Nature in the News

recedite

magicbastarder wrote: »

Boar wars: how wild hogs are trashing European cities
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/30/boar-wars-how-wild-hogs-are-trashing-european-cities

Wild boar are tasty organic free range pork "on the hoof".
Plenty of people would shoot and eat them if they were allowed to. If there's a problem, its a problem with bureaucracy. There is a similar problem with deer in Ireland. Special licences to shoot them, special licences to butcher them, special licenses to sell the meat. By the end of it all, there are just too many costly obstacles in the way.

The photo in the article of the guy using a blowpipe to tranquilise a female is an example of the stupid approach. How to turn an economic asset into a financial liability. The blowpipe guy is probably on a large state salary.

Strawberry1975

Someone previously tried that on mount Leinster the let a dozen pigs out the went wild luckily enough the were all rounded up and shot and the individuals were prosecuted
All the parks in major European cities are overrun with wild boar

recedite

The problem with city folks is that they don't like the idea of shooting animals for food.
On the other hand they will go down to the supermarket and buy factory farmed sausages to throw on the barbeque, without giving it a second thought.

flyingsnail

Dolphin mom adopts whale calf—a first

The orphaned calf even learned to act like a bottlenose dolphin, gaining acceptance into the community.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/07/bottlenose-dolphins-adoption-oceans-calves/?utm_source=reddit.com

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

flyingsnail wrote: »

Dolphin mom adopts whale calf—a first

The orphaned calf even learned to act like a bottlenose dolphin, gaining acceptance into the community.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/07/bottlenose-dolphins-adoption-oceans-calves/?utm_source=reddit.com

He's always going to be the runt in that family.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Sea lion has a lucky escape.

https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-49161923

recedite

flyingsnail wrote: »

Dolphin mom adopts whale calf—a first

The orphaned calf even learned to act like a bottlenose dolphin, gaining acceptance into the community.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/07/bottlenose-dolphins-adoption-oceans-calves/?utm_source=reddit.com

Sounds like he left the dolphins eventually.
By now he is probably a major celebrity in the whale community, dazzling them all with his amazing surfing skills.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Good news for Artic Terns. Well done to all involved.


https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/removal-of-rat-colony-from-dalkey-island-makes-room-for-rare-bird-1.3974486

magicbastarder

they're going to be discussing it on drivetime on radio 1 sometime between now and 6.

Eddie B

No comment

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/mosquito-bite-kill-blood-france-animal-rights-eggs-a9036946.html

recedite

^^ Food for thought

Pie Man

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/painted-lady-butterfly-migration-africa-mediterranean-count-a9038036.html

Here in great numbers too, seems to be a great year for Butterflies in general.

OpenYourEyes

The nest census results from BirdWatch Ireland's Rockabill Conservation Project are out:

https://rockabillterns.blogspot.com/2019/08/rockabill-nest-census-results-2019.html

Numbers of Roseates and Commons both down a bit - probably at least partly to do with the low productivity we had a few years ago.

mickmac76

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-49248764

More environment than nature. Wouldn't like to be fined in Spain. We could do with a bit more of this in Ireland.

Tiercel Dave

mickmac76 wrote: »

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-49248764

More environment than nature. Wouldn't like to be fined in Spain. We could do with a bit more of this in Ireland.

Or this maybe.....

<snip>

recedite

That's a very hefty fine! Good that he was caught though.

Capercaillie

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

The nest census results from BirdWatch Ireland's Rockabill Conservation Project are out:

https://rockabillterns.blogspot.com/2019/08/rockabill-nest-census-results-2019.html

Numbers of Roseates and Commons both down a bit - probably at least partly to do with the low productivity we had a few years ago.

Did artic terns manage to fledge many chicks?

OpenYourEyes

Capercaillie wrote: »

Did artic terns manage to fledge many chicks?

A handful. No better or worse than the last few years really.

