Those Little Bustards
2009-11-13 10:19:00 A little more than a week ago, BirdLife Cyprus’s field trip officer Stavros Christodoulides was put into contact with a Larnaca-area taxidermist who reportedly had been given three Little Bustards Tetrax tetrax to stuff over the last two years. Why is that interesting, you ask? Because the presence of Little Bustards in Cyprus is news ...
By: Migrations
Once I Counted Birds
2009-11-06 11:59:00 “Rising sea levels, birds and forests on the other side of the world – all our actions are connected.” (Cathy Fitzgerald) Tagged: video
By: Migrations
What Birds Are Trapped By Poachers?
2009-10-29 13:59:00 This is part of the series of posts Poaching in Cyprus FAQ What Birds Are Caught And Killed By Poachers? According to the first report on bird trapping levels by BirdLife Cyprus in 2002, more than 150 species of birds (39.5% of the total Cyprus check-list) have been recorded as caught with limesticks or mist-nets. (Hubbard 1967; ...
By: Migrations
How Many Birds Killed?
2009-10-23 11:29:00 This is part of the series of posts Poaching in Cyprus FAQ Approximately how many birds are killed seasonally? BirdLife Cyprus derives its estimates regarding the number of birds trapped from observations of the number of limesticks and nets observed during monitoring, which is done by previously described surveillance methods. The direct findings from BirdLife’s monitoring schemes ...
By: Migrations
Weekend Birding ? Black Storks
2009-10-12 11:17:00 Black Stork (Ciconia nigra) — A scarce passage migrant in Cyprus, it is generally seen in single figures in late April/early May and from September to November. I was lucky to see seven this past Saturday on the Akrotiri Salt Flats, and four of them again a while later, probably the same birds. Seeing seven ...
By: Migrations
Birds in the Scope
2009-10-04 07:48:00 Found on the web, this clip has a cool feel to it, taking a view through a spotting scope with a camcorder. The effect is to give the sensation of actually being there, looking through the scope, which probably was itself shaking simply due to the wind. Moreover, the Demoiselle Cranes are just as you ...
By: Migrations
Image of the Day ? Spoonbill
2009-09-30 11:17:00 Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) – A passage migrant in Cyprus, with a few seen in wetland areas every Spring and Autumn. I saw my first two of this Autumn this past Sunday. Some background on Spoonbills: Range: The wide but fragmented breeding range of the Eurasian Spoonbill extends from Europe to northwest Africa, the Red Sea, ...
By: Migrations
Wale Out of Line Scolding Boo Birds
2009-09-24 05:35:00 Those who know me best call me Boomer. It's a nickname I've had since Pee Wee football. This week, I thought I'd introduce a piece that Ive been running on Bear Goggles On for a while now called LOWER THE BOOM, where I vent my frustrations on someone or something that's gotten under my skin.This week, the target of my vitriol is my "colleague" from ChicagoNow, the Chicago Bears' own Adewale Ogunleye. In his blog, Wale's World, Ogunleye gives us the unique perspective of a professional football player. It's an insight that a very select few will ever have, so we should appreciate that he takes time out to share with us....
Flocks of birds fly around the end of a runway at O'Hare Airport. (Alex Gar
2009-09-24 04:05:00 Tribune exclusive FAA's warning notice lists hazards that endanger takeoffs and landings X Text Size Federal inspectors found numerous violations at O'Hare International Airport that endanger airplanes at the most critical phases of flight -- takeoffs
By: Get rich
Birds of North America
2009-09-23 15:43:00 A prestigious collection of photographs featuring birds that reside in the United States and Canada.
