I later spoke to a cray fisherman who said he was there in March and he saw no penguins either. "After visiting a number of other islands I would suggest that penguins have gone from abundant to nearly extinct in South Australia in the blink of an eye and the government has no idea it has happened.
"I am of the opinion these penguins were eaten by New Zealand Fur Seal last year.
"This is the largest loss of a species in this State that I have seen in my life time."
source
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Help save the Antarctic Ocean for the Penguins!
  |
|||
|
We're calling on you to tell 25 key decision makers the time to protect Antarctica's ocean is now!
The map of Antarctica above shows you the 25 countries, including the
EU, who collectively hold the fate of the Southern Ocean in their hands.
These countries are meeting in less than 20 days to decide the fate of the last pristine ocean wilderness left on Earth.
If your answer is yes then follow these steps:
1. Head to our new interactive map here
2. Click on any of the 'critical to success' countries and email their decision maker to urge them to show leadership and protect the Southern Ocean next month.
3. Share this url http://antarcticocean.org/our-
Last year, the body that manages Antarctica’s marine environment, CCAMLR
As all CCAMLR decisions require consensus of the 25 Members, it is
critical to send a clear message to these leaders that we are relying on
them to show collective vision in order to protect these waters for
future generations.
As the CCAMLR meeting in Germany approaches, we will be calling on your
support again to spread the word and take action about this momentous
decision.
|
||||
| ||||
Monday, June 24, 2013
$9000 raised for Granite Island penguins
McCracken Country Club's Ellie Hume and Dan Court present the cheque to Rob Heaslip and Graham Philp.
"It was an excellent night and I would sincerely like to thank McCracken and all the other sponsors for bringing the attention to the penguins on Granite Island," Mr Heaslip said.
"We all left the night astounded to the extent of the decline of the penguins and hopefully now, both local and state governments will get behind this to look after one of the Fleurieu Peninsula's main tourist attractions."
City of Victor Harbor mayor Graham Philp said the night was very educational with special guest speakers, Liberal leader Steven Marshall and penguin researcher professor Sonia
Kleindorfer.
"Their input made the night special," Mr Philp said.
"Save the Granite Island penguins campaign is about raising awareness of the issues surrounding the decline of penguin populations, not just on Granite Island, but throughout the state.
"There is still a lot of work to be done, but we have achieved a small step to go forward.
"We need the community to write letters and apply pressure to state minister for the environment, Ian Hunter to allocate funds to research the problem further.
"It is important the community gets behind the campaign now."
The 9,027 raised will be held in the Victor Harbor & Port Elliot Lions Club bank account, until it can be utilised to help the Little Penguins on Granite Island.
To help you can donate into the Westpac Victor Harbor Bank account - BSB 035-621 Account number 58-0853.
In 2001 there were 1548 Little Penguins on Granite Island and at last count in 2012 there are only 26.
Scientific research has proven the growing population of the New Zealand Fur Seal is the major reason for the rapid decline.
source
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Image of the Day
(click image for larger size)
The new Southwest jet that showcases Seaworld's new penguin display
'Space Penguin' PHOTO: Hubble Captures Arp 142 Galactic Collision In The Constellation Hydra
06/21/13
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... Space Penguin!
Alright, it's not exactly "Star Wars." But this image, captured by the Hubble Space Telescope, does show a dramatic clash of galaxies. Scientists believe that the head of the bird (in the upper portion of the photograph) is the result of the collision between the spiral galaxy NGC 2936 and the elliptical galaxy NGC 2937 (lower left).
(Story continues below, click for full image)
Together, the galactic pair are known as Arp 142, which is located about 326 million light-years from Earth n the constellation Hydra.
The Guardian reported that the galaxies look like a "penguin guarding its egg," while the Hubble Heritage Team website described the sight as a "celestial hummingbird."
No matter what kind of bird you see, what's causing the peculiar shape is actually the gravitational tug of the elliptical galaxy on the flat disk of the spiral. As Hubble Heritage explains:
source
Alright, it's not exactly "Star Wars." But this image, captured by the Hubble Space Telescope, does show a dramatic clash of galaxies. Scientists believe that the head of the bird (in the upper portion of the photograph) is the result of the collision between the spiral galaxy NGC 2936 and the elliptical galaxy NGC 2937 (lower left).
