BirdCapeMay.org

Q: When a (Northern) Gannet plunge dives, do the ever have their fish stolen from them underwater?

A: Yes!

Q: Are there any butterflies that are bigger than a bird?

A: One actually. It is a rare, endangered species of butterfly called Queen Alexandra's Birdwing (Ornithoptera alexandrae) which is the largest butterfly in the world. It is restricted to the lowland forests of Papua New Guinea.

The females of this species are larger than the males and can reach a wingspan of 31cm (>14 inches), with a body length of 8 cm (3.2 inches). They are the heaviest known butterfly, weighing in at up to .42 ounces or 12 grams. That is 7.5 times heavier than a male Cuban Bee Hummingbird!

The Earth is what we all have in common.

- Wendell Berry

"There is symbolic as well as actual beauty in the migration of the birds...There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature - the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter."

-Rachel Carson

Q: Do Horseshoe Crabs die after they lay their eggs?

A: Egg laying does not kill the Horseshoe Crab however, some die after egg laying by becoming stranded on the beach after the tide recedes. They try to escape the sun's heat by burrowing into the wet sand, but many do not survive when their gills dry out in the sun.

Q: Which shorebirds eat Horseshoe Crab eggs?

A: Nine species of migratory shorebirds are known to eat Horseshoe Crab eggs but five species in particular take advantage of this food supply:

Q: How many feathers does a bird have?

A: It varies; a hummingbird has the fewest number of feathers, about 1,000. Most songbirds have between 1,200 and 4,600 feathers. Waterbirds have the most - with the Emperor Penguin topping the list with 30,000 feathers!

Reference: Tales Alive! Bird Tales from Near & Far retold by Susan Milford

To Know the Dark by Wendell Berry

To go into the dark with a light is to know the light. To know the dark, go dark. Go without sight, and find that the dark, too, blooms and sings, and is traveled by dark feet and dark wings.