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Nature in the News

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

I thought a thread with recent news items of interest to Wildlife watchers might go down well. Not the Daily Star type "Badger eats baby while driving steamroller" type but genuine news or discoveries.

Came across this interesting item yesterday:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11375618

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Capercaillie

Moses Faithful Slime wrote: »

And most showing signs of having been downed in trawler nets.

On the beaches beside my farm in winter 2014 there were loads of dead common dolphins. Alot of the had damage to their mandibles where they got caught in nets. Supertrawler was operating in area at the time.

OpenYourEyes

'Trawler owners willing to discuss dolphin catches'

A spokesman for super trawler owners says they are open to discussions about how to reduce the possibility of catching dolphins in their nets after it was claimed a near record number of the mammals were killed when large ships were recently fishing off the north-west coast.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/trawler-owners-willing-to-discuss-dolphin-catches-386320.html

_Tombstone_

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2p2RR3g8UOM

feargale

I omitted to put out a nesting box this year. Is it too late?

Hotei

feargale wrote: »

I omitted to put out a nesting box this year. Is it too late?

Not late at all.
I took this image on Sunday of a Great Tit checking out an empty nest box:

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

feargale wrote: »

I omitted to put out a nesting box this year. Is it too late?

It's never too late.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

SeaWorld to stop breeding Orcas. At last.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/0317/775533-seaworld-orca-whales/

Birdnuts

Moses Faithful Slime wrote: »

SeaWorld to stop breeding Orcas. At last.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/0317/775533-seaworld-orca-whales/

Certainly progress but sad that some of these long lived creatures will still spend decades performing in this grubby business:(

Keplar240B

Birdnuts wrote: »

Certainly progress but sad that some of these long lived creatures will still spend decades performing in this grubby business:(

Can they be released into wild near other Ocra? I

recedite

It was tried once. Phenomenally expensive, and not very successful.

keps

Today's New York Times

Parrots - not just pretty birds

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/22/science/parrots-are-a-lot-more-than-pretty-bird.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=mini-moth&region=top-stories-below&WT.nav=top-stories-below

OpenYourEyes

Mod Note: Given that we've had a few posts about live streams and webcams of birds etc, I've given then their own thread, so that can be the go-to place for any further discussion or any more webcams that might come online as the breeding season approaches!

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057577654#

OpenYourEyes

Farmers have told National Parks and Wildlife rangers and Birdwatch Ireland members to stay off their lands until a compensation agreement over habitats in Special Areas of Conservation is honoured.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/0330/778315-farmers-land/

_Tombstone_

Birds Learn to Recognize Humans They Hate

Australia's Great Barrier Reef hit by 'worst' bleaching

^^If you had in your head to go see it, nows the time. It's dying.

Arctic sea ice extent breaks record low for winter

_Tombstone_

sound-check-the-quietest-place-in-the-us

recedite

_Tombstone_ wrote: »

Birds Learn to Recognize Humans They Hate

That was a tough test for the skuas. Not sure I'd pass that one myself

_Tombstone_

_Tombstone_ wrote: »

Arctic sea ice extent breaks record low for winter

Sea level rise is still to slow for anything to be done.

Florida Is Screwed

As humanity continues to pump carbon into the sky, the models that predict Earth’s future are becoming increasingly complex and detailed. And yet, they’re zeroing in on a simple conclusion: if we don’t get our act together fast, Florida is totally screwed. Along with a bunch of other coastal cities around the world.

A major new ice sheet analysis, which appears as the cover story in Nature today, offers the latest dire warning that we are on the brink of dramatic and essentially irreversible sea level rise. The key finding is that the Antarctic ice sheet may be extremely sensitive to a couple degrees of warming, much more so than we thought. The authors conclude that if carbon emissions continue unchecked, Antarctic melting alone could cause more than a meter of sea level rise this century and 15 meters (50 feet) by the year 2500.

Squidvicious

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/0330/778315-farmers-land/

Absolutely ridiculous. While I have sympathy for the farmer's situation, how can they demand action from the government at a time when there is no government? Unless Birdwatch members can access lands, they will be unable to do their annual bird counts.Each year, members carry out surveys to monitor the numbers of birds in the countryside called the Countryside Bird Survey. I'm a Birdwatch member who has been doing these counts for a number of years. Birdwatch has not caused this problem in any way and the IFA's decision is simply lashing out at an innocent organisation. Birdwatch is a charity which is not state owned or run and has no say in government. In any case, the habitat directives originate in Brussels, ultimately and not Ireland. Why punish Birdwatch? What can it do?

