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11 25 24 AM
7:58 AM. NN Scout arrives He moves many sticks around.I love it how he walks Around with a stick so proudly 7:59 AM. Bella follows.I love ...
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Sunday thread.
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Fresh thread.
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11/4 526 PM visit a short one min video 617am Bella arrives first Trills from the attic before landing Then Shep show Lots of sti...
274 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 274 of 274one of "our" eagles is back-got to go make some dough-later
Sorry I missed you Thelma and Buddy...had to make myself go back to bed after seeing the Eagle around 5 am....glad you got to see him too...
Good Morning Everyone...It's a beauty here in Martinsburg...
xo
Article in today's Martinsburg Journal regarding a fund-raiser Sunday at Betty's Restaurant in Shepherdstown this Sunday...for Mason Ellsworth and his family.
Just read the Caringbridge Journal....missed seeing that everyone was asked to holler "WAKE UP MASON!" Tuesday night at 9 pm...maybe all the Momsters and Dadsters can do it TONIGHT at 9 pm instead....and if we see those 5 planets and old Luna....we can dedicate the vision to his healing...
Those four planets, Venus (which will be the Queenpin, brightest) are going to be low on the Western Horizon....and won't be out very long....so let's hope for clear skies and a good viewing point...
xo
It looks VERY windy at the Hobby nest, baby all cuddled down into the nest by himself, Loch Garten looks windy too. Finney's Nest chick guarding the nest....
Good Day to all, headed to work soon..
xo
Good Morning everyone!!
Good morning T-bird, magpie, sissy and buddy, Just stopping in to say good morning and have a great day.
Good morning Ceil, have a great day.
magpie Suzanne was thinking it was a raven in finney's nest. She would like to send pictures of it to you but does not have your e-mail address. If you can e-mail Jo or someone they will have hers. See you later alligator as Candy says.
GOOD WEDNESDAY MORNING EVERYONE....Happy Hump Day!!!!
Mei is still doing her thing.....hope to find out more today....
Who's getting the donuts this morning?
I got the coffee, Starbucks Sumatra. Come on over.
OH NO.....FORGOT ABOUT THE DONUTS!!!!!!!!!
I'm drinking Maxwell House...good to the very last drop:).
Mei sounds like a goose
Good morning everyone.
looks like they are getting ready to do an ultrasound on Mei
morning...Sharon
Morning Mits. When she was standing at the door, I told Sissy that Mei was ready for her ultrasound. Ain't looking to good for a baby is it?
Yep they changed the picture. Tian is sleeping in the grotto and Tai is sleeping hanging over a log. I think they are just hoping but I don't think we will get a cub.
I guess the bad news is, there is no cub yet....the good news is they are still continuing the 24/7 pregnancy watch.....maybe more to be revealed after ultra-sound...they do see something on the scan, but just don't know if it is a cub. After what happened with the birth of Buta in Atlanta, they don't want to stop the watch to soon after she reaches baseline.
when Tai was born....she had not even reached baseline and surprised them all by having him when they least expected it....so guess it ain't over til it is over:)
as the Rev Jesse Jackson would say, "KEEP HOPE ALIVE":)
ultra-sound all done....if she even let them do it.
good girl, giving them a urine sample now....must have had a full bladder for the test...that is good too.
good luck retrieving a urine sample from that mess
Early eagle watchers score again. Yay Tbird and Magpie..
Morning, all!
MORNING, PAULA;)
And Jim saw F or F down in Aussieland - cool!
Oh no, not donut talk again! :)
All I have is a lousy package of cheese crackers!
Morning, Mits!
You heading back to the beach anytime soon? I know you have the zoo today.
Can someone post the link or email the carepage for Mason? Thanks!
either going back tomorrow or Friday....will be down there til around the 5th of September....be back in town for Ravens opening day on the 7th...hope Michael Phelps is ther...he is a big Ravens fan
OK...hot off the presses:(, "it is what it is"
Aug. 11, 2008
National Zoo’s Giant Panda Will Not Give Birth
Staff at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo confirmed today that female giant panda Mei Xiang (may-SHONG) will not give birth to a cub this year. They believe that she experienced either a pseudopregnancy or the loss of a developing fetus. In a pseudopregnancy, an animal’s hormonal changes and behaviors are identical to a pregnancy, but no conception occurred. Fetal loss during early pregnancy is a common occurrence in mammals, but the reasons for this phenomenon are poorly understood.
National Zoo scientists, veterinarians and keepers were closely watching Mei Xiang, assessing her hormone levels and behavior and conducting weekly ultrasounds in an attempt to determine if she was pregnant. Veterinarians noted small changes in Mei Xiang’s uterus—but they were unable to confirm the presence of a fetus. Giant panda fetuses are very small—a new-born cub is only five inches long. At other zoos, fetuses have only been visible on ultrasound in the last weeks before birth.
