Facts About earth in September Equinox

There are two interesting facts which are not
often noticed, but should be shared
with students to get them interested in this subject.
First, the equinox( falling this year on September 22, 2009) means that the length
of the day is exactly the same all over the earth: from the North Pole
to the South Pole, and from both Temperate Zones, to the Tropics, to the Equator.
Second, which I’ve noticed over many years of watching the world weather, is that TEMPERATURES equal distances north and south
of the equator (in similar continental zones, of course), are roughly the SAME at this time of year.
For example, I live in North Africa. Having travelled many
years ago to Cape Town, South Africa, I’ve continued to watch
the temperatures there, comparing them with the North African temperatures.
Around the time of either the March or September equinoxes, the temperatures
in both North Africa and South Africa are roughly the same!

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Peregrine Falcon

The Peregrine Falcon also known simply as the Peregrine,and historically as the "Duck Hawk" in North America, is a cosmopolitan bird of prey in the family Falconidae.
It is a large, crow-sized falcon, with a blue-gray back, barred white underparts
and a black head and "moustache".
It can reach speeds over 320 km/h (200 mph) in a dive, making it the fastest animal in the world. [4] As is common with bird-eating raptors, the female is much bigger than the male.
Experts recognize 17-19 subspecies
which vary in appearance and range; there is disagreement over
whether the distinctive Barbary Falcon is a subspecies or a distinct species.

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Prairie Falcon - INTERESTING FACTS

MEASUREMENTS: The Prairie Falcon has a body length of 15 - 20 inches, a 3 1/2 foot wingspan, and weighs 1 - 2 pounds.
HABITAT: Prairie Falcons inhabit hills, canyons, and mountains of arid grasslands
and shrub-steppes of southwestern Canada, western United States, Baja California, and northern Mexico.
DIET: The primary food of Prairie Falcons is small mammals, especially ground squirrels, but they will also hunt birds, reptiles, and insects.
This falcon actively searches for prey during flight. Prairie Falcons catch prey on or close to the ground after a low angled swoop from above.
REPRODUCTION: Typically, Prairie Falcons nest on a cliff face using a ledge, cavity, crevice, or an abandoned nest of eagles, hawks, or ravens. Prairie Falcons lay 3 - 6 eggs with an incubation time of about 34 days. Young falcons leave the nest 5 - 6 weeks after hatching.
NAME DERIVATION: The scientific name comes from the Latin word falco, meaning hook-shaped (falcate) and may refer to the beak and claws, and the Latinized name for Mexico, where the bird was first collected for scientific study. The common name mistakenly refers to the habitat in which this bird may be found.
True prairies are mostly outside this bird’s range.
INTERESTING FACTS:
- Prairie Falcons are probably just as fast as Peregrine Falcons, but do not typically use the same hunting strategy.
-Prairie and Peregrine Falcons are similar in size and can be distinguished from each other by color. The Prairie Falcon is brown and has dark “armpits” or dark patches under
the wings, while the Peregrine is blue-gray and has a uniform underwing color pattern.

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Prairie Falcon

The Prairie Falcon is a medium-sized falcon of western North America.
It is about the size of a Peregrine Falcon or a crow, with
an average length of 40 cm , wingspan of 1 metre , and weight of 720 g (1.6 lb). As in all falcons, females are noticeably bigger than males.

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