Nature in the News

whyulittle · 19-09-2017 07:52PM

It’s been another good but mixed year overall for our breeding pairs of White-tailed Sea Eagles…but more of that shortly.

The last recorded loss of an adult WTSE was back in June 2015. So, it was a real blow to receive news on 21 April this year that a WTSE had been found dead in west Kerry the day before. Photos of the bird revealed it to be a breeding female, 2008 red dot, now in the second year of nesting with her mate, 2010 blue 15. Later that day, with help from local boatman Mike O’Shea, we were able to find her carcass on the lake shore. She was in great condition and weighted a whopping 6.4kg. While poisoning was uppermost in my mind at this time of year, toxicological analyses were negative for all the usual suspects. So, what could have killed such an apparently healthy big female right in the middle of nesting?

Read full story here.

recedite · 19-09-2017 08:47PM

Interesting story. Black Dot 1 seems very much a femme fatale!

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 28-09-2017 10:32PM

Another new species for the list...

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-41427689

magicbastarder · 29-09-2017 01:15PM

Tree bumblebee confirmed in Ireland:

http://www.biodiversityireland.ie/press-release-naturalists-buzzing-new-bumblebee-arrives-ireland/

New Home · 29-09-2017 01:15PM

Delighted to hear about the new species of rats, not delighted at all to hear about 90% of the forests having been felled already.

recedite · 29-09-2017 07:33PM

New Home wrote: »

Delighted to hear about the new species of rats, not delighted at all to hear about 90% of the forests having been felled already.

It also seems odd that the conservation ranger who "saw the rat fall out of the tree" was with the loggers. And the arboreal rat being killed by the fall. Possible, but a bit implausible?
I definitely smell a rat in there somewhere.

New Home · 29-09-2017 07:43PM

Yes, the whole thing is a bit fishy alright... (sorry, poor excuse for a pun).

Unless the conservation ranger was working with some body like Greenpeace and was monitoring the loggers' work... I'm also thinking that perhaps the poor rat was trying to escape to safety but unfortunately climbed a tree that was next in line to be felled.

whyulittle · 02-10-2017 06:10PM

Always great to get reports of eagles as they disperse throughout Ireland. Occasionally some birds take it one step/wing-beat further and emigrate. Eagles know no borders except perhaps for the barrier posed by flying over a large expanse of sea. Most migratory raptors, such as honey buzzards and some European eagles, use the shortest available sea crossing when heading south to Africa for the winter to maximise thermals for soaring over land. This makes watching raptor migration, and other large soaring migrants like White and Black Storks, at places like Tarifa (Spain), near Gibraltar, the Straits of Messina (Italy) and Bosporus (Turkey), some of the most exhilarating life experiences for a birder!

While our eagles aren’t migratory as such many White-tailed Eagles disperse extensively in the first 2-3 years after fledging, using the island of Ireland as their ‘playground’ to explore!

Read full story here.

OpenYourEyes · 04-10-2017 08:33AM

'Bird deaths: Pheasants 'most likely species' to die on UK roads'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-41487536

keps · 07-10-2017 07:58PM

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/oct/07/rescue-olive-ridley-sea-turtle-cosat-rica-conservation-project-ostional

keps · 06-11-2017 12:34PM

Red Squirrel

Today's Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/nov/06/red-squirrels-successfully-established-in-scottish-highlands

dogmatix · 06-11-2017 06:31PM

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

'Bird deaths: Pheasants 'most likely species' to die on UK roads'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-41487536

I'm seeing increasingly large numbers of these birds on the roads in Wicklow - something of a population boom perhaps? I spotted a total of 7 birds at various locations between glenmalure and rathdrum last Monday (30th) alone..

Surprising as I would expect the foxes to have a field day with so much pheasent around.

Beautiful birds!

Capercaillie · 06-11-2017 06:47PM

dogmatix wrote: »

I'm seeing increasingly large numbers of these birds on the roads in Wicklow - something of a population boom perhaps? I spotted a total of 7 birds at various locations between glenmalure and rathdrum last Monday (30th) alone..

Surprising as I would expect the foxes to have a field day with so much pheasent around.

Beautiful birds!

Pheasant season starts on November 1st, a lot of birds are released about now.

OpenYourEyes · 09-11-2017 08:08PM

The Heritage Bill has gotten through the Dáil and will next move to committee stage - a terribly regressive bill, from a Minister clearly concerned with pleasing the IFA above all else.

https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2017/1109/918697-hedgecutting/

whyulittle · 28-11-2017 03:05PM

Hopes soar for a 2018 Irish-bred white-tailed eagle chick

Hopes are rising that an Irish-bred, white-tailed eagle will produce a chick in 2018, writes Donal Hickey

It would be the first such happening in well over a century and would be a significant milestone for an exciting project to reintroduce the bird.

These sea eagles became extinct here in 1910 because of persecution by humans — through shooting, poisoning and stealing eggs from nests — but 100 birds have been released over the past 10 years as part of a National Parks and Wildlife Service reintroduction project. Thirty-three birds have died, with poisoning responsible for 40% of the deaths.

