The Recovery of the Bald Eagle

Far from the expected extinction of the treasured national symbol, the bald eagle has since made a dramatic recovery. The more than 9,000 breeding pairs that exist today have made experts drop the species from the list of endangered species. But, the species will not be left entirely alone by the experts. Bald eagles will be tracked and their numbers monitored for the next five years. If the monitoring shows a decline in the number of breeding pairs, experts can then move to get the bird back onto the endangered species list.

Even without being reclassified as endangered, the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act is still there to keep the animal from being hunted. The eagles also have the protection of the1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act. This act made hunting the bald eagle, as well as other migratory birds, illegal in the United States and in certain other countries. For eagles that make their way into Canada or Mexico, the treaty is in effect in those countries to stop the trade of eagle feathers, eggs and other parts that could make the hunting of eagles lucrative.

Bald eagles have been further protected by the 1972 federal ban on DDT. The toxic chemical penetrated the entire food chain, resulting in the deaths of eagles as well as many other bird species. The pesticide washed from the fields to the waterways and eventually into bald eagles. When the eagles caught fish from these lakes and streams, the fish had already been contaminated. DDT kept bald eagles from being able to create eggshells with enough calcium to keep them strong enough to support the embryos. The havoc wreaked by DDT made it difficult for the species to reproduce as mother eagles cracked their own thin eggs in an attempt to incubate them. With DDT now gone, the number of bald eagles can continue to grow.

-The Bald Eagle is a powerful flier, and soars on thermal convection currents.

- It is found near large bodies of open water with an abundant food supply and old-growth trees for nesting.

Don't forget that even if your immediate quest isn't answered in this article, you could even take it further by doing a search on Google.com to get specific information on this topic or other bald eagle facts topics such as "make model bald eagle bird", "mark miller bald eagle", and "who can kill bald eagle".

Bald Eagle Statues and other decor items:
Dramatic Bald Eagle Table
Patriotic Bald Eagle Windchime

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Bald Eagle: Natural History Notebooks online from the Canadian Museum
Notes and images of Bald Eagles, updated from the Canadian Museum of Nature's Natural History Notebooks series.

Bald Eagle - WDNR
Legal status in U.S.: Protected; Legal status in WI: Delisted; 2006 numbers in WI: 1,150 nesting pairs; Length: female 34-43 inches male 30-35 inches

Bald Eagle Harley-Davidson
Authorized Harley-Davidson dealer. Features inventory listing, financing, specials, industry news, links, and contact information.

Bald Eagle - EnchantedLearning.com
The bald eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, is a magnificent bird of prey. It is not really bald, it just has white feathers on its head.

The Bald Eagle, Symbol of our Nation
The American Bald Eagle gained immediate, unofficial recognition as our National bird when the Great Seal of the United States was adopted on June 20, 1782.

Tags: wildlife, nature, birds, science, eagles

]]> http://www.bettermuseums.com/2009/01/12/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-bald-eagle/feed/ http://www.bettermuseums.com/2009/01/12/12-of-12-v40january/ http://www.bettermuseums.com/2009/01/12/12-of-12-v40january/#comments Mon, 12 Jan 2009 11:35:45 +0000 admin http://www.bettermuseums.com/2009/01/12/12-of-12-v40january/ Before I start, I finally finished putting together a “12 of 12 of 12″ - a best of from last year’s 12 of 12 posts, as I completed the whole year. You can see it here!

Given the last few 12 of 12s have been on work days, and I felt a bit stifled as a result (well each month was get up, dark, commute, work, commute, dark, eat… not much variety in photos, and so I wasn’t as happy with their quality), this month, I took the 12th off.

We’ve had a lot of grey, overcast days and even fog recently. Yesterday was a lovely blue sky and even a bit sunny. Typically, today it was grey and rainy. I know why this is. It’s because I went to Westminster. Honestly, it always rains when I go there. I hadn’t even planned on going there right away - I’d meant to get the Central line up to around Notting Hill Gate, then walk down through Kensington Gardens, down to the Natural History Museum maybe, then over to Green Park, down to St. James’ Park, Westminster and maybe over to Leicester Square.

