Good morning, Newdists.
Happy Saturday.
Diary bird: Slender-billed Scimitar-Babbler— Pomatorhinus superciliaris
There are two known subspecies. The bill/beak is used to differentiate this bird from the other babblers. The bird uses it’s bill to root around in narrow openings for food.
20 cm; 27–30 g. Drab brown babbler with darkish grey head , white supercilium and astonishingly long, slender and decurved bill. LINK
Possibly the species to which the moniker of “scimitar-babbler” attaches most fittingly, as this inhabitant of high-altitude evergreen forests has a bill shaped like a curved sword. Predominantly orange-brown, with a gray head and jagged white eyebrow. Easily identified, even if seen only in silhouette; no other babbler in its range has such a long, sharply curved bill. Moves through the lower levels of the forest in large, noisy flocks.
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Hunts on ground, progressing in long rat-like hops, or in undergrowth , commonly ascending into leafless Salmalia and other flowering trees for nectar; feeds mostly in bamboo. LINK
Please, Newdists, grab a cuppa and something to eat. Admire some moths and join us in the thread.
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All are welcome to join the fun, the silliness, the conversations. If you don’t know...just ask! Some things really do require a bit of explanation.
There will be a few surprises along the way, all good ones, we hope.
We are here to keep building the Daily Kos Community.
We post Mon-Sun at 10:30 a.m. Eastern.
Pie fights will be met with outrageous ridicule and insults. Trolls will be incinerated and served at the next group BBQ. As briquettes.
National Moth Week
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When is National Moth Week? It is a citizen science project and this year it is between July 18th to the 24th. There’s even an organization that encourages participation in the hunt for moths — Nationalmothweek.org —
National Moth Week celebrates the beauty, life cycles, and habitats of moths. “Moth-ers” of all ages and abilities are encouraged to learn about, observe, and document moths in their backyards, parks, and neighborhoods. National Moth Week is being held, worldwide, during the last full week of July. NMW offers everyone, everywhere a unique opportunity to become a Citizen Scientist and contribute scientific data about moths. Through partnerships with major online biological data depositories, NMW participants can help map moth distribution and provide needed information on other life history aspects around the globe.
Why moths?
- Moths are among the most diverse and successful organisms on earth.
- Scientists estimate there are 150,000 to more than 500,000 moth species.
- Their colors and patterns are either dazzling or so cryptic that they define camouflage. Shapes and sizes span the gamut from as small as a pinhead to as large as an adult’s hand.
- Most moths are nocturnal, and need to be sought at night to be seen – others fly like butterflies during the day.
- Finding moths can be as simple as leaving a porch light on and checking it after dark. Serious moth aficionados use special lights and baits to attract them.
They’re on Twitter and other social media platforms and have cooperative affiliations with other organizations like the one below.
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Halysidota moth
Lets admire some moths —
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Large Emerald Moth
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The Tawny wave
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Cinnabar Moth
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Hummingbird Clearwing Sphinx Moth
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Cerodirphia
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Copaxa flavina
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Green Marvel
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Beggar Moth — (Eubaphe mendica)
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Rosy Maple Moth — Dryocampa rubicunda
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An erebid moth sipping eye secretions off a sleeping black chinned ant bird.
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If you would like to see more moths from the week, here’s a link to their Flickr
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New Day Cafe is an open thread.
What do you want to talk about today?
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