What makes the decision worse is it's timing. These counts can only be done from 1st April to 30th June (being the nesting season) and comprise part of an international network which gathers information on bird populations. There is little or no prospect of a quick solution when we have only a caretaker government. By the time the problem is resolved, it is likely to be too late to do the surveys. The IFA's decision is cynical in the extreme. I can only hope that somebody in that organisation will see sense as I doubt that this move emanates from ordinary members.

keps

Some interesting results from UK's (RSPB) Garden Birdwatch Survey.
Today's Guardian

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/mar/31/rspb-bgbw-mild-uk-winter-smaller-garden-birds

OpenYourEyes

BirdWatch Ireland says it is "extremely surprised" to learn about a poster campaign by the IFA to bar their organisation, as well as the National Parks and Wildlife Service, from accessing farmers' land . . . . says it actively works to advocate financial support for farmers who are in a position to help wildlife.

http://www.newstalk.com/IFA-BirdWatch-Ireland-farmers-compensation-Jer-Bergin

Woodville56

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

http://www.newstalk.com/IFA-BirdWatch-Ireland-farmers-compensation-Jer-Bergin

Very tempered, diplomatic and considered response from BWI there ! Pity the IFA leadership aren't as thoughtful before they go in with all guns blazing (literally). I think BWI are right in their approach and in pointing out that many farmers are very supportive and aware of their responsibilities as custodians of biodiversity. Unfortunately, those are the farmers who often lose out while the IFA intensive farming lobby cream off the grants and subsidies, aided and abetted by the "you scratch my back etc" political classes.

Squidvicious

Woodville56 wrote: »

Very tempered, diplomatic and considered response from BWI there ! Pity the IFA leadership aren't as thoughtful before they go in with all guns blazing (literally). I think BWI are right in their approach and in pointing out that many farmers are very supportive and aware of their responsibilities as custodians of biodiversity. Unfortunately, those are the farmers who often lose out while the IFA intensive farming lobby cream off the grants and subsidies, aided and abetted by the "you scratch my back etc" political classes.

Having read the IFA website piece on the topic, I really think that they've simply made a mistake and have assumed that Birdwatch is a government organisation and think that by prohibiting land access to Birdwatch members, they will punish the government. Birdwatch is an independent organisation and has nothing to do with the government. Pig-headed stupidity by the IFA.

OpenYourEyes

Here's Birdwatch Ireland's press release in full: http://www.birdwatchireland.ie/News/BirdWatchIrelandsurprisedbyIFApostercampaign/tabid/1521/Default.aspx

BirdWatch Ireland is extremely surprised to learn about the poster campaign launched today by the Irish Farmers’ Association to bar our organisation, as well as the National Parks and Wildlife Service, from accessing farmers’ land, as reported on the IFA website.

BirdWatch Ireland firmly believes that farmers are the custodians of some of Ireland’s most important habitats and iconic wildlife. We actively work to advocate financial support for farmers who are in a position to help wildlife, and we firmly believe that much more needs to be done by the State and the Irish Government to benefit and support those farmers whose actions serve to protect and conserve wildlife and biodiversity.

Assessing the health of our wildlife populations through survey work is vital, both to safeguard our natural heritage and to direct and maximise support to those farmers and landowners who should quite rightly receive support for their protection of wildlife.

BirdWatch Ireland is fortunate to enjoy a very good working relationship with farmers and landowners around the country, many of whom are members and supporters of our work. We look forward to continuing to work closely with them, and will continue to identify and secure supports from the State for their wildlife conservation work.

BirdWatch Ireland is an entirely independent conservation charity, and operates strictly on a non-governmental basis. Any staff and volunteers who carry out survey and conservation work on behalf of BirdWatch Ireland do not access private land without explicit permission from the relevant landowners.

OpenYourEyes

Data from the BTO Nest Record Scheme has been used to extend the hedgecutting ban to the end of August in the UK:

http://www.fwi.co.uk/news/hedgecutting-ban-in-august-based-on-bird-charity-data.htm

Woodville56

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

Data from the BTO Nest Record Scheme has been used to extend the hedgecutting ban to the end of August in the UK:

http://www.fwi.co.uk/news/hedgecutting-ban-in-august-based-on-bird-charity-data.htm

They also implement the hedge cutting ban from 1st March - no kowtow'ing to vested interests on that issue at any rate, unlike our crowd !