Only I went on autopilot, and got the Jubilee line. I remembered I had today off OK - I just forgot I didn’t have to get the Jubilee today, which I normally get to work… [doh]. So, change of plan. Get off at Westminster and do a different route. Poke my head out of the station and find it’s drizzling rain. Balls. So, off to the Natural History Museum.

As always, credit goes to the lovely Chad, who is Awesome. And you can see everyone else’s 12s here.

1) 11:15am - Westminster Tube station, London

Going up the escalator, and trying to keep my balance while fishing my camera out of my bag, switching it on and changing settings, and a little blur due to movement. But I like it - it’s a little ghost-like.

2) 11:44am - Natural History Museum, London

Grey, rainy weather - but some people are still on the outdoor ice rink at the Natural History Museum.

3) 11:54am - Natural History Museum, London

Poor dodo… he does not look impressed with how his lot turned out.

4) 12:05pm - Natural History Museum, London

Up in the primates/evolution section, there were all these monkey skeletons suspended in the air. Go on now, who else has “Defying Gravity” in their heads? Hah, you do now

5) 12:09pm - Natural History Museum, London

Monkey detail from one of the columns by the stairs on an upper level. I gave this a touch of sharpening in Elements - the colour version of this was slightly sharper, but I preferred the black and white photo I took as well.

6) 12:16pm - Natural History Museum, London

The inside of the main hall of the museum is beautiful, architecture-wise. Remember this photo, one of my favourites I’ve ever taken? Well that was from the corner of the top level, by the Giant Sequoia Tree. This one is taken from halfway down to the level below (with the primates and evolution), and in the middle. I’ve included a close up of the ceiling, which is pretty and I like the colours:

7) 12:23pm - Natural History Museum, London

I saw a few guys sketching the architecture in the museum (and I’d see plenty of people sketching the sculptures in the V&A Museum, next). It was only because I couldn’t see his face, that I took the photo. I liked that people would go specifically to draw the museum’s beautiful design.

12:40pm - Natural History Museum, London

Oh. Oh my. I actually did a double take when I first saw this. I’m not a total spelling and grammar maven, but this did make me wince. It’s in the Natural History Museum of all places, you’d think they could check the spelling.

Oddly enough, they had the same message running on two screens. The left hand one had it spelled correctly. I will tell you, I came *this* close to actually stopping a member of staff and pointing it out.

But I decided it’s one thing to be a grammar nut. Stopping someone might make them think I’m a real nut…

9) 1:25pm - V&A (Victoria & Albert) Museum, London

I had been playing around more with the Manual setting on the camera today (you can see the results especially in photos 4 (the flying monkey), 5 (monkey detail) and 6 (the roof photos), which I think were all Manuals. I learnt a little about adjusting the settings more for light. And this one took some doing, more from a framing perspective than anything else.

I wanted the cropping to come just above the dark statue’s head, but for the white statue to be visible in the background, to give a contrast of light and dark. Overall, I think it worked! Another shot got the white statue slightly more visible (I must have stood another inch or two to the left), but someone was standing behind the dark statue, blocking the gap between his legs. This seemed the slightly better photo.

10) 1:30pm - V&A (Victoria & Albert) Museum, London

Female head busts all in a row. More fun with the Manual settings!

11) 1:58pm - V&A (Victoria & Albert) Museum, London

I’ve seen a few of these now. Some in the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, when I visited there. Someone posted some in their 12 of 12 last month. It’s beautiful, but I’m afraid my mind keeps being… distracted. I’d have put that slightly more openly, but I know of at least one work colleague (well, former colleague) who reads this…!!

(on that note, I might end up linking this to current colleagues, so please keep comments safe for work!)

12) 2:39pm - Canteen Cafe, Leicester Square, London

I had an idea for this shot, and that (plus wanting cheap, cheerful and hot food) made me seek out this cafe. I found it one night before seeing Avenue Q, which plays just round the corner from this cafe. When I went back to see the show again with Simon, Andy and Helen W, I took them to the cafe as well. The walls are plastered with black and white photos. But I had the idea for someone sitting at a table in front of the window, off in their own little world. I’d thought about something similar but using Starbucks, but that didn’t happen.

