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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Saturday, April 30, 2005 - 2:17 pm
GAL, duck-billed platypusses are not extinct. They are alive and well and living in the wild as well as in zoos in Australia. They are native only to Australia. And now that you mention it, I am not sure what sort of animal they are classified as either. I think it is the only mammal in the world that lays eggs. If it is a mammal. It is warm blooded, aquatic like a beaver, fur, no feathers, webbed feet, and indeed a bill like a duck.
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Goddessatlaw
Member
07-19-2002
| Saturday, April 30, 2005 - 2:24 pm
Dang, Juju - you a smart dawg. I was channeling the Dodo bird, not the platypus. Colossus adds his commentary: platypus' are ugly critters. LOL.
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Jmm
Member
08-16-2002
| Saturday, April 30, 2005 - 2:27 pm
The platypus is one of only two mammals that do not give birth to live young but lays eggs instead (the other is the echidna.) After birth, the young live on milk provided by the mother. However, the platypus does not have nipples. Instead, glands along the side of the mother secrete milk and the young platypus will lap it up. After six weeks the young have fur and may leave the nest for short periods. They are weaned by five months old. The Big Zoo
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Goddessatlaw
Member
07-19-2002
| Saturday, April 30, 2005 - 2:39 pm
OK, can we take a vote? I vote that the platypus is the wierdest animal that ever lived. Wasn't the Dodo also found in Australia or New Zealand and nearly as wierd? Or did it just appear stupid? ETA crap man, the platypus even has a venom spur. It's part snake, too.
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Goddessatlaw
Member
07-19-2002
| Saturday, April 30, 2005 - 2:49 pm
The Dodo was from an island in the Indian Ocean and it went extinct much earlier than I thought - 1681. Here's a link: Dodo Bird
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Saturday, April 30, 2005 - 5:41 pm
Dang! I forgot all about the echidna laying eggs too. We have seen an echidna in the wild (I am half Australian, mother was a war bride), but not a platypus. The echidna was by the side of the road not far from cousin Chairfree's house. He was dug into the dirt, and both Bigdog and Chairfree tried to turn him over with their shoes, but he wasn't budging. But I suppose we best not get too far afield discussing mammals in here, lest we get ousted. Or pecked to death. LOL.
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Seamonkey
Member
09-07-2000
| Monday, May 02, 2005 - 11:41 pm
HOw bout that Treasury Duck?? Treasury Duck guarded by Secret Service to keep nest and eggs safe. Guarding Treasury Ducklings Hatching out: Hatching
Treasury Duck and ducklings relocate away from tourists Relocated
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Calamity
Member
10-18-2001
| Monday, May 09, 2005 - 10:57 am
On the homefront, the hummingbirds have finally shown up, the bluebirds are making a nest in the box in back, and this weekend I spotted the season's first pair of rose-breasted grosbeaks. Still waiting for the tree swallows but they usually don't appear 'til early June. The male gold finches are all bright yellow again though! Some wild turkeys have been in the field behind my yard too, along with some Canadian geese and deer. And at my office, the lilacs are blooming, the flycatchers have made their annual return to their nesting site under the eaves and this morning a pair of orioles were on the nectar feeder. They come every year too. Oh and the sand cherry smells delicious. It's always had spring flowers but they never had any fragrance before this year. Lovely day!
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Calamity
Member
10-18-2001
| Monday, June 13, 2005 - 12:13 pm
The owl was back this weekend (I was worried about the chipmunk & the toad though)! And twice in the past week I've seen what I think may be a meadowlark in my yard. I've never had one of those before so I'm hoping he will stick around! Maybe my wildflower & native grasses are finally luring more varieties. Just planted some bee balm, a butterfly bush, and some organic seeds too. Oh and I found an old hummingbird nest and some discarded feathers. One of the feathers is 17-inches long and the hummingbird nest is only a couple inches across, lol. Kinda funny looking at them side by side.
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Yankee_in_ca
Member
08-01-2000
| Saturday, June 25, 2005 - 5:56 pm
From the "nature is not always pretty" file: Here is the murderess and her offspring in our lagoon. There was another mom and younger ducklings in our lagoon, but this mom unfortunately killed them one by one by pecking them in the head.

