:) Almost got thrown out of class for eating Carambola (Kaam-ranga in Bangla) in school. You just brought my memory alive; THANKS.
Large white bird, with bright red and bordered black bill (adults), or brown yellowish for immature birds (pic n 2)
Also known as the Limon Giant Glass Frog, this is the largest glass frog species in Central America. Males having a sv length of up to 29mm and females a little larger at up to 34mm. The dorsal surface is bright emerald green and the ventral a very pale green to translucent. The frogs inner organs can be seen under the skin. The nostrils are prominent on top of the snout and the eyes are striking being silver with black reticulations and point forward. Toes are webbed and fingers less so.
Medium sized finch (12 - 13.5 cm). Unmistakable with its red face, black hood and white cheeks. Body, a soft dark buff on the back and upper rump, breast is white with a light brown crescent and flanks. lower rump is white going to a black tail with white spots. Wings are also black with white tips to the flight feathers and a broad yellow wing bar. The bill is pale and is long and pointed for a finch.
Thanks Sarah.With global warming ,I have a feeling that I will be seeing more exotic birds in my backyard.
Mapping Nature on Your Smartphone
For the developers at New York start-up Networked Organisms, smartphones are the butterfly nets of the 21st Century. Their tool, Project Noah, lets people upload photos of plants and wildlife around them, creating a map of the natural world and contributing to scientific research in the process.
What kind of beetle? This app knows
Bespectacled scientists of yore would carry around hefty field guides, made up of hundreds of pages of text and photos. But these days, smartphone owners have a lighter option: an app called Project Noah, which aims to help people identify plants and animals as well as collect data from "citizen scientists" about where certain species are located.
Designing ecosystems for talent development
Project Noah enables us to be part of a more focused online community where we can learn more about wildlife around us and contribute to scientific research. It pulls participants into deeper, more meaningful engagement by enabling people to go on “missions” to collectively map changes based on sightings.
A smart way to save wildlife
A modern invention that may also hold the key to saving species in the future. Project Noah is a global study that encourages nature lovers to document the wildlife they encounter, using a purpose built phone app and web community. In addition to the virtual "collection" of species, Project Noah encourages citizen science by linking up with existing surveys including the International Spider Survey and the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network.
Dial-a-Class
New mobile applications include a tool called NOAH that lets you take cellphone pictures of bugs and trees and then sends back an identification of the exact type in as little as 24 hours.