BONUS) 3:18pm - Leicester Square, London

I checked the Prince Charles cinema to see if Quantum of Solace was playing there yet. The Prince Charles is a second run cinema, meaning that they only show a film when it has finished playing in all the other local cinemas - this means the licence to show it is cheaper, and therefore tickets are cheaper too. For non-members, it’s £3.50 for a matinee, £5 evenings and weekends. For members, it’s £1.50/£4.00 (membership is £10 a year). But it’s not on there yet - a walk down to Leicester Square showed that it’s still on at one of the Odeons, along with another Daniel Craig film, giving me the shot here, with two Daniel Craig film posters on the cinema facade. I wonder how many other times there have been with both posters showing the same actor?

And that’s your lot for this month! I’m aiming for my best lot of 12 of 12s this year… amazing to think I’ve done 2.5 years of this challenge now! I started in June 2006… wow. But yes - I’m aiming to be more creative, more adventurous and all round better at taking photos this year, so stay tuned!

]]> http://www.bettermuseums.com/2009/01/12/12-of-12-v40january/feed/ http://www.bettermuseums.com/2009/01/11/adventures/ http://www.bettermuseums.com/2009/01/11/adventures/#comments Sun, 11 Jan 2009 09:48:15 +0000 admin http://www.bettermuseums.com/2009/01/11/adventures/

Heya.

Things have slowed down a bit here at Paddytime since the new year but I have been out and about.  Its just taken a little while for me to sit down and write about it. 

Field trips.  Gotta love ‘em.  The first one I went on was to the Fisher Mansion in Detroit.  This video explains it pretty well.  I’d say it was pretty interesting to say the least.  What once used to be the ultimate bachelor hangout for Detroit’s elite is now the Bhakivedanta Cultural Center.  Our tour started out with a 8bit style video history of Hare Krishna and animatronic show, of sorts.  From there we went on to see the house and get a nice historical overview from our host.  Mr.Fisher definitely spared no expense on this place, some of it nice, some a little over the top.  My only complaint was that it smelled faintly of a funeral home.  (They do serve free food a few times a week, all vegetarian, not always Indian, but might be a fun stop for Food in the Hood.)

Our reason for going to the mansion was that the D.I.A. wasn’t open that day.  So we ventured back downtown to see the Monet to Dali exhibit.  What a treat.  Thanks to the Cleveland Museum of Art for lending these pieces to the D.  I forget if I’ve been to that museum, they sure do have a nice collection of modern art though.  I particularly enjoyed the sculptures by Rodin. 

Taking a break from the culture scene, Kristin and I had lunch in Ann Arbor at Cafe Felix, if you ever go there, try getting the 3 cheese croissant sandwich with the tomato basil soup, so good. 
Then, Deirdre had a birthday celebration at Bonadventure roller rink!We had all sorts of fun.  It was “teen” night, so of course we felt a little old to be there, but we rocked it.  The DJ didn’t play my requested La Bouche and my body still kind of hurts,  I’d say it was worth it. 

There’s a snowboarding trip planned for next weekend, hopefully my body recovers in time for another beating.  I can’t wait really.  It’s been forever since I hit the slopes.  Wanna go? 

love,
-p.

]]> http://www.bettermuseums.com/2009/01/11/adventures/feed/ http://www.bettermuseums.com/2009/01/11/andy-goldsworthy/ http://www.bettermuseums.com/2009/01/11/andy-goldsworthy/#comments Sun, 11 Jan 2009 05:30:45 +0000 admin http://www.bettermuseums.com/2009/01/11/andy-goldsworthy/ Andy Goldsworthy is a British artist who evokes the nostalgia of 1970s Earthwork. Hipsters love his unique look at the landscape. Most hipsters are very romantic at heart so they identify with his fascination of all things natural. Although most hipsters identify with abstract conceptual art on a canvas hung in a pretentious museum, some hipsters really love the idea of site-specific art. Goldsworthy photographs all of his work and then lets nature take it’s materials back, whether it’s a tide taking back the rocks on a beach or the river taking back the leaves around it. If you find a hipster that is fascinated by the environmentalism of Goldsworthy it would be wise to align yourself with them. Environmental hipsters often points to less superficial hipsters. They might seem intense and bizarre, but people that care about more than Sparks, their fashion sense and cigarettes are rare in Hipster Land.