Graces7

mickmac76 wrote: »

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-49248764

More environment than nature. Wouldn't like to be fined in Spain. We could do with a bit more of this in Ireland.

saw that earlier and said the same... Breaking News has a few extra embellishments like a photo of him being made to drag it back, and that his company may be charged with an offence against nature. Cannot get the link on here on this computer.

||Was thinking back to the time when someone threw heaps of rubbish off the top of the Conor Pass... wish we had stricter laws here.

tricky D

Loads of Painted Lady pairs fluttering about and feeding. Amazed at how the pairs 'stick' together.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

There may now be life on the moon - not necessarily a good thing.

https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-49265125

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Giant Parrot fossil.


https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-49262365

Stigura

https://news.sky.com/story/golden-eagle-spotted-flying-with-trap-dangling-from-its-leg-11785471


:mad: FFS!!! Looks like a Fenn Mk VI.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

They had the giant Parrot; now a human sized Penguin.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-49340715

Mr Crispy

You wouldn't pick that up!!

pawrick

Oil spill river Shannon Athlone

https://www.westmeathindependent.ie/news/roundup/articles/2019/08/15/4178304-council-says-it-has-treated-all-contaminated-areas-after-oil-pollution/

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Fun piece on the BBC

What elephants can teach us

https://www.bbc.com/ideas/videos/what-elephants-can-teach-us-about-life-and-death/p07j3y4k

Scotty #

pawrick wrote: »

Oil spill river Shannon Athlone

https://www.westmeathindependent.ie/news/roundup/articles/2019/08/15/4178304-council-says-it-has-treated-all-contaminated-areas-after-oil-pollution/

I think the latest update on their GoFundMe page is worth sharing... Sounds like they're under a lot of pressure even without the oil spill.

Rescue/Rehab

You've been up since 6am when the babies needed their first feed. It's been constant ever since, feeding every 15 minutes. Despite your best efforts, five babies have passed away so far today. You skipped lunch because you didn't feel particularly hungry after spending 30 minutes pulling maggots out of a hedgehog's ear. You're glad the baby squirrels are wilding up nicely but you could have done without the down-to-the-bone bite one of them gave you when you were transferring them to the outside pen. You're pretty sure you have pigeon crap in your hair but it's way down on your list of things to worry about. At the top is whether that RTA badger will pull through and, if he does, how on earth you'll find the £450 needed to pin his broken leg. The phone rings and you wipe the blood from yet another catted blackbird off your hand onto your jeans to answer it, conscious that it's been ringing off the hook while you've been fighting fires. Someone's dog has caught a hedgehog in their garden and the caller wants it picked up NOW because they 'know hedgehog are riddled with fleas and they don't want them to infect the dog'. No, they can't bring it to you, they don't drive (if you only had £1 for every time you heard that, the badger's vet bill would be covered in a week!). You explain that you cannot leave the rescue, you need to finish cleaning, feeding, medicating etc but, if they can get the hedgehog to you, you'll help as you scan the room desperately looking to see where you can fit in another cage. There's shouting down the phone - they thought you cared. They've been calling round for hours and no-one gives a ****, no-one wants to help this poor hedgehog so they might as well just let it go. You're told in no uncertain terms and with very colourful language how useless you are and the phone is put down.

When you 'finish' after 10pm (not counting the baby feeds at midnight, 2am and 4am still to do), you check emails and messages for the first time. There's another fifteen animals needing help and a 1 star google review about how someone had emailed you this morning but no-one bothered to answer and now the bird has died.

You ask yourself why you bother, knowing full well you'll do it all again tomorrow. It's your calling.

This is what Spring and Summer look like in wildlife rescue. I've had enough of the people criticising rescuers to us recently because they've not answered the phone/couldn't help/wouldn't pick up. These people are living on the edge this time of year. Do something to help them PLEASE!

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Research in a BTO newsletter today. House Sparrow decline linked to avian malaria.

London House Sparrow decline linked to Malaria
England’s House Sparrow population fell by 70% between 1977 and 2016, and this once ubiquitous species is now absent from many urban areas. New research has found evidence that malarial parasites may be linked to this species’ decline. In a study led by the ZSL Institute of Zoology, in collaboration with the RSPB and BTO, almost 400 individual House Sparrows from gardens across London were tested for parasites and colour-ringed to allow their survival to be tracked through the winter. The results showed that the parasite Plasmodium relictum, which causes avian malaria, was found in 74% of House Sparrows, the highest prevalence recorded in populations of wild birds in northern Europe. The intensity of the infection (the number of parasites per individual bird) of avian malaria was correlated with lower over-winter survival rates and negative population trends, especially in juvenile House Sparrows.

New Home

Is it treatable, that you know of, Srameen, or could it bring them to extinction?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

New Home wrote: »

Is it treatable, that you know of, Srameen, or could it bring them to extinction?

In practical terms it's not currently treatable but it probably won't be fatal to the species. Naturally fitter individuals (in the Darwinian sense) will come through, albeit in a reduced population.

The research does concede that this is just one factor and needs further study.