7art Birds of Happiness ScreenSaver
2009-09-23 15:43:00 Amazing 7art slide show with 49 fabulous birds photos in high resulution
Da Bears, Da Birds, Dirt Weed & Fresh Food Stamps
2009-09-18 20:11:00 A Marijuana plant was spotted growing in a parkway in Rogers Park. This summer I was asked by a neighbor to grow Marijuana plants for her in my garden. I surprised myself when it took me a few moments to say no. I blame it on the recession. A couple of days later I attended a BBQ and in the yard next door there were several plants growing out in the open, I've spotted them in a many places this year. Dez Clark, tight end for the Chicago Bears, thinks the sod at Soldier Field is "terrible" and has had his feelings hurt by opponents who make fun of them playing on a "cow pasture." Ha, ha, seriously? Now that...
Friday Five: The Year?s Best Bird Songs
2009-09-18 14:24:00 Birds are creepy, as anyone who’s seen a certain Hitchcock film knows. But from the great speckled bird to Dolly Parton’s little sparrow, these hollow-boned, beady-eyed creatures are something of a country music fixture. Let’s give a listen to some of 2009’s bird songs. 5. “Basket of Singing Birds” – Missy Raines & The New Hip Jazzy ...
Honorable Guest to Pakistan
2009-09-11 07:11:00 Pakistan receives a large number of migratory birds from Europe and Central Asian States every year. These birds spend the winters in Pakistan and go back to their native habitats in the summers. The route these birds take from Siberia to Pakistan is known as International Migratory Birds' Route Number 4. It is also called the Green Route or Indus Flyway. Out of seven flyways, Indus Flyway is one of the busiest routes. Birds begin their journey in November. February is the peak time and by March they start flying back. These periods may vary depending upon weather conditions in Siberia and in Pakistan.Birds' migration is of different forms: diurnal (during day), nocturnal (night flights), altitudinal (from heights to lower parts) and latitudinal (from north to south). One of the reasons for migration is that food is not available in indigenous habitats during winter seasons. Other factors include changes in temperature, reduced daylight hours, and instinctive behaviour.The Indus F...
By: Light Within
Feral Cats and Birds (in Cyprus)
2009-09-10 18:08:00 Those subscribed to my Twitter account will note that yesterday I had a minor blow-up when I saw this article in Audubon Magazine when I got to the bit where Ted Williams claims that we give some respect to the animal rights’ group The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). Basically, I had heard ...
By: Migrations
Spring Hunting in Malta to End Permanently
2009-09-10 16:22:00 EU bans Maltese bird hunt (Wildlife Extra News): Malta has finally been forced to comply with European bird protection laws, following a landmark ruling by the European Court of Justice which has declared that Malta has been breaching European law by allowing the spring hunting of quail and turtle dove passing through the islands on migration. ...
By: Migrations
Birds on a Wire are like Music Notes on a Score
2009-09-10 15:44:00 Birds on the Wires from Jarbas Agnelli on Vimeo. This is what I call "critical insight"! Brazilian designer Jarbas Agnell saw something more than just a flock of birds sitting on a set of power lines. He saw a collection of notes on a music score, which he transcribed into a beautiful piece of multimedia art. Bravo! Check out Jarbas' thoughts here. Via: Good Things Design Blog
By: Design Sojourn
Treatment of Birds in Cyprus
2009-09-09 12:00:00 Via BirdLife Cyprus I saw this: BirdLife Cyprus comment on the CABS trapping footage: The shocking footage of bird trapping in Cyprus in spring 09 publicised by CABS on the internet demonstrates most vividly the extent of the cruelty involved and – more importantly – the horribly indiscriminate nature of this illegal activity, which poses a very real threat to many bird species. Images of threatened species, such as the Wryneck Jynx torquilla, and endemic species, such as the Cyprus Scops Owl Otus scops cypria, are of particular note. BirdLife Cyprus fully supports any efforts that help publicise this problem and more than shares the concerns of visiting organisations such as CABS about the continuing extent of the problem. Tagged: Birds, Cyprus
By: Migrations
Cyprus Birds email-list
2009-08-25 11:37:00 Want to hear more about birdwatching in Cyprus? On one of my many whims, I started an email-list (Cyprus-birds) to help stir discussion and build community about wild birds here. Anyone can join. There are a lot of things that this email-list could do for birdwatchers in Cyprus, including providing leadership to newer birders by ...
