Blog Bits – Page 15 – "To see a world in a grain of sand / And a Heaven in a wild flower"

December 8, 2017December 10, 2017

Homes

Our homes reflect our needs and customs, what’s available and what we want. The same is true for animals.

Weaver bird nest opening from the bottom, hanging in a tree — Botswana: weaver bird nest

In Botswana the weaver bird builds a nest that hangs suspended from a tree limb and opens from the bottom. This protects against the sun, helps conserve heat on cold nights, and shields the young from predatory birds.

Botswana: a giraffe stands in tall grass in front of an acacia tree that holds 2 large sociable weaver nest structures. — Botswana: sociable weaver birds construct group nests.

Its cousin the sociable weaver bird collaborates on a nest over generations, establishing a site that can hold as many as 100 chambers. Each chamber can hold 3 or 4 birds, which helps hold in heat on bitter winter nights. Other birds use the chambers when they’re empty. The complex nests are huge and heavy. Eventually they will break the branch, potentially killing the tree. The birds fly away and start a new site.

Earth from space, light cloud cover over Africa, the Arabian peninsula, and southern Asia — Earth from space, photo courtesy of NASA

If a weaver bird loses its nest, it can build a new home. But if we destroy our nest, we can’t build another planet. We need to make sure this one doesn’t break under the weight of our use.

November 24, 2017November 25, 2017

It’s vs. its

A relative who doesn’t own a computer asked to see photos from my trip to Africa. I’ve been pasting my blog posts into Word, printing, and mailing them. When I did that today, though, something unexpected happened.

In this screenshot, a correct use of "it's" is flagged. — In this screenshot, a correct use of “it’s” is flagged.

In this screenshot, Word has flagged my (very correct!) use of “it’s” and has suggested, “Check the meaning of the marked word to be sure you are using the word correctly. Words that sound alike are often confused with one another.” Word included this example:

• Instead of: The cat drank it’s milk.
• Consider: The cat drank its milk.

I’m not going to touch Microsoft’s inventive use of punctuation and sentence structure there. And I understand that Word isn’t saying my writing is wrong – Word is encouraging me to double check my writing. Ordinarily I would be in favor of that. But there are a couple of problems.

First, there’s only one example for “it’s” and “its,” which means uncertain writers never see how to use “it’s” correctly.

Second, I have worked with classrooms full of students who don’t consider that their very expensive applications could mislead them. If Word flags something in their writing, the students assume it’s incorrect, change it, and move on. The implications for that kind of thinking (“the device is always right”) are frightening.

So I hope that teachers and parents are encouraging students to question the authority of the device.

And I return to my original plaint: why can’t Word tell the difference between “it’s” and “its” with greater accuracy?

November 24, 2017November 25, 2017

Ostrich

Large game animals get all the ink, but it’s fun to watch African birds, too. Like ostriches.

Ostriches travel in flocks, heads bobbing, knees bending backwards. Because they are so tall – they can grow to 8 feet – and so heavy – over 300 pounds – they can’t fly. Lack of flight doesn’t make them easy prey, though. They can run at speeds of 40 mph when startled, and they can generally outrun most predators. When they have to fight, though, they have a powerful kick. Their 4-inch talons can cause serious damage.

Another way ostriches avoid predators is to lie very still on the ground, with their legs under their dark body and their light-colored neck and head stretched out flat on the sandy ground. From a distance, the animal looks like a dark rock. This behavior has been inaccurately described as burying its head in the sand.

Ostriches have keen hearing and eyesight, which helps them avoid predators. They often travel with zebras, impalas, and other animals, sharing their diet of plants and bugs and serving as lookouts. When ostriches sense danger and run, the other animals notice and respond.

ostrich, secretary bird, zebras, cape buffalo, impala — At Etosha, Namibia: ostrich, secretary bird, zebra, cape buffalo, impala

It’s not easy to be an ostrich. Taller than everyone else, heavy, awkward in motion, with actions that are often misunderstood, ostriches are kind of dorky. But they’re good to those around them, alerting others to danger and otherwise minding their own business. Sounds like some people I know.

So be good to your dorky friends. They have their own unique beauty, and they deserve a little respect.

Family of ostriches near Cape Town, SA. The male is black.