In mid-July Mei Xiang’s urinary progesterone levels (a hormone associated with pregnancy) began to decline. In pregnant pandas, declining hormones and increased maternal behaviors signal an impending birth. This year, Mei Xiang’s hormones declined as expected, but the decline lasted longer than normal and she continued to show maternal behavior even after her hormones reached baseline. The Zoo’s scientists and veterinarians speculate that Mei Xiang may have experienced the loss of an early-stage fetus that failed to develop normally, and it was absorbed into the lining of the uterus.
National Zoo staff are recognized leaders in the study of giant panda reproduction, but they still have much to learn. Combined with hormones and behavior, ultrasound technology can help them learn more about pseudopregnancy, as well as how common fetal loss may be for giant pandas.
National Zoo staff expect Mei Xiang to return to “normal,” both hormonally and behaviorally, in the coming days, which includes an increase in appetite and activity level. Zoo scientists artificially inseminated Mei Xiang with semen from the Zoo’s male giant panda Tian Tian (t-YEN t-YEN) March 19. Giant pandas ovulate once a year, so Zoo scientists will re-evaluate whether to consider Mei Xiang for breeding in 2009.
Mei Xiang is on exhibit at the National Zoo’s Fujifilm Giant Panda Habitat, along with Tian Tian, and their 3-year-old cub, Tai Shan
Sounds nice, Mits.
I meant the beach, not the report on Mei.
lol....I thought that is what you meant, took me a minute though
some FAG'S.....
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why is it so hard to tell if a panda is pregnant?
Giant pandas only ovulate once a year, and even if they don’t get pregnant, their behavior and hormones will look almost identical to those of a pregnant panda. Right now, the only way to determine pregnancy before birth is through ultrasounds—but that presents a considerable challenge in a large furry animal whose fetus is incredibly small. This technology is new and every year we learn more about this species and the changes their bodies undergo during reproduction.
Q: Why do you think this might have been fetal loss and not a pseduopregnacy? Why don’t you know exactly what happened?
We cannot say either way what occurred. This year, we noted small changes in Mei Xiang’s uterus during ultrasounds, but we could not confirm there was a fetus. Also, a giant panda’s rise and fall of progestin levels typically lasts 40-50 days. This year, Mei Xiang hit baseline at roughly 57 days after the onset of the rise. Usually when hormones reach baseline for a few days, as they have been now, we typically see a rapid ending of maternal behaviors. That has not been the case this year—Mei Xiang was showing maternal behaviors well after her progestins hit baseline.
We still have so much to learn about the reproduction of this species—especially how common pseudopregnancies or fetal loss might be. With each year, we expand our knowledge of this species through their hormones, behavior and ultrasound technology. Science can sometimes be a slow process, but here at the National Zoo we’re fortunate to have a team of experts who are working to provide answers to the many questions that still remain.
Q: Tell me more about resorption
Fetal loss is very common in mammal species, but the reasons for its occurrence are not entirely understood. With fetal loss in giant pandas—or resorption—a developing fetus fails to reach full term and the tissue is reabsorbed into the uterine lining. This has happened before with other giant pandas—most recently with Memphis Zoo last year.
Q: Tell me more about the changes you saw in her uterus.
While performing ultrasounds, we saw a thickening of the uterine wall layers and changes in the amount of fluid present. We did not see anything that we could confirm was a fetus.
Q: If Mei Xiang hit baseline on Thursday, why did you wait 7 days to make this announcement?
This year, Mei Xiang’s behavior was very erratic. Even though her hormones were at baseline, she continued to demonstrate pregnancy behaviors that led us to believe that she might give birth any day. After nearly a week of her hormones registering at baseline, we can confidently say that she will not be giving birth this year. Progestin, the hormone we monitor, is responsible for the building of the uterine lining where a fetus would develop. In the absence of progestin, that lining breaks down and her uterus would no longer be able to support a fetus.
Hello everyone - Just read report on Mei - disappointing but whatever will be, will be! I wonder if she went through as much expectation as we did for her?
WOW Great picture of Frieda, Jim! I will say - Finally! John Grey just found out he can post pics from photobucket on his blog..
Jim's link for Blog about F/F nest
Well that is so sad. Bless her little heart. All that misery for nothing. Bummer!!
I think the misery was on our parts, she is just fine:)
well, guess I will head to the beach sometime tomorrow...my cam watch from 10 til 1 tonight has been cancelled
it certainly will make my job easier this afternoon, to say definitively that she is NOT pregnant...off to the showers and get ready for zoo....bbl
We can have another go at it
Atlanta Panda Watch
Star is at TH
tee-hee, Jo...just what we need:)
GOOD WEDNESDAY MORNING TO ALL IN THE LAND OF THE AMERICAN EAGLE!!
70° in So Cal and progressing to perhaps the mid-80's this P.M.
C(°ï®¡°)D
Jim
FINAL URINE REPORT
August 13
The sample collected on August 11 had a progestin value of 19.5 ng/mg Cr., providing a mean progestin value for the day of 18.1 ng/mg Cr. August 11 was the fifth straight day progestin concentrations have been within baseline range. Today, Zoo scientists confirmed that Mei Xiang will not give birth to a cub this year. They believe that she experienced either a pseudopregnancy or the loss of a developing fetus. In a pseudopregnancy, an animal's hormonal changes and behaviors are identical to a pregnancy, but no conception occurred. Fetal loss during early pregnancy is a common occurrence in mammals, but the reasons for this phenomenon are poorly understood.