By: Migrations
Image of the Day
2009-08-17 11:35:00 Wikipedia – Eleonora’s Falcon (Falco eleonorae) is a medium-sized falcon. It belongs to the hobby group, a rather close-knit number of similar falcons often considered a subgenus Hypotriorchis. The Sooty Falcon is sometimes considered its closest relative, but while they certainly belong to the same lineage, they do not seem to be close sister species. ...
By: Migrations
Guest Post on Paw-Talk
2009-08-16 17:25:00 I wrote a nice (if I may say) invited guest post for the blog Paw-Talk, The Wonder of Birds. It’s rather on a personal note and directed towards relative newcomers to birdwatchers. Go check it out and let me know what you think. The blog Paw-Talk on the whole is pretty neat, and covers the gamut ...
By: Migrations
I Was Attacked by Birds
2009-08-03 14:41:00 The young ones are hungry Their nests are so bare Even today, I wake up screaming. That doesn”t happen, actually. The “wake up screaming” part. But I thought it’d be a more dramatic way to start this post than “One day I was walking along and a bird attacked me.” Yes. Singular bird. Also less dramatic than the ...
The Toll of Corvid Shootings in Cyprus
2009-07-30 11:40:00 From a 2003 article in the journal Zeitschrift für Jagdwissenschaft (Science magazine for hunting), formerly the European journal of wildlife research, I found a few interesting facts on the observed impacts of Corvid hunting in Cyprus. The article is titled The effect of Corvid shooting on the populations of Owls, Kestrels and Cuckoos in Cyprus, ...
By: Migrations
Smack! Why Do Birds Fly Into Glass?
2009-07-29 07:01:00 A bird flies into a window at top speed and drops to the ground. Another bird flutters against a window, tapping its beak against the glass as if knocking at a door. Why do birds attempt to travel through glass? Humans laugh or even try to prevent it from happening, but birds don't seem to
Kathmandu airport to be jammed with birds?
2009-07-19 09:53:00 Do you remember the birdman Gautam Sapkota from my previous post who could mimic 151 different types of birds? The videos were convincing and the guy sure has some talent. The 25-year old now claims that he can call 175 different birds to jam the Kathmandu International Airport. The reason – the government has created ...
Tasty, Artistic, & Natural Gourmet Treats For Dogs, Cats, Horses, & Birds!
2009-06-30 21:29:00 There's a fantastic line of yummy goodies for your pets - I've even tasted the dog cookies - created by a gourmet chef, Mitch Ross. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Ross flipped his catering business into an international gourmet all-natural treat business for dogs, cats, horses and birds. These treats are artistically creative and very reasonably priced.
Image of the Day
2009-06-29 12:19:00 This is what most Cypriots think of when you put ‘birds’ and ‘a fun time’ in the same sentence. Either that, or eating them. This particular picture is from Fall 2007, when two Cypriot men found a convenient spot to go take some target practice, and shot 52 Red-Footed Falcons. They were caught, taken to ...
By: Migrations
For the birds (and sure, the bees can listen, too)
2009-06-24 22:26:00 When I went to see New York's indie-pop trio Vivian Girls at the Empty Bottle last month, I was mostly psyched to catch the opening band, Bird Talk, a local quartet with a lesbian frontwoman named Jumpy. The band just released their debut album, No Bird Left Behind, and you can download it for free on their website. (Aren't they sweet?) And it's definitely worth a listen: It's smart and catchy rock with elements of '50s Motown and a keyboard.My personal favorite track is the sexy "Crown and Coke" in which there is a repeated chant of "Do it, do it." Take a listen: <a href="http://birdtalk.bandcamp.-com/track/crown-and-coke"&g-t;Crown and Coke by Bird Talk</a> Bird Talk only has a show scheduled in Rockford...
How Do Migrating Birds Know Where They’re Going?
