Wildlife - Summer, Autumn 2008

[Paul T]

Howdy All,

A couple of southern hemisphere members of the wildlife brigade, photographed at the Australian National Botanic Gardens recently....


The "White Winged Choughs" that I posted a pic of a while back are a very social bird, staying together in extended families.  Here's a group of them sunning themselves, very neatly showing the white within the wing feathers.  When walking around they appear all black unless their wings are stretched out or in flight.




A brood of babies with their "Maned Duck" parents.  They seem to be taken on a long trek within a couple of days of hatching.  These travelled hundreds of metres that I know of, and I didn't see where they actually started so it may have been much longer.  I posted pics a while back of a few closeups of some of their little relatives.

[johnw]

I have just been listening to a rather disturbing discussion on the demise of bat colonies in the northeast of the USA. 

The programme Quirks and Quarks can be heard again on CBC Radio 1 Monday evening.

There is a precis at the following site:

http://www.cbc.ca/quirks/archives/08-09/qq-2008-12-06.html

The cause of death is a now-identified fungus, possibly introduced by world-wide spelunking. 

The news on the plight of wildlife continues to worsen by the day.

johnw - down to -5c last night and bare ground

[Maggi Young]

The cause of death is a now-identified fungus, possibly introduced by world-wide spelunking.

It has long been my opinion that only a fool goes poking about in caves or potholes for fun and if this research into the cause of this bat-killing fungus is correct, then it proves I was right all along..... leave those places well alone and leave those critters be to live their own lives in peace.

[mark smyth]

Maggi It's not caused by people. For some reason the fungus is going for the bats nose and mouth hence 'white nose'

[johnw]

Mark - The experts intimated the fungus is a cold-loving one which unfortunately loves the same conditions that bats do in hibernation.  It's a soil borne fungus not indigenous to these parts and they presumed it may have travelled on footwear.  Have you heard anything definitive to the contrary?

johnw

[mark smyth]

I hadnt heard it may be transferred by footwear. The decline is terrible and because bats have only one pup a year it will take bat populations a very long time to recover. I hope a total ban on entry in to hibernating caves is in place

[johnw]

I hadnt heard it may be transferred by footwear. The decline is terrible and because bats have only one pup a year it will take bat populations a very long time to recover. I hope a total ban on entry in to hibernating caves is in place

I certainly hope so but that would be very difficult to enforce.  While I was out of earshot I believe they said there was an outbreak in Antarctica (or was it the Arctic) affecting birds (?).

johnw

[Michael J Campbell]

I spotted this little chap on the inside wall of the Bali Hotel in Tiberias in Galilee. ID please,Anthony
Sorry for the quality but I did not bring my good camera, this was taken with a cheap digital point and shoot.

[Michael J Campbell]

Some  pics taken at the Blue Beach Restaurant on the shore of the sea of Galilee.

These pics were taken with a cheap Digital Camera through twill-weld wire mesh and the quality reflects this.

[Michael J Campbell]

Second batch

[Paddy Tobin]

Some colourful chaps there, Michael. Nice shots. Was the rest of the visit as colourful? Looking forward to some more.

I had a first sighting of a bird in my garden today, a treecreeper which I have only ever seen in our local park up to now. On the other hand we have, at present, flocks of redwings and fieldfares along with a significant increase in numbers of mistle thrushes.

On the subject of birds and of particular relevance to Mark Smyth, there was an interesting item on our evening television news last week showing the vast flocks of starlings over Belfast as they gathered for the evening roost under one of the city's bridges.

Paddy

[Maggi Young]

Lovely to see those colourful birds, Michael... I was expecting some of them to be larger than they actually are when I see them right next to the budgerigar.... smart little chaps!

Paddy, you make us very envious, we hardly see a single song thrush these days... to see flocks of mistle thrushes would be a real treat. 

[Michael J Campbell]

A few more.
Sleeping peacefully on the shore of the sea of Galilee

Fish in the River Jordan

Birds fighting for scraps of bread on the sea of Galilee

[mark smyth]

Paddy the starlings in Belfast a declining especially after the millenium when fireworks were set off outside the night roost - Queen's Bridge. There were 10s of 1000s roosted under the bridge. They flew out panicking hitting people and flying off. They abandoned the roost and moved to the next bridge up stream. The city council should have used the spectacle as a city attraction instead of destroying it.
http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/1130/9news_av.html?2456390,null,230
The news item on the birds is on the right hand menu
Pay close attention because I will ask a question later

Michaels photos show
a ?geckko
Carolina wood duck
Ring-neck/Rose-ring parakeet
Fischers lovebird
Cocatiel with white wing bar
Golden Pheasant
blue Ring-neck parakeet

[mark smyth]

Our spectacle is nothing compared to the starlings i saw in Aberdeen a few years ago