Monthly Archives: December 2006

French Migrants Not Leaving

by Amy Posted on 18 December 2006

Like the Netherlands, France has recorded record high temperatures this fall, and the migratory birds that normally only spend the summer months in the country are still there in mid-December.

This autumn was the warmest in France since 1950, with temperatures almost 3 degrees Celsius higher than normal. For example, warblers have been seen all over the country, although they normally head for Africa in August or September.

Read the full article Birds bask in warmest French autumn since 1950.

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Posted in Aside, Europe, France, Migration | Leave a comment

Stone Curlew Numbers Up In Britain

by Amy Posted on 17 December 2006

The number of Stone Curlews breeding in Britain has risen in the last few years, with a record number of at least 300 pairs recorded last year.

The success is due partly to the RSPB joining up with farmers in Southern England to create appealing habitats for the picky birds to nest. Government grants and EU subsidies reward farmers for creating and protecting the habitats.

Read more about the Stone Curlew in Britain.

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Posted in Aside, Endangered, Europe | Leave a comment

Inside The Bizarre World Of Egg Thieves

by Amy Posted on 16 December 2006

Egg collecting is a dangerous and illegal activity that began when Victorian-era explorers returned to the U.K. with exotic treasures from around the world, including bird eggs. Today the ‘sport’ is practiced by an alarming number of furtive obsessives who break the law each time they add to their collections.

A special police task force dubbed Operation Easter was started in the late 1990’s, when egg thieves appeared to be on the rise. At that time, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds received about one nest theft report per day. Last year, the RSPB received just over 50 reports. Taking wild eggs has been illegal since 1954, and imprisonment became a possible punishment in 2001. Still, the threat of fines and jail time does not discourage the most hard-core egg collectors, some of whom have been living with their obsession since childhood.

Read The Guardian’s investigative report.

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Posted in Europe, Law, Offbeat | Leave a comment

Leiden Study: City Birds Sing A Different Tune

by Amy Posted on 15 December 2006

A recent study indicates that birds living in urban environments sing faster, shorter songs than their country counterparts. The study was conducted by Dr. Hans Slabbekoorn of the University of Leiden.

Songs of Great Tits in different European cities were recorded and compared to songs from the same species in nearby natural areas. City birds were found to use higher frequencies in their songs, and to sing faster.

Read more about this fascinating study.

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Posted in Behavior, Netherlands, Science & Tech | Leave a comment

Dry Conditions Hit Birding Paradise

by Amy Posted on 14 December 2006

Minimal rains fell on Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur, India this season. The dry conditions have forced migratory birds to seek other areas to spend the winter. The lack of birds in the park has hit the Bharatpur economy hard.

The usual species of migratory birds, including spoonbills, egrets, cormorants, cranes and ibises, arrived at the park at the start of the monsoon season. But with little rains during the following weeks, most of the birds left to breed elsewhere, closer to a water supply.

Bharatpur’s rickshaw drivers have reported a dip in earnings as few tourists are visiting the park. Birders, aware of the situation, are staying away in droves. The few visitors that have been coming to the park are unaware of the poor conditions and leave in disappointment. One hotel manager reported a 50% drop in customers from last year.

Read more about the situation in Bharatpur.

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Posted in India | Leave a comment

Agreement To Help Endangered Hawaiian Birds

by Amy Posted on 13 December 2006

A ‘safe harbor’ agreement is being offered to Hawaiian landowners in an effort to save five endangered species of birds endemic to the Hawaiian Islands.

Financial and technical help will be available for landowners who sign up for the agreement. Future land use restrictions will not be imposed by the government. In exchange, landowners need to provide some management to benefit five endangered birds: Hawaiian goose, Hawaiian duck, Hawaiian moorhen, Hawaiian coot and Hawaiian stilt.

Read more about the plan.

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Posted in Endangered, North America, Pacific | Leave a comment

Record Number Migratory Birds In Kashmir

by Amy Posted on 12 December 2006

Over 500,000 migratory birds have arrived in the Kashmir Valley in India this winter. Low temperatures in nearby, usual bird wintering areas have driven the birds to seek new places to spend the coldest months.

Wildlife officials expect a record number of winged visitors this season. The valley has long attracted migratory birds from Siberia, China, Europe, Central Asia and even South America. The extra bird life in the area has also meant more birders are coming to view the spectacle. State authorities are scrambling to take advantage of an increase in tourism.

Read more about birding in Kashmir.

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Posted in India | Leave a comment

Opposition To Proposed Scottish Golf Mega-Resort

by Amy Posted on 11 December 2006

Donald Trump has big plans to build a two course golf resort in the northeast of Scotland. The plan is opposed by various environmental groups, including the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

The area near Balmedie is home to thousands of seabirds, ducks and divers. A wide range of invertebrates, plants and breeding birds inhabit the coastal sand dunes, and the RSPB is determined to protect the environment from Trump’s development, estimated to cost over 300 million pounds.

Read the full story in The Scotsman.

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Cats Unwelcome In New UK Neighborhood

by Amy Posted on 10 December 2006

Developers building 50,000 homes in the heaths of Surrey, Berkshire and Hampshire have proposed to force future homeowners to sign an agreement never to own a cat. Cats kill approximately 55 million birds in the UK each year.

Imposing a cat ban for homeowners is the only way real estate developers would be allowed to build the homes close to the nesting areas in the heathland. The plan is designed to protect such birds as the Dartford Warbler, Nightjars and Woodlarks. The RSPB is backing the plan, though they are skeptical that a ban on cat ownership would remove a threat to the nesting birds.

Read the full story in This Is London.

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Dutch Youth Sentenced For Cormorant Abuse

by Amy Posted on 9 December 2006

The juvenile court in Lelystad, the Netherlands, has sentenced three youths to public service for the abuse of two cormorants.

The youths, all younger than 21, dragged the birds behind motorized bikes and threw stones at them.

Two of the youths must perform 25 hours of pubic service. The third youth, who already had a record with the court, was given a sentence of 80 hours. A fourth suspect, an adult, is still to be tried. The birds were targeted because they depleted the fish population in the canals of Urk.

Source: Jongeren veroordeeld voor mishandeling aalscholvers

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Posted in Law, Netherlands | Leave a comment