What in the World is THIS? Wednesday!!

Live from the basement at Six Mile Studios...Welcome to the premier of "What in the World is THIS?" Each week we'll be bringing you, our brilliant and esteemed audience, a new photo. It is your challenge to identify the object in the photo from the very small snippet provided.





**The first audience member to correctly identify the image will win an all expense paid trip to...Sao Paulo, Brazil! There you'll spend a fun-filled week that includes a guided tour to see how the Purple Martins live during the winter.

In case you hadn't guessed the picture at the top of the page is this week's WITWIT snippet! If no one has guessed correctly by Wednesday evening a clue will be provided. So come on, take a guess, don't be afraid. Remember, there are no dumb ans... Oops! That's questions. Oh, what the heck--GOOD LUCK!

**Contestants who are relatives of any staff member of Six Mile Studios and/or its affiliates, residents of any state whose name contains an "i" or "e", people who are not registered to vote, and those with opposable thumbs are ineligible for the grand prize.

09/12/08 Update Here is a photo of the blue headed green frog. Click on the image to see it in its entirety.

The Purple Martin Show!

In the waning weeks of August, as dusk draws nigh, a show begins unlike any show most have ever experienced. The show runs nightly into the first week or two of September. One of the best places to see and experience this marvelous spectacle is at the foot of Sommerheim Drive in Erie, PA, on the Waterworks property. The show is incredible and the fact that more people don't attend the show is nearly as incredible. "Who", you may ask, "stars in this show?"...why...the Purple Martins, of course. It is here that the Purple Martins gather to roost each night in a large cattail bed so significant that it has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by the National Audubon Society . The martins fly in from all over this and nearby counties swooping, skimming and swirling in a spectacular avian ballet before slipping into the cattail bed for the night. The martins gather at roosts such as this prior to and during migration. It is believed these roosts are used by these highly social birds because they provide protection from predators, as well as a setting that is warmer and less windy than inland roosts. I was amazed to read that one of the largest PM roosts is in Lake Murray, SC and housed an estimated 703, 000 PMs!

There may still be a few days left for you to get down to see The Purple Martin Show, so I encourage you to grab your binoculars and get down to the "theater". My friend, Julie, listens to the calls of the circling Purple Martins.This is an example of a slow shutter speed and fast birds. I thought is was cool anyway.A female PM in flight directly above my head!

A great egret that decided to get in on the act.