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Goddessatlaw
Member
07-19-2002
| Sunday, June 26, 2005 - 4:31 pm
.
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Ophiliasgrandma
Member
09-04-2001
| Sunday, June 26, 2005 - 6:41 pm
Well, I suppose a duck's gotta do what a duck's gotta do.
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Wendo
Member
08-07-2000
| Thursday, June 30, 2005 - 11:10 pm
*Laughing...feeling really bad about it...but laughing...*
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Seamonkey
Member
09-07-2000
| Friday, July 01, 2005 - 11:04 am
Well, nature is set up that way.. and as long as the balance is maintained, it works with predators and the prey. That's why some fish have so many fry, but the mom fish also eats many of them. Survival of the fittest seems to say that the ducklings raised by the murderess may inherit her will to stay alive and protect HER young. This doesn't mean I would want to watch it happen or that I wouldn't want to be out there with a broom, beating off the murderess myself, of course. The birds certainly know they have to fight to stay alive.. look at the beautiful, fragile-seeming hummingbirds! They are most fierce and territorial, also very careful. A male and female of a pair don't feed at the same places and the males will go all out to drive off other males from a food source.
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Supergranny
Member
02-03-2005
| Tuesday, July 26, 2005 - 12:50 pm
We have wild finches and my husband keeps lots of thistle for them, sometimes we have as many as 30 of the bright yellow birds darting back and forth. Also we have hummingbirds so he keeps several feeders for them. Now here comes the funny part..we have one of the yellow finches drinking out of the hummingbird feeders. He is so fat!! We have a bird bath that's kept full of fresh water so he's not thirsty for water. He has developed a taste for the syrup. We are trying to get a picture of him...it is so funny! Has anyone else heard of this?
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Seamonkey
Member
09-07-2000
| Tuesday, July 26, 2005 - 1:09 pm
LOL! I'd love to see a pic of the Fat Finch.
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Calamity
Member
10-18-2001
| Tuesday, July 26, 2005 - 1:30 pm
Supergranny: Oh I love watching goldfinches! Lucky you! I hope you get a photo to share. I have at least one hairy woodpecker who drinks regularly from my hummingbird feeder. And earlier this season I spotted a fairly large, unfamiliar bird, must have been migrating, hanging from the hummingbird feeder and pecking away at the little moat that keeps ants away. I looked it up in a couple bird books but couldn't find a definite match. Orioles will also drink from hummingbird feeders.
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Seamonkey
Member
09-07-2000
| Tuesday, July 26, 2005 - 3:01 pm
As will large black bees.. I've seen some that are almost the size of some hummers.
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Calamity
Member
10-18-2001
| Wednesday, July 27, 2005 - 12:42 pm
I use this type of hummingbird feeder - since the sugar water doesn't drip out, it attracts far fewer insects than the upside-down kind of feeder. Not to say that no bugs will try to get at it. I do try to help out the bees though. I have a huge honeysuckle bush that they swarm over in late spring and a couple months ago I planted a bunch of bee balm plants that were given to me for free from someone who was re-doing their garden. My brother dug up his clematis too, and gave it to me, but it doesn't look like it survived. The bee balm plants are doing terrific. They're a mix of white, purple, and red flowers and they all bloomed. I was happy to see the bumble bees at work but it's the honey bees who are really important. I think I spotted one last night so I'm hoping... P.S. You don't want to know how jealous I am of folks who can just tear out their landscaping on a whim! I sure can't afford that.

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Theowl
Member
09-28-2000
| Saturday, July 30, 2005 - 8:00 pm
At the beginning of May, I was so afraid that my hummingbirds weren't going to come, but then I got SWARMED with them!! I have 4/4 station feeders outside my kitchen window, and at LEAST 2 dozen hummingbirds!! Sometimes all at the same time!! I love washing dishes now, and just watch them. When a feeder is empty, or I put fresh out for them, a few at a time come up to the window and thank me. I call them my Sippers (the ones that sit and drink), and my Dippers (the ones that drink in mid air and dip in). They go through 12 cups of sugar water in less than 1 1/2 days. They are so much fun, and I LOVE my Sippers and Dippers, and they LOVE me!!
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Urgrace
Member
08-19-2000
| Sunday, July 31, 2005 - 9:33 am
Do any of you use homemade sugar water in your hummingbird feeders, or is it important to use only store bought nectar? My sis and folks all have feeders and use just the sugar water. We got our son a feeder to hang outside his window. It was to the point that I was sure the location was not a good one, and it took three weeks for the hummers to find it. We'd like to keep them coming back.
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Theowl
Member
09-28-2000
| Sunday, July 31, 2005 - 9:46 am
Hi Gracie!! I make my own sugar water for my hummingbirds. I boil 4 cups of water and add 3 cups of sugar, and one drop of red food coloring. I then freeze (for about an hour) 8 cups of water in a gallon milk container, and add the sugar water to it when it is cool enough not to melt the plastic. Then I fill up the feeders, and have to do it again the next day. One thing that helps to get the birds to you, is to put a flowering bush near the feeder that attracts the hummingbirds. I hope Kip enjoys them as much as I do. They can really be mean little buggers!! 
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Seamonkey
Member
09-07-2000
| Monday, August 01, 2005 - 5:57 pm
Sugar water is better.. and don't put in food coloring.. that isn't good for them and a red feeder is far batter than red water .. And never never give them honey. Gracie they will come! One thing is that they are so territorial that you may get spedific hummers chasing away others.. the male and female of a pair won't go to the same feeder either. Ijust love watching the little guys.. LOL, yeah, must let it cool down!
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Yankee_in_ca
Member
08-01-2000
| Monday, August 01, 2005 - 9:42 pm
We have our third set of ducklings this season in our lagoon. They appeared yesterday morning. As of yesterday (and today -- yippee!) there are 9 ducklings. We'll see how they get on, but for now they're pretty cute. We think the mom must have had some babies here before, because she seems quite comfortable with us walking around. Here are some pics dh took this afternoon as they sunned themselves. First the mom, and then a few of the cheepies:

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Yankee_in_ca
Member
08-01-2000
| Monday, August 01, 2005 - 9:44 pm
Oh, and P.S. -- the two offspring of the murderess (my June post) are still around. They fly away now and then, but always come back together. They're both females.
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