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A Touch Of Nature
Donna L. Watkins, Editor
November 1, 2004 Issue

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What's Happening Here at Bluebird Cove
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One recent morning I drove out to the street and there was a finch in the road. I approached and he didn't fly away. Just chirped. I opened my window, talked to him and even opened the car door. He stayed where he was. I grabbed a tissue and got out to get him. Poor thing. He seemed to have conjunctivitis that has become a serious disease in finches, so he couldn't see well enough to know what to do.

I didn't want him to infect other birds and he was terribly underweight for the chilly day. They die of starvation, exposure, or predation rather than the disease itself. Cornell is conducting research on this awful disease that is killing these birds. Here's a link to learn more about it and how you can monitor the birds in your backyard and report online to help the finches. It's important for them to know whether you have healthy or unhealthy birds so they can track the areas affected.

Cornell's Site for Finch Conjunctivitis

Getting a clean, deep and wide bucket from the garage, I made a little home for him with sunflower seeds on one side and water on another. I put a tissue in there just to give him something to snuggle on (probably more for my benefit than his :-)

I then called a wildlife rehab center to make plans on taking him there.

Here's a link to bookmark so you can find a local rehabilitator when you need one.

When I checked on him that evening I put a small box in with a soft rag so he could snuggle if he wanted to. I assumed they would not be able to allow him to live, so I wanted him to have a day of love and care.

I have to remind myself that animals don't have the complicated view of life that we do. I believe they come from the Father's hands into the world and they stay connected and when it's time to leave, in a blink of an eye ... they're back in His hands :-)

I used to get hung up on the suffering [and it's still a process to walk through], but animals don't seem to think it's as big a deal as we do. I've often wondered if being so educated means we sense pain more than those who just live moment to moment.

Keep your eyes open! You never know what difference you can make to some creature out there :-)

Donna

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Critter Facts
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Did You Know These Nature Facts?

• A strand of spider web is stronger than an equal diameter of steel

.• The whale has the slowest metabolism of all animals. Despite its great size, it lives on one of the smallest of all creatures, the microscopic plankton found throughout the sea.

African Penguins - The Warm Weather Ones

The African Penguin (Spheniscus demersus), also known as the Jackass Penguin (after its donkey-like braying call), is found on the southwestern coast of Africa. These birds live in colonies on 24 islands between Namibia and Algoa Bay, near Port Elizabeth, South Africa. African Penguins like warm weather.

African Penguins grow to 20 inches (50 cm) tall and weigh 4.6 - 8.2 pounds (2.1 - 3.7 kg). They have a black stripe and black spots on the chest, the spots being unique for every penguin, like human fingerprints.

Take a look at this photo to see an example

They have pink sweat glands above their eyes. The hotter the penguin gets, the pinker the sweat glands become. The males are larger than the females and have larger beaks.

They breed throughout the year, the main breeding season starting in February. Females lay two eggs, with an incubation period of 38-42 days. They are a monogamous species and the lifelong partners take turns to incubate their eggs and feed their young.

The moulting season is between October and February, with the majority of the birds moulting in November and December, after which they head out to sea to feed (since they do not feed during moulting season and remain on land). Their diet includes small fish such as sardines and anchovies. The penguins obtain water from the fish they eat.

African Penguins have an average lifespan of 10-11 years, the females reaching sexual maturity at the age of 4 years, and males at the age of 5 years. The highest recorded age for a bird of this species has been 24.

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Those Amazing Birds!
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Navigation - How Do Birds Find Their Way?

It's that time of year when we are in awe of the birds that migrate south. It's an incredible feat, especially in the minds of some of us that can't get off the right exit of an interstate highway :-)

They do it through a combination of:

* Sighting (they don't call it a "bird's eye view" for nothing) features like rivers, coastlines, and mountain ranges.
* Monitoring Earth's magnetic field, apparently with their visual system and with tiny grains of a mineral called magnetite in their heads
* Observing the stars
* Using the sun for guidance
* Smell
* And probably following their neighbors (many birds migrate in large flocks)

It doesn't sound simple, does it?

For example, birds which use magnetic navigation must deal with a small problem -- magnetic north is 1,600 kilometers from the north pole. That means migrants leaving northern Alaska and following magneticc south would be traveling due west! Second, star navigation changes as new constellations appear on the horizon as the birds travel north or south.

Although birds have apparently been overcoming these problems for millions of years, only in the past year have scientists figured out how at least one species of bird does it. It seems that the birds recalibrate their magnetic compasses against their star navigation during their rest stops along the migration route. And if they don't have enough time at the rests, they get lost.

Flight strategies

Once the birds know where they're going, they also need a way to get there, and that brings us to the realm of fuel efficiency -- of miles per rodent, or kilometers per thistle seed. Depending on their size, route, and laziness (just kidding!), birds uuse one of these flight strategies:

* Slow and Steady Wins the Race: The most basic technique is to keep flapping your wings until you land. That's the technique used by the Canada goose and many other migrants.

* Soaring. Smarter (still kidding) birds have figured out how to ride" thermals" -- updrafts of air caused by solar heating, to take a free ride high into the sky. These birds, including Swainson's hawk, tuurkey vultures, and many others, only travel during the day, and only over land (preferably flat land). Those restrictions can lead to astonishing concentrations of migrating birds.

* Flapping and gliding. These birds flap their wings for a few beats, then glide for a while. After they lose some altitude and/or speed, they flap some more.