After watching , an amazing documentary of Goldsworthy, they tried to build their own rock egg or twig sculpture.

The most famous Land Art sculptor in Hipster Land is Robert Smithson. He created the at the Great Salt Lake in Utah. It’s unavoidable that Smithson’s name will come up when Goldswothy is discussed. The can only be seen when the water level is just right which means all hipsters are impressed if you’ve seen the . If you haven’t then it’s time for a road trip next time the water level lowers.
]]> http://www.bettermuseums.com/2009/01/11/andy-goldsworthy/feed/ http://www.bettermuseums.com/2009/01/10/closely-related-varieties/ http://www.bettermuseums.com/2009/01/10/closely-related-varieties/#comments Sat, 10 Jan 2009 01:15:45 +0000 admin http://www.bettermuseums.com/2009/01/10/closely-related-varieties/

In two long 1948 “letters”, of a formality that betokens the status which had clinched the matter for him, Greene spells out . . . his notion of the writer’s shifty role in society: “Isn’t disloyalty as much the writer’s virtue as loyalty is the June 13 2008

The Romans, with the expansion of their empire, brought their own system of measurement, which became the most widely adopted in the Western world. It used different parts of the human body to provide various standards of length, such as the digit (the breadth of the middle part of the first joint of the forefinger), the palm (which measures four digits across the palm) and the foot (sixteen digits or four palms). The Roman mile equalled a thousand paces, and their yard was the length of a stride; but for King Henry I (1068-1135), the royal yard was the length of the arm, which equalled three photographs . . . vividly illustrate the stunning beauty of Macleays’s insect collections, and perhaps that is enough to explain his passion. Many of the butterflies, for example, are exquisite in themselves, but even the humblest examples look extraordinary when arranged into neat rows, with closely related varieties and species placed alongside one another. At first glance, each insect wing shades into the next and the whole page seems to ripple with iridescence, even when the specimens themselves are mostly brown or
]]> http://www.bettermuseums.com/2009/01/10/closely-related-varieties/feed/ http://www.bettermuseums.com/2009/01/09/insurgency-movement-in-the-chittagong-hill-tracts-of-bangladesh-internal-and-external-dimensions/ http://www.bettermuseums.com/2009/01/09/insurgency-movement-in-the-chittagong-hill-tracts-of-bangladesh-internal-and-external-dimensions/#comments Fri, 09 Jan 2009 06:06:45 +0000 admin http://www.bettermuseums.com/2009/01/09/insurgency-movement-in-the-chittagong-hill-tracts-of-bangladesh-internal-and-external-dimensions/ -Islam, Syed Serajul

INTRODUCTION: Bangladesh is the only nation-state in South Asia that is considered to be uniquely homogenous, yet it is not free from the crisis of national integration. The tribespeople in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) region, constituting less than 1 percent of the total population of Bangladesh are demanding separation and have been waging an insurgency movement. The insurgents have been unable to achieve independence or complete autonomy for the region. This raises an important question: What is wrong with the separatist movement?

]]> http://www.bettermuseums.com/2009/01/09/insurgency-movement-in-the-chittagong-hill-tracts-of-bangladesh-internal-and-external-dimensions/feed/ http://www.bettermuseums.com/2009/01/08/really-bad-birthday-photos/ http://www.bettermuseums.com/2009/01/08/really-bad-birthday-photos/#comments Thu, 08 Jan 2009 11:38:20 +0000 admin http://www.bettermuseums.com/2009/01/08/really-bad-birthday-photos/ So, Ty's 4th birthday has come and gone and as promised I'm here posting about it.  His birthday was December 8th and right smack in the middle of my crazy holiday photo season.  Poor kid.

