Whispers Oct 2007 
 
 

Oct 2007 collage

Greetings
 
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As the days in the Northern hemisphere start to get a bit chillier and shorter, we bring you the sixth issue of Whispers - the newsletter of Dereila Nature Inn. Thank you for supporting our project and being a subscriber and part of a community of nature and photographer lovers. Special greetings go to our new subscribers! Welcome!
Visit The Nature Hut - Our New Forum
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Nature Hut

Our new forum is still very young and we'd love you to be part of it. Drop by and check out some great photos that members have contributed. To visit The Nature Hut just click on the logo.
Contributed by...
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When we started the Dereila Nature Inn our vision was one of a community of nature enthusiasts exchanging ideas, stories, tips and images.  This month we invite everyone to submit images to this section of our newsletter.  Be it bugs, birds, wildlife or wildflowers - they're all welcome!

We start off with a great picture taken by Judy Howle of Columbus, Mississippi.  We also want to thank Judy for sending in so many images for our state and provincial birds page. 

 
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.  Image by Judy Howle, used with permission.
 
If you'd like to see your image as part of our members section, send us an e-mail.
Monthly Selections 
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Here are the selections for October's bug, bird and wildflower:
 
   Flicker  Fireweed

Visit each page by clicking on the image.
 
Don't forget that we welcome your suggestions for future selections even if you don't have an image to supply for us. Send your ideas to us by e-mail.
Notes from Around the Inn
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Provincial and State Birds Page

Bird collage

We were wondering if we'd ever get this page done! Finally, we're ready to let you know that we have most of the birds from the 50 states and 13 Canadian provinces and Territories. However, we're still missing a few, so it you can help us out, we'd welcome your contributions. Many thanks to fellow bird enthusiasts who donated pictures for our project. Click on the image above to visit the page. 
  
Coming Up - The Bug Pages
If you've ever wondered what the difference between a moth and butterfly is, you may find our next project worthwhile - a handy online guide to bugs which will be in the Woodlands Pathway section of the Inn. Watch out for more details about this coming soon.
 
Recipes Please
 
As the colder weather arrives, we're hoping you'll have some recipes and tips for feeding our feathered friends during the next few months. We'd love to add these to our All Things Natural Restaurant page. If you can help, please drop us a line.
 
Past Issues
Just a reminder that previous issues of Whispers are available online - simply click here. Each time a newsletter is issued the previous one is posted on the Inn's web site. As you receive this newsletter we will be uploading September's issue.
The Wandering Image
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The month we feature a family of Mute Swans

Mute Swans

Around the world you'll find stories and sayings involving swans. Perhaps the most famous in western culture is Hans Christian Anderson's tale of "The Ugly Duckling" and this month we have two of those "ugly ducklings" with their parents.

Mute Swans were introduced into North America from Europe. They are most easily recognized by their orange bills which are lacking in the native Tundra and Trumpeter Swans

Snippets in Nature ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our monthly choice - Joshua Tree National Park
 
Joshua Tree NP

This month we drop by Joshua Tree National Park in south-eastern California.  This is harsh place of rocks, canyons and washes. Yet severe as the climate may be, like many desert places, Joshua Tree offers an incredible diversity of life. Here, two deserts meet: the Colorado, which is an extension of the Sonoran Desert, and the Mojave Desert, home of the park's namesake - the amazing Joshua Tree - below left.

 Joshua Tree  Joshua Tree NP
Joke of the Month ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two men were walking in a forest, when they suddenly saw a savage, hungry-looking bear. One of the men quickly put on a pair of running shoes. The other guy exclaimed, "You idiot! You can't run faster than a bear!"

To which the first guy replied, "But I don't have to run faster than the bear, I only have to run faster than you!"

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We'd love to have more clean jokes for our newsletter and also the Inn's website. Please send us an e-mail.  Thanks once again to Tony for this month's chuckle.

 
Favourites @ the Inn ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Click on the images to visit some of the Inn's highlights.
 
Naturalists Nook - Special Places in the Natural World 

Special Places

Enjoy virtual visits to such Canada's Banff National Park and Death Valley, Bryce Canyon, Arches, Capitol Reef and Canyonlands National Parks in the US.


Bird's Nest Lounge - Caption This - The Birds 

Caption This!
 
Drop by and check this collection of pictures featuring - birds, of course! Read and suggest captions to go with the images.

Wildflower Garden - Sliding Jigsaw Puzzles
 
Shooting Star

If you're really ready for a challenge - try this sliding puzzles featuring wildflowers.
Shop with Us ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Don't forget to check out the amazon/dereila bookshop. You'll find a super selection of nature books and guides. See what's in the store for you by clicking on the image.
 
Spread the Word ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please spread the word about our project by passing on our website information to friends and other nature lovers.  You can also forward this newsletter by clicking on the "forward e-mail" link at the bottom of this newsletter.

Any other ideas and suggestions are always welcome.  Send us an e-mail!
 
Quick Links...
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Contact Information
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Until next time, best wishes from the Dereila Nature Inn.
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