Vagueness and the Aftermath - A sporadic diary

[RED-DOG]

Rod. I photographed this bird and I don't know what it is. can you help?

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

[RED-DOG]

It was about bullfinch size.

[Doobs]

Rod. I photographed this bird and I don't know what it is. can you help?

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

What did it sound like?  It could be a nightingale

[RED-DOG]

Rod. I photographed this bird and I don't know what it is. can you help?

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

What did it sound like?  It could be a nightingale

My daughter said the same thing Doobs.

To my shame the song didn't register. I was too intent in getting the shots off. XX

[RED-DOG]

So you know how the cells in your body renew themselves as they age?

Well I wonder if that happens to brain cells, and if it does, what happens to the information they contain, and if it doesn't happen to brain cells, why not?

I understand that brain cells do NOT renew, possibly the only cells not to. I have no idea why.
 

I think perhaps brain cells don't renew because we have enough to last us until we reach the end of our reproductive usefulness, say ~ 35 years. Which is all nature cares about.

[Rod Paradise]

Haven't a clue Red - will see if my google-fu is strong this morning....

[Rod Paradise]

Google-fu sucked - but kudos to your daughter for nightingale:





I've never seen one before, yes I'm jealous.

BTW you seem to be a bit North for their normal range:

although these things change literally with the weather....

[RED-DOG]

Woo Hoo!

Cheers Rod. I'm made up.

[Machka]

So you know how the cells in your body renew themselves as they age?

Well I wonder if that happens to brain cells, and if it does, what happens to the information they contain, and if it doesn't happen to brain cells, why not?

I understand that brain cells do NOT renew, possibly the only cells not to. I have no idea why.
 

I think perhaps brain cells don't renew because we have enough to last us until we reach the end of our reproductive usefulness, say ~ 35 years. Which is all nature cares about.

Don't we reach the upper limit on brain cells as a child and the only thing that changes from then on is the connections?

[Junior Senior]

Hi Tom. I believe that pic to be a dunnock. Really dont think it's a nightingale.... Sorry

[RED-DOG]

So you know how the cells in your body renew themselves as they age?

Well I wonder if that happens to brain cells, and if it does, what happens to the information they contain, and if it doesn't happen to brain cells, why not?

I understand that brain cells do NOT renew, possibly the only cells not to. I have no idea why.
 

I think perhaps brain cells don't renew because we have enough to last us until we reach the end of our reproductive usefulness, say ~ 35 years. Which is all nature cares about.

Don't we reach the upper limit on brain cells as a child and the only thing that changes from then on is the connections?

I donno Mach. After extensive googling this morning, I've discovered that no one really knows wtf happens.

[RED-DOG]

Hi Tom. I believe that pic to be a dunnock. Really dont think it's a nightingale.... Sorry

Really?

Bugger!

[Doobs]

Hi Tom. I believe that pic to be a dunnock. Really dont think it's a nightingale.... Sorry

Really?

Bugger!

Your daughter made some mistake there!

Don't be despondent, they seem more interesting than Nightingales anyway:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/grrlscientist/2012/feb/03/5

These are are fairly quiet, unassuming birds. You'll often see them lurking underneath bushes or shuffling around flowerbeds, looking quite boring. But did you know they have riotous sex lives that might make Russell Brand blush?

We often think about birds living perfect lives as if in a Disney movie. They snuggle up together in their nest, have lots of fluffy babies and stay faithful for life, right? Not true, unfortunately.

These birds have adapted to make use of different breeding strategies. Both males and females want make sure their genes are passed on to the next generation. Where food is plentiful, territories need not be so big, and so there's less opportunity for overlap with those of other birds. Where life is tougher, the territories need to be bigger and that means more interaction with other members of its own species.

For females, that may mean mating with more than one male, in the hope that they'll both help rear her chicks.

Clearly, that doesn't suit the males. So before mating, they may try to remove a rival's sperm by pecking the female's rear end (the cloaca - through which both poo and eggs exit) and encourage her to eject it!

However, what works for one pair of dunnocks might not work for another. There are several different strategies they might use:
• A male paired with a female (monogamy)
• More than one male paired with the same female (polyandry)
• A male paired with more than one female (polygyny)
• 'Pairs' with two males and two females (polygynandry)

And it's all going on in your shrubbery...

[EvilPie]

I like those strategies. Personal order of preference would be:

3, 1, 4, 2

[Rod Paradise]

Hi Tom. I believe that pic to be a dunnock. Really dont think it's a nightingale.... Sorry

Really?

Bugger!

Was going to say not a chance, but then looked again - the speckles low left on the bird probably mean Junior's right - hell of a spot though as it's a funny angle to be seeing a dunnock from, usually I see them the speckles are clear & they're unmistakable - need pics with wing/back to be certain Red.