Nature in the News

robp

Moses Faithful Slime wrote: »

I think we all knew we weren't that different to other primates.
http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24566083

To an extent but it is often overstated. I mean we are often told that chimpanzees are in genetic terms 97% the same as humans but this is a misleading statement as it doesn't really account for the level of difference we see. There is much more then just the DNA sequences, differences may be concentrated in areas like gene regulation.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

robp wrote: »

To an extent but it is often overstated. I mean we are often told that chimpanzees are in genetic terms 97% the same as humans but this is a misleading statement as it doesn't really account for the level of difference we see. There is much more then just the DNA sequences, differences may be concentrated in areas like gene regulation.

A. My comment was tongue in cheek. I wasn't saying we are alike genetically.
B. The piece is not about DNA - a particular study of mine several years ago, most of which his now forgotten.
C. This was about conversational etiquette.

OpenYourEyes

34,000 Brent Geese arrive in Ireland, but where are all the youngsters??

A pretty disastrous breeding season for Brent Geese this year - not sure if it gives a figure in that article, but I heard the number of juveniles are in single figures! Luckily they're a species that's been doing well in recent years, but at the same time another breeding season like this in the next couple of years could be fairly serious.

Edit: Another link from the Irish Brent Goose blog

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Good news on two fronts.
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/science/study-finds-numbers-of-elusive-pine-martens-on-rise-in-midlands-1.1569393

mgwhelan

Do pine marten's kill mink, l have never seen a mink around these parts (slieve blooms) but I'v seen pine marten's a dozen times or so. I know the fact that I never seen mink doesn't mean there not around, just be great if they removed mink from an area as well as grey squirrels.

magicbastarder

i was talking to someone from the grey partridge trust who was saying that while they had no empirical evidence to lean on, there was a feeling that resurging pine marten numbers were helping suppress mink numbers. may have just been wishful thinking...

whyulittle

Moses Faithful Slime wrote: »

Good news on two fronts.
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/science/study-finds-numbers-of-elusive-pine-martens-on-rise-in-midlands-1.1569393

A talk on it tomorrow at 8pm in the Plaza Hotel, Killarney.

https://www.facebook.com/IrishSquirrelAndPineMartenProject/posts/551836821556284

dodderangler

mgwhelan wrote: »

Do pine marten's kill mink, l have never seen a mink around these parts (slieve blooms) but I'v seen pine marten's a dozen times or so. I know the fact that I never seen mink doesn't mean there not around, just be great if they removed mink from an area as well as grey squirrels.

They are bigger but I don't know if their as aggressive as mink. Mink are known for their aggression and ability to tackle prey a lot bigger than themselves.
Seen a vid on YouTube of a mink taking a swan out.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

I don't think there has been any evidence to date of Pine Marten preying on Mink. Prey that are likely to fight back are not common for many predators.

dodderangler

I wouldn't say they'd prey on them. More likely kill them over territory. Kinda like lions and leopards. It's all about food

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

dodderangler wrote: »

I wouldn't say they'd prey on them. More likely kill them over territory. Kinda like lions and leopards. It's all about food

Ach no! Their territories or ranges are very different. The mink is a semiaquatic animal while the Pine Marten is primarily an arboreal animal. They don't share the Irish savannah as a rule.

robp

Moses Faithful Slime wrote: »

Good news on two fronts.
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/science/study-finds-numbers-of-elusive-pine-martens-on-rise-in-midlands-1.1569393

I think people are becoming complacent about pine marten numbers. The increase from a very small pocket in the west over the last 50 years is accepted but I think the picture is less rosy then is often stated.

See O’Mahony, Declan, Catherine O’Reilly, and Peter Turner. "Pine marten distribution and abundance in Ireland: A cross-jurisdictional analysis using non-invasive genetic survey techniques." Mammalian Biology-Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde 77.5 (2012): 351-357.

Our results may necessitate the re-evaluation of recent jurisdictional conservation assessments for the species that suggest the pine marten is of favourable conservation status and of least concern in terms of red list status, as they were partly based on what appear to be considerable overestimates of population abundance (3000–10,000 individuals, Marnell et al. (2009)), as compared to less than 3000 in the current study.

In Northern Ireland, there was little or no evidence of any range expansion by pine martens over recent decades. The population remains largely concentrated in western areas where it has been established for decades

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

robp wrote: »

I think people are becoming complacent about pine marten numbers. The increase from a very small pocket in the west over the last 50 years is accepted but I think the picture is less rosy then is often stated.

