Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo was an Italian polymath, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, painter, sculptor, architect, botanist, musician and writer.
Whew! Often described as the archetype of the renaissance man
Leonardo’s unquenchable curiosity was rivaled only by his powers of invention.

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Heraclitus - Philosophers

Heraclitus was a rich man from Ephesus and lived c.500, during the Persian occupation
of his home town.
His philosophical work consists of a series of cryptical pronouncements that force a reader to think. Unfortunately, a great part of his work is lost, which makes it very difficult to reconstruct Heraclitus' ideas.
It seems certain, however, that he thought that the basic principle of the universe was the logos, i.e. the fact that it was rationally organized and therefore understandable.
Bipolar oppositions are one form of organization, but the sage understands
that these oppositions are just aspects of one reality.
Fire is the physical aspect of the perfect logos.

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Pythagoras of Samos - Philosophers

Thales was not the only one who was looking for a first cause.
Pythagoras of Samos (c.570-c.495) did the same.
According to legend, he left his country and studied with the wise men of Egypt, but was taken captive when the Persian king Cambyses invaded the country of the Nile (525).
He now became a student of the Chaldaeans of Babylon and the Magians of Persia.
Some even say that he visited the Indian Brahmans, because
Pythagoras believed in reincarnation. At the end of the sixth century, he lived in southern Italy, where he founded
a community of philosophers.
In his view, our world was governed by numbers, and therefore essentially harmonious.

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The Gyrfalcon

The Gyrfalcon eats mostly ptarmigan, but many other prey species have been recorded
including fulmars, gulls, jaegers, ducks, geese, Rough-legged Hawk, Short-eared Owl, sparrows, buntings, and redpolls.
The female Gyrfalcon regularly stores prey during the breeding season, generally within 100 meters (328 feet) of the nest.
Little is known of food-caching outside the breeding season; in one case, a Gyrfalcon was seen retrieving a frozen ptarmigan and chipping
off pieces of meat to eat, in mid-winter in the Aleutian Islands.
Gyrfalcon is pronounced as "JER-falcon." The name probably evolved from
Old Norse, but linguists do not completely agree on the specific origin of the word.
The Gyrfalcon sometimes bathes in runoff water of still-frozen rivers.
Mostly birds, especially ptarmigan. Also consumes mammals, ranging in size from voles to hares.

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Puna Flamingo

Latin Name Phoenicoparrus jamesi
Location South America
Colour Pinkish/White
Height Up to 1 m (3.25 ft)
Wingspan Approx. 1 m (3.25 ft)
Weight Up to 2 Kgs (4.5 lbs)
Life Expectancy Up to 40 Yrs
Puna Flamingos are one of three species of South American flamingo, the other two being the Andean Flamingo and the Chilean Flamingo.
They stand at heights up to 1 m (3.25 ft), they have a wingspan of approximately 1 m (3.25 ft) and they weigh up to 2 kgs (4.5 lbs).
They have pinkish white plumage with dark pink streaks on their back and at the base of their neck. As young birds they are grey in colour
but their plumage slowly turns pink as they mature.
They have a long neck and long, thin, dark red legs. Their downward curving beak is yellow in colour with a black tip.
Puna Flamingos have a loud honking call that is similar to that of a goose and they are unmistakable in flight with their long,
thin neck outstretched in front and their long legs outstretched behind them.
Habitat
Puna Flamingos inhabit the salt lakes and lagoons of the Andes mountains.
They can be found together with
Andean Flamingos and Chilean Flamingos usually at altitudes of over 3,000 m (9,900 ft). During the winter they migrate
to lower altitudes but some remain at lakes where there are hot springs.
Diet
Puna Flamingos feed on diatoms such as algae.
They feed during the day in shallow water, walking slowly forwards
with their bill dipped just below the surface.
They are filter feeders and they use their specially adapted
beak and tongue to filter food from the water.
Breeding
Puna Flamingos nest in colonies containing thousands of pairs.
They produce one chalky white egg that is laid on a mud mound in shallow water. Both parents incubate the egg which takes 27 - 31 days to hatch.
They will defend their nest during the breeding season, otherwise they are non-territorial.
After the chick first hatches they
are fed a substance called "crop milk" which comes from the parents' upper digestive tract. Either parent can feed the chick this way and other
flamingos can act as foster feeders. When the chicks are old enough to walk they gather together in creches that are watched over by a few adult birds.
By the time young flamingos reach 2 - 3 years of age they will have gained their full adult plumage.
Predators
Egg collection and hunting were major threats to Puna Flamingos up until 1986.
Guards are now employed to protect these flamingos at one of their major breeding sites.
Interesting Facts
The Puna Flamingo is also known as:
James's Flamingo
It was named after Harry Berkeley James.
It derives its common name from its habitat - "puna" is the
local word for high Andean plateau.
The Puna Flamingo is closely related to the Andean Flamingo.
Flamingo comes from the latin word for flame.
The flamingo's characteristic pink colouring
is caused by the beta carotene in their diet.

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