Monthly Archives: October 2006

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.

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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.

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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

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New Bird Species Discovered In Columbia

by Amy Posted on 13 October 2006

A colorful bird, previously unknown to science, has been discovered in a remote part of the Andean rainforest. The Yariguies brush-finch was named after a local tribe that used to live in the area where the bird was discovered. The bird has bright yellow coloring with a vibrant red crown. Read more in the article Colorful New Bird Found in Colombia.

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Scottish Wind-Farm Plan Cancelled To Safeguard Raptors

by Amy Posted on 12 October 2006

“A wind-farm proposal has been abandoned because the area where it was to be built is used by golden eagles and red kites. The decision followed analysis of bird-survey data gathered over several years, and consultation with local RSPB officers, which showed that the 30Mw wind farm would pose a significant risk to the birds.” Read the full story in the Scotsman.

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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.

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Balloonist Fined For Disturbing Birds

by Amy Posted on 7 October 2006

A 36-year-old hot air balloonist has been fined 300 euros by a judge in the Hague for disturbing breeding birds in a protected nature area.

The balloonist flew his balloon too low over the Nieuwkoopse Plassen (lake) in June 2005 and frightened hundreds of breeding birds. The judge found the balloonist responsible for keeping the birds off of their nests during incubation which proved fatal for many of the nests.

Changes in the wind caused the balloon to drift towards Schiphol Airport. In order to avoid breaching that prohibited area, the balloonist decided to bring the balloon down in the protected lake area instead.

Source: Ballonvaarder beboet voor storen broedende vogels

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Posted in Netherlands, Offbeat | 1 Comment