Author Archives: Amy

Anti-Dove Hunting Ads Precede Michigan Vote

by Amy Posted on 20 October 2006

A statewide TV campaign has begun to convince Michigan voters to vote against a proposed bill to allow dove hunting in the state. The birds are shot purely for sport, as they are not a nuisance nor suffer from overpopulation, and they are not eaten after they are shot. The state’s longtime ban on dove shooting was lifted in 2004 but petitioners suspended implementation of the law, leading to the upcoming November 7 vote. Read all about the campaign on M Live.

Posted in Aside, Law, North America | Leave a comment

Bird Study Could Provide Memory Clues

by Amy Posted on 19 October 2006

“Scientists at the University of New Hampshire hope to learn more about memory and its evolution by studying the Clark’s nutcracker, a bird with a particularly challenging task: remembering where it buried its supply of food for winter in a 15-mile area. Like many animals preparing for the winter, every fall the Clark’s nutcracker spends several weeks gathering food stores. What makes it unique is that it harvests more than 30,000 pine nuts, buries them in up to 5,000 caches, and then relies almost solely on its memory of where those caches are located to survive through winter.” Read more about the study on Newswise.

Posted in Aside, North America, Science & Tech | Leave a comment

Chicago’s Bird Hospital Hopping During Migration Season

by Amy Posted on 15 October 2006

The Chicago Park District opened a bird hospital on the former Meigs Field in April. Last week, the hospital served more than 250 patients. Most injuries treated at the hospital involve birds crashing into buildings, and the number of injuries increases each year during the spring and fall migration periods. The central location is pivotal in saving birds which otherwise would have to be driven to suburban wildlife centers for rehabilitation. The survival rate for birds dropped off at the hospital is over 85 percent. Read more in the Chicago Tribune.

Posted in FCWR, North America, Rehabilitation | Leave a comment

Red Knot Proposed Addition To Endangered Species Protection

by Amy Posted on 14 October 2006

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service has identified the migratory Red Knot as a candidate for protection under the Endangered Species Act. The proposal was initiated by a petition submitted by the Northeast Pennsylvania Audubon Society in 2004. The proposal is currently deferred while the Service works on other species which are at greater risk. Read more about the Red Knot proposal in Migratory bird named candidate for Endangered Species Act protection.

Red Knot
Red Knot by U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Northeast Region, Creative Commons on Flickr

Posted in Aside, Endangered, North America | Leave a comment

Netherlands Results Of Birdwatch 2006

by Amy Posted on 11 October 2006

Volunteers counted birds at over 130 locations in the Netherlands last Saturday as part of World Birdwatch 2006. From the spotting points as many birds as possible were counted during their migration south.

This year the European Starling was the most counted bird, just as last year. 114,000 individuals were counted. In second place was the Common Chaffinch, and the Lapwing came in third place. In total 193 different species were counted.

Here is the complete top 10:

European Starling
Common Chaffinch
Lapwing
Meadow Pipit
Cormorant
Black-headed Gull
Greylag Goose
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Eurasian Wigeon
Mew Gull

Sightings of note:

One group of 68,807 Common Starlings at Kinderdijk
1025 Northern Gannets
83 Great Egrets
36 Peregrine Falcons
14 Ospreys
5 European Honey Buzzards
2 Little Bitterns
One Rose-colored Starling
One Black Stork
One Little Bunting
One Eurasian Hoopoe

Sources:
Spreeuw met stip op één
Resultaten Birdwatch 2006

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Little Egret, Once Nearly Extinct, Breeds In London

by Amy Posted on 10 October 2006

Four Little Egret chicks have hatched and fledged in London for the first time. The bird was hunted virtually to extinction but has successfully bred in the Thames Water’s Walthamstow reservoirs. The species is only known to have begun breeding in the UK in the mid-1990’s. Experts believe that the move to northern nesting sites by the Little Egret could be a sign of climate change. Read the full story Once virtually extinct heron returns to breed in London.

Posted in Aside, Endangered, Europe | Leave a comment