* Bounding. This is a combination of flapping with a closed-wing glide. It's used by birds whose wings would produce too much drag. Although their aerodynamic bodies do create some lift, the birds tend to lose altitude and the flight pattern is up-and-down, like the flap-and-glide pattern.

Now that you have this information, be sure to take some time watching the birds to see these variations and enjoy the wonder of it all.

Source: Why Files

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Nature's Bounty For Us
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Nature offers essential oils with potent properties that can be used in many areas around the home. For health, bath, beauty, and household cleaning supplies.

Here's our featured recipe for this issue:

Self-Esteem Booster

1/8 ounce jojoba oil [or olive, sunflower, safflower]
4 drops Marjoram oil
6 drops Ylang Ylang oil
1 drop Patchouli oil

Place on neck and chin. Wear as a perfume.

Read more about the benefits of these oils, find other recipes, and purchase

Herbal and Supplement Solutions by Health Topic

Do you need to build a body system for better health and wellness? Herbs work! They've been used by people all around the world for thousands of years. We've been using Nature's remedies since 1979 and found them to be so much help in gaining and maintaining health. This catalog lists natural solutions by health topic.

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Pets Are Part of Our Nature
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Pet Success Stories Using Nature's Remedies

Free Natural Pet Email Newsletter

Healthy Pet Corner for Birds, Cats, Dogs, Horses, Rabbits & Reptiles

Flint River Ranch - Oven-Baked Dog and Cat Foods and Treats

Healthy Pet Net - Natural Pet Supplements, Treats, Foods

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Gardening For Wildlife - Restoring the Balance
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Before you stock up on something to de-ice your driveway and walkways this
year, please consider this information:

Natural De-Icers

The chemical salts used to de-ice driveways and walkways do a lot of damage to grass, bulbs and perennials. There are some natural ways to handle the situation and save your plants. Here are a few ice breakers that are environmentally safe.

De-Ice: Alfalfa Meal - This is a totally natural fertilizer that contains nitrogen to promote ice melting and has a texture to provide traction while it works.

Traction: Cover ice with wood ashes, coal cinders, sand, or cat litter.

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Shopping With Purpose
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Please Note: We receive no compensation for promoting these businesses,
other than the delight of sharing alternative shopping experiences for those
who would like to make a difference while shopping. :-)

Handbags Made From Recycled Billboards

From Relan comes this unique, one-of-a-kind messenger bag cut from an original highway billboard. Velcro closure ensures tight protection and easy access to everything inside. Lightweight, water-resistant and tear-resistant with an adjustable shoulder strap.

Product Benefit:

Highway billboards are made of super-strong vinyl that can withstand the harshest weather conditions. Recycling highway billboards into one-of-a-kind fashion accessories helps conserve natural resources and reduce landfills. Take a look at the designs here

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" Green" Info - Making It a Way of Life!
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Recycle Your Boxes

The largest single source of waste paper collected for recycling is corrugated boxes. Reuse your boxes for shipping packages or offer them to somebody that's ready to move. Call a realtor for names. Boxes make good organizational containers if you cut the flaps off. I've organized drawers and closets with them and especially in the garage!

Americans throw away enough wood and paper every year to heat five million homes for 200 years. Let's do better!

Sunshine Concentrate - Detoxify Your Cleaning!

This environmentally-friendly cleaning and washing concentrate is nothing less than wonderful!! We've used this for 15 years and love it for laundry, hand soap, pet baths, soaking produce, dishwasher, cleaning, and a multitude of other uses. This product has saved us hundreds of dollars over the years. Makes life much simpler and takes away the "itch" of chemical soaps. Sunshine Concentrate

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Muse On Nature
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" What is needed, I am convinced, is for us to see ourselves, individually and collectively, as part of an interrelated, interdependent community: the community of living things, the world of nature."

Russell E. Train

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Nature Organizations - Making a Difference!
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Trees for the Future

The world's forests are being rapidly destroyed. Each year, an area as large as New England becomes a barren wasteland.

Trees for the Future's people-to-people program assists families to improve their living standards through projects that also bring lasting benefits to the global environment. They revitalize lands and help restore dignity to the people living off of these lands.

You can provide seeds and onsite training in villages where millions of trees are being planted each year. The Tree Pals program get children here and in developing countries working together to plant trees. Trees cost about $.12 each to plant.

Do you love children? Do you love trees? Visit the site and pass it on to somebody else.

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The Frugal Life - Learning to Live With What You Already Have
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Living more simply is a great way to effect change in your own personal environment. It helps the planet also. The Frugal Life website has lots of ideas on getting back to basics. They also have a free newsletter emailed twice a month.

Written to encourage families wanting to stretch their dollars, it includes articles or tidbits on topics such as: finance, decorating, gardening, and household tips from subscribers and questions from the website forum.

Sign up for their free email newsletter

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If you enjoy this newsletter, please forward it on
to somebody you know. It's how we grow! Thanks!

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Disclaimer
The content, suggestions, and web links in this newsletter are for informational purposes only and not necessarily endorsed by our sponsor "The Herbs Place.com" This is a personal publication by Donna Watkins. The ideas and information expressed in it have not been approved or authorized by anyone either explicitly or impliedly. In no event shall Donna Watkins or " The Herbs Place.com" be liable for any damages whatsoever resulting from any action arising in connection with the use of this information or its publication, including any action for infringement of copyright or defamation.