Did you get your copy of Frieda enjoying her lunch on what is probably this season's nest bowl??
One of the commenters told me of a way to drop it in Photobucket and then transfer it to Frodo's Forum, but I haven't done it yet.
It's still the very early hours of tomorrow down under anyway, and they wouldn't publish the picture until later in the day.
I did email the pic to John, so maybe he will insert it into the Forum.
If I sound like I'm rambling, it's because my brain has not kept apace of my body's awakening process this morning.
Or is it the other way around??
C(°ï®¡°)D
Jim
well back to wearing my single giant panda bear earrings, putting the mother/cub earrings away for another year.....TTUL:)!
Well, it's kind of a let down about Mei.
What the vets need is a new test to determine if the Panda is actually pregnant; and I'd be willing to bet a lot of money that some future Nobel Prize winner will discover that test before too many moons have passed.
Not many years ago, all or nearly all of the pregnancies of captive Pandas failed. But now many are successful.
That's progress, and I think they will continue to learn about the process, until they can at least test for real pregnancy.
C(°ï®¡°)D
Jim
It is after the noon hour......
Hope all is well with Steve....
New thread is always here by now..
It's been raining on Finny's nest, and nobody is home.
C(°ï®¡°)D
Jim
Maybe Steve had a follow-up appointment for his knee, Mema Jo.
C(°ï®¡°)D
Jim
Jim I hope your body catches up to your brain - or yep! it could be the other way around!
Thanks for Frieda's picture - I was beginning to wonder about them nesting - You can create your photobucket account (no charge) and then transfer the im into a blog. I
just wish we could do that on this blog but it's a no go.
It's only a quarter after nine here; he has plenty of time yet.
C(°ï®¡°)D
Jim
I was thinking it could be a DR appointment.
I wish Norma would find a good IT
man! Thankful Sharon called and talked with her yesterday!
Whoops! You just reminded me, Jim.
It is Lunch time here!!
BBL
Just heard the news on the news: Mei either had pseudo or miscarriage. Boo....so much for our hopes.
Zoo officials say they will have to re-evaluate using her for future breeding.
Well late check in for me. I took a drive out to where Ruffles was released on Sunday. I heard a very familiar recognizable call very similar to his osund on Sunday and I did see a juvenile eagle kind of dive through a grove of trees just behind the tree Ruffles perched in for so long. I also timed seeing Dustin down in that area aand he did say Ruffles came for the food on Monday but he had not seen him at all today. Food was sitting there.
Enjoy your day. Sorry your panda watch didn't "pan" out this year.
Well, I was sitting here typing, minding my own business, heard a buzzing in the room and had a hummer in here! WOW, my adrenaline is just a gushing. It finally went to the bathroom, Justin opened the window, I finally got it to land on the broom (after several tries) and lowered down and out the window. Kids left the window open in Mattie's room.
Sharon - me thinks you need some window screens! Glad the hummer is OK!
Hummer in the house! FUN FUN FUN
What did you have in Mattie's room that time - A squirrel or a bat?
That was 2 squirrels in the house.
Wonder if Steve is okay, late in the day with no new thread. Hope his knee is doing all right.
The thunder is a'rollin' here.
Looks like you are having a humdinger of an afternoon Sharon. OK Not tryign to interrupt your conversation. Have a donut for me too.
Growing up in Del Mar, we often would have the windows in the front, which faced the ocean and Torrey Pines Park, open during heat waves ... Dad hadn't put screens on them yet, and we often had the local variety of what we called sparrows (actually Juncos I later learned) fly through the open section and become stranded in the room. I don't believe any of them found their way back out on their own; so we would put the emergency rescue drill into operation.
That consisted of one or two of us kids armed with dish towels trying to catch them, trap them or throw the towel over them....
It always worked eventually, and we would hold them for a short time and try to calm them down, stroking the top of the head and neck gently. Then we would release them outside.
Well, Hummingbirds are even more of a problem because they so quickly use their energy reserves. They often get into open garages, head for the rafters and can even die from lack of food.
There's an article on the Hummingbird Society's site on how to deal with that kind of situation. I remember reading it a few months ago.
One thing you can do to save them if you have a feeder is bring it inside, set it on a table or counter near them and step back. They'll probably feed, but then they'll be faster again ...
Probably want to combine that with other techniques in the article to catch and release them.
C(°ï®¡°)D
Jim
Glo - you didn't interrupt the conversation - you added to it lol
I don't want another HUMdinger of an afternoon. That was a true experience. They are fast little farts!
Yepper! We are still on TUES thread & like the rest of you I hope things are ok with Steve. Hopefully he is out & about and can't find a good connection!
I need to be out & about also for a few hours...
BBL
caringbridge site for Mason Ellsworth
Any positive energy you can send this familys way would be appreciated..we really need Mason to wake up soon...
NEW THREAD!
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