MARSH TRIPPERS
Greetings Voxters! It's been a crazy winter, but I have just completed my first year of graduate school! Yay! Not only was it a great and challenging experience, but I discovered so much about myself:
For one, I realized that I may be more of a bird and amphibian girl than I thought! The best field day was a beautiful spring morning when we surveyed a local stream for salamanders. I won't go into how I had to write 2 proposals, make 6 GIS maps, et cetera! And the reason I won't is because: J surprised me with a trip to South Carolina!!
I'll be coming back just one day before my summer classes begin, but the whole reason I became a biologist is so I could travel and study wildlife. So I'm happy! Pictured is one of the birds on my wishlist: the least bittern. Much smaller than the American bittern, they are able to balance on reeds and not fall into deep water, so they can "fish" in places where other herons can't!
They also have a rather science-fiction-ey type talent of being able to flatten themselves. John Audubon conducted an experiment where he put a least bittern in between 2 books that were 1.5 inches apart. The bird was able to walk through them; when the bird was dead, Audubon measured the bird at 2.5 inches across. These are the kind of twisted experiments that makes me kind of glad we now have some regulations on how to treat animals, but it's interesting nonetheless!
Least bitterns are declining due to the loss of wetlands and invasive species destroying their marshland habitat. They are also very secretive, so I hope that I can find a way to see one on the trip!! ;)
Comments
Hi girlfriend!!
I know, scary isn't it? It feels like 10 minutes to me, except the proposals which felt like Dr. Who type years.
I think we have least bitterns in MO... I saw a great egret the other day and wasn't sure what it was (knew it wasn't one of my blue heron buddies). I thought egrets were the smaller ones that look a lot like your bittern shot (but fatter). I'm no biologist! :)
A year already! Holy cow-- that doesn't seem possible! Congratulations!!
When we were at the Huntington Library recently, they have one of the last remaining copies of Audubon's "elephant" plates book on North American birds. Really impressive.
Cool, I bet they look nice flying underneath those storm clouds! ;)
I'm not too familiar with the family but they come in all sizes and colors; you may have tricolored herons there, which are also gorgeous!!!
Hey partner! ;)
That sounds like one cool library - I'd love to see that!! Are you all anywhere near the big CA paleontology museum?
You can go here for a taste of it. It was really great. You should go -- (of course, that means coming to California... :) )
Last summer I went to the LaBrea Tarpits in LA which was really fun in nerdy way -- but I don't know where there's a big paleontology museum -- tell tell.
Hearty congratulations on your achievement, Maya!
Yay for a surprise trip to South Carolina (and to J for arranging it)!
I guess one would call a least bittern an odd bird? ;)
Facinating stuff!
Great to hear from you!
Nice books! Very cool. I'd love to visit - with your suggestions, of course!! ;)
I want to say it's at a university......Berkley? It's a big museum that works in collaboration with AMNH in NYC, I think.
I'm glad you're health issues are improving. Be like the least bittern and squeeze through those difficult places. Damn that Audubon.
Oh, thanks for the local tip off, Jaypo! You always hook me up.
LOL yeah, I think I'd squeeze his HEAD if he were still around!
How are you feeling?
That little birdy can flatten himself? Wow. Truly amazing.
It's interesting that you've been discovering your areas a of interest along the way -- how great that it is, you know?
And the trip sounds SUPER!!!!!!!!
Hi Robbie!
I'm feeling pretty great, thank you! I love bitterns and I hope this trip is a stepping stone to more travel - I can't wait to share photos with you guys.
Wouldn't it be cool if we could flatten ourselves? I bet Dr. Who can!
And you just reminded me of a couple of lines in Dracula (Bram Stoker) where the Count flattens himself against the side of the castle as he climbs the wall-- VERY creeeeepy!!!!