(Story continues below, click for full image)
Together, the galactic pair are known as Arp 142, which is located about 326 million light-years from Earth n the constellation Hydra.
The Guardian reported that the galaxies look like a "penguin guarding its egg," while the Hubble Heritage Team website described the sight as a "celestial hummingbird."
No matter what kind of bird you see, what's causing the peculiar shape is actually the gravitational tug of the elliptical galaxy on the flat disk of the spiral. As Hubble Heritage explains:
Once part of a flat, spiral disk, the orbits of the galaxy's stars have become scrambled due to gravitational tidal interactions with the other galaxy. This warps the galaxy's orderly spiral, and interstellar gas is strewn out into giant tails like stretched taffy.According to Hubblecast, the galaxy collision occurring in Arp 142 throws clouds of gas and dust together at breakneck speeds, triggering the formation of new stars.
source
How a Physics Diagram Was Named After a Penguin
June 21, 2013
In 1977 John Ellis made a bet with a student named Melissa Franklin at a bar. “If you lose this game of darts,” Franklin said, “you have to use the word ‘penguin’ in your next paper.” Ellis took the bet, and lost. The result can be seen in physics classrooms all over the world: the penguin diagram. Here’s what it looks like:
Image: Quilbert
Physicists represent particle decay paths in shorthand by making drawings called Feynman diagrams. A Feynman diagram is series of squiggles, lines, loops and letters that track quantum processes. The diagrams are named after their inventor, theorist and Nobel Laureate Richard Feynman.Why did Franklin choose a penguin? Apparently it has to do with a joke that had nothing to do with physics at all. It goes like this:
…
In the diagram of the bottom quark decay, the virtual particles appear as a loop and a series of squiggles. The final drawing almost resembles a bird with a head, a round, white belly and two feet.
A truck driver is delivering two penguins to a new zoo when he runs over a nail in the road. He manages to flag down a passing motorist.Franklin is now the chair of the Harvard University Department of Physics, where she is not in charge of any penguins.
“Hey there,” says the truck driver. “I’ve got a flat, but I need to get these penguins to the zoo ASAP. Will you please take them while I fix this problem?”
“Of course, no worries,” says the motorist. “Happy to do it. I love penguins.”
So the two penguins crawl into the passenger seat, and off they go.
Well, it takes a little while, but the truck driver gets his tire fixed up. He drives into town headed for the zoo, but when he passes by the cinema, who should he see walking out the door but the motorist with the two penguins in tow.
“Woah there,” he calls out. “I thought I asked you to take them to the zoo!”
“Oh yes, you did,” says the motorist. “But we had a bit of change left over, so we decided to take in a movie, too!’
source
New Baby Penguin Gets A Month-Long Birthday Party
The little guy, who was just welcomed to Ripley’s Aquarium in South Carolina, is so young he doesn’t even have a name. The aquarium is marking his birth with a month-long baby penguin shower.
Friday, June 21, 2013
SeaWorld Orlando and Southwest Airlines Debut New Penguin One Plane
by
Sharon Moore, PR Intern
Did you know that penguins can now fly? It’s true, with the introduction of Penguin One—a
Boeing 737-700 featuring images of one of our most iconic and beloved
animals, penguins! Earlier this morning, we marked our 25-year
partnership with Southwest Airlines by revealing this new aircraft at a ceremony at Orlando International Airport (MCO).
In celebration of Penguin One, for three days only, Customers will receive a special offer when they book a flight, hotel, and theme park vacation package for three or more nights to select SeaWorld Parks in Orlando, San Diego, or San Antonio. Customers will save up to $100 per hotel reservation ($20 per night) when using promotion code 72HRSEA at the time of booking. Visit Southwest.com for more details.
Enter for your chance to win special Penguin One goodies sent straight to your home by visiting SeaWorld Orlando's "Dive Deeper" tab Facebook and entering for your chance to win our Weekly FREEze Giveaway! For more information about our parks, visit SeaWorld Orlando or SeaWorld San Diego.
source
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