You probably think he was completely forgotten in all the hustle bustle of the holidays.  BUT, not so.  I actually did a pretty good job of celebrating his birthday to the MAX if you don't count the fact I never got around to sending out birthday invitations.  That part was a little sad.  I was making last minute phone calls the day before his party…Still, he had many friends in attendance and had a great time.  So, no major problems there.

He actually got to celebrate twice.  His birthday fell on a Monday this year, which totally stunk cause who wants to plan a birthday for Monday.  So, we decided to take him to Chuck E Cheese for dinner the night of his birthday and then planned his party for the weekend after at The Science Museum of Oklahoma.  Pretty cool. 

It all worked out.

Two times the cake.  Two times the pizza.  Two times the presents.

I don't hear him complaining.  It worked out perfectly since his grandparents all came to dinner with us and then on his party day it was all about his friends.

This year he told me he wanted a round Batman cake.  As you can tell, we compromised with a round cake for dinner and a Batman cake for his actual party.  I know I'm a really bad momma for not making his cakes.  But, I never claimed to be a domestic goddess.  My kids are lucky to get fed each night.

The kids did get to make slime during his party, which was pretty neat even if the poor girl doing the demonstration couldn't get anything to work right.  They didn't care.  They were loving just getting to get all nasty and slimy.

It was a total mess!  I only took a few pics from the actual party since I was mostly helping get the kids where they needed to be for various activities and pizza.

So, here are some really bad shots of a super dark Chuck E Cheese with no flash.
 
 

Wes loved all the games.  We were chasing him around the entire time.  I was really glad to have both sets of grandparents there for back up. 
 
 
 
 

]]> http://www.bettermuseums.com/2009/01/08/really-bad-birthday-photos/feed/ http://www.bettermuseums.com/2009/01/08/happy-birthday-to-me/ http://www.bettermuseums.com/2009/01/08/happy-birthday-to-me/#comments Thu, 08 Jan 2009 03:57:48 +0000 admin http://www.bettermuseums.com/2009/01/08/happy-birthday-to-me/ Well I’ve finally done it, made it to 21 Leanna got me some really awesome gifts like a batman belt buckle and a belt which I’ve been after for a while, we went upto london for the day and went to the Babylon Exhibition that we were supposed to be going to last week. It was a bit dissapointing to be honest because it just focused on buildings and not really any art so didn’t get any drawing done .

After all that we visited Magma and I bought some pattern books and a book on being successful online. On the way back we went to Wimbledon where I got me some cheap 5.1 speakers though my FireWave hasn’t shown just yet

]]> http://www.bettermuseums.com/2009/01/08/happy-birthday-to-me/feed/ http://www.bettermuseums.com/2009/01/08/auckland-museum-shark-necropsy-a-huge-success/ http://www.bettermuseums.com/2009/01/08/auckland-museum-shark-necropsy-a-huge-success/#comments Thu, 08 Jan 2009 03:35:45 +0000 admin http://www.bettermuseums.com/2009/01/08/auckland-museum-shark-necropsy-a-huge-success/

More than 4000 people, both from grandstands and on screens inside the Auckland Museum.

The public necropsy of a Great White Shark by Auckland Museum and the Department of Conservation is being described as a huge success.

The event - the first of its kind for the Museum - organised to raise awareness of the threats facing the Great White species,

The necropsy was also watched live by over 30,000 people around the world on the Internet.

The procedure was carried out by Marine Scientist Clinton Duffy from the Department of Conservation’s Marine conservation Section, and Auckland Museum’s Marine Curator Dr. Tom Trnski.

This was a fantastic and rare opportunity to bring the public face-to-face with a Great White, both to promote the conservation this magnificent and vulnerable species, and to further our knowledge of Great White biology, says Dr. Trnksi.

The operation examined and measured the shark’s internal organs and stomach contents – which included the remains of fish, parasites, a fishhook and nylon wire.

