A real unicorn and a chance to win an iPod!
A real unicorn has been born in a nature preserve in Italy. The “unicorn” is a deer, born naturally with only one horn. There are all sorts of speculation about how and why - but who cares. He is lovely 
So maybe those myth makers were not totally making things up…
Are you a bird watcher? Would you like to win an iPod fully loaded with over 200 bird songs, and a new Field Guide? Check out this contest over at my Naturalist Notebook blog. Just identify (or even try to) three bird songs and you could win a new copy of the Smithsonian Field Guide to the Birds, as well as an iPod with over 200 bird songs already loaded onto it. Give it a try!
I am hoping to do a redesign of Animal-Nerd this week and add a bunch of new articles. So keep an eye on this space 
Summer Fey Foovay
Filed under animals in the news, birds | Comment (0)Emus and Oceans
I think my favorite part of this story of a woman who hatched an emu egg sold as a novelty is actually the bit at the end where her friend says:
Family friend Jenny Cosham said nothing Ms Stone did surprised her.
“She turns up with all sorts of things,” she said.
“We’ve had chicks, we’ve had lambs, we’ve had all sorts - there was even a duck in the shower once.”
I suspect that is just the sort of person who is reading this blog And yes, I am guilty, too. I have pet goats, for crying out loud, who were supposed to be my little organic weed eaters (HAH) who made it abundantly clear two years ago that they had no intention of eating weeds as long as there was a sucker (me) around who would buy hay and grain!
June 8th is World Oceans Day. The Nature Conservancy has asked that we celebrate it by thinking about these 10 ways we can help save our oceans.
Water is life.
I have been watching this marvelous drama play out on my back deck outside my window all day. Some weeks ago, a Bullock’s Oriole visited us, and requested that I put up an Oriole Feeder. Sucker that I am (see above) I did so. He’s been quite enjoying it, and I quite enjoy seeing this beautiful bright yellow bird visiting the feeder outside my window.
The day before yesterday the oriole feeder had a new visitor - a Scott’s Oriole.
He was a new life bird for me and I was thrilled to see him. But I did wonder how the Bullock’s felt about sharing.
That question has been answered today. It seems the Scotts Oriole has claimed this feeder, and does not intend to share. Over and over the Bullocks (and his wife) have come to the back deck to feed, and every time, the Scott’s Oriole has flown up to chase them off. The Bullocks Orioles have managed a few sips, but sooner or later, here comes that Scott’s fellow to run them off again.
I think the Bullocks have a nest in one of our trees, they roost here in the evening at least, so it will be interesting to see how this all plays out. Probably the sucker (me) will end up buying a second Oriole feeder and hanging it around on the other side of the house.
Summer Fey Foovay
Filed under birds, heartwarming, marine life | Comment (0)
