I MAY NOT BE ON HERE FOR A FEW DAYS

Tomorrow I am to have an operation on the area above my right eyelid. It is called blepharoplasty.  A few months ago I noticed this swelling below my right eyebrow and asked the doctor about it.  He referred me to my eye specialist who unfortunately at that time was ill so I didn't see him until a month or so back.

He told me the swelling was actually fat and it was common in older people and they didn't necessarily have to be fat (or was he just being diplomatic?) but frequently happened as one aged.  Anyway he said it would only get worse (and I must admit it is becoming a nuisance now) and he would, after inserting a local anaesthetic, make a small incision above the eyelid, remove the fat, and restitch it.

This sounded to me similar to operations ladies (and men too perhaps) have for aesthetic purposes to stop that eyelid droop that people develop.  The doctor said it is a similar operation but fortunately as it is not classed as cosmetic surgery but done to cure a medical condition, it will be covered by Medicare.  We have not yet reached the Safety Net this year so it will still cost me a fair bit but I felt it was worth it.  I will have the left eye done in August as I suppose they need to match and I must admit there is some obvious swelling on that side, although not nearly as bad as on the right side.  By then we should have reached the Safety Net so the second op could be free!!  One can always hope.

I mentioned having this operation to my ENT specialist who said they too do this type of operation and said I should definitely have it done as the condition would only worsen over time.  The interesting thing though is that he would use a general anaesthetic and when I mentioned this to my eye specialist, he said he wouldn't do it under a general, but only using a local anaesthetic.  Now, why didn't I ask him why that is?  Perhaps, if I get an opportunity, I'll ask him that tomorrow or when he takes the stitches out on Tuesday next week.

At my age I don't expect to look more beautiful but am hoping my eyesight will be clearer without looking through my eyelashes as I seem to be doing at present.

I just wanted to mention it as upon reading up on the operation it does say not to overuse the eye and to try and abstain from doing things such as watching TV, using computers, or reading for up to a week.  I will ask tomorrow exactly what his advice is but perhaps I can just use one eye???    I will not miss TV as there is little to watch but I will miss my computer and I've just bought a new Lee Childs book so that may have to wait too.

K is for KEA

I just couldn't resist making the Kea my "K" bird as I was so fascinated watching several of them on the Fox Glacier in New Zealand many years ago when holidaying in that beautiful country.  They are very mischievous parrots and I saw them trying to steal bits from cars parked nearby particularly if people had roof racks with pieces dangling down.  Probably annoying to the people concerned, but you couldn't help but admire the tenacity of these birds.  I felt they perhaps have a devilish sense of humour.

The KEA (Nestor notabilis) is a large species of parrot found in forested and alpine regions of the South Island of New Zealand.

 About 48 cm (18 in) long, the Kea is mostly olive-green with brilliant orange under its wings and has a large, narrow, curved, grey-brown upper beak.  The Kea is the world's only alpine parrot.  Its omnivorous diet includes carrion, but consists mainly of roots. leaves, berries, nectar and insects.   The Kea was once killed for bounty due to concerns by the sheep-farming community that it attacked livestock, especially sheep.  It received full protection only in 1986.

The Kea nests in burrows or crevices among the roots of trees.  Kea are known for their intelligence and curiosity, both vital for their survival in a harsh mountain environment.  Kea can solve logical puzzles, such as pushing and pulling things in a certain order to get to their food, and will work together to achieve a certain objective.

The Kea was described by ornithologist John Gould in 1856.  Its specific epithet the Latin "notablis" means "noteworthy".  The common name is from Maori,  probably representing the screech of the bird.  The term "Kea" is both singular and plural.  A gathering or group of Kea is called a circus (and feel this is particularly apt when speaking about this bird).

The Kea's notorious urge to explore and manipulate makes this bird a pest for residents and an attraction for tourists.  Called "the clown of the mountains" it will investigate backpacks, boots, or even cars, often causing damage or flying off with small items.  The Kea is attracted by the prospect of food scraps.  Their curiosity leads them to peck and carry away unguarded items of clothing or to pry apart rubber parts of cars - to the entertainment and annoyance of human observers.  They are often described as "cheeky".  A Kea has even been reported to have made off with a Sottish man's passport while he was visiting Fiordland National Park.

