Personnel of the Sutton Avian Research Center of Bartlesville, Oklahoma recently aimed a video camera at an active bald eagle nest, where two chicks are being reared. To access the live video feed, go to the Sutton Center’s Web site and follow the link to the nest cam video.
“Birdwatchers have been gathering in south London after a rare sighting of an American Robin. This is the first time the species, from north America, has been seen in London, according to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.” Read the article Twitchers flock to see rare bird on the BBC.
In mid-April, the breeding season for Herring Gulls and Lesser Black-Backed Gulls will begin. This is especially noted in my current hometown, Leiden, the Netherlands. The gulls are known to cause a great nuisance for the residents of Leiden.
Not only is the great amount of noise caused by the birds in the breeding season a big problem, but their behavior can turn aggressive. Because the birds are protected by the Dutch Flora and Fauna Law, they cannot be harmed or disturbed, and certainly not hunted.
As a result of the many complaints received each year with regard to the gulls, the city of Leiden has tried experimental methods to reduce gull-annoyance in past years. For example, models of birds of prey were hung in various parts of the city. In 2004 the city stretched wires over certain buildings and areas that were known to be favored by the birds for their nests. This only resulted in the birds finding alternative spots for their nests; in Leiden there are an estimated 100,000 possible places for gulls to nest.
Therefore it is up to the citizens of Leiden to try and reduce the nuisance caused by the gulls. The city recommends that the birds not be fed. The amount of garbage on the streets must be reduced. Garbage bags left on the street are a big attraction for gulls who are searching for food. Garbage is picked up four times per week in the city center, where the most gull-related complaints originate. Citizens may also place anti-gull wiring on their own rooftops, but as experience has shown this will do little to displace the greater gull population of Leiden.
In our neighborhood in the north part of Leiden we hardly notice the gulls at all. They land on our rooftop and those of our neighbors, but sitting benignly on our homes is hardly a nuisance. A few times we have even seen them on our bird feeder; while this was enough to frighten away the doves which usually hang around our terrace, it didn’t bother us at all. Last year, in fact, on a few occasions we bought some cheap loaves of white bread with the express intention of feeding the acrobatically flying gulls who hang out around the moat which encircles the center of Leiden. With the increased attention paid on the “annoying” birds, however, that’s probably not such a good idea anymore.
Source: Broedende meeuwen in Leiden
Someone stuck a camera in a tree, hooked it up to an encoder, and pointed it at a wild Bald Eagle nest. The cam is live when there’s daylight on the nest in Vancouver, BC; archive footage is shown overnight.
read more | digg story
When they were in power, the Taliban banned pigeon fanciers from flying their flocks. Recently, at least six flocks of pigeons may be seen exercising above the dull rooftops of Kabul on a given evening. Read about one pigeon keeper in Griff Witte’s story Pigeons take to the skies over Kabul from The Washington Post.
Hummingbirds have a unique memory “so exact that it’s unique among wildlife.” Researchers monitored wild rufous hummingbirds as they visited eight feeders filled with sugar solution. The feeders were refilled at different times, and the hummingbirds were able to recognize the pattern and visit the feeders at the appropriate time. Read the story Hummingbirds sing a precise food tune on the CBC.
Last week it was announced that a part of the former Meigs Field airport terminal building would be converted into a bird hospital. Read the story Bird Hospital To Be Established At Old Meigs Field at NBC Chicago.
This Sunday, March 26, the World Bird Sanctuary in St. Louis, Missouri will celebrate World Eagle Day. The event will include family activities like crafting, nest building, and face painting. Demonstrations with birds will also be on the agenda.
The World Bird Sanctuary is located at 125 Bald Eagle Ridge Road in Valley Park, 25 minutes west of downtown St. Louis. The event takes place 11am to 4pm and admission is free.
Related link: Explore St. Louis Fact Sheet
Hopefully the coming of spring means warmer weather and sunnier days. In the cold days of winter, however, pigeons in Chicago find warmth at the city’s Eternal Flame monument on Daley Plaza. We took these photos on 29 December 2005.
Don Brumfield, a retired Walt Disney World security manager, has been raising homing pigeons since he was 13 years old. Today, he brings his pigeons, which resemble white doves, to events such as weddings, parties and even funerals to be used as part of the ceremonies. Read Martin E. Comas’ story Bird man of Sorrento part of national trend in the Orlando Sentinel.
