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16 Mar RFI - Cairns / Port Douglas Bird Watching Tours ["Sullivan, Luke" ] 16 Mar Re: Wesley the Owl - Facts or Fiction? [Syd Curtis ] 15 Mar Sean Dooley on ABC Radio [Wendy McWilliams ] 15 Mar Re: Wesley the Owl - Facts or Fiction? ["Tom and Mandy Wilson" ] 15 Mar Re: Wesley the Owl - Facts or Fiction? [Chris Charles ] 15 Mar Late(ish) Koel ["Roger Giller" ] 15 Mar Dunlin in NSW [Colin Scouler ] 15 Mar long overdue trip report - Iron range [Frank Hemmings ] 15 Mar Re: Raptor CD ["Colin R" ] 15 Mar Re: Raptor CD [Bill Stent ] 14 Mar re: possible Dunlin at Tuross Lakes [Justin Jansen ] 15 Mar Birdline NSW Weekly Update ["Eremaea Birds" ] 15 Mar Birdline Victoria Weekly Update ["Eremaea Birds" ] 15 Mar Birdline Central & Southern Queensland Weekly Update ["Eremaea Birds" ] 15 Mar Birdline Tasmania Weekly Update ["Eremaea Birds" ] 15 Mar Birdline NT Weekly Update ["Eremaea Birds" ] 15 Mar Birdline North Queensland Weekly Update ["Eremaea Birds" ] 15 Mar Birdline Australia Weekly Update ["Eremaea Birds" ] 14 Mar Re: Raptor CD [Peter Shute ] 13 Mar Raptor CD ["Jan England " ] 14 Mar Re: Wesley the Owl - Facts or Fiction? now Re Poop [Denise Goodfellow ] 14 Mar possible Dunlin at Tuross Lakes [] 14 Mar Wesley the Owl - Facts or Fiction? [] 14 Mar Re: Wesley the Owl - Facts or Fiction? now Re Poop ["Ian Martin" ] 14 Mar Re: US songbirds getting smaller, possibly as a result of climate change [Laurie Knight ] 14 Mar Re: Wesley the Owl - Facts or Fiction? [Chris Sanderson ] 14 Mar Wesley the Owl - Facts or Fiction? [Syd Curtis ] 14 Mar US songbirds getting smaller, possibly as a result of climate change [peter crow ] 14 Mar Channel-billed Cuckoo in Todd Mall, Alice Springs. [Christopher Watson ] 14 Mar One for the movie buffs [Alan McBride ] 14 Mar RE: The birds people keep as pets ["Tony Russell" ] 14 Mar RE: US songbirds getting smaller, possibly as a result of climate change ["Stephen Ambrose" ] 14 Mar Sydney Pelagic Report - March 13, 2010 ["Roger McGovern" ] 13 Mar Re: US songbirds getting smaller, possibly as a result of climate change ["michael norris" ] 13 Mar Re: US songbirds getting smaller, possibly as a result of climate change [Laurie Knight ] 13 Mar Re: Herdsman Lake, Perth - BAWA Walk [Syd Curtis ] 13 Mar Re: The birds people keep as pets [brian fleming ] 13 Mar Re: US songbirds getting smaller, possibly as a result of climate change [Peter Shute ] 13 Mar Re: US songbirds getting smaller, possibly as a result of climate change [Laurie Knight ] 13 Mar Re: US songbirds getting smaller, possibly as a result of climate change [Chris Sanderson ] 13 Mar Re: US songbirds getting smaller, possibly as a result of climate change [Ian May ] 13 Mar The birds people keep as pets [Laurie Knight ] 13 Mar US songbirds getting smaller, possibly as a result of climate change [Laurie Knight ] 13 Mar Herdsman Lake, Perth - BAWA Walk [John Graff ] 12 Mar RE: Radjah Shelduck [John Graff ] 12 Mar Radjah Shelduck ["Jan England " ] 12 Mar RE: Dunlin in NSW [Simon Mustoe ] 12 Mar Re: Dunlin in NSW [Laurie Knight ] 12 Mar Dunlin in NSW ["Mike Carter" ] 12 Mar WTNTs in Victoria ["Celia M. Browne" ] 12 Mar Fwd: Chicken's split sex identity revealed [Paul Taylor ] 11 Mar RE: Re: A Conference presented by a mix of amateurs and academics [Roaminoz - ] 12 Mar Adelaide Fringe play "The Sociable Plover" [Philip Griffin ] 11 Mar Square-tailed Kite over Brisbane [Tom Tarrant ] 11 Mar A note for those planning a trip to New Caledonia ["Tony Palliser" ] 11 Mar Re: RFI Waterbirds VIC ["Mike Carter" ] 11 Mar RFI Waterbirds VIC [] 11 Mar Migration / colour banding [Alan McBride ] 10 Mar Re: Koels [Alan McBride ] 10 Mar RE: Scientists tease DNA from eggshell of extinct birds ["Tony Russell" ] 10 Mar RE: Koels ["Richard Jenkin" ] 10 Mar re: RFI Panti Forest - Johor Bahru [Chris Ross ] 10 Mar Black-necked Stork genetic work ["Greg & Val Clancy" ] 10 Mar Re: Scientists tease DNA from eggshell of extinct birds [] 10 Mar Scientists tease DNA from eggshell of extinct birds ["Colin Trainor" ] 9 Mar Southern Ocean Pelagic...2 spaces left [Simon Mustoe ] 10 Mar RFI Panti Forest - Johor Bahru ["Steve Potter" ] 9 Mar Re: A Conference presented by a mix of amateurs and academics ["Bob Green" ] 09 Mar A Conference presented by a mix of amateurs and academics [Birds Australia Southern Queensland ] 09 Mar Gary Porter contact details, please [Jonny Schoenjahn ] 9 Mar Fw: RFI -First time visitors to Aus. ["Bryan Groom" ] 9 Mar Re: BBBQ [Chris Sanderson ] 9 Mar BBBQ [Peter Horler ] 09 Mar Celebrate World House Saprrow Day Event Ideas. [Alan McBride ] 9 Mar ASHMORE REEF 2010; Revised schedule ["Mike Carter" ] 9 Mar Re: RFI BBBQ Brisbane ["Roy & Helen Sonnenburg" ] Subject: RFI - Cairns / Port Douglas Bird Watching Tours From: "Sullivan, Luke" <lukesullivan AT kpmg.com.au> Date: Tue, 16 Mar 2010 09:29:44 +1100 Hi all, I'm going to be in Port Douglas between 29 May and 5 June 2010. Can anyone recommend a good one-day bird watching tour that leaves from Cairns or Port Douglas? I have no experience in rainforest or tropical bird watching and most species of any habitat would be first-timers for me. It will be on my own so a tour that takes singles would be ideal, otherwise a tour that I could join as a single would be good also. Any information is greatly appreciated. Regards, Luke. ****************************************************************** The information in this e-mail is confidential and may be legally privileged. It is intended solely for the addressee. Access to this e-mail by anyone else is unauthorised. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by return e-mail with the subject heading "Received in error" or telephone +61 2 93357000, then delete the email and destroy any copies of it. If you are not the intended recipient, any disclosure, copying, distribution or any action taken or omitted to be taken in reliance on it, is prohibited and may be unlawful. Any opinions or advice contained in this e-mail are subject to the terms and conditions expressed in the governing KPMG client engagement letter. Opinions, conclusions and other information in this e-mail and any attachments that do not relate to the official business of the firm are neither given nor endorsed by it. KPMG cannot guarantee that e-mail communications are secure or error-free, as information could be intercepted, corrupted, amended, lost, destroyed, arrive late or incomplete, or contain viruses. KPMG, an Australian partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”) is a Swiss entity. KPMG International provides no services to clients. Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation. ****************************************************************** ==============================www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au ============================== Subject: Re: Wesley the Owl - Facts or Fiction? From: Syd Curtis <sydc AT ozemail.com.au> Date: Tue, 16 Mar 2010 07:58:56 +1000 I am most grateful to all you good birding-aus folk who have reassured me about the scientific quality of this book. I can now read it with confidence and enjoyment. And I think what was worrying me has been explained by John Leonard's suggestion: "Another possibility is that the author delivered a perfectly sensible MS to the publisher and they insisted on rewriting because they thought they knew what their readers wanted (or because they could sense a Disney tie-in)." Now that he points that out, I recall hearing somewhere that often in works of fiction, authors are required by their publishers to add sex scenes. Anyway, I have long admired the work of Professor Donald Kroodsma and his praise of the book (thank you Clive Nealon) certainly assures me. And already I've learnt quite a bit about owls. Somehow, for example, I had managed to live for 80 years admiring birds, without ever knowing that owls have asymmetrically placed ears and ear openings, as pointed out by Tom Wilson. My sincere thanks to all who have responded. Greatly appreciated. Cheers Syd ------------------ > I am reading a book, "Wesley - The Story of a Remarkable Owl" by Stacey > O'Brien. My copy "first published in Australia by Bantam in 2009". (First > published in the US by Free Press, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc. > 2008.) =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: Sean Dooley on ABC Radio From: Wendy McWilliams <wendy AT wmcpr.com.au> Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:19:37 +1100 For people who missed Sean Dooley on Tony Delroy's Nightlife last week, as I did, you can download it from the website at: http://www.abc.net.au/nightlife/ I haven't heard it yet, but understand he fielded some good questions. Wendy McWilliams =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: Re: Wesley the Owl - Facts or Fiction? From: "Tom and Mandy Wilson" <tomandmandy AT aapt.net.au> Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2010 21:38:22 +1100 Also, owls have asymmetrically placed ears and ear openings (, and their hearing is tuned finely enough that the difference in timing and intensity of when the sound is heard by each ear helps them locate distance and direction of the sound . Tyto owls use their facial disc as a parabolic disc for sound catching and channeling it to the ears, and by moving it they can help accentuate the sound and when it reaches each ear, thus helping them locate the source of sounds. (There is an excellent description of all this on pages 13/14 of Stephen Debus' The Owls of Australia.) Cheers Tom Wilson ----- Original Message ----- From: "Chris Charles" To: "Syd Curtis" Cc: Sent: Monday, March 15, 2010 7:45 PM Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Wesley the Owl - Facts or Fiction? > Syd, > You will often see the Ninox owls do this when they are looking at you, > especially the young ones. > If you look up at the sky through the leaves at the ends of the day, your > view becomes effectively 2d with the leaves black & the sky white. If you > move your head owl-like you will notice that the apparent movement of > each 'layer' is related to how far away it is & hence you get a > perception of depth. > This is useful for locating roosting owls as their outline remains intact > while the leaf 'noise' moves relative to it. Works in good light too. > I imagine that the owls use it the same way as one of their ploys for > positioning their prey. > > Chris Charles > 0412 911 184 > licole AT ozemail.com.au > 33deg 47'30"S > 151deg10'09"E > > > > > > On 14/03/2010, at 4:16 PM, Syd Curtis wrote: > >> >> Is there anyone on birding-aus who has read the book and feels able to >> comment on this for me, please? >> >> I am reading a book, "Wesley - The Story of a Remarkable Owl" by Stacey >> O'Brien. My copy "first published in Australia by Bantam in 2009". >> (First >> published in the US by Free Press, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc. >> 2008.) >> >> It is claimed that the author trained as a biologist, graduating from >> Occidental College (in California) and continuing