2009-06-18 17:43:00 Even though we’ve only recently developed GPS systems that give us directions while we’re driving, birds have always been able to find their way during migration. Their sense of direction is dependent on a combination of three “maps” of their own. Birds who migrate during the day can orient themselves by the position of the sun. Obviously, sunrise and sunset will indicate east and west, but even in the middle of the day they can ascertain where they are by the sun’s position in the sky. Birds who prefer to travel at night use not only the moon, but they learn the constellations and navigate by them (just like old sailors). The fixed North Star is the most important, but all of the constellations are useful in figuring out time and location. Finally, birds have a substance called magnetite located just above their beaks. This is a mineral that helps them determine Earth’s magnetic field, so they can navigate using true north. Birds also have very ...
By: Factsbuffet.com
?Kindness Kills Wildness?
2009-06-08 14:42:00 From the Project Operation Migration team, working to recover the endangered Whooping Crane: Teaching birds to migrate is not an easy task. It takes a year-long commitment for every generation we release, and a crew of twelve to compete the migration. Adding an isolation protocol and removing all human elements multiplies the complexity by a factor ...
By: Migrations
Audubon Close Up - Nesting Birds
2009-06-05 11:19:00 Click to enlarge Audubon Close Up - Nesting Birds 1.0 31 charming and sometimes dramatic pictures focus in on the exquisite detail of 10 of Audubon’s plates of nesting birds and fledglings from “Birds of America”. Nesting habitats are shown in detail and scenes include Woodpeckers feeding fledglings and Mocking Birds defending ...
FWC to beachgoers: Do not disturb nesting birds
2009-05-28 08:33:00 The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) reminds beachgoers statewide to be mindful of nesting birds. The eggs and chicks of nesting birds are delicate and susceptible to harm from... Extensive site includes news of various topics like Marine animals,Marine biology, sharks,Whales,sea mammals,endangered species,birds,turtles,penguine,-seal,planktons,Fish,coral reef,coastal environment and more
In Chile, the birds are dying, and no one knows why
2009-05-26 12:51:00 Chilean scientists are investigating three mysterious ecological disasters that have caused the deaths of hundreds of penguins, millions of sardines and about 2,000 baby flamingos in the past few... Extensive site includes news of various topics like Marine animals,Marine biology, sharks,Whales,sea mammals,endangered species,birds,turtles,penguine,-seal,planktons,Fish,coral reef,coastal environment and more
Birds die in unsecured fishing net
2009-05-26 12:49:00 Shakespear Park rangers had to pick up 166 dead birds in a set-net last weekend.More than 100 dead birds in a washed-up set-net were found by Shakespear Regional Park visitors last weekend. Duty... Extensive site includes news of various topics like Marine animals,Marine biology, sharks,Whales,sea mammals,endangered species,birds,turtles,penguine,-seal,planktons,Fish,coral reef,coastal environment and more
Birds in a Vent
2009-05-21 14:16:00 A new bird species moved into our area last year: they are Purple Martins. This year, they have managed to get into a vent on my house, and are having their nuptial celebrations on top of the fan right above my kitchen stove. From the sound of the pecking this morning, they intend to remake the p
An Endemic Warbler Under Threat?
2009-05-18 13:43:00 Recently, I was told something about Sardinian Warblers (Sylvia melanocephala) pushing the endemic Cyprus Warblers (Sylvia melanothorax) out of some of their range here in Cyprus in recent years. That could be a big deal, with Cyprus Warblers which have such a restricted range to begin with, even if they are currently listed as a ...
By: Migrations
BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Meet the brains of the animal world
2009-05-08 18:09:00 Corvids, a group of particularly smart birds, including ravens, crows, jays, magpies and more. Social animals, aware of others as well as themselves. Very cool report with videos.
The Birds Around Us - I and the Bird #99
2009-04-30 13:31:00 As per my own tastes, I chose to base the 99th I and the Bird on an excerpt from “The Changing Year” in Rachel Carson’s 1951 book The Sea Around Us, drastically re-written to accommodate this week’s contributions and renaming it “The Birds Around Us.” For the world as a whole, the alteration of day and ...