I just had to include this photo of a baby Kea (it looks so forlorn doesn't it?)

Some people believe that the unbalanced diet resulting from feeding Kea human foods, has a dertimental effect on the bird's health.  The Department of Conservation also suggest that the time savings resulting from a more calore-rich diet will give Kea more free time to investigate and hence damage things at campsites and car parks.  The birds' naturally trusting behaviour around humans has also been indicated as a contributing factor in a number of recent incidents at popular tourist spots where Kea have been purposely killed.  (There we go again with horrible people behaving far worse than animals do and from all reports it is still happening).

The Kea featured on the reverse side of the New Zealand $10 note between 1967 and 1992, when it was replaced with the whio.

A TRULY BEAUTIFUL ANIMAL

I recently received an email with many beautiful pictures to admire but the one that caught my eye was the one about this horse that had been announced the most beautiful horse in the world:

The Akhal-Teke (ahal'teke) is a horse breed from Turkmenistan, where they are a national emblem.  They are noted for their speed and endurance on long marches  These "golden-horses" are adapted to severe climatic conditions and are thought to be one of the oldest surviving horse breeds  There are currently about 3,500 Akhal-Tekes in the world, mostly in Turkmenistan and Russia, although they are also found throughout Europe, Australia and North America.

There are several theories regarding the original ancestry of the Akhal-Teke, some dating back thousands of years.  The tribes of Turkmenistan selectively bred the horse, recording their pedigrees orally and using them for raiding  The breed was used in the losing fight against the Russian Empire, and was subsumed into the Empire along with its country.  The Russians printed the first stud book for the breed in 1941, including over 700 horses.  Since then, the Akhal-Teke has influenced many other breeds, including several Russian breeds.  There has also been some crossbreeding with the Thoroughbred to create a fast, long-distance racehorse, but the resulting horses did not have the endurance of the purebred Akhal-Teke.  The studbook was closed in 1975.

The Akhal-Teke has a fine head with a straight or slightly convex profile and long ears.  It also has almond-shaped eye.  (In this picture the eye appears to be blue...could this be the case I wonder?)  The mane and tail are usually sparse. It has sloping shoulders and a thin skin, and they have strong, tough, but fine limbs.  They have a rather slim body and ribcage (like an equine version of the greyhound), with a deep chest.  They are lively and alert, with a reputation for bonding to only one person.

The breed is touch and resilient, having adapted to the harshness of Turkmenistan lands, where horses must live without much food or water.  This has also made the horses good for sport.  The breed has great endurance, as shown in 1935 when a group of Turkmen riders rode the 2,500 miles from Ashgabat to Moscow in 84 days, including a three-day crossing of 235 miles of desert without water.  This horse is also known for its form and grace as a show jumper.

The above is the horse Yanardag of the first president of Turkmenistan Saparmurat Niyazov on the arms of Turkmenistan.

Should you be interested enough to learn about its size, ancestry etc, you will find it all on Wikepedia.

ANYONE FOR GOLF?

Spotted this on Wikipedia the other day and thought perhaps others would be interested about this golf course which you could say is something rather different to most.

Nullarbor links is an 18 hole par 72 golf course, said to be the "World's Longest Golf Course", situated along the 1,365 kilometres of the Eyre Highway that crosses the southern coast of Australia in two states (Western Australia and South Australia), notably crossing the Nullarbor Plain at the head of the Great Australian Bight.

The idea for the course came from Alf Caputo and Bob Bongiorno, both active in the Eyre Highway Operator's Associaton, over a bottle of red wine at the Balladonia Roadhouse.  The course officially opened on 22 October, 2009, although public play began on 15 August, 2009.

The course begins and ends (depending on the direction of the crossing) in the goldmining town of Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, and the coastal town of Ceduna, South Australia.  Professional golfer Robert Stock, from Manchester England, consulted on the design that incorporate 7 holes from existing courses and 11 holes created at road houses and roadside stops.  Newly constructed holes have tees and greens that use artificial grass, with natural desert land between them.

