Today was spend some time with my wife day. Well actually everyday is spend some time with my day, yes I'm that needy.
:)
We haven't been to the Zoo in about two to three years, There were some changes to it and I found myself feeling like a young kid again. Walking to each exhibit became more and more interesting. Our first stop was on the side where we parked the car, these bald eagles were absolutely beautiful. The look on on them reflect Pride and Leadership. Our second stop involved a few tigers that didn't feel up to performing for anyone. The next station had a little more then we expected. Just before approaching the penguin tank two ducks flew down and landed on the water, my wife and I thought that they were just a little too low and very close to other visitors. Well the reason for this outrageous behavior was answered rather quickly, the two began to perform something that definitely was not allowed especially in the penguin tank - let's just leave it at that :) We enjoyed the our visit to the zoo, we hope that the next time we go the zoo they will have the polar bears available for viewing. I did get a chance to visit one of my wife's favorite exhibit - The Bird House. I tried to get a lot of shots of the chirping bunch but wasn't able to get them to sit still except for this one.
The one disappointing moment well actually the first disappointment was that I did not want my wife to get something to eat there because like an idiot I told her that the food there would be way over priced. So I blew an awesome opportunity to spend some time with her and at the same time give the two of us a break from walking. So yes I'm a jerk. The second disappointment was the Africa experience. Yes they had some animals but it didn't live up to the hype that the commercial had you believe. I did take some shots but none were really neat to post. Now I did take a picture of a lion. Yes the lion wasn't real but it did look awesome. Now the following picture is some action that I would of enjoyed but I know the zoo wouldn't of allowed it. Click here. So in a nut shell that was our experience at the zoo for 2007. Now the next tim we go we will have our youngest daughter with us so you might see some cute shots of her as well as some of the attractions, and yes I'm already expecting to walk out of there with a life size stuffed polar bear.
:)
Showing posts with label penguins. Show all posts
Showing posts with label penguins. Show all posts
5/07/2007
4/26/2007
When Penguins Rock...
CHICAGO, Illinois (AP) -- They're the rock stars of the bird world these days, the Rolling Stones of the feathered set.
But the penguins at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium are showing it's not all film premieres -- think "Happy Feet" and "March of the Penguins" -- and sushi. It's rocks. Real rocks a bird can build a nest out of.
On Wednesday, the keepers at the Shedd started rolling out the rocks for the Gentoo and Rockhopper penguins who call the aquarium home. For these types of penguin, nothing says romance like a pile of rocks.
"What's going on here is a very exciting day for the penguins," said Gretchen Freimuth, senior marine trainer at the Shedd. "This actually cues the birds to start pairing up and building those nests."
Freimuth acknowledges that some birds didn't wait for keepers to throw down the rocks to let them know it's time to do something besides swimming and eating. But she said, "Once the rocks are put out, we will see a lot more of that activity."
The process isn't something the birds cooked up at the aquarium; it happens every year back home in the Antarctic, according to the Shedd.
Freimuth said the love nests range from simple affairs of about 15 rocks to bigger nests made of big piles of rocks. The penguins will go after a rock they like even if it's already part of another penguin's nest.
"They will steal from one another," she said.
The staff will put out rocks for about a week, according to Shedd spokeswoman Melissa Kruth, pointing out that both males and females participate in the nest building.
After that, the mating begins in earnest, and eggs start to appear about 23 days or so later.
All I can is I'm glad I don't visit much aquariums now a days. This kind of behavior may seem odd to the average person but I've actually seen this happen before when I used to visit an aquarium in Mystic Connecticut when I was younger.
But the penguins at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium are showing it's not all film premieres -- think "Happy Feet" and "March of the Penguins" -- and sushi. It's rocks. Real rocks a bird can build a nest out of.
On Wednesday, the keepers at the Shedd started rolling out the rocks for the Gentoo and Rockhopper penguins who call the aquarium home. For these types of penguin, nothing says romance like a pile of rocks.
"What's going on here is a very exciting day for the penguins," said Gretchen Freimuth, senior marine trainer at the Shedd. "This actually cues the birds to start pairing up and building those nests."
Freimuth acknowledges that some birds didn't wait for keepers to throw down the rocks to let them know it's time to do something besides swimming and eating. But she said, "Once the rocks are put out, we will see a lot more of that activity."
The process isn't something the birds cooked up at the aquarium; it happens every year back home in the Antarctic, according to the Shedd.
Freimuth said the love nests range from simple affairs of about 15 rocks to bigger nests made of big piles of rocks. The penguins will go after a rock they like even if it's already part of another penguin's nest.
"They will steal from one another," she said.
The staff will put out rocks for about a week, according to Shedd spokeswoman Melissa Kruth, pointing out that both males and females participate in the nest building.
After that, the mating begins in earnest, and eggs start to appear about 23 days or so later.
All I can is I'm glad I don't visit much aquariums now a days. This kind of behavior may seem odd to the average person but I've actually seen this happen before when I used to visit an aquarium in Mystic Connecticut when I was younger.
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