Plus

loss of habitat within cities might have led to isolated populations which are not very genetically diverse. This can result in a less-effective immune system and higher mortality, which, combined with low recruitment of new birds into the colonies, can lead to population decline.

So some introduction of fresh genetic material may help.

New Home

Thanks.

Base price

Are "house sparrows" the normal brown sparrows that we have on the farm.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Base price wrote: »

Are "house sparrows" the normal brown sparrows that we have on the farm.

More than likely.

Base price

That's them and we have lots of them here. They love picking bits of meal at the feed barrier along with (I think??) bull finches and lots of other dickie birds.

Stigura

Base price wrote: »

(I think??) bull finches and lots of other dickie birds.

Google Chaffinch Had a flock of a dozen or more descend on the ground outside my window this very afters. No obvious reason for it. Probably just checking out an untapped resource.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Base price wrote: »

That's them and we have lots of them here. They love picking bits of meal at the feed barrier along with (I think??) bull finches and lots of other dickie birds.

Most likely chaffinch, with possibly goldfinch, flocking at feed and seed more so than Bullfinch.

Base price

Stigura wrote: »

Google Chaffinch Had a flock of a dozen or more descend on the ground outside my window this very afters. No obvious reason for it. Probably just checking out an untapped resource.

Yep that's them with their rusty/red breasts and grey heads with a bit of a quiff. Lots of them around here. I presume they are eating flies/bees that are feeding on our GLAS wild bird cover.

appledrop

We have an unreal amount of sparrows here in North County Dublin so I wouldn't be too worried for our population. They nest in all the houses locally + there are literally hundreds of them in spring just on our road. I love birds but even I had to adjust to the noise of them when we moved into house during spring time!

Birdnuts

Base price wrote: »

That's them and we have lots of them here. They love picking bits of meal at the feed barrier along with (I think??) bull finches and lots of other dickie birds.

Over the years I've found farmyards like that are some of the best places for birding during the winter.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Base price wrote: »

Yep that's them with their rusty/red breasts and grey heads with a bit of a quiff. Lots of them around here. I presume they are eating flies/bees that are feeding on our GLAS wild bird cover.

We're wandering a bit off topic here apologies. Sparrows and Chaffinch will take insects like caterpillars when raising young but are primarily seed eaters.

fryup

**********Whale Watch This Weekend*************

if you're at a loose end this Saturday whale watch on many headlands throughout ireland

idwg.ie

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

CITES protection for Giraffes

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-49440949

OpenYourEyes

Three articles in prominent news outlets encouraging a better understanding of Urban Gulls. It might not solve some of the conflicts associated with them, but it will certainly allow for a more reasoned debate as to how to address any problems and encourage us to leave potential culls as a last resort rather than a first one!

'In Defence of Seagulls'
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2009/aug/19/seagulls-birdwatching-stephen-moss

Don't demonise seagulls, they're lovely birds (apart from a few bad eggs)
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/family/life/dont-demonise-seagulls-lovely-birds-apart-bad-eggs/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

In Defense of Sea Gulls: They’re Smart, and They Co-Parent, 50/50 All the Way
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/23/science/seagulls-behavior.html?fbclid=IwAR1CEPxDWL7mmcjcwLjFnbiR-ef_fxZxm30WDAMiJr47uTYn7B0wEM_fbuE#click=https://t.co/pxKe7Lq7Yi

New Home

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Additional protection for 18 species of shark and ray.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-49466717

Stigura

Nice sized cloud of Redwings just gave me a fly past! They're back!

(Considers the apples in the freezer. The whoosh net in the drawer! :cool:)

Keplar240B

New Home wrote: »

I have seen this reported as 100 or 150 million ,350 million.

Whats the actual number. Who counted?

If we take 150 million its the equivalent of 0.06792 % of Ethiopia land area planted.

given a population of ~100 million. That's 1.5 trees per person.


A step in the right direction ,

Taken in the context Ethiopia explosive population growth and the destruction of its forests over last 50 years its rather meaningless.

,

recedite

Keplar240B wrote: »

I have seen this reported as 100 or 150 million ,350 million.Whats the actual number. Who counted?...

Taken in the context Ethiopia explosive population growth and the destruction of its forests over last 50 years its rather meaningless.

Virtue signalling; its all about the photo and the soundbyte.
Actual facts tend to take a back seat.

New Home

Still, trees were planted, and that has to be a good thing. Start as you mean to go on, and all that.