WE
had some inquiries* about yesterday's SRN-featured
tiny-tongued bat
tiny-tongued bat
so we revisited the video clip
(furnished by St. Paul, MN RR museum docent, Bob Heeschen,
play it -
play it -
Indeed, the bat was stopped by our digital
aimed at the monitor
aimed at the monitor
as he lapped cactus nectar
with a minature (but not so for him) tongue.
And that was not all the delightful video
disclosed.
Hummingbirds' whirring wings were slowed
by the slow-motion filming videomaker
to allow us to witness what
to allow us to witness what
in real time would be barely visible:
a hummingbird did roll-over flips through the air
with a competing nectar gatherer,
a honeybee.
with a competing nectar gatherer,
a honeybee.
Over and over the hummingbird rolled
as it chased the bee away
as it chased the bee away
- I tried roll-overs in 1966 in a Cessna 150 single-wing; it was chancy -
the bee/bird encounter happened
so fast that it nearly escaped the eye
were it not for slow-motion photography.
were it not for slow-motion photography.
Just before that, a hummingbird flew
into a spider's web and was nearly caught
by an also hungry spider.
No matter how tiny the tongues of
some animals are
the urge of nourishment attainment
is universally potent.
The tongue shape
is an oft-repeated theme
in nature.
Bill Vollmer, using his tongue, cleans wall-eyes he caught in the Menominee River
near Marinette WI
Yesterday I bought a can of Pringles
and thought of a tongue
as I placed a Pringle on my
own similar tongue.
A battle of tongues
so to speak.
The frail potato chip wafer
was no match for my
75 year old crushing proboscis.
And it was not easy to eat just one.
........................
And speakingin of tongues,
Fellow classmates at Waukesha High School, class of 1954, are planning
another, yet another reunion, for the year 2014. That will be their sixtieth
(60th).
As fresh meat, I have been gently pressured - tongue-talked - into participating in a planning committee
for this elderly event. Although I have not gone to a single reunion, ever,
when the tongue screws were turned by Bill Nelson (above center top)
and Sally (Martin) von Briesen (below, leading a cheer)
and augmented by another '54 classmate, Jack Hill
(see the end of this link to a post
http://raccoonnews.blogspot.com/2012/01/mike-dixs-extreme-fall-bucket-lists.html)
all three, coaxing, coaxing, coaxing.....
I said today - OK, count me in.
It could be fun.
I might have been missing something.......
...............................................
*Comments?
The tongue shape
is an oft-repeated theme
in nature.
Bill Vollmer, using his tongue, cleans wall-eyes he caught in the Menominee River
near Marinette WI
Yesterday I bought a can of Pringles
and thought of a tongue
as I placed a Pringle on my
own similar tongue.
A battle of tongues
so to speak.
The frail potato chip wafer
was no match for my
75 year old crushing proboscis.
And it was not easy to eat just one.
........................
And speaking
another, yet another reunion, for the year 2014. That will be their sixtieth
(60th).
As fresh meat, I have been gently pressured - tongue-talked - into participating in a planning committee
for this elderly event. Although I have not gone to a single reunion, ever,
when the tongue screws were turned by Bill Nelson (above center top)
and Sally (Martin) von Briesen (below, leading a cheer)
and augmented by another '54 classmate, Jack Hill
(see the end of this link to a post
http://raccoonnews.blogspot.com/2012/01/mike-dixs-extreme-fall-bucket-lists.html)
all three, coaxing, coaxing, coaxing.....
I said today - OK, count me in.
It could be fun.
I might have been missing something.......
...............................................
*Comments?
People wishing to register comments
to the SRN are invited to do so via Email c/o
ddix1@wi.rr.com
