Nature in the News

Strawberry1975 · 11-04-2019 11:47AM

Would complement My Study in a Glass Case would keep the
Pheasant
Barn Owl
Fox
Badger
Hare
Mink
Company

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 12-04-2019 12:32PM

Maybe we'd get back to reality and the Nature News.

A recently discovered new, if extinct, hominid species

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-47873072

Base price · 12-04-2019 05:03PM

Ffs :mad:
https://www.thejournal.ie/falcons-wexford-4589520-Apr2019/?utm_source=facebook_short&fbclid=IwAR2aJC7zkP-KEBejW52b5AXR_jscuthQ3Y3YWSxOmUn2oxFdfjS0QpxxAfc

Stigura · 12-04-2019 05:09PM

Read that. Googled this:

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=pigion+racing+wexford

Just saying .....

recedite · 12-04-2019 06:10PM

On the other hand, if a pair of peregrines nested in a quarry, how would that affect the quarry? Would they be required to interrupt the work/cordon off the area?

Stigura · 12-04-2019 06:14PM

What if a pair of Hen Harriers nested on a British grouse moor?

OpenYourEyes · 12-04-2019 06:38PM

recedite wrote: »

On the other hand, if a pair of peregrines nested in a quarry, how would that affect the quarry? Would they be required to interrupt the work/cordon off the area?

Peregrines would generally choose an inactive cliff face to nest on, so there's generally no problem. I've never heard of it being an issue in Ireland and those nesting in active quarries tend to have breeding success similar to those in inactive/abandoned quarries!

recedite · 12-04-2019 07:33PM

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

those nesting in active quarries tend to have breeding success similar to those in inactive/abandoned quarries!

Not if they're dead.
You hear of people knocking down house martin's nests, because they don't like the inconvenience. But in fairness, they don't tend to publicise it either. So if the quarry owner was the one who reported the poisonings, he is probably innocent of the whole thing.

Base price · 12-04-2019 08:29PM

recedite wrote: »

On the other hand, if a pair of peregrines nested in a quarry, how would that affect the quarry? Would they be required to interrupt the work/cordon off the area?

As the working layer of the quarry is depleted new rock is blasted creating a new lower level. The sides of the old layers creates optimum nesting sites for peregrines and those nest sites could be several hundred meters from the active quarry iykwim.

OpenYourEyes · 12-04-2019 10:10PM

recedite wrote: »

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

those nesting in active quarries tend to have breeding success similar to those in inactive/abandoned quarries!

Not if they're dead.
You hear of people knocking down house martin's nests, because they don't like the inconvenience. But in fairness, they don't tend to publicise it either. So if the quarry owner was the one who reported the poisonings, he is probably innocent of the whole thing.

Yeah I've never heard of any incident of quarry owners killing or destroying a nest attempt of Peregrines - little or no conflict there at all. If you hear about Peregrines being poisoned in Ireland you can be almost certain it was pigeon fanciers. If they were shot away from breeding site it might be some ignorant person with a gun, but when it's poison and at a breeding site and particularly in Waterford or Wexford then it's pigeon fanciers.

That's not to say all pigeon fanciers poison Peregrines, but it is to say that all the people who poison Peregrines are pigeon fanciers, who unfortunately give the rest of the people involved a bad name!

Base price · 12-04-2019 10:18PM

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

Yeah I've never heard of any incident of quarry owners killing or destroying a nest attempt of Peregrines - little or no conflict there at all. If you hear about Peregrines being poisoned in Ireland you can be almost certain it was pigeon fanciers. If they were shot away from breeding site it might be some ignorant person with a gun, but when it's poison and at a breeding site and particularly in Waterford or Wexford then it's pigeon fanciers.

That's not to say all pigeon fanciers poison Peregrines, but it is to say that all the people who poison Peregrines are pigeon fanciers, who unfortunately give the rest of the people involved a bad name!

TBH I never thought about pigeon fanciers.

I sometimes submit wildlife sightings to http://www.biodiversityireland.ie/ but I never submit sightings of buzzards (which are common in my area) for fear of identifying their location.

OpenYourEyes · 12-04-2019 10:43PM

Base price wrote: »

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

Yeah I've never heard of any incident of quarry owners killing or destroying a nest attempt of Peregrines - little or no conflict there at all. If you hear about Peregrines being poisoned in Ireland you can be almost certain it was pigeon fanciers. If they were shot away from breeding site it might be some ignorant person with a gun, but when it's poison and at a breeding site and particularly in Waterford or Wexford then it's pigeon fanciers.

That's not to say all pigeon fanciers poison Peregrines, but it is to say that all the people who poison Peregrines are pigeon fanciers, who unfortunately give the rest of the people involved a bad name!

TBH I never thought about pigeon fanciers.

I sometimes submit wildlife sightings to http://www.biodiversityireland.ie/ but I never submit sightings of buzzards (which are common in my area) for fear of identifying their location.

Most bird conservation NGOs accommodate this by only displaying bird of prey records at a course resolution - so rather than showing where the buzzard was recorded they'd just show the 10km square where it was recorded, so they give people with a genuine interest an idea that buzzards are around but at the same time make them impossible for anyone with bad intentions to track down etc.

Worth checking what the NBDCs policy is on that, and emailing them with your concerns if their level of protection isn't up to scratch!

Base price · 12-04-2019 10:53PM

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

Most bird conservation NGOs accommodate this by only displaying bird of prey records at a course resolution - so rather than showing where the buzzard was recorded they'd just show the 10km square where it was recorded, so they give people with a genuine interest an idea that buzzards are around but at the same time make them impossible for anyone with bad intentions to track down etc.