The shortest hole is a 125 metre par 3 and the longest hole is a 538 metre par 5.  The average distance between holes is 66 kilometeres and two of the holes are 200 kilometres apart.  The 520 metre part 5 Wombat Hole commemorates the nearby, largest colony of Southern Hairy Nosed Wombats.

The Skylab hole at Balladonia (a small roadhouse on the Eyre H'way in Western Australia) commemorates that pieces of the spacecraft fell in the area in 1979 when Skylab entered Earth's atmosphere.   (Pieces of Skylab were scattered across the south-east of Western Australia).

Players (travellers on the Eyre Highway) use a score card purchased in Kalgoorlie (W.A.) or Ceduna (S.A.) for $A50.00 and play holes at various sites along the continental road.  On presenting the completed card they can claim a certificate for playing "The World's Longest Golf Course".  It truly sounds like a lot of fun.

J is for JAY

I was scratching my head wondering if I could find a bird for the J spot and then remembered hearing of the Jay so here goes:

Jays are several species of medium-sized, usually colourful and noisy, passerine birds in the crow family Corvidae.  The names jay and magpie are somewhat interchangeable, and the evolutionary relationships are rather complex.  For example, the Eurasian magpie seems more closely related to the Eurasian Jay than to the Oriental blue and green magpies, where the blue jay is not closely related to either  (I hope that makes sense as they are birds I know nothing about...more reading needed here).  The bird in this picture is the Eurasian jay after which all jays have been named.

These are birds I am not familiar with nor have I been able to find much general information so instead of writing about feeding and breeding etc., I will leave you with some lovely pictures I've found of various types of jay.  (My other reason is I'm tired but wanted to post something today!!).

The word "jay" has an archaic meaning in American slang meaning a person who chatters impertinently.

The term 'jaywalking' was coined in 1915 to label persons crossing a busy street carelessly and becoming a traffic hazard.  The term began to imply recklessness or impertinent behavious as the convention became established ("jay-walker" Oxford English Dictionary (3rd ed.)

I is for IBIS x 3

The Australia White Ibis (Threskiornis moluccus) is a wading bird of the Ibis family Threshiomithidae.  It is widespread across much of Australia.  It has a predominantly white plumage with a bare, black head, long downcurved bill and black legs.

Historically rare in urban areas, this bird has immigrated to urban areas of the east coast in increasing numbers since the late 1970s; it is now commonly seen in Wollongong, Sydney, the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Townsville.  Debate continues on whether to consider it a pest or vulnerable species.  Populations have disappeared from natural breeding areas such as the Macquarie Marches in northwestern New South Wales and yet, despite this, the species has been culled in parts of Sydney due to their smell and at times obtrusive nature.    The white ibis usually gives off a foul stench; a smell not described as rotten, but an odd smell that is rather unpleasant and distinct.  It's call is a long croak.  Red can be seen under its wings when in flight.

It's sister species is the AFRICAN SACRED IBIS (Threskiornis aethiopicus) which has an all white body plumage apart from dark plumes on the rump.  The bald head and neck, thick curved bill and legs are black.  

The Sacred Ibis breeds in sub-Saharan Africa, southeastern Iraq, and formerly in Egypt, where it was venerated and often mummified as a symbol of the god Thoth.  The African Sacred ibis occurs in marshy wetlands and mud flats, both inland and on the coast.  It will also visit cultivation and rubbish dumps.  In flight the winds show a black rear border in flight.  

The Sacred Ibis is usually silent, but occasionally makes some croaking noises, unlike its vocal relative:

The HADEDA IBIS (Bostrychia hagedash) is a heavy bodied brown to grey bird with iridescent pink-purple shoulder patches and a long de-curved bill.  It has a narrow, white, roughly horizontal stripe across its cheeks.  This is why it is sometimes called the 'moustache" though it does not reach the mouth corners. It has a distinctively loud, penetrating and recognisable haa-haa-haa-de-had call that is often heard when the birds are flying or when startled, hence the name, Hadeda.

The Hadeda ibis move around in flocks numbering up to 20 birds or 100 out of breeding season and is found in sub-Saharan Africa in open grasslands, savanna and wetlands, as well as urban parks, school fields, green corridors and large gardens.  The countries that this bird occurs in are Sudan, Ethiopia, Senegal, Uganda, Tanzania, Gabon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Gambia, Kenya, Somalia and South Africa.

