Did you know? Beak facts

Most waders have different lengths of beaks, so that even when they all feed together each species feeds at different depths. most waders have nostrils at the base of the beak and the tip of the beak is extra sensitive, to feel the prey underground.
The kiwi bird is unique in that it has nostrils at the tip of the beak, making it extremely sensitive to smell.

Did you Know? - Crab Plovers

The crab plover (Dromas ardeola) is the only member of 

the Dromadidae family,

and has no close living relatives. 

It is also unique among waders, 

in using ground warmth to aid incubation of eggs.

Did you know? - Little Grebe

The little grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis), also known as the Dabchick,
is the smallest member of the grebe family.

All grebes are accomplished divers and to assist them in swimming under water

the bird’s lobed feet are placed well back at the rear of their bodies.

In fact, a grebe cannot move well on land and rarely comes ashore,

mostly to breed.

Did you know?

Seemingly unimportant insects are vital for the health of an ecosystem. bees and other insect pollinators provide pollinating services to us "FOR FREE".

Fruits and edible-oil seeds cannot be formed without "HELP" from these critters.

Pollination services provided by insects, mainly bees, are worth EUR 153 billion a year, according to new EU-funded research. This figure is equivalent to almost a tenth of the total value of world agricultural food production. Scientists warn that without these pollination services, the supply of fruits, vegetables and stimulants such as coffee and cocoa would no longer meet the current demand.

Did you know?

Juvenile Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus) feeding on dung, originally uploaded by wildlens.

Egyptian vultures (Neophron percnopterus) regularly eat dung, which is a source of Beta-carotene, which gives their beak, the distinctive Yellow color

Did you know?

Ladybird eating Aphid 

Aphids can reproduce by parthenogenesis and are a pest, once the host plant starts to die out,the females start to grow wings,to fly off in search of another plant to feed on and colonize.Ladybirds feed on aphids and keep their population under control.Even a small insect has a vital role to play in maintaining the health of the ecosystem.Here a Ladybird was feeding on a winged female aphid.

Vivitar V3000s camera,reversal ring,extension tube,vivitar 50mm lens,1/125 sec at
f16,Flash,Kodak Elitechrome 100 film pushed to 200 ISO,scanned with Nikon Coolscan 5000ED