Category Archives: Aside

Rare Bird Sighting Brings Birders – And Mice!?

by Amy Posted on 26 January 2006

Birdwatchers have been visiting Yates, New York, to glimpse the rare Northern Hawk Owl which has been spotted there. Some birders have brought a tasty snack to try and entice the bird to come out its perch – mice. Local homeowners have complained that the mice fortunate enough to escape the owl’s talons have taken up in their homes. Read the story Bird lovers ruffling feathers of homeowners by setting mice free on Syracuse.com.

Share the birds, share the love!
Posted in Aside, North America, Offbeat | Leave a comment

Sacred Ibis Threatens French Coastal Birds

by Amy Posted on 26 January 2006

Sacred Ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus) birds were introduced to the French Atlantic coast in the mid-1970’s, when a pair was released in a nature park in southern Brittany. Today, experts believe there are over 3,000 birds living on the French coast in Brittany. The birds are dangerous for native species as they can be aggressive. Two year ago a group of ibis was seen destroying the nests and eggs of about 40 couples of sandwich terns. Read the story FRENCH BIRD-LOVERS CALL FOR ERADICATION OF SACRED INVADER at The Tocqueville Connection.

Sacred Ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus)
Sacred Ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus) by Lip Kee, Creative Commons on Flickr

Share the birds, share the love!
Posted in Aside, Endangered, Europe | Leave a comment

Study Of Mute Swans Explains Evolutionary Riddle

by Amy Posted on 25 January 2006

In an important new study forthcoming from The American Naturalist, biologists from the University of Oxford tracked a colony of Mute Swans for more than two decades to explore a longstanding evolutionary question: Does the number of eggs laid by a female bird – “clutch size” – change in accordance with natural selection?
read more | digg story

Another spring, another swan family
Another spring, another swan family by rkramer62, Creative Commons on Flickr

Share the birds, share the love!
Posted in Aside, Science & Tech | Leave a comment

Indian Native Among Top-Seen Birds In Britain

by Amy Posted on 25 January 2006

The parakeet (psittacula krameri), native of India, is now the 20th-most-spotted bird in Britain. In some areas of London, the bird is in the top 10 most spotted. The current population of 13,000 birds is estimated to approach 50,000 by the year 2010. Read the story Indian Bird Among Top-Seen Birds In Britain at NewKerala.com, but bear in mind that the RSPB is the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, not the Prevention of Birds as mentioned in the article!

Share the birds, share the love!
Posted in Aside, Europe, India | Leave a comment

Birds Leave Frigid Ukraine For Turkey

by Amy Posted on 24 January 2006

Severe cold weather in the south of the Ukraine has caused migratory birds to fly south to Turkey. This might lower the risk of bird flu in the Ukraine, but what does it mean for Turkey? Bird flu has been detected in 23 districts in the Ukraine so far. Four people have died of bird flu in Turkey this season.

Source: Frosts drive birds to Turkey from Ukraine

Share the birds, share the love!
Posted in Aside, Europe | 1 Comment

Arkansas Ivory-Bill Vs. Army Corps Judge Recuses

by Amy Posted on 24 January 2006

The judge in the case of the environmentalists vs. the planned Grand Prairie Irrigation Project in Arkansas has recused himself, delaying the proceedings until 6 February. The judge had donated to the Audubon Society in the past and recused himself after learning they had filed a brief in the case. Read Rob Moritz’s story in the Arkansas News Bureau.

Share the birds, share the love!
Posted in Aside, Endangered, Extinct, Law, North America | Leave a comment