Worth checking what the NBDCs policy is on that, and emailing them with your concerns if their level of protection isn't up to scratch!

Unfortunately Biodiversity Ireland show the spatial coordinates for every record e.g. black headed gull 53.44576763, -6.13779496

OpenYourEyes · 12-04-2019 11:17PM

In more positive news, An Post have just announced two new bird stamps: a summer-plumaged Golden Plover and a (very) Roseate Tern. Worth a look:

https://www.anpost.com/Media-Centre/News/EUROPA-stamps-celebrate-our-National-Birds

80sDiesel · 13-04-2019 04:26AM

Lost river returns to Somerset 70 years after it dried up

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/apr/12/lost-river-returns-somerset-70-years-after-dried-up?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Copy_to_clipboard

magicbastarder · 13-04-2019 09:12AM

a few months ago, i went on a binge of watching dam removal videos on youtube (mostly made in the US); this is probably the most visually interesting one, but look for a series about the removal of the elwha dam in washington state, there's some interesting info in some of the videos on how quickly the river recovered and what other changes were wrought:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LxMHmw3Z-U

the amount of silt that has built up behind the dam is amazing.

cd07 · 13-04-2019 11:34AM

Stigura wrote:

What if a pair of Hen Harriers nested on a British grouse moor?

Check out raptor persecution Scotland and you'll see all the carnage on British grouse moors

corks finest · 13-04-2019 11:47AM

magicbastarder wrote: »

a few months ago, i went on a binge of watching dam removal videos on youtube (mostly made in the US); this is probably the most visually interesting one, but look for a series about the removal of the elwha dam in washington state, there's some interesting info in some of the videos on how quickly the river recovered and what other changes were wrought:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LxMHmw3Z-U

the amount of silt that has built up behind the dam is amazing.

Good info

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 17-04-2019 04:26PM

Kakapo breeding success, good news.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-47960764

Eddie B · 18-04-2019 09:54AM

More bad news

https://www.thejournal.ie/extinction-turtle-4595736-Apr2019/?amp=1

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 18-04-2019 10:57PM

You never know what's to be found in an old drawer.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-47976205

New Home · 19-04-2019 07:53AM

See? I always say "Keep it, you never know when it might come in handy!", and they call me a hoarder. But it looks like I was right. :pac:

recedite · 19-04-2019 11:51AM

Eddie B wrote: »

More bad news

https://www.thejournal.ie/extinction-turtle-4595736-Apr2019/?amp=1

The female’s death came a day after zoo officials made a last-ditch effort at artificial insemination...
The zoo had tried unsuccessfully for several years to get the pair to mate and reproduce naturally. It will now conduct an autopsy to determine what caused the animal’s death.

Its fairly obvious what caused the death.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 19-04-2019 04:07PM

Report your Curlews

https://www.rte.ie/news/enviroment/2019/0418/1043437-curlew-day-ireland/

Royal Legend · 19-04-2019 05:43PM

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

Yeah I've never heard of any incident of quarry owners killing or destroying a nest attempt of Peregrines - little or no conflict there at all. If you hear about Peregrines being poisoned in Ireland you can be almost certain it was pigeon fanciers. If they were shot away from breeding site it might be some ignorant person with a gun, but when it's poison and at a breeding site and particularly in Waterford or Wexford then it's pigeon fanciers.

That's not to say all pigeon fanciers poison Peregrines, but it is to say that all the people who poison Peregrines are pigeon fanciers, who unfortunately give the rest of the people involved a bad name!

The quarry was inactive, the falcons were nesting there for around the last 8 years if my local info is correct, they were often seen many miles to the south coast hunting, so the guess is that they also would have hunted in towards New Ross and may have hunted racing pigeons, hence the link.
The location of the birds was kept very quiet over the years as there was a fear that they would be killed.
As far as I am aware there was also a young bird that survived, not sure what is to happen to it.
There are also a few pairs of breeding buzzards in the area around Campile, just up the road to Ballykelly where the falcons were poisoned.

cd07 · 19-04-2019 07:35PM

Royal Legend wrote:

The quarry was inactive, the falcons were nesting there for around the last 8 years if my local info is correct, they were often seen many miles to the south coast hunting, so the guess is that they also would have hunted in towards New Ross and may have hunted racing pigeons, hence the link. The location of the birds was kept very quiet over the years as there was a fear that they would be killed. As far as I am aware there was also a young bird that survived, not sure what is to happen to it. There are also a few pairs of breeding buzzards in the area around Campile, just up the road to Ballykelly where the falcons were poisoned.

Sounds very like pigeon fanciers. Unfortunately peregrines do take a few racing pigeons but speaking as someone who races pigeons if your pigeon is out-witted by the peregrines well they ain't much use for racing. Plus peregrines were here long before the sport of pigeon racing

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 20-04-2019 09:26PM

The bees of Notre-Dame;

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-47995604

New Home · 20-04-2019 10:35PM

I was thinking about all the nests that would have been there, too, the other day.

Thank God for small mercies, at least the bees are safe.

catrat12 · 20-04-2019 10:51PM

Moses Faithful Slime wrote: »

Report your Curlews

https://www.rte.ie/news/enviroment/2019/0418/1043437-curlew-day-ireland/

I have to birdwatching Ireland and heard no reply
I have loads of these in field beside me

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 21-04-2019 08:29AM

catrat12 wrote: »

I have to birdwatching Ireland and heard no reply
I have loads of these in field beside me

Don't bother reporting to Birdwatch Ireland. Report to the NPWS.

Nature in the News

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