Del.Monte

Unbelievable news item on Matt Cooper this evening about 'seagulls' contaminating Sandymount Strand with their droppings. Clueless idiot on from the EPA slapped down by man from Birdwatch Ireland. You would think with all the stories such as Panamanian offshore accounts and the Irish Peruvian drug smuggler that there would be enough real news. Matt Cooper's lack of knowledge about basic ornithology is staggering - gulls getting bigger and carrying off dogs even got a mention. Turns out it was waders and geese that are 'the problem' on Sandymount Strand - pity they didn't build the Eastern Bypass and we could have got rid of the pesky birds. Irish tabloid journalism at its worst. :mad:

http://www.todayfm.com/Seagull-poo-blamed-for-poor-water

_Tombstone_

^^As soon as Louise is finished at 4.30 you HIT THAT DIAL.

OpenYourEyes

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/cull-of-seagulls-urged-to-halt-beach-contamination-34603111.html

"At the site, the DCC found waste belonging to humans, dogs and birds. The proportions of these haven't yet been established; so we've no clue honestly if the birds are 10pc of the problem or 90pc," said Mr Webster

But that hasn't stopped a local councillor calling for a cull of gulls, and apparently the EPA guy was on Newstalk yesterday and suggested scaring birds with dogs - at one of the most important wildlife sites in Dublin, or even the country! Enfuriating!

Half-cocked

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/cull-of-seagulls-urged-to-halt-beach-contamination-34603111.html

But that hasn't stopped a local councillor calling for a cull of gulls, and apparently the EPA guy was on Newstalk yesterday and suggested scaring birds with dogs - at one of the most important wildlife sites in Dublin, or even the country! Enfuriating!

Somebody please tell this Fool with a capital F that it's too early in the year for silly season and April Fools Day was last week. What we really need is a cull of idiot politicians that pollute the media with this sort of ignorant BS.

OpenYourEyes

The NPWS recently secured convictions against three pigeon men for attempting to poison Peregrine Falcons in quarries in the south of the country.

While the fines and penalties involved are not significant enough in my opinion, it's great to convict these guys of the crimes they've committed. It involved very significant effort on behalf of the wildlife ranger and the NPWS and it's great to see some level of justice.

https://raptorpersecutionscotland.wordpress.com/2016/04/10/pigeon-racing-men-convicted-of-poisoning-peregrines-sparrowhawks/

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1237460656271608&id=129191827098502

Four men associated with a pigeon racing club in County Waterford, Ireland, have been convicted of illegally poisoning peregrines and sparrowhawks, and other associated wildlife crimes.

The convictions are the result of surveillance and investigation by conservation rangers from the Irish Republic’s National Parks & Wildlife Service at three quarries in March and April 2014: Cappagh Quarry, Keereen Quarry and Carroll’s Cross Quarry. Live pigeon baits, smeared with poison and tied to stones or stakes had been found on a number of occasions at the top of the quarry cliffs, designed to lure in raptors. Four poisoned peregrines and two poisoned sparrowhawks had also been found.

Unfortunately I've just come across this post on the Mountaineering Ireland facebook page, about a dead Peregrine found in Dalkey:

https://www.facebook.com/mountaineeringireland/photos/a.389749466669.168257.277721306669/10154128636451670/?type=3

Dead peregrine found in Dalkey Quarry

Just a few days after a pair of peregrine falcons was reported to be nesting in the Central Buttress area of Dalkey Quarry, the female bird has been found dead. This will almost certainly result in the failure of the eggs to hatch.

The National Parks & Wildlife Service is appealing to anybody who saw unusual activity in Dalkey Quarry, particularly below the signal tower, during the morning or around lunchtime on Saturday (9th April), to contact them.

The peregrine falcon, which is protected under European and national legislation, is the fastest creature on the planet, and can dive at speeds of up to 200mph to strike its prey. As peregrines prey on smaller birds such as duck or pigeon, they have at times been subject to persecution.

The cause of the bird’s death is being investigated by the National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS). While it is possible that the bird was poisoned, disturbance of wildlife by drones is also causing problems, especially during the breeding season.

If you have any information which could possibly assist this investigation, please contact the NPWS District Conservation Officer, Ciaran Foley on ciaran.foley@ahg.gov.ie or (076) 100 2634.

Climbers who experience a reaction from peregrines or nesting birds are asked to withdraw promptly so as to allow the birds the space to breed successfully. Mountaineering Ireland also appeals to people to keep a close eye out for suspicious activity at other peregrine falcon nest sites throughout the country.

Studies in recent years of Peregrine populations in Northern Ireland and on the south coast of Ireland have found that the populations in those areas are limited (i.e. not doing as well as they should) because of persecution. Other studies have reported population trends with the acknowledgement that persecution is ongoing and there's no way to know how bad it might be.