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Whimbrel with a transmitter / Photo by Barry Truitt, The Nature Conservancy |
Birds and birding news
- Yesterday evening, I received a press release saying that one of the Whimbrels enrolled in the migration tracking program at The Center for Conservation Biology flew through the most severe area of Hurricane Irene (i.e., the northeastern quadrant). This Whimbrel, named Chinquapin, was trapped and fitted with a transmitter in May 2010 and has since made successful migrations north to the Northwest Territories, south to Suriname, and north to its breeding grounds again. Chinquapin is one of several Whimbrels fitted with transmitters; one of them is shown above.
- The Peregrine Fund is sending three California Condors to Arizona for release into the wild at Vermillion Cliffs National Monument.
- A project called Ghosts of Gone Birds is bringing together artists to commemorate extinct birds and raise money for conservation programs.
- The RSPB is concerned that new oil exploration in UK waters poses significant risks for seabird breeding colonies.
- When they are inactive, juvenile King Penguins allow their body temperatures to drop to save energy.
- The Iowa legislature overturned a decision by the state's Natural Resources Commission and decided to allow the use of lead ammunition for dove hunting. Lead ammunition that remains in the environment can contribute to cumulative lead poisoning for animals that ingest it.
- Seaside Aquaculture, Inc., was convicted of killing migratory birds (pdf) to protect their fish stocks.
- ScotRail and the Scottish Wildlife Trust are setting up observation areas within Montrose railway station so that birders can watch waterbirds in the tidal basin next to the station.
- An effort is underway to remove all rats from Palmyra Atoll, an important breeding area for Sooty Tern, Black Noddy, Brown Noddy, White Tern, Red-tailed Tropicbird, and White-tailed Tropicbird. Several other seabirds may resume breeding there if the threat of rat predation is removed.
Nature blogging
Environment and biodiversity