Blog de Puree

Here’s an amusing spoof of a 1970s birds documentary, taken from the “Look Around You” series, a parody of the old British school science programs.

(Thanks to the Birdchick blog for pointing this one out.)

This has been a good week for new birds at our feeders. This morning, I saw another new visitor, a Gray Catbird. A year-round resident, it’s the first time this bird has been seen in our yard.

The Gray Catbird is mostly slate gray with a small black cap on its head and a black undertail. It also has rufous (reddish) undertail coverts (base of the tail). No other eastern bird has this distinctive gray color.

It’s called a catbird because of its common call sounds like cat’s meeow.

Randye gets a big rousing golf clap for sighting and identifying a new bird visitor to our backyard feeders, an Eastern Towhee.

A male bird (see picture below) started visiting in the mornings about two days ago, and has been somewhat regular to our backyard since. He mostly forages on the ground  for seed and bugs, and according to our handy Sibley’s guide, the Eastern Towhee is a summer visitor to these parts.

Compared to Europeans and European TV, Americans always lean to the conservative side. Often, our sensibilities are downright stodgy. Check out these two fabulous Schick women’s razor commercials, first the American version, then the European version.

The San Diego Union-Tribune recently reported that Surf-first.org was launched by “Surfing Magazine journalist Matt Walker in association with the Surfrider Foundation” in order to get a scientific and all-encompassing  picture of “who surfers are; where they come from; what they do for work; how, when and where they surf; and where they spend their money in relation to their surfing habits.”

The study will help surfers use the same demographic and analytic information that other powerful lobby groups use when facing political and environmental issues. And why shouldn’t surfers have that ammo as well?

Surfing is not a “beach bum” sport for a minor segent of society with no real direction. The surfing community holds local, regional, national and global competitions. Surfers hold productive jobs in all levels of society. The Surfrider Foundation has made huge strides with its environmental mission. Not to mention, we have a far more unique perspective when it comes to environmental issues. (I haven’t surfed in years, but still consider myself a surfer)

I strongly urge active and inactive surfers to take the survey at Surf-first.org. The information is kept anonymous and it will help strengthen the collective voice of the surfing community.

Amateur astronomy buffs will want to check out the 2009 listing of night star-gazing highlights for 2009, provided by Space.com.

From the Solar System and beyond, you definitely don’t want to miss these during the year. Mark your calendar!