Read full story here.

cameramonkey · 28-11-2017 07:47PM

whyulittle wrote: »

Hopes soar for a 2018 Irish-bred white-tailed eagle chick

Hopes are rising that an Irish-bred, white-tailed eagle will produce a chick in 2018, writes Donal Hickey

It would be the first such happening in well over a century and would be a significant milestone for an exciting project to reintroduce the bird.

These sea eagles became extinct here in 1910 because of persecution by humans — through shooting, poisoning and stealing eggs from nests — but 100 birds have been released over the past 10 years as part of a National Parks and Wildlife Service reintroduction project. Thirty-three birds have died, with poisoning responsible for 40% of the deaths.

Read full story here.

It says this year that 21 chicks fledged, is that possible? From 10 pairs of eagles, seems a lot.

Capercaillie · 28-11-2017 08:47PM

cameramonkey wrote: »

It says this year that 21 chicks fledged, is that possible? From 10 pairs of eagles, seems a lot.

In total since re-introduction.

cameramonkey · 28-11-2017 11:09PM

Capercaillie wrote: »

In total since re-introduction.

Do you know how many this year?

Capercaillie · 28-11-2017 11:15PM

cameramonkey wrote: »

Do you know how many this year?

4 from 2 pairs on Lough Derg. I think another 2 more. Not very many.

Openyoureyes will probably have the numbers?

WildIreland · 29-11-2017 10:36AM

whyulittle wrote: »

Hopes soar for a 2018 Irish-bred white-tailed eagle chick

Hopes are rising that an Irish-bred, white-tailed eagle will produce a chick in 2018, writes Donal Hickey

It would be the first such happening in well over a century and would be a significant milestone for an exciting project to reintroduce the bird.

These sea eagles became extinct here in 1910 because of persecution by humans — through shooting, poisoning and stealing eggs from nests — but 100 birds have been released over the past 10 years as part of a National Parks and Wildlife Service reintroduction project. Thirty-three birds have died, with poisoning responsible for 40% of the deaths.

Read full story here.

Would be fantastic to see this happen next year... but I suspect unlikely.

I haven't heard that any Irish bred birds have paired up / are holding territories yet. If memory serves the first Irish fledged birds were 2 siblings from Mountshannon in the 2013 breeding season. One of those was shot, the other would be 5 years old next year.

White tailed eagles only start breeding at between 5-7 years of age -- so the chances of an Irish bred bird producing chicks next year is perhaps a tad optimistic. Sure it will happen -- just think that next year is perhaps a bit soon.

Still... good PR and always great to raise the profile of these fantastic birds.

Keplar240B · 02-12-2017 01:04AM

FYI

A major land acquisition is to increase the size of Ballycroy National Park in Co Mayo by almost 50%.

Lands owned by Coillte are being transferred to the National Parks and Wildlife Service, bringing the total area of the park to over 15,000 hectares.

The agreement between the two State agencies has been 15 years in the planning. It will see the so-called Wild Nephin area, comprising 4,600 hectares, incorporated into Ballycroy National Park.

https://www.rte.ie/news/connacht/2017/1201/924249-coillte-ballycroy-national-park/

recedite · 02-12-2017 08:59AM

Coillte finally rid of it, the trees were not growing well there anyway.
Is NPWS any more likely to proceed with the rewilding plan?
I suppose this is one case where "doing nothing" can be considered a form of progress

keps · 07-12-2017 07:33PM

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/dec/06/an-orangutan-stole-my-camera-and-took-close-up-selfies-in-pictures

keps · 09-12-2017 10:01PM

Not really news- good pics though

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2017/dec/08/the-week-in-wildlife-in-pictures

magicbastarder · 09-12-2017 10:08PM

the video of the starving polar bear is just heartbreaking.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/dec/08/starving-polar-bear-arctic-climate-change-video

keps · 09-12-2017 10:09PM

magicbastarder wrote: »

the video of the starving polar bear is just heartbreaking.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/dec/08/starving-polar-bear-arctic-climate-change-video

I decided not to watch it- I'm a coward

magicbastarder · 09-12-2017 10:48PM

more light hearted - maybe not nature in the news, and not the sort of video usually posted here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_WH2KXVGig

keps · 18-12-2017 12:22AM

And light-hearted again..

Comedy in Nature photos from The Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2017/dec/14/the-2017-comedy-wildlife-photography-awards

flyingsnail · 06-01-2018 11:52AM

The bearded vulture has made a successful return to the French Alps

https://www.thelocal.fr/20180105/bone-eaters-europes-largest-vultures-return-to-french-alps

After a 30-year campaign on the part of activists, the bearded vulture has been returned to the French Alps mountain range after the entire population was killed off by humans in the early 20th century.

A pair of the impressive birds was first introduced to the area from Afghanistan and Russia in 1987 and to the joy of bird enthusiasts, the couple finally produced an infant ten years ago, according to a report in Le Monde.

Today there are 13 pairs of bearded vultures living in France and 39 in the Alps region in total.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 13-01-2018 08:11PM

First Wild Wolf in Belgium in over a century.

https://www.rte.ie/news/world/2018/0113/933088-wolf-flanders-belgium/

And this guy gets around.

Nature in the News

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