DARWIN DAY CELEBRATED!

On February 12th, the Society celebrated the birthday of a Prophet.
A massive celebration was underway late into the night at the Eco-House to celebrate the 199th birthday of Charles Darwin: Naturalist, Statesman, Philanthropist, Revolutionary.
The Society delved into pizza, soda pop, and David Attenborough documentaries to get the party going. The more avid followers of Darwin's life and times brought their personal barnacle collections. Others brought their earthworms. Enthusiasm was brought by all.
The Society can hardly wait for Feb 12, 2009, the big 2-0-0 anniversary of this leviathan of natural history.
Until next time:

D e s c e n d w i t h m o d i f i c a t i o n.

American Woodcock in Sewanee

Last Tuesday, the Society gathered at the airport to watch the peculiar mating habits of the American Woodcock, Scolopax minor. In Sewanee, this bird is most often encountered in late February at dusk in open fields such as the airport and the clear cut off of Breakfield.

The American woodcock has been made popular by writers such as Aldo Leopold who described the display of the male woodcock as the "sky dance" in The Sand County Almanac.

Check out the Cornell website to hear and read about this bird.

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/American_Woodcock_dtl.html

Photo from the Cornell website.