See O’Mahony, Declan, Catherine O’Reilly, and Peter Turner. "Pine marten distribution and abundance in Ireland: A cross-jurisdictional analysis using non-invasive genetic survey techniques." Mammalian Biology-Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde 77.5 (2012): 351-357.

Accepted. But if you read the actual survey report you'll see it refers to the fact that the "population in the midlands is proportionately higher than in other parts of Europe."
They make no claims of expansion but show a population that has stabilised in the region and a greater density than previously recorded. Nobody is saying the situation is rosey or any other colour just yet but the trend is encouraging.

robp

Moses Faithful Slime wrote: »

Accepted. But if you read the actual survey report you'll see it refers to the fact that the "population in the midlands is proportionately higher than in other parts of Europe."
They make no claims of expansion but show a population that has stabilised in the region and a greater density than previously recorded. Nobody is saying the situation is rosey or any other colour just yet but the trend is encouraging.

Don't get me wrong I am not criticising this recent work at all or the IT article at all. I just notice when people discuss the species in the press of or the radio they always focus on the historic increase and don't mention that the lack of any expansion in many regional populations. In light of the fact that pine martens may help red squirrel numbers I hope every effort is given to expand pine marten numbers and habitat connectivity.

OpenYourEyes

The issue of illegal dumping and industrial turfcutting in Glenveagh National Park, as highlighted by the IWT this week, is being discussed in this thread now

OpenYourEyes

Greenland White-fronted Goose news:

2012/13 International Census Report
Late arrival for the Welsh flock this winter


Raptors:

US Energy firm pays out for Golden Eagle deaths - could have an influence onthis side of the Atlantic too.


Irish Birds in General:

Irish Birds, including Barn Owls and farmland specialists, under threat

Capercaille

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

Greenland White-fronted Goose news:

2012/13 International Census Report
Late arrival for the Welsh flock this winter


Raptors:


US Energy firm pays out for Golden Eagle deaths - could have an influence onthis side of the Atlantic too.


Irish Birds in General:

Irish Birds, including Barn Owls and farmland specialists, under threat

The GWFG seem to be in terminal decline, I wonder will they be extinct in my lifetime. A sad thought.

OpenYourEyes

Capercaille wrote: »

The GWFG seem to be in terminal decline, I wonder will they be extinct in my lifetime. A sad thought.

I'd say it depends on how old you are :P I'd say they'll be around for a while yet, but only just about - hard to foresee an upturn in their fortunes tbh. And to think, the population was at a record high only 14 or 15 years ago!

OpenYourEyes

PLans to record and protect Irish hedgerows

Capercaille

http://www.con-telegraph.ie/news/news-extra/4081-report-shows-encouraging-signs-of-red-grouse-recovery-in-mayo-improvement-in-habitat-quality
Red Grouse population increases in Mayo!

dodderangler

Read this today.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2522687/kestrel-steals-vole-right-barn-owls-talons.html

fryup

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

strange to see an owl out in daytime hunting for food

dodderangler

fryup wrote: »

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

strange to see an owl out in daytime hunting for food

Barn owls will often hunt during the day if their night hunt was unsuccessful.

fryup

skinned Badgers in Co Tipp

why would they do such a thing?? is it to scare off other Badgers?? or was the fur left behind by mistake? is badger fur valuable?

OpenYourEyes

Heritage Council Urges New Approach to Agri-Environment Programme

We badly need more investment in agri-environmental schemes in Ireland, and ones that actually provide benefits to biodiversity rather than just pay lip service to it!

snowstreams

IrishLittleEgretturnsupIceland

Thats a strange direction to fly for a typically sub tropical bird.
I wonder have they evolved a kind of colonisation gene that is encouraging them to fly all sorts of places?!

vistafinder

fryup wrote: »

skinned Badgers in Co Tipp

why would they do such a thing?? is it to scare off other Badgers?? or was the fur left behind by mistake? is badger fur valuable?

I came across a badger left on the side of the road a couple of months ago while out cycling.

First thing I saw was fur scattered around and a little bit passed was a skinned badger with it head missing.

This is the kind of people we are dealing with here!

recedite

Is the badger carcass left behind in these skinning incidents?
Is it possible that people are hunting them for the meat? It seems bizarre to go to the trouble of killing and skinning an animal, and then leave both the skin and the carcass behind.

junospider

The skins look like deer skins to me.deffo not badgers.

OpenYourEyes

junospider wrote: »

deffo not badgers.

Care to elaborate on how you came to that conclusion?