]]> http://www.bettermuseums.com/2009/01/08/auckland-museum-shark-necropsy-a-huge-success/feed/ http://www.bettermuseums.com/2009/01/07/kansas-vacationa-taste-of-what-makes-kansas-special/ http://www.bettermuseums.com/2009/01/07/kansas-vacationa-taste-of-what-makes-kansas-special/#comments Wed, 07 Jan 2009 16:09:41 +0000 admin http://www.bettermuseums.com/2009/01/07/kansas-vacationa-taste-of-what-makes-kansas-special/ by Penelope SanMateo

Many people think of Kansas tourism as this flat wasteland in the center of the United States. How wrong they are! Kansas is filled with interesting history, beautiful prairielands, museums, cultural events and attractions and the nicest people anywhere. You can travel in Kansas going from the large city of Kansas City to the little bitty town of Garnett where hospitality is shown in abundance.

Kansas has a number of very small towns such as Selden with a population of 177 as of July 2007. What this means is that there is a lot of open space for people that want to visit someplace they can actually breath without running into someone else in exactly the same spot! Here people appreciate the land and the hunting available. The pheasants are plentiful as well as the hunting farms and ranches that play host to the visitors.

When you visit Atchison you may want to take a ride on the Haunted Atchison Trolley. Atchison has been dubbed the “Most Haunted Town in Kansas” so in conjunction with this the chamber has offered the trolley tours in September and October. These 1 hour ghost tours leave from the Visitor Information Center in the 1880 AT&SF freight depot. One of the homes on the tour is the McInteer Villa which is said to have numerous ghostly appearances from lights going on in the tower where there is no power to figures appearing in the tower windows and in family photographs or footsteps and other noises on occasion as well as slamming doors. There are quite a number of “haunted” houses on the tour and each has a story of its own to tell.

If you enjoy the unique you will enjoy Henry’s Sculpture Hill near Augusta. Here are an array of sculptures created from steel and/or found objects which will enchant you and entertain you. Since this is a private hill, the creator has stopped giving tours for now because of “maintenance, insurance, old age, and attitude, [but] serious buyers who are looking for original steel sculptures are welcome by appointment.” So, if you see something you want to buy, make sure you go and talk to him, otherwise, just look and leave him alone for now. How refreshing to have someone of his artistic talent be so brutally honest.

Have you ever thought about being in the Garden of Eden? Well you can be, right there in Lucas, Kansas! This unique “log cabin” was guilt in 1907 by a retired school teacher and Civil War veteran and in the final 31 years of his life created this unforgettable legacy in three parts. The “log cabin” was built with logs up to 27 feet long and cared from limestone. Dinsmoor, the builder, call it “the most unique home for living or dead on Earth.” He gave tours of this 11 room home during his lifetime. Now tours are given daily May through October. Weekends in January & February. Weekdays March, April, November & December. The cost for the tours is just $6 for adults and $1 for age 6-12. The garden is built of limestone and 113 tons of concrete and tells the history of the world starting with its creation. Come and see the 150 figures plus other forms such as insects to 40 ft tall trees in this unique and fascinating garden in the small town of Lucas.

If you are in the Manhattan or Junction City area you may want to stop in at Fort Riley. There are some truly unique things at the Fort like the Stable Tour where you can see the building that was home to the horses of the last cavalry training stables with its original cobblestone flooring. This building was built in 1889 and originally housed 76 horses; today the building is home to the Commanding General’s Mounted Color Guard and houses 20 horses. Of course there are new and technological training programs that take place at the Fort but there is so much history to study while there that it could be a more than one day experience.

Take the Gypsum Hills Scenic Byway to see the true color of Kansas. Here the hills are filled with canyons, rolling hills, mesas and buttes in stunning color, right in central Kansas. The red cedar tress add a beautiful touch to the terrain. The land is red because it is full of iron oxide which is actually rust. Get off the paved roads to see the real beauty but keep in mind that this is open range so keep your eyes open for animals.

No one can say that those from Kansas don’t have a sense of humor. In the town of Canton there are two water towers, one Hot and one Cold. Now how many towns do you know that would do that? It’s great to know there is such a place in Kansas!

About the Author:

Kansas has an extremely interesting history, beautiful prairielands, and fantastic museums. Penelope SanMateo write travel articles for the Kansas vacations. Check out the cultural events and attractions and the most wonderful people in the Western Kansas tourism region!

Tags: medical, lifestyle, health, natural, fitness, recipes

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