her education at >> Caltech. >> >> The Owl is an American Barn Owl. It had nerve damage to one wing and >> would >> not have survived in the wild. The author accepted it as a four- day-old >> chick and took on the job of caring for it for the whole of its life. >> (Some >> 19 years.) The owlet's eyes were still closed at that stage and when >> they >> opened he imprinted on Stacey as his 'parent'. She writes: >> >> "When Wesley opened his eyes for the first time, he stared right at >> me. >> >> " 'Hello, Wesley,' I said. >> " 'Screech,' he softly replied, gazing deeply into my eyes.' >> >> "Wesley focused on me right away, twittering and chattering, looking >> me >> in the eyes and trying to communicate. I was astonished at the >> intensity >> and clarity of his focus on me." >> >> If the book is fact, written by a trained scientist, one would expect >> scientific accuracy. I'm not far into the book, yet already I'm having >> doubts and wondering if some of it is imagination. >> >> "Wesley's eyes were fixed in their sockets, so the only way he could >> get >> depth perception was to move his head from side to side." >> >> I reckon I can depth perception without moving my eyes or my head. (Or >> am I >> just imagining this?) >> >> Just one other (somewhat unsavoury) quote that bothers me a little. >> Wesley >> was not confined to a cage, so his droppings had to be cleaned up, and >> there's some excuse for dwelling on this aspect: >> >> "Wesley observed the cardinal rule of never pooping in his nest. >> ... >> When he first started to scoot around on the carpet, he would back up >> with >> his rear end high in the air and push backwards, trying to find the end >> of >> the rug so he could poop. ... I realized that if I lay down a paper >> towel >> behind him, he would notice the change in texture ... and would poop >> there >> with a quiet air of dignified relief." >> >> But the dissertation upon the word "poop" raises my doubts. It begins: >> >> "When describing both the act of defecating and the substance of >> fecal >> matter itself, biologists prefer to use the scientific term 'poop'." >> >> And it concludes: >> >> "So if it's on the ground, it's poop. If it's under your >> microscope, >> it's scat. If it's running down your neck, it's shit." >> >> There's no entry for 'poop' in my (1995) Larousse Dictionary of >> Technology. >> And the only entries in other dictionaries confine the meaning as >> referring >> to the aft part of a ship. >> >> So. Are there any birding-aus biologists out there who regard "poop' as >> a >> standard scientific term.? >> >> Does anyone who has read the book, care to comment on whether it's >> science >> or fiction? >> >> Cheers >> >> Syd >> >> >> =============================== >> www.birding-aus.org >> birding-aus.blogspot.com >> >> To unsubscribe from this mailing list, >> send the message: >> unsubscribe >> (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) >> to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au >> =============================== > > =============================== > www.birding-aus.org > birding-aus.blogspot.com > > To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: > unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) > to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au > =============================== =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: Re: Wesley the Owl - Facts or Fiction? From: Chris Charles <licole AT ozemail.com.au> Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:45:12 +1100 Syd, You will often see the Ninox owls do this when they are looking at you, especially the young ones. If you look up at the sky through the leaves at the ends of the day, your view becomes effectively 2d with the leaves black & the sky white. If you move your head owl-like you will notice that the apparent movement of each 'layer' is related to how far away it is & hence you get a perception of depth. This is useful for locating roosting owls as their outline remains intact while the leaf 'noise' moves relative to it. Works in good light too. I imagine that the owls use it the same way as one of their ploys for positioning their prey. Chris Charles 0412 911 184 licole AT ozemail.com.au 33deg 47'30"S 151deg10'09"E On 14/03/2010, at 4:16 PM, Syd Curtis wrote: > > Is there anyone on birding-aus who has read the book and feels able to > comment on this for me, please? > > I am reading a book, "Wesley - The Story of a Remarkable Owl" by > Stacey > O'Brien. My copy "first published in Australia by Bantam in > 2009". (First > published in the US by Free Press, a division of Simon & Schuster, > Inc. > 2008.) > > It is claimed that the author trained as a biologist, graduating from > Occidental College (in California) and continuing her education at > Caltech. > > The Owl is an American Barn Owl. It had nerve damage to one wing > and would > not have survived in the wild. The author accepted it as a four- > day-old > chick and took on the job of caring for it for the whole of its > life. (Some > 19 years.) The owlet's eyes were still closed at that stage and > when they > opened he imprinted on Stacey as his 'parent'. She writes: > > "When Wesley opened his eyes for the first time, he stared > right at me. > > " 'Hello, Wesley,' I said. > " 'Screech,' he softly replied, gazing deeply into my eyes.' > > "Wesley focused on me right away, twittering and chattering, > looking me > in the eyes and trying to communicate. I was astonished at the > intensity > and clarity of his focus on me." > > If the book is fact, written by a trained scientist, one would expect > scientific accuracy. I'm not far into the book, yet already I'm having > doubts and wondering if some of it is imagination. > > "Wesley's eyes were fixed in their sockets, so the only way he > could get > depth perception was to move his head from side to side." > > I reckon I can depth perception without moving my eyes or my head. > (Or am I > just imagining this?) > > Just one other (somewhat unsavoury) quote that bothers me a > little. Wesley > was not confined to a cage, so his droppings had to be cleaned up, and > there's some excuse for dwelling on this aspect: > > "Wesley observed the cardinal rule of never pooping in his > nest. ... > When he first started to scoot around on the carpet, he would back > up with > his rear end high in the air and push backwards, trying to find > the end of > the rug so he could poop. ... I realized that if I lay down a > paper towel > behind him, he would notice the change in texture ... and would > poop there > with a quiet air of dignified relief." > > But the dissertation upon the word "poop" raises my doubts. It > begins: > > "When describing both the act of defecating and the substance > of fecal > matter itself, biologists prefer to use the scientific term 'poop'." > > And it concludes: > > "So if it's on the ground, it's poop. If it's under your > microscope, > it's scat. If it's running down your neck, it's shit." > > There's no entry for 'poop' in my (1995) Larousse Dictionary of > Technology. > And the only entries in other dictionaries confine the meaning as > referring > to the aft part of a ship. > > So. Are there any birding-aus biologists out there who regard > "poop' as a > standard scientific term.? > > Does anyone who has read the book, care to comment on whether it's > science > or fiction? > > Cheers > > Syd > > > =============================== > www.birding-aus.org > birding-aus.blogspot.com > > To unsubscribe from this mailing list, > send the message: > unsubscribe > (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) > to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au > =============================== =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: Late(ish) Koel From: "Roger Giller" <rgiller AT optusnet.com.au> Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:53:43 +1100 Hi All, My wife has just called my attention to a juvenile Koel in our yard. It scrambled about in a Grevillea bush for a few minutes. A Red Wattlebird feeding in the same bush paid no attention it. This is about a month later than I have seen them previously around here. Must be about time it thought about leaving. Roger Giller Barden Ridge - Southern Sydney ==============================www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au ============================== Subject: Dunlin in NSW From: Colin Scouler <colinscouler AT bigpond.com> Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:43:21 +1100 If the Dunlin reported at Tuross Lake Estuary in January is accepted by BARC, will this be the first confirmed record of the species in NSW? Colin Scouler. =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: long overdue trip report - Iron range From: Frank Hemmings <f.hemmings AT unsw.edu.au> Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:46:07 +1100 Hi All, I did a trip to Iron Range with Kirrama Tours last December, and managed to almost finish wirting a trip report in January, just before going away again. Having arrived back recently(ish) I've completed it and posted it on Surbirds for anyone who is interested: http://www.surfbirds.com/trip_report.php?id=1786 Now I have to write my other rports. Cheers, Frank Frank Hemmings Curator John T. Waterhouse Herbarium School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales UNSW SYDNEY 2052 AUSTRALIA Tel +61 2 9385 3274 Fax +61 2 9385 1558 CRICOS Provider Code:00098G ==============================www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au ============================== Subject: Re: Raptor CD From: "Colin R" <jangles AT fastmail.fm> Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2010 10:15:41 +1000 Personally I wouldn't bother even recommending, never mind using, a plastic owl. There are dozens of sh*t stained pontoons in the Brisbane river where I kayak and the most stained have a plastic owl standing guard! I think the Silver Gulls see it as a protector rather than a threat - they definitely seem to prefer the pontoons with one. And, no, I'm not imagining things! There was one boat that had a 'mewling' sound coming from it that had me trying to see what bird was lying injured or what young bird was stranded as I circled it on the water. I realised, after a while, that it was the same sound over and over again and heard it again on subsequent mornings. Not sure if it served a purpose, but there were no birds showing any interest - fear or otherwise. Not sure, either, if it was candid camera or a U tube thing - I felt pretty silly... If your friend is going to try to scare birds with a raptor call I imagine it'd have to be loud and at random intervals, I don't think they fall for continuous repetition - much the way birds called in by playback become unresponsive after a while as the 'music stays the same.' Good luck with that! Cheers Colin On Mon, 15 Mar 2010 06:23 +1100, "Bill Stent" wrote: > You could always recommend a plastic Owl. They're quite popular here in > Melbourne, although I can only assume people find them aesthetic, as I > can > see no evidence of their actually working (there's one in our city car > park > standing guard over a small colony or feral pigeons). I'm not even sure > what species it's supposed to be - a horned owl of some sort. > > I think the basic idea is that the birds recognise the representation as > an > owl and keep their distance. Of course the same reasoning would suggest > that they recognise statues as humans and stay away. This probably comes > under the heading of "never let the facts get in the way of a good > theory." > > Bill > > -------------------------------------------------- > From: "Peter Shute" > Sent: Sunday, March 14, 2010 10:34 PM > To: ; > Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Raptor CD > > > CD number 2 in the BOCA set includes the eagles, hawks, etc. Owls are on > > number 4. They can be purchased separately. I don't know what effect > > playing them might have on non target birds, that live in the area. > > > > Pest control companies sell devices that regularly play various raptor > > calls. I assume they're intended to scare away pigeons and starlings, etc. > > I don't know how well they work - there are still plenty of them in places > > they aren't wanted. > > > > Peter Shute > > > > > > -------------------------- > > Sent using BlackBerry > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: birding-aus-bounces AT vicnet.net.au > > > > To: birding-aus > > Sent: Sat Mar 13 22:23:47 2010 > > Subject: [Birding-Aus] Raptor CD > > > > Does anyone know if you can purchase a CD of raptor calls. Someone I know > > is trying to dissuade Cockatoos from roosting around his house and wants > > some raptor calls to fighten them away. I have expressed my doubts about > > whether it would work but he is insistent that he wants to try. > > > > Jan > > ==========www.birding-aus.org > > birding-aus.blogspot.com > > > > To unsubscribe from this mailing list, > > send the message: > > unsubscribe > > (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) > > to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au > > ========== > > > > > =============================== > > www.birding-aus.org > > birding-aus.blogspot.com > > > > To unsubscribe from this mailing list, > > send the message: > > unsubscribe > > (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) > > to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au > > =============================== > > =============================== > www.birding-aus.org > birding-aus.blogspot.com > > To unsubscribe from this mailing list, > send the message: > unsubscribe > (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) > to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au > =============================== > -- Colin Reid jangles AT fastmail.fm So many birds, so little time...... -- http://www.fastmail.fm - A no graphics, no pop-ups email service =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: Re: Raptor CD From: Bill Stent <billstent AT gmail.com> Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2010 06:23:11 +1100 You could always recommend a plastic Owl. They're quite popular here in Melbourne, although I can only assume people find them aesthetic, as I can see no evidence of their actually working (there's one in our city car park standing guard over a small colony or feral pigeons). I'm not even sure what species it's supposed to be - a horned owl of some sort. I think the basic idea is that the birds recognise the representation as an owl and keep their distance. Of course the same reasoning would suggest that they recognise statues as humans and stay away. This probably comes under the heading of "never let the facts get in the way of a good theory." Bill -------------------------------------------------- From: "Peter Shute" Sent: Sunday, March 14, 2010 10:34 PM To: ; Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Raptor CD > CD number 2 in the BOCA set includes the eagles, hawks, etc. Owls are on > number 4. They can be purchased separately. I don't know what effect > playing them might have on non target birds, that live in the area. > > Pest control companies sell devices that regularly play various raptor > calls. I assume they're intended to scare away pigeons and starlings, etc. > I don't know how well they work - there are still plenty of them in places > they aren't wanted. > > Peter Shute > > > -------------------------- > Sent using BlackBerry > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: birding-aus-bounces AT vicnet.net.au > > To: birding-aus > Sent: Sat Mar 13 22:23:47 2010 > Subject: [Birding-Aus] Raptor CD > > Does anyone know if you can purchase a CD of raptor calls. Someone I know > is trying to dissuade Cockatoos from roosting around his house and wants > some raptor calls to fighten them away. I have expressed my doubts about > whether it would work but he is insistent that he wants to try. > > Jan > ==========www.birding-aus.org > birding-aus.blogspot.com > > To unsubscribe from this mailing list, > send the message: > unsubscribe > (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) > to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au > ========== > =============================== > www.birding-aus.org > birding-aus.blogspot.com > > To unsubscribe from this mailing list, > send the message: > unsubscribe > (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) > to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au > =============================== =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: re: possible Dunlin at Tuross Lakes From: Justin Jansen <justin.jansen AT gmail.com> Date: Sun, 14 Mar 2010 18:33:06 +0100 Dear all, It is not even a possible Dunlin on ABID, but a 100 % Dunlin. Very straightforward bird. Cheers, Justin Jansen The Netherlands =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: Birdline NSW Weekly Update From: "Eremaea Birds" <notifications AT eremaea.com> Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2010 01:30:40 +1000 Birdline NSW Published sightings for the week ending 14 Mar 2010. Sat 13 Mar Little Friarbird Bulga Creek beside Putty Rd (NW of Sydney) Janene Luff advised me today that she had 2 Little Friarbirds and 2 Striped Honeyeaters from this location yesterday. Janene Luff via Edwin Vella Black-browed Albatross (2), Flesh-footed Shearwaters Mistral Pt, Maroubra (approx. 10km SE of Sydney CBD) Highlights for a late afternoon sea watch from Mistral Pt on Saturday were 2 Black-browed Alabtrosses (one was an adult Campbell Albatross and the other an Immature bird), 3-4 close in Flesh-footed Shearwaters (amonst 4 Short-tailed and hundreds of Wedge-tailed), 4 Arctic and at least 8 Pomarine Jaegers as well as 3-4 adult Kelp Gulls (including one flying beside my car as I was heading for home). Ediwn Vella and David Mitford Beautiful Firetail Fitzroy Falls (Redhill Fire Trail) One Beautiful Firetail (my first for the Southern Highlands), 2 Pilotbirds and a returning Rose Robin recorded mid-afternoon. Lorne Johnson White-bellied Storm-Petrel, Gould's Petrel Sydney pelagic A well-seen White-bellied Storm-Petrel and two Gould's Petrels which stayed around the Halicat for at least 30 minutes were the highlights of an excellent Sydney pelagic trip where we recorded a good total of 19 species. Roger McGovern Fri 12 Mar Possible Dunlin Tuross Lake Estuary BARC has received a submission on a Dunlin seen by Pattie Parker in the Tuross Lake Estuary, NSW on the 5 January 2010. The bird was in partial breeding plumage with black patches emerging on the belly. Pattie Parker per Mike Carter Lewin's rail University of New South Wales Immature Lewin's Rail found dead at UNSW in student accommodation courtyard! Hazel Watson Regent Honeyeater, Black-chinned Honeyeater, Pacific Baza Werakata (Kitchener) near Cessnock Single Regent Honeyeater seen today in a large Spotted Gum not far from the Abernethy-Kitchener Road. Although there is no blossom in this or any other Spotted Gums in the valley, there is a locally endemic Stringybark (still undescribed to science) flowering at the moment. Interestingly, this is the same Stringybark that Regents were foraging in during July-August last year (at the same site and elsewhere in the locality), so it is fascinating to see it flowering now in March. Quite a few Black-chins, Brown-heads etc and the usual hordes of Little Lorikeets in the area. A Pacific Baza at Pelton this morning also. Mick Roderick Double-banded plover Mason Park One (rather lonesome-looking) Double-banded Plover observed at Mason Park late this morning Robert Griffin Latham's Snipe, Varied Sittella Lilli Pilli Street, Davistown A single Latham's Snipe and six Sittella in Casuaina glauca Saltmarsh off Lilli Pilli Street, seen today. Yesterday up to 4 Snipe at the same site.. Phil Wood & Warren Brown Thu 11 Mar Black-faced Monarch Nepean River, Camden Airport Two immature (1st year) Black-faced Monarchs caught and banded during banding operations adjacent to the Nepean River at Camden Airport, New South Wales. Alan John Leishman Plum-headed Finch, Diamond Fitretail, Black-chinned Honeyeater, Hooded Robin Capertee Valley On a very quick day trip to the stunning Capertee Valley today, 2 separate groups of Plum-headed Finch were recorded along Crown Station Rd - a group of 3 adults in one location, & a flock of 13 birds (6 adults with 7 juveniles) in another spot 3kms away. Here the juveniles were being fed by their parents. 