By: Migrations
The EU Birds Directive and Its Application to Cyprus
2009-04-29 12:03:00 I asked Martin Hellicar of BirdLife Cyprus recently to point me towards the relevant EU directives that pertain to bird conservation in Cyprus, and was directed towards the European Community’s Directive 79/409/EEC on the conservation of wild birds, known as ‘The Birds Directive’ or BD for short. As Hellicar described: The Birds Directive lays down regulations ...
By: Migrations
A Flock of Birds: CR4 Challenge (04/21/09)
2009-04-21 00:01:00 This week's Challenge Question: Why do some bird flocks travel in a V formation? The Answer will be posted right here on CR4 on April 28
Birds X Of A Feather
2009-04-20 20:13:00 Just found out about a great Straight Edge band called Birds X Of A Feather. Here's a nice interview with the band from @xroldx."To me hardcore and the edge are no passing phase. ...I've never been fed up with hardcore and you know why? Because I don't care about what other people do, how other people dress and how other people interpret hardcore. I'm just doing this for myself"You can find Birds on myspace.
Scientists Glean Secrets of Flight From Birds, Bats, and Bugs
2009-04-10 16:17:00 From Discover Magazine | RSS: Researchers have learned the universal secret behind the graceful, aerial turns executed by everything from insects to cockatoos. And it's a surprisingly simple process: To turn left, all a bird has to do is flap its right wing a little bit harder than
Listening to birds between meetings
2009-03-25 16:59:00 Dana's work is always so delicate, inspiring and challenging. Here is her WildUrban Radio. My take on it is that you just need to turn the knob to listen to a variety of birds from your area. The radio is mapped directly to your location and you can hear the smallest species directing you closer to them whether you are going North or South ....I have ordered one of those from her and will update on my productivity level asap.
By: architectradure
Migratory Birds served in Cypriot Restaurants
2009-03-24 13:32:00 a href=”http://www.birdlife-.org/news/news/2009/03/cyprus.h-tml”>BirdLife International - “It is an unacceptable toll and a depressing trend, which ever way you look at it”, said Martin Hellicar, Executive Manager at Birdlife Cyprus. BirdLife Cyprus have been systematically monitoring illegal trapping with mist nets and limesticks since 2002, with the support of the RSPB (BirdLife in the UK). Trappers usually target ...
By: Migrations
Energy Boom Bad News for Birds?
2009-03-23 15:37:00 From Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel: Energy production of all types -- wind, ethanol and mountaintop coal mining -- is contributing to steep drops in bird populations, a new government report says. The first-of-its-kind report chronicles a four-decade decline in
Migration in Full Swing
2009-03-22 09:55:00 Yesterday was really just an awesome day for me, going out birdwatching again with Stavros. Sure, we kinda ‘ditched’ the rest of the BirdLife Cyprus fieldtrip in Cape Greco, but I’m sure they had a great day birding too. For starters, we went looking for a bird that had been reported along Mazatos beach on Friday ...
By: Migrations
State of the Birds
2009-03-21 15:49:00 From back home in the States, from the US Fish & Wildlife Services Agency: That from the State of the Birds report released March 19th in a press conference by US Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. It’s an excellent resource, with analyses of the more than 800 bird species that inhabit terrestrial, coastal, and ocean ...
By: Migrations
Cyprus Birds in the News
2009-03-17 07:39:00 I’m a big fan of GrrlScientist’s long-running weekly Birds in the News series, and occasionally base my decision of what is news and what isn’t in the bird world on her posts. So this week, she links to an article about Cyprus not unlike some items I’ve mentioned in the past about Cyprus: In a special ...
By: Migrations
Praying with the Birds: For The Birds or Great Idea?
2009-03-09 11:55:00 The Religious Meditation Apparatus which is also known as Patent# US 6837185, provides a means to commune with nature and enhance the experience of prayer. The only question seems to be what the birds get out of it. Read on, but try to avoid wings and feathers for just for a little while. |
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