I've not given detail of breeding, feeding etc., but wanted to demonstrate different type of Ibis and how widespread they are in different countries.   I was intrigued about how smelly the White Australian ibis can be and you'd certainly not want it landing in your back garden!!

H is for HARDHEAD + HUIA + HOATZIN

The HARDHEAD (Aythya australia) is the only true diving duck found in Australia.  Hardheads are common in the south-east of Australia, particularly in the Murray-Darling Basin, but also in wetter country near the coasts.  They are moderately nomadic in normal years, but disperse widely in times of drought.  Significant numbers reach as far afield as New Guinea, New Zealand, and the islands of the Pacific, where they can remain for some time, even breeding for a season or two.

 

Like the other members of the pochard group, hardheads feed by diving deeply, often staying submerged for as long as a minute at a time.  They slip under water with barely a ripple, simply lowering their heads and thrusting with their powerful webbed feet.  They eat a broad range of small aquatic creatures and supplement this with water weeds.  They prefer larger lakes, swamps and rivers with deep, still water, but are often seen in smaller streams, flooded grasslands and shallow pools.  As a general rule they avoid coastal waters and rarely come to land and never perch in trees.

They are small by duck standards, usually not much more than 45 cm long but sometimes reaching 60 cm and they are noticeably more rounded in overal form than most ducks.  Both male and female are a fairly uniform chocolate-brown above, with rufous flanks and white undersides (which are often not visible if the duck is in the water).  In the male the eyes are a striking white, in the they female, brown.

Widespread throughout its large range, the hardhead is evaluated as "Least Concern" on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (it's great to know that some species still have a chance of continuance in our world).
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Unfortunately the story is not so happy for the HUIA (Heteralocha acutirostris) which was the largest species of New Zealand wattlebird, endemic to the North Island of New Zealand,  Its extinction in the early 20th century had two primary causes.  The first was rampant overhunting to procure Huia skins for mounted specimens, which were in worldwide demand by museums and wealthy private collectors. Huia were also hunted to obtain their long, striking tail feathers for locally fashionable hat decorations.  The second major cause of extinction was the widespread deforestation of the lowlands of the North Island by European settlers to create pasture for agriculture.  Most of these forest were ancient, ecologically complex primary forests, and Huia were unable to survice in regenerating secondary forests.  The last confirmed sighting of a Huia was on 28th December, 1907 in the Tararua Ranges.  Further credible sightings in Wellington were reported until 1922 and in Te Urewera National Park in the early 1960s.  One can only hope these magnificent birds have managed to survive somewhere in a place still be be discovered.

The Huia belonged to a family found only in New Zealand, a family so ancient that no relation is found elsewhere.  It was remarkable for having the most pronounced sexual dimorphism in bill shape of any bird species in the world.  The female's beak was long, thin and arched downward while the male's was short and stout, like that of a crow.  This is well demonstrated in the above painting by J.G..Keulemans.
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 I have included the HOATZIN (Opisthocomus hoazin) as I think it is one of the most amazing looking birds I've ever seen.  It is a species of tropical bird found in swamps, riverine forests and mangroves of the Amazon and Orinoco delta in South America.  It is notable for having chicks that possess claws on two of their wing digits.  It is the only member of the genus Opisthocomus (Greek for "wearing long hair behind") referring to its crest, which is in turn the only extant genus in the family Opisthocomidae. The taxonomic position of this family has been greatly debated and is still far from clear.

It is pheasant-sized with a total length o 65 cm (26 in) with a long neck and small head.  It is a noisy species, with a variety of hoarse calls, including groans, croaks, hisses and grunts.  These calls are often associated with body movements, such as wing spreading.  Calls are used to maintain contact between individuals in groups, warning of threats and intruders, and by chicks begging for food.

Wikipedia has lots more information about this unusual bird; far too much for me to write here but it is well worth checking it out as apparently it is another creature about which there is much debate in regard to its phylogenetic relationships as no evolutionary hypothesis has been proposed and that situation has worsened with the available of DNA sequence data.

Hope you enjoyed reading about these three very different species of bird.