4 adult Diamond Firetails were seen with the first birds & the larger flock was accompanied by lots of Double-barred Finch. There were several groups of Black-chinned Honeyeater in this area with some also at Glen Davis, where an adult male Hooded Robin was seen harassing the Brown Treecreepers at the camping area. Other good birds seen in the valley on the day were plenty of Little Lorikeets, Jacky Winters, Southern Whiteface, Gang-gang Cockatoos, Rainbow Bee-eaters, Zebra Finch, Dusky Woodswallows, Rufous Songlarks, a Wonga Pigeon & a Pallid Cuckoo, amongst the many other usuals. Martin Cachard Male and Female Cicadabird Little Wheeny Lagoon, Cattai Male and female Cicadabird in same tree. Cumberland Bird Observers Club K Brandwood Pacific Baza, Little Lorikeets Scheyville 4 Pacific Baza, scores of Little Lorikeets and Honeyeaters. There will be some good birding in Scheyville over the next couple of weeks as a good number of the mature Grey Box are in flower, 10 species of Honyeater in the one tree. There are also many caterpillars (not the hairy type) dropping from some of the trees providing another food source for Cuckoos. Whitmore Road side of reserve. Cumberland Bird Observers Club K Brandwood. Wed 10 Mar Common Sandpiper Eastern edge of Mobbs Bay, South Ballina Single non-breeding bird observed working along edge of mangroves and rocks. David Charley Shy Albatross, Long-tailed Jaeger, Kelp Gull & Caspian Tern Mistral Point, Maroubra An early Shy Albatross was seen today along with a flock of 4 Caspian Terns, 2 Kelp Gulls, 2 Long-tailed Jaegers, 1 Arctic Jaeger, 16 Pomarine Jaegers, 19 Flesh-footed Shearwaters and a few Aust Gannets. David Mitford Tue 9 Mar Barred Cuckoo-shrike Wonga Park, Sawtell Two Barred Cuckoo-shrikes seen feeding on figs (probable Moreton Bay Fig) and another unidentified fruiting tree for about 10 minutes before flying off. Two Eastern Koels - an adult female and a juvenile - also present at same time feeding on the figs. I had not heard Koels here since 19 February. (Wonga Park is at corner of First & Third Avenues.) Peter Higgins Mon 8 Mar Black Bittern Cockle Creek, Barnsley (Lake Macquarie) Single male bird seen at dusk last night from a vantage accessed from the end of Macquarie St, Barnsley. Flushed from the bank we were standing on, then alighted on the other side briefly before taking off again. Mick Roderick and Dan Williams Sun 7 Mar Double-banded plover Long Reef Pair of Double-banded plovers at Long Reef, first I've seen there this season, along with the usual culprits - Rednecked Stints (one getting very red), Pacific Golden Plovers, Sooty oystercatchers, Ruddy Turnstones and a Grey-tailed Tattler (nice to see as I hadn't seen one here for a while). Nothing of note off-shore despite the wind. Robert Griffin Little Eagle Adjacent to Mt Annan One adult Little Eagle heading towards Liverpool area from Mt Annan. Alan McBride Sat 6 Mar Australian Hobby Balmain/Birchgrove Australian Hobby soaring in Nth east wind low over rooftops and trees of Wharf Road just before dusk - alarm calls from every Noisy Miner in the district. Co-incidently, this bird or another seen a bit earlier on western side of Louisa Rd by Graham Buchan. Robert Griffin Great Crested Grebe Penrith At least 2 birds present on the ponds to the east of Castlereagh Road a few kms north of Penrith. Eric Finley Australasian Bittern Reed Beds Swamp, Mathoura Observed flying over Reed Beds Swamp. David Kleinert Thu 4 Mar Barred Cuckoo-shrike Fig tree adjacent to boat ramp near Pacific Highway Bridge, Urunga NSW Three birds observed feeding in Small-leaved Fig at boat ramp. One was a juvenile bird and was constantly begging for food from the two adult birds. This suggests that these birds nested in the local area. David Charley Barking Owl Elanora Rd Elanora Heights The barking owl was in the vicinity of Elanora Rd & Woorarra Ave intersection calling repeatedly around 10pm -12pm for several evenings. It is not surprising to have one given the proximity to Garigal NP & Deep Creek reserve & they do occur at Oxford Falls 4km away. However I have never heard one near here before & have lived here since1978. Jacqui Marlow Wed 3 Mar Square-tailed Kite Christmas Bells Plain, south of Port Macquarie NSW Single juvenile bird observed hunting along the edge of the tree line and within the upper canopy of an adjacent Melaleuca forest. Honeyeaters and lorikeets abundant due to flowering Melaleuca. David Charley Pilotbird, Beautiful Firetail, Chestnut-rumped Heathwren etc. Mt Cameron Trail, Wollemi NP [past Natural Bridge] This overgrown fire trail did not produce a great number either of birds or species, but there were some nice ones. Shortly after I had squeaked up a Chestnut-rumped Heathwren to within 8 feet I had even more success with 2 Pilotbirds, a Beautiful Firetail and a male Variegated Wren all within 15 feet of me. Others along the track included a male Scarlet Robin, a flock of Varied Sittellas, and a Crested Shriketit. Dense understorey now shrouds much of the area, making birding difficult at times. Ted Nixon Mon 1 Mar Eastern Koel Courtsportz Tennis Centre, Dee Why During tennis practice this afternoon, an Eastern Koel was heard (they haven't been around for the last month). A few groups of Musk Lorikeets flew over at various times during the 2 hours I was there, along with 2 Aust King-Parrots as well. Joshua Bergmark Sat 27 Feb Common Noddy Flat Rock, north of Ballina NSW Single bird observed foraging / flying along the shoreline and around the rock platform. Mottled crown and buff/brown shoulders indicative of juvenile bird. Photos taken. David Charley and Steve McBride Mon 22 Feb Brown Booby Rock Platform, Woody Head, Iluka, NSW Adult bird observed roosting on rock platform near flock of terns. David Rohweder and David Charley Birdline NSW is sponsored by Birding NSW , Birds Australia - Southern NSW & ACT and Cumberland Bird Observers Club and co-ordinated and hosted by Eremaea Birds . =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: Birdline Victoria Weekly Update From: "Eremaea Birds" <notifications AT eremaea.com> Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2010 01:31:00 +1000 Birdline Victoria Published sightings for the week ending 14 Mar 2010. Sun 14 Mar Little Curlew Bulban Road Werribee/Little River Still present at the same site, on South side of road, 900 m West of Newton Road, with at least 3 Banded Lapwings. Alan Crawford & Elizabeth Shaw Chestnut-rumped Heathwren Solomon Gully Flora reserve,Quarry Hill, Bendigo Pair of CRHeathwren seen along ridge , access off Boyd road. Also Yellow and Brown Thornbills, Brown Goshawk. Simon Starr WTNeedletails, Rose and Pink Robin,Olive Whistler, Red-browed Treecreeper, Satin Flycatcher Toolangi, Quarry Rd & Mt Tanglefoot loop Rose Robins calling everywhere - at least 20 heard. Quite a few birds with fledglings including King Parrot, Pink, Flame and Yellow Robin, Rufous Fantail and Olive Whistler. Lyrebirds pretty vocal and common. Other good sightings : Large-billed scrubwren, Lewins Honeyeater, Needletails 10+, Crested Shrike Tit. G. Santos Wood Sandpiper, Cape-barren Goose, Little Egret Eastern Treatment Plant Amongst the birds seen at the Eastern Treatment Plant were 3 Wood Sandpiper, 1 Cape-barren Goose, 1 Little Egret and a late late Australian Reed-Warbler. Mike Carter Sat 13 Mar Silver Gull, Black-winged Stilt Anderson's Swamp, Derrimut Grassland Reserve,Boundary Rd, Derrimut. Interesting late afternoon sighting of huge number of Silver Gulls on the 15 hectare swamp, which is now full after recent rain. Also congregating on nearby factory roofs. Estimate of up to five thousand Gulls. Fair numbers of White-faced Herons and Black-winged Stilts also present. Peter Gibbons. Blue-winged Parrot Western Treatment Plant, Werribee. Two Blue-winged Parrots observed at 1210hrs, on the track between the T Section Lagoon Ponds 3 & 4. Peter Gibbons Fri 12 Mar Little Corella, Crimson Rosella Norwood Crescent, Moonee Ponds About 6 seen feeding in a front yard cypress tree. One sounded to be a begging youngster. Also 4 Pied Currawongs and a Grey Butcherbird in the grounds of Brunswick South West Primary School, Daly St ,West Brunswick most days during the last week, and 1 Crimson Rosella on the Moonee Ponds Creek nr Brunswick Rd earlier this week- eating Boxthorn berries. J.Flack Little Egret Tullaroop Reservoir Single bird feeding near outlet towe at dam wall Geoff Park Zebra Finch Lock's Lane, Moolort Flock of four birds on irrigated lucerne paddock Geoff Park Wed 10 Mar Brolga Midland Highway Approx 20km west of Benalla close to Goomalibee turn off. Brolga flew into flooded paddock approx. 7pm. Debbie Colbourne White-throated Needletail Wilby 27 birds seen overhead in the late afternoon, flying to the south in clear and calm conditions. Michael Ramsey Tue 9 Mar Rufous Fantail Point Lonsdale coastal scrub between beach and cemetery Angus John Hartshorn Mon 8 Mar Little Curlew Western Treatment Plant 3 Little Curlew at Austin road lagoon number 2 in same area as previously reported. Other species of interest on the day incuded Black Kite, Black Falcon, Peregrine Falcon, White-breasted Sea-Eagle, Stubble Quail and a small number of Double-banded Plover -early returns. Only small numbers of migratory waders remain. Scott Baker, Peter Lansley Ground Parrot Mallacoota - Heathland Walk One bird flushed from knee-high heath. Bird flew away calling, landing about 10m further on. As we walked through the heath a few more metres, it flushed again and flew into inaccessible scrub. Two good views of a few seconds each.. Paul Dodd & Ruth Woodrow Sun 7 Mar Black Honeyeater, Crested Bellbird Bailieston Single female seen in flowering Grey Box and mistletoe at "Birremathool" on the north side of Pontings Lane. Crested Bellbird heard here, and also at Bailieston Quarry and the central block of the Bailieston Historic Reserve. Richard & Margaret Alcorn Black Honeyeater, White-fronted Honeyeater, White-throated Needletail Kamarooka Forest Male Black Honeyeater observed along Campbells Road. The attached photo was taken in the same location back in October 09. Other intersting sightings included White-fronted and Tawny-crowned Honeyeaters, Shy Heathwren and around 6 White-throated Needletail flying high overhead. David Kleinert Sat 6 Mar White-throated Needletail Linton, south-west of Ballarat 8+ White-throated Needletails on 6th March, 12+ on 8th March & 2+ on 9th March. Observed by BOCA campers at Linton. Celia M. Browne et al Crested Pigeon Riverbank Road, Bairnsdale On road to The Cut. Single bird flew from road to nearby wattle tree. Elizabeth Shaw and Alan Crawford. Grey-crowned Babbler, White-bellied Sea-Eagle Barmah A group of three Grey-crowned Babblers seen along Bradleys Road, north east of Barmah. Also an adult White-bellied Sea-Eagle seen perched beside Gulf Creek in Barmah Forest (at intersection of 4 Mile Creek Track and Gulf Creek). David Kleinert Black Honeyeater Wychitella Forest, Tip Block Black Honeyeaters were feeding in flowering Grey Box in the northern end of the Tip Block of Wychitella Forest (north of Wedderburn, intersection of Old Boort Rd and Borung-Wedderburn Rd). Also present were Black-chinned, Fuscous, and Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters. Black Honeyeaters were easily located by their 'seep-seep' call and were also observed further south along Old Boort Rd where Grey Box were flowering. Alistair Stewart and Gregg M�ller Fri 5 Mar 25 Black Honeyeater Inglewood/Wedderburn Black Honeyeaters still in numbers through central Victoria. A flock seen in mallee north of Inglewood, plus others recorded widely throughout the area including Wychitella. Lots of Grey Box flowering plus some mallee and mistletoe that flowered in the spring is bursting with buds again! simon starr Tue 2 Mar Fairy Martin Holden Road Bridge over Kororoit Creek About a dozen Fairy Martins nesting beneath the bridge of Kororoit Creek near Toolern Vale. Many old abandoned nests also among the ones in use Daryl Akers Mon 1 Mar Glossy Black-Cockatoo Tambo Upper Pair of Glossies heard on the wing and then sighted heading from the N/E (Bruthen) to the S/W possibly toward Gippsland Lakes Coastal Park. Faye Bedford Birdline Victoria is sponsored by Birds Australia - Victoria and co-ordinated and hosted by Eremaea Birds . ==============================www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au ============================== Subject: Birdline Central & Southern Queensland Weekly Update From: "Eremaea Birds" <notifications AT eremaea.com> Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2010 01:30:18 +1000 Birdline Central & Southern Queensland Published sightings for the week