“NASA used a laser-equipped research aircraft to fly over the Big Woods area of the Mississippi Delta to learn more about the big woodpecker’s potential habitat, the space agency said Thursday.” Read the story NASA joins search for elusive woodpecker on MSNBC.
A swan found dead at a zoo in the German city of Dresden was carrying the H5N1 virus, it was revealed Friday. The zoo remains open though disinfection procedures have been stepped up. Read the full story German zoo finds H5N1 bird flu in dead swan at Reuters.
About a hundred seagulls living in the area of Marienpoelstraat in the Dutch town of Leiden are driving the residents crazy.
The birds make so much noise that residents cannot sit in their gardens in the evening, which is a true hardship during the current heatwave striking the country. It is also impossible to leave windows open in the night due to the excess noise made by the gulls.
Some residents have placed wires on their roofs in order to prevent gulls from building nests there. However, there are enough roofs around without anti-gull protection for the birds to nest in great numbers. It is also difficult to prevent the birds from nesting on flat roofs.
According to bird expert Frits van der Sluis, the nuisance from the birds is the most noticeable this time of year. The baby gulls are not confident with flying or leaving the nest and parents are nervous and vocalizing warnings to the babies almost constantly. The baby gulls should all fledge within two to three weeks and the nuisance for the most part should be over.
In Leiden there are also large gull populations around Drie Octoberstraat and some spots in the city center.
Holland’s recently fledged White-Tailed Eagle is proving to be a quick learner. The bird made its first flight last Thursday and this week has already been seen soaring gracefully above the treetops.
The parents birds have been seen giving the youth lessons in flight and hunting. The young bird is picking up on flying skills very quickly.
Source: Zeearend is snelle leerling
Forest rangers from the Oostvaardersplassen in the Netherlands have announced that the White-Tailed Eagle hatched in May has successfully fledged last Thursday.
The fledge occurred at about 3pm on Thursday. The White-Tailed Eagle is the largest bird of prey in Europe. When it was announced earlier this year that a pair of White-Tailed Eagles was nest-sitting in the Oostvaardersplassen, rangers took steps to insure that the birds would not be disturbed by the public. In the park visitor center there is a six-minute video of the eagles available for public viewing.
After this year’s successful nest, there is a great chance that more White-Tailed Eagles will breed in the same area. The birds, who prefer large open watery areas, live in their breeding area year-round and re-use nests for many years.
Related:
Dutch White-Tailed Eagle Ready To Fledge
White-Tailed Eagle Nest Attracts Dutch Birders
White-Tailed Eagle Returns To The Netherlands
Source: Jonge zeearend verlaat nest
The Dutch national forest management agency (Staatsbosbeheer) revealed that in the last month two hundred Graylag Geese were found dead on the island of Texel of unknown causes. The birds were found in the De Muy reserve, which is part of the Dunes National Park on the island.
Although the cause of death is still unknown, the agency did assure the public that the dead birds posed no danger to humans and did not carry botulism or the H5N1 virus. The population of Graylag Geese over the entire Netherlands has risen dramatically in recent years.
The attracted attention earlier this year has raised one chick to fledgling age. The young bird is now almost as large as a full-grown eagle.
Forest rangers were surprised that the young mother eagle was able to raise a chick to maturity in her first attempt. The mother is believed to be three years old while the father is believed to be a more mature eagle.
The eagles began nest-sitting in March and by the beginning of May the egg had hatched. Due to the size of the nest (approximately 2.5 meters in diameter) and the deepness of the bowl, rangers were not able to see the number of eggs laid. However one chick is quite normal for this species.
The sex of the chick is not known. It has an almost black plumage, normal for a young eagle. White-Tailed Eagles achieve their adult plumage, which is much lighter, in their 5th or 6th year.
The parents bring food to the nest but the chick eats the meals alone. It is performing flying exercises on a regular basis which consists of fierce wing-flapping and some lift to a maximum of 2.5 meters. Rangers expect the bird to fledge within a week.
After fledging the bird will remain dependent on the parents for another two months while it learns how to hunt for itself.
Source: Jonge zeearend in Oostvaardersplassen op punt van uitvliegen
Underwear left on the laundry line to dry became the new home for a family of sparrows in one London man’s garden. The birds are using the shorts for their second brood of the summer. Once the chicks have hatched they will remain in the nest for about three weeks. Read the full story Sparrows Make Nest In Londoner’s Pants.
A judge halted a $320 million irrigation project in Arkansas, because the project would disturb the habitat of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker, once thought to be extinct. Problem is, other than one controversial sighting last year, no one can find the bird anywhere.
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“In South India, a slow recovery of the pelican population is taking place. Between them, the southern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu support 21 breeding colonies, and numbers are on the increase. The pelicanry at Kokkare Bellur, Karnataka, has doubled in size to 400 pairs in recent years, and two new small breeding colonies have been established in the state.” Read the full story Pelicans bounce back on BirdLife International.