ending 14 Mar 2010. Sun 14 Mar Black Noddy Point Danger, Coolangatta Highlight of sea watch off Point Danger was a Black Noddy feeding just of the rocks with Common Terns and Wedge-tailed Shearwaters - seen twice about fifteen minutes apart, so possibly two birds. The noddy got within 300 metres of NSW, but did not cross the border whilst I was watching. Also a few Pomerine Skuas and one Arctic Skua. A Sooty Oyestercatcher was resting on the rocks. The day started well with two Powerful Owls calling on our property bordering Moggill State Forest, Hawkesbury Road, Anstead, 20 km west of Brisbane CBD. Rod Gardner Sat 13 Mar Common Noddy Point Lookout,Stradbroke Island During a 4 hour seawatch had at least 25 Common Noddys close in .Also 100 Wedge-tailed Shearwaters,3-4 Pom Skuas and lots of Common and Little Terns. stuart Pickering and Andy Jensen Thu 11 Mar Square-tailed kite Bowman Park, Bardon Single over Bowman Parade (-27.45513, 152.97515) Tom Tarrant Sun 7 Mar Glossy Black Cockatoos Cedar Creek, Gold Coast Hinterland, Qld 4 Glossy Black Cockatoos flew over my property about 11.00 am Sunday 7/3/2010 Sandra Gallienne Sat 6 Mar Wandering Tattler Point Lookout, North Stradbroke Island, SE Qld A total of 7 together on the rocks at the point. Stuart warren, Rob Dougherty, Chris Sanderson and Colin Reid Birdline Central & Southern Queensland is sponsored by Birds Australia Southern Queensland and co-ordinated and hosted by Eremaea Birds . =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: Birdline Tasmania Weekly Update From: "Eremaea Birds" <notifications AT eremaea.com> Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2010 01:30:47 +1000 Birdline Tasmania Published sightings for the week ending 14 Mar 2010. Mon 8 Mar Morepork (Southern Boobook) Poatina Village One bird heard calling just after midnight from the Mountainview Chalet. John Tongue Birdline Tasmania is co-ordinated and hosted by Eremaea Birds . =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: Birdline NT Weekly Update From: "Eremaea Birds" <notifications AT eremaea.com> Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2010 01:30:44 +1000 Birdline NT Published sightings for the week ending 14 Mar 2010. Birdline NT is co-ordinated and hosted by Eremaea Birds . =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: Birdline North Queensland Weekly Update From: "Eremaea Birds" <notifications AT eremaea.com> Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2010 01:30:24 +1000 Birdline North Queensland Published sightings for the week ending 14 Mar 2010. Wed 10 Mar Torresian Imperial-Pigeon Townsville CBD: Wills Street 5 birds observed early afternoon: - Wills Street in a Palm tree adjacent to Transport and Main Roads Department, State Government offices. Weather showers and windy. Unusual to have 5 birds in 1 tree. Remained several minutes. Possibly gathering for northward migration. Denise Elrick (per Alexandra Canton) Wompoo Fruit-dove Arlington Court, KIRWAN (suburb of Townsvile) This one Wompoo Fruit-dove has been seen daily at the above residential address since 01 March 2010. The bird is usually seen resting in this back-yard River Cherry tree, as in the picture. A resident Magpi-lark tries continually to anoy the Wompoo, but is generally ignored. Historical: - Resultant from Cyclone Larry devastating the Wompoo's usual Rain Forest habitats to the north of here in March 2006 we did see many Wompoos in Townsville City suburbia. There have been no similar events, except for the usual very wet monsoonal weather. Unusual then to see this bird in the suburbs of Townsville. Constance Smith (submitted by Len Ezzy) Tue 9 Mar Red-necked Crake Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge, Julatten, QLD 2 adults with four chicks observed by a guest, alongside the orchard at Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge. Good breeding record. Melissa Hamilton per Keith Fisher Mon 8 Mar Blue-faced Parrot-Finch Gillies Lookout, near Cathedral Fig, Atherton Talblelands One young bird clearly seen but others heard and glimpsed. Suspect flock size about 5 birds. Alan Gillanders Lovely Fairy-wren Gillies Lookout, near Cathedral Fig, Atherton Talblelands The birds have become less regular at this site over the last few years. Two Females. Alan Gillanders Black-necked Stork Hyde Park (Suburb of Townsville City) One male Black-necked Stork observed (0630 hours today) about 40 metres to the south of the busy Woolcock Street. Geographical Coordinates (Datum GDA 94) 19�16'20" south; 146�47'52" east. The bird was working the inundated drain area above the salt water restriction valve between between the "Hyde Park Centre" and the residences on the east of the drain. First time I've seen this species in busy suburbia. Len Ezzy Birdline North Queensland is sponsored by Birds Australia North Queensland and Townsville Region Bird Observers Club and co-ordinated and hosted by Eremaea Birds . ==============================www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au ============================== Subject: Birdline Australia Weekly Update From: "Eremaea Birds" <notifications AT eremaea.com> Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2010 01:30:13 +1000 Birdline Australia Published sightings for the week ending 14 Mar 2010. Sat 13 Mar White-bellied Storm-Petrel, Gould's Petrel Sydney pelagic, New South Wales A well-seen White-bellied Storm-Petrel and two Gould's Petrels which stayed around the Halicat for at least 30 minutes were the highlights of an excellent Sydney pelagic trip where we recorded a good total of 19 species. Roger McGovern Fri 12 Mar Possible Dunlin Tuross Lake Estuary, New South Wales BARC has received a submission on a Dunlin seen by Pattie Parker in the Tuross Lake Estuary, NSW on the 5 January 2010. The bird was in partial breeding plumage with black patches emerging on the belly. Pattie Parker per Mike Carter Regent Honeyeater, Black-chinned Honeyeater, Pacific Baza Werakata (Kitchener) near Cessnock, New South Wales Single Regent Honeyeater seen today in a large Spotted Gum not far from the Abernethy-Kitchener Road. Although there is no blossom in this or any other Spotted Gums in the valley, there is a locally endemic Stringybark (still undescribed to science) flowering at the moment. Interestingly, this is the same Stringybark that Regents were foraging in during July-August last year (at the same site and elsewhere in the locality), so it is fascinating to see it flowering now in March. Quite a few Black-chins, Brown-heads etc and the usual hordes of Little Lorikeets in the area. A Pacific Baza at Pelton this morning also. Mick Roderick Sun 21 Feb Cook's, Gould's, Soft-plumaged Petrel, Buller's Shearwater, Long-tailed Jaeger Eaglehawk Neck pelagic, Tasmania The BOCA Eaglehawk Neck pelagic recorded 27 species including five rarer seabirds - Cook's (1), Gould's (3), Soft-plumaged Petrel (1), Buller's Shearwater (1), Long-tailed Jaeger (1). This may be the first Cook's Petrel recorded on an organised pelagic off Tasmania. Also seen were an estimated 50 Wandering Albatross (including 34 together), 4 other species of albatross and good numbers of White-chinned Petrels Rohan Clarke et al. Sat 16 Jan Radjah Shelduck Bibra Lake , Western Australia Radjah Shelduck (1) Bibra Lake. Graham Armstrong per WA Recent Bird Sightings Sun 28 May Gouldian Finch Arnhem Hwy, Northern Territory A black faced Gouldian Finch was recorded in grassland/ monsoon forest approx. 45 kilometres from Darwin on the Arnhem Hwy - 100 metres east of the from Jabiru 200 km (J200) sign. Another black-faced bird was later seen in the same spot - possibly the same bird. From all indications this is the closest record of a wild Gouldian Finch to Darwin. Tim Dolby, Greg Oakley, Chris Brady Birdline Australia is sponsored by Birds Australia and co-ordinated and hosted by Eremaea Birds . =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: Re: Raptor CD From: Peter Shute <pshute AT nuw.org.au> Date: Sun, 14 Mar 2010 22:34:29 +1100 CD number 2 in the BOCA set includes the eagles, hawks, etc. Owls are on number 4. They can be purchased separately. I don't know what effect playing them might have on non target birds, that live in the area. Pest control companies sell devices that regularly play various raptor calls. I assume they're intended to scare away pigeons and starlings, etc. I don't know how well they work - there are still plenty of them in places they aren't wanted. Peter Shute -------------------------- Sent using BlackBerry ----- Original Message ----- From: birding-aus-bounces AT vicnet.net.au To: birding-aus Sent: Sat Mar 13 22:23:47 2010 Subject: [Birding-Aus] Raptor CD Does anyone know if you can purchase a CD of raptor calls. Someone I know is trying to dissuade Cockatoos from roosting around his house and wants some raptor calls to fighten them away. I have expressed my doubts about whether it would work but he is insistent that he wants to try. Jan ==========www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au ========================================= www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: Raptor CD From: "Jan England " <janengland AT linkt.com.au> Date: Sat, 13 Mar 2010 21:23:47 +1000 Does anyone know if you can purchase a CD of raptor calls. Someone I know is trying to dissuade Cockatoos from roosting around his house and wants some raptor calls to fighten them away. I have expressed my doubts about whether it would work but he is insistent that he wants to try. Jan ==============================www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au ============================== Subject: Re: Wesley the Owl - Facts or Fiction? now Re Poop From: Denise Goodfellow <goodfellow AT bigpond.com.au> Date: Sun, 14 Mar 2010 16:14:45 +0930 In "Fauna of Kakadu and the Top End" I used the terms "poo" and "scat" because I wanted to produce a book that would appeal to both visiting scientists (like many of my clients) and lay people. That, by the way, is why I also included humour. Used as a text by the University of NSW summer school it is the only fauna book I know that compares a goanna's hemipene to the tickler condoms one can buy in a sex shop! -- Denise Lawungkurr Goodfellow PO Box 3460 NT 0832, AUSTRALIA Ph. 61 08 89 328306 Mobile: 04 386 50 835 Birdwatching and Indigenous tourism consultant PhD Candidate Research survey: For American birders - http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=h3NCqTwur3H_2bPlbFtk_2bSpw_3d_3d For UK and other birders -http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=adx6k4cK_2fqMWzw79jmrmzg_3d_3d http://www.denisegoodfellow.com.au http://www.earthfoot.org http://groups.yahoo.com/group/baby-dreaming http://www.ausbird.com http://birderstravel.com For copies of Birds of Australia�s Top End or Quiet Snake Dreaming, visit amazon.com on 14/3/10 3:34 PM, Ian Martin at ian.martin AT exemail.com.au wrote: > Hi Syd, >> From Websters - 3rd meaning for "Poop" > --------------------- > poop3 > Slang > n. > [prob. < vulgar poop, to break wind, defecate, feces (< ME puopen: see > POOP2)] > 1. excrement; feces > 2. the pertinent facts, esp. current inside information > vi. > to defecate > --------------------- > > ie definitely slang and not scientific ... even in the US :-0 > > Regards > Ian > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Chris Sanderson" > To: "Syd Curtis" > Cc: "bird" > Sent: Sunday, March 14, 2010 4:45 PM > Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Wesley the Owl - Facts or Fiction? > > >> Hi Syd, >> >> On the subject of poop, I can only assume this is a localized term >> within >> the US? Regarding the depth perception and head movement, I have >> definitely >> heard that Tyto owls get better location of targets via hearing by >> moving >> their head side to side to "triangulate" the source of the sound. >> Remember >> their face is one big dish focusing sounds to their ears. Not sure if >> it >> would help vision or depth perception though. Perhaps Steven Debus >> can shed >> some light on this one? >> >> Regards, >> Chris >> >> On Sun, Mar 14, 2010 at 3:16 PM, Syd Curtis >> wrote: >> >>> >>> Is there anyone on birding-aus who has read the book and feels able >>> to >>> comment on this for me, please? >>> >>> I am reading a book, "Wesley - The Story of a Remarkable Owl" by >>> Stacey >>> O'Brien. My copy "first published in Australia by Bantam in 2009". >>> (First >>> published in the US by Free Press, a division of Simon & Schuster, >>> Inc. >>> 2008.) >>> >>> It is claimed that the author trained as a biologist, graduating from >>> Occidental College (in California) and continuing her education at >>> Caltech. >>> >>> The Owl is an American Barn Owl. It had nerve damage to one wing and >>> would >>> not have survived in the wild. The author accepted it as a >>> four-day-old >>> chick and took on the job of caring for it for the whole of its life. >>> (Some >>> 19 years.) The owlet's eyes were still closed at that stage and when >>> they >>> opened he imprinted on Stacey as his 'parent'. She writes: >>> >>> "When Wesley opened his eyes for the first time, he stared right >>> at me. >>> >>> " 'Hello, Wesley,' I said. >>> " 'Screech,' he softly replied, gazing deeply into my eyes.' >>> >>> "Wesley focused on me right away, twittering and chattering, >>> looking me >>> in the eyes and trying to communicate. I was astonished at the >>> intensity >>> and clarity of his focus on me." >>> >>> If the book is fact, written by a trained scientist, one would expect >>> scientific accuracy. I'm not far into the book, yet already I'm >>> having >>> doubts and wondering if some of it is imagination. >>> >>> "Wesley's eyes were fixed in their sockets, so the only way he >>> could get >>> depth perception was to move his head from side to side." >>> >>> I reckon I can depth perception without moving my eyes or my head. >>> (Or am >>> I >>> just imagining this?) >>> >>> Just one other (somewhat unsavoury) quote that bothers me a little. >>> Wesley >>> was not confined to a cage, so his droppings had to be cleaned up, >>> and >>> there's some excuse for dwelling on this aspect: >>> >>> "Wesley observed the cardinal rule of never pooping in his nest. >>> ... >>> When he first started to scoot around on the carpet, he would back up >>> with >>> his rear end high in the air and push backwards, trying to find the >>> end of >>> the rug so he could poop. ... I realized that if I lay down a paper >>> towel >>> behind him, he would notice the change in texture ... and would poop >>> there >>> with a quiet air of dignified relief." >>> >>> But the dissertation upon the word "poop" raises my doubts. It >>> begins: >>> >>> "When describing both the act of defecating and the substance of >>> fecal >>> matter itself, biologists prefer to use the scientific term 'poop'." >>> >>> And it concludes: >>> >>> "So if it's on the ground, it's poop. If it's under your >>> microscope, >>> it's scat. If it's running down your neck, it's shit." >>> >>> There's no entry for 'poop' in my (1995) Larousse Dictionary of >>> Technology. >>> And the only entries in other dictionaries confine the meaning as >>> referring >>> to the aft part of a ship. >>> >>> So. Are there any birding-aus biologists out there who regard "poop' >>> as a >>> standard scientific term.? >>> >>> Does anyone who has read the book, care to comment on whether it's >>> science >>> or fiction? >>> >>> Cheers >>> >>> Syd >>> >>> >>> =============================== >>> www.birding-aus.org >>> birding-aus.blogspot.com >>> >>> To unsubscribe from this mailing list, >>> send the message: >>> unsubscribe >>> (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) >>> to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au >>> =============================== >>> >> =============================== >> www.birding-aus.org >> birding-aus.blogspot.com >> >> To unsubscribe from this mailing list, >> send the message: >> unsubscribe >> (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) >> to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au >> =============================== > > =============================== > www.birding-aus.org > birding-aus.blogspot.com > > To unsubscribe from this mailing list, > send the message: > unsubscribe > (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) > to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au > =============================== ==============================www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au ============================== Subject: possible Dunlin at Tuross Lakes From: calyptorhynchus AT gmail.com Date: Sun, 14 Mar 2010 06:44:50 +0000 I've been looking at the photos on ABID. Are we sure it isn'ta Broad-billed Sandpiper? That forehead looks very BBS to me, and the depth of the bill is quite noticeable. I can't seem to see any black flecks really low down on the belly. I think they could just be higher up down to the bottom of the breast (consistent with BBS). John Leonard =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: Wesley the Owl - Facts or Fiction? From: calyptorhynchus AT gmail.com Date: Sun, 14 Mar 2010 06:41:01 +0000 Another possibility is that the author delivered a perfectly sensible MS to the publisher and they insisted on rewriting because they thought they knew what their readers wanted (or because they could sense a Disney tie-in). This happens all to often, and the public responds by buying fewer and fewer books each year. John Leonard On , Ian Martin wrote: > Hi Syd, > From Websters - 3rd meaning for "Poop" > --------------------- > poop3 > Slang > n. > [prob. > 1. excrement; feces > 2. the pertinent facts, esp. current inside information > vi. > to defecate > --------------------- > ie definitely slang and not scientific ... even in the US :-0 > Regards > Ian > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Chris Sanderson" > chris.sanderson AT gmail.com> > To: "Syd Curtis" sydc AT ozemail.com.au> > Cc: "bird" birding-aus AT vicnet.net.au> > Sent: Sunday, March 14, 2010 4:45 PM > Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Wesley the Owl - Facts or Fiction? > Hi Syd, > On the subject of poop, I can only assume this is a localized term within > the US? Regarding the depth perception and head movement, I have > definitely > heard that Tyto owls get better location of targets via hearing by moving > their head side to side to "triangulate" the source of the sound. Remember > their face is one big dish focusing sounds to their ears. Not sure if it > would help vision or depth perception though. Perhaps Steven Debus can > shed > some light on this one? > Regards, > Chris > On Sun, Mar 14, 2010 at 3:16 PM, Syd Curtis sydc AT ozemail.com.au> wrote: > Is there anyone on birding-aus who has read the book and feels able to > comment on this for me, please? > I am reading a book, "Wesley - The Story of a Remarkable Owl" by Stacey > O'Brien. My copy "first published in Australia by Bantam in 2009". (First > published in the US by Free Press, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc. > 2008.) > It is claimed that the author trained as a biologist, graduating from > Occidental College (in California) and continuing her education at > Caltech. > The Owl is an American Barn Owl. It had nerve damage to one wing and would > not have survived in the wild. The author accepted it as a four-day-old > chick and took on the job of caring for it for the whole of its life. > (Some > 19 years.) The owlet's eyes were still closed at that stage and when they > opened he imprinted on Stacey as his 'parent'. She writes: > "When Wesley opened his eyes for the first time, he stared right at me. > " 'Hello, Wesley,' I said. > " 'Screech,' he softly replied, gazing deeply into my eyes.' > "Wesley focused on me right away, twittering and chattering, looking me > in the eyes and trying to communicate. I was astonished at the intensity > and clarity of his focus on me." > If the book is fact, written by a trained scientist, one would expect > scientific accuracy. I'm not far into the book, yet already I'm having > doubts and wondering if some of it is imagination. > "Wesley's eyes were fixed in their sockets, so the only way he could get > depth perception was to move his head from side to side." > I reckon I can depth perception without moving my eyes or my head. (Or am > I > just imagining this?) > Just one other (somewhat unsavoury) quote that bothers me a little. Wesley > was not confined to a cage, so his droppings had to be cleaned up, and > there's some excuse for dwelling on this aspect: > "Wesley observed the cardinal rule of never pooping in his nest. ... > When he first started to scoot around on the carpet, he would back up with > his rear end high in the air and push backwards, trying to find the end of > the rug so he could poop. ... I realized that if I lay down a paper towel > behind him, he would notice the change in texture ... and would poop there > with a quiet air of dignified relief." > But the dissertation upon the word "poop" raises my doubts. It begins: > "When describing both the act of defecating and the substance of fecal > matter itself, biologists prefer to use the scientific term 'poop'." > And it concludes: > "So if it's on the ground, it's poop. If it's under your microscope, > it's scat. If it's running down your neck, it's shit." > There's no entry for 'poop' in my (1995) Larousse Dictionary of > Technology. > And the only entries in other dictionaries confine the meaning as > referring > to the aft part of a ship. > So. Are there any birding-aus biologists out there who regard "poop' as a > standard scientific term.? > Does anyone who has read the book, care to comment on whether it's science > or fiction? > Cheers > Syd > =============================== > www.birding-aus.org > birding-aus.blogspot.com > To unsubscribe from this mailing list, > send the message: > unsubscribe > (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) > to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au > =============================== > =============================== > www.birding-aus.org > birding-aus.blogspot.com > To unsubscribe from this mailing list, > send the message: > unsubscribe > (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) > to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au > =============================== > =============================== > www.birding-aus.org > birding-aus.blogspot.com > To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: > unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) > to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au > =============================== =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: Re: Wesley the Owl - Facts or Fiction? now Re Poop From: "Ian Martin" <ian.martin AT exemail.com.au> Date: Sun, 14 Mar 2010 17:04:17 +1100 Hi Syd, >From Websters - 3rd meaning for "Poop" --------------------- poop3 Slang n. [prob. < vulgar poop, to break wind, defecate, feces (< ME puopen: see POOP2)] 1. excrement; feces 2. the pertinent facts, esp. current inside information vi. to defecate --------------------- ie definitely slang and not scientific ... even in the US :-0 Regards Ian ----- Original Message ----- From: "Chris Sanderson" To: "Syd Curtis" Cc: "bird" Sent: Sunday, March 14, 2010 4:45 PM Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Wesley the Owl - Facts or Fiction? > Hi Syd, > > On the subject of poop, I can only assume this is a localized term > within > the US? Regarding the depth perception and head movement, I have > definitely > heard that Tyto owls get better location of targets via hearing by > moving > their head side to side to "triangulate" the source of the sound. > Remember > their face is one big dish focusing sounds to their ears. Not sure if > it > would help vision or depth perception though. Perhaps Steven Debus > can shed > some light on this one? > > Regards, > Chris > > On Sun, Mar 14, 2010 at 3:16 PM, Syd Curtis > wrote: > >> >> Is there anyone on birding-aus who has read the book and feels able >> to >> comment on this for me, please? >> >> I am reading a book, "Wesley - The Story of a Remarkable Owl" by >> Stacey >> O'Brien. My copy "first published in Australia by Bantam in 2009". >> (First >> published in the US by Free Press, a division of Simon & Schuster, >> Inc. >> 2008.) >> >> It is claimed that the author trained as a biologist, graduating from >> Occidental College (in California) and continuing her education at >> Caltech. >> >> The Owl is an American Barn Owl. It had nerve damage to one wing and >> would >> not have survived in the wild. The author accepted it as a >> four-day-old >> chick and took on the job of caring for it for the whole of its life. >> (Some >> 19 years.) The owlet's eyes were still closed at that stage and when >> they >> opened he imprinted on Stacey as his 'parent'. She writes: >> >> "When Wesley opened his eyes for the first time, he stared right >> at me. >> >> " 'Hello, Wesley,' I said. >> " 'Screech,' he softly replied, gazing deeply into my eyes.' >> >> "Wesley focused on me right away, twittering and chattering, >> looking me >> in the eyes and trying to communicate. I was astonished at the >> intensity >> and clarity of his focus on me." >> >> If the book is fact, written by a trained scientist, one would expect >> scientific accuracy. I'm not far into the book, yet already I'm >> having >> doubts and wondering if some of it is imagination. >> >> "Wesley's eyes were fixed in their sockets, so the only way he >> could get >> depth perception was to move his head from side to side." >> >> I reckon I can depth perception without moving my eyes or my head. >> (Or am >> I >> just imagining this?) >> >> Just one other (somewhat unsavoury) quote that bothers me a little. >> Wesley >> was not confined to a cage, so his droppings had to be cleaned up, >> and >> there's some excuse for dwelling on this aspect: >> >> "Wesley observed the cardinal rule of never pooping in his nest. >> ... >> When he first started to scoot around on the carpet, he would back up >> with >> his rear end high in the air and push backwards, trying to find the >> end of >> the rug so he could poop. ... I realized that if I lay down a paper >> towel >> behind him, he would notice the change in texture ... and would poop >> there >> with a quiet air of dignified relief." >> >> But the dissertation upon the word "poop" raises my doubts. It >> begins: >> >> "When describing both the act of defecating and the substance of >> fecal >> matter itself, biologists prefer to use the scientific term 'poop'." >> >> And it concludes: >> >> "So if it's on the ground, it's poop. If it's under your >> microscope, >> it's scat. If it's running down your neck, it's shit." >> >> There's no entry for 'poop' in my (1995) Larousse Dictionary of >> Technology. >> And the only entries in other dictionaries confine the meaning as >> referring >> to the aft part of a ship. >> >> So. Are there any birding-aus biologists out there who regard "poop' >> as a >> standard scientific term.? >> >> Does anyone who has read the book, care to comment on whether it's >> science >> or fiction? >> >> Cheers >> >> Syd >> >> >> =============================== >> www.birding-aus.org >> birding-aus.blogspot.com >> >> To unsubscribe from this mailing list, >> send the message: >> unsubscribe >> (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) >> to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au >> =============================== >> > =============================== > www.birding-aus.org > birding-aus.blogspot.com > > To unsubscribe from this mailing list, > send the message: > unsubscribe > (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) > to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au > =============================== =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: Re: US songbirds getting smaller, possibly as a result of climate change From: Laurie Knight <l.knight AT optusnet.com.au> Date: Sun, 14 Mar 2010 16:06:12 +1000 We know that races of birds that live in hotter climates are smaller than the races that live in colder climates [ecologists refer to this as Bergmann�s rule]. Just look at your field guide and compare the tropical races with the temperate races. Here are a couple of excerpts from the document: "Decreasing size was associated with warming summer temperatures, at least for species that bred locally. When regional temperature was included along with year in the analyses of breeding adults, mass decreased significantly with increasing temperature in the current and the preceding year (Fig. 2; temperature this year: ..." "Data from population trends indicate that declines in body size were not associated with deteriorating conditions, at least during the winter season or on the breeding grounds." As for your comment regarding climate change, there are very substantial facts outlined in: Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2007 � Preface and Foreword � Summary for Policymakers � Technical Summary � Frequently Asked Questions � Historical Overview of Climate Change Science � Changes in Atmospheric Constituents and Radiative Forcing � Observations: Atmospheric Surface and Climate Change � Observations: Changes in Snow, Ice and Frozen Ground � Observations: Ocean Climate Change and Sea Level � Palaeoclimate � Coupling Between Changes in the Climate System and Biogeochemistry � Climate Models and their Evaluation � Understanding and Attributing Climate Change � Global Climate Projections � Regional Climate Projections Nothing in this report has been discredited. You can read it for yourself - download it from http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/wg1/en/contents.html Regards, Laurie. PS, There will still be believers and deniers even when we have "perfect knowledge". That is the nature of humanity. On 14/03/2010, at 3:09 PM, peter crow wrote: > I have no doubt that the data does indicate that song birds are > getting smaller. The problem is whether it is as a result of climate > change. > > It seems that CC is being credited with possibly being involved with > many things when we don't really know. > > i think associating results with climate change in this manner > "possibly as a result of" Doesn't do a lot of good. > > I am not a CC believer, nor am I a denier nor am I a sceptic. I > simply don't have the background or knowledge to make a balanced > judgement. > > I consider it highly likely that the amount of gunk we have poured > into the atmosphere has done no good and is "probably" causing all > sorts of things including "possibly" climate change. > > We need substantial facts (as much as possible) to establish that we > have caused climate change so that we don't have "believers or > deniers." > > We need facts that we mugs can understand and appreciate. Believing > or not believing are not options. We need knowers. > > Peter > =============================== > www.birding-aus.org > birding-aus.blogspot.com > > To unsubscribe from this mailing list,send the message: > unsubscribe(in the body of the message, with no Subject line) > to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au > =============================== ==============================www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au ============================== Subject: Re: Wesley the Owl - Facts or Fiction? From: Chris Sanderson <chris.sanderson AT gmail.com> Date: Sun, 14 Mar 2010 15:45:18 +1000 Hi Syd, On the subject of poop, I can only assume this is a localized term within the US? Regarding the depth perception and head movement, I have definitely heard that Tyto owls get better location of targets via hearing by moving their head side to side to "triangulate" the source of the sound. Remember their face is one big dish focusing sounds to their ears. Not sure if it would help vision or depth perception though. Perhaps Steven Debus can shed some light on this one? Regards, Chris On Sun, Mar 14, 2010 at 3:16 PM, Syd Curtis wrote: > > Is there anyone on birding-aus who has read the book and feels able to > comment on this for me, please? > > I am reading a book, "Wesley - The Story of a Remarkable Owl" by Stacey > O'Brien. My copy "first published in Australia by Bantam in 2009". (First > published in the US by Free Press, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc. > 2008.) > > It is claimed that the author trained as a biologist, graduating from > Occidental College (in California) and continuing her education at Caltech. > > The Owl is an American Barn Owl. It had nerve damage to one wing and would > not have survived in the wild. The author accepted it as a four-day-old > chick and took on the job of caring for it for the whole of its life. > (Some > 19 years.) The owlet's eyes were still closed at that stage and when they > opened he imprinted on Stacey as his 'parent'. She writes: > > "When Wesley opened his eyes for the first time, he stared right at me. > > " 'Hello, Wesley,' I said. > " 'Screech,' he softly replied, gazing deeply into my eyes.' > > "Wesley focused on me right away, twittering and chattering, looking me > in the eyes and trying to communicate. I was astonished at the intensity > and clarity of his focus on me." > > If the book is fact, written by a trained scientist, one would expect > scientific accuracy. I'm not far into the book, yet already I'm having > doubts and wondering if some of it is imagination. > > "Wesley's eyes were fixed in their sockets, so the only way he could get > depth perception was to move his head from side to side." > > I reckon I can depth perception without moving my eyes or my head. (Or am > I > just imagining this?) > > Just one other (somewhat unsavoury) quote that bothers me a little. Wesley > was not confined to a cage, so his droppings had to be cleaned up, and > there's some excuse for dwelling on this aspect: > > "Wesley observed the cardinal rule of never pooping in his nest. ... > When he first started to scoot around on the carpet, he would back up with > his rear end high in the air and push backwards, trying to find the end of > the rug so he could poop. ... I realized that if I lay down a paper towel > behind him, he would notice the change in texture ... and would poop there > with a quiet air of dignified relief." > > But the dissertation upon the word "poop" raises my doubts. It begins: > > "When describing both the act of defecating and the substance of fecal > matter itself, biologists prefer to use the scientific term 'poop'." > > And it concludes: > > "So if it's on the ground, it's poop. If it's under your microscope, > it's scat. If it's running down your neck, it's shit." > > There's no entry for 'poop' in my (1995) Larousse Dictionary of Technology. > And the only entries in other dictionaries confine the meaning as referring > to the aft part of a ship. > > So. Are there any birding-aus biologists out there who regard "poop' as a > standard scientific term.? > > Does anyone who has read the book, care to comment on whether it's science > or fiction? > > Cheers > > Syd > > > =============================== > www.birding-aus.org > birding-aus.blogspot.com > > To unsubscribe from this mailing list, > send the message: > unsubscribe > (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) > to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au > =============================== > =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: Wesley the Owl - Facts or Fiction? From: Syd Curtis <sydc AT ozemail.com.au> Date: Sun, 14 Mar 2010 15:16:25 +1000 Is there anyone on birding-aus who has read the book and feels able to comment on this for me, please? I am reading a book, "Wesley - The Story of a Remarkable Owl" by Stacey O'Brien. My copy "first published in Australia by Bantam in 2009". (First published in the US by Free Press, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc. 2008.) It is claimed that the author trained as a biologist, graduating from Occidental College (in California) and continuing her education at Caltech. The Owl is an American Barn Owl. It had nerve damage to one wing and would not have survived in the wild. The author accepted it as a four-day-old chick and took on the job of caring for it for the whole of its life. (Some 19 years.) The owlet's eyes were still closed at that stage and when they opened he imprinted on Stacey as his 'parent'. She writes: "When Wesley opened his eyes for the first time, he stared right at me. " 'Hello, Wesley,' I said. " 'Screech,' he softly replied, gazing deeply into my eyes.' "Wesley focused on me right away, twittering and chattering, looking me in the eyes and trying to communicate. I was astonished at the intensity and clarity of his focus on me." If the book is fact, written by a trained scientist, one would expect scientific accuracy. I'm not far into the book, yet already I'm having doubts and wondering if some of it is imagination. "Wesley's eyes were fixed in their sockets, so the only way he could get depth perception was to move his head from side to side." I reckon I can depth perception without moving my eyes or my head. (Or am I just imagining this?) Just one other (somewhat unsavoury) quote that bothers me a little. Wesley was not confined to a cage, so his droppings had to be cleaned up, and there's some excuse for dwelling on this aspect: "Wesley observed the cardinal rule of never pooping in his nest. ... When he first started to scoot around on the carpet, he would back up with his rear end high in the air and push backwards, trying to find the end of the rug so he could poop. ... I realized that if I lay down a paper towel behind him, he would notice the change in texture ... and would poop there with a quiet air of dignified relief." But the dissertation upon the word "poop" raises my doubts. It begins: "When describing both the act of defecating and the substance of fecal matter itself, biologists prefer to use the scientific term 'poop'." And it concludes: "So if it's on the ground, it's poop. If it's under your microscope, it's scat. If it's running down your neck, it's shit." There's no entry for 'poop' in my (1995) Larousse Dictionary of Technology. And the only entries in other dictionaries confine the meaning as referring to the aft part of a ship. So. Are there any birding-aus biologists out there who regard "poop' as a standard scientific term.? Does anyone who has read the book, care to comment on whether it's science or fiction? Cheers Syd =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: US songbirds getting smaller, possibly as a result of climate change From: peter crow <corvusp AT optusnet.com.au> Date: Sun, 14 Mar 2010 15:09:45 +1000 I have no doubt that the data does indicate that song birds are getting smaller. The problem is whether it is as a result of climate change. It seems that CC is being credited with possibly being involved with many things when we don't really know. i think associating results with climate change in this manner "possibly as a result of" Doesn't do a lot of good. I am not a CC believer, nor am I a denier nor am I a sceptic. I simply don't have the background or knowledge to make a balanced judgement. I consider it highly likely that the amount of gunk we have poured into the atmosphere has done no good and is "probably" causing all sorts of things including "possibly" climate change. We need substantial facts (as much as possible) to establish that we have caused climate change so that we don't have "believers or deniers." We need facts that we mugs can understand and appreciate. Believing or not believing are not options. We need knowers. Peter =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: Channel-billed Cuckoo in Todd Mall, Alice Springs. From: Christopher Watson <roadkill.chronicles AT gmail.com> Date: Sun, 14 Mar 2010 14:37:07 +0930 Our friend the CBC is still lurking around The Alice. Today I was trying to use the ATM when an almighty ruckus erupted from the gum trees in the mall outside the NAB. Got great views before he was seen off by a posse of Ringneck Parrots, Yellow-throated Miners, and a Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike. Chris Watson Alice Springs =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: One for the movie buffs From: Alan McBride <amcbride1 AT me.com> Date: Sun, 14 Mar 2010 11:07:40 +1100 Here's an interesting casting: http://tinyurl.com/ygqxoxg Should at least be better than Marley & Me! Alan ******************************************************************************* Alan McBride, MBO. Photojournalist | Traveller | Writer | Birding Guide + Member: International Travel Writers & Photographers Alliance National Association of Independent Writers & Editors American Writers & Artists Inc. Travelwriters . com http://web.me.com/amcbride1 http://www.worldreviewer.com/member/alanmcbride/ http://www.linkedin.com/in/alanmcbride http://www.twitter.com/alanmcbride Good planets are hard to find; until we do, please, be green and read from the screen Tel: + 61 419 414 860 Fax: + 61 2 9973 2306 Skype: mcbird101 P O Box 190 | Newport Beach | NSW 2106 | Australia This e-mail and any files transmitted with it, are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to which they are addressed. If you have received this e-mail in error please notify the sender. This e-mail is also subject to copyright. No part of it should be reproduced, adapted or transmitted without the prior written consent of the copyright owner. *********************************************************************************** =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: RE: The birds people keep as pets From: "Tony Russell" <pratincole AT esc.net.au> Date: Sun, 14 Mar 2010 11:12:08 +1030 Let's hope it gets a few cats eh. Tony -----Original Message----- From: birding-aus-bounces AT vicnet.net.au [mailto:birding-aus-bounces AT vicnet.net.au] On Behalf Of Laurie Knight Sent: Saturday, 13 March 2010 6:41 PM To: Birding Aus Subject: [Birding-Aus] The birds people keep as pets A pet Eagle Owl has escaped from its aviary in the UK. I'm not sure why anyone should be allowed to keep a bird with a 2 metre wingspan as a pet. see http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/lock-up-your-pets-killer-owl -on-the-loose-1920721.html =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: RE: US songbirds getting smaller, possibly as a result of climate change From: "Stephen Ambrose" <sambrose AT pacific.net.au> Date: Sun, 14 Mar 2010 10:18:42 +1100 I wonder if the changes observed are a result of habitat clearance and degradation more than just climate change. Plumage coloration, moulting and body growth are all energy-intensive processes. Food is the main source of energy for these processes. If there is widespread habitat clearance and degradation, then maybe the amount and quality of food available to birds is becoming more limited, in turn limiting body growth and plumage coloration. Moreover, in species that exhibit brightly-coloured plumages, those individuals with the brighter and longer-lasting coloured plumage are usually healthier birds (better nourished, lower parasitic loads, fewer diseases). In other words, the bright plumage is a visual cue to conspecifics of a bird's relative fitness and ability to breed. Perhaps the smaller sizes and less bright plumages are a sign that birds are becoming less healthy because of the extensive degradation and clearance of their habitats. Just a thought... Regards, Stephen Ambrose Ryde NSW >> Laurie Knight wrote: >> >> http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8560000/8560694.stm >>> >>> Climate linked to smaller birds >>> By Matt Walker >>> >>> Editor, Earth News >>> >>> Songbirds in the US are getting smaller, and climate change is >>> suspected >>> as the cause. >>> >>> A study of almost half a million birds, belonging to over 100 >>> species, >>> shows that many are gradually becoming lighter and growing >>> shorter wings. >>> >>> This shrinkage has occurred within just half a century, with the >>> birds >>> thought to be evolving into a smaller size in response to warmer >>> temperatures. >>> >>> >>> >>> =============================== >>> www.birding-aus.org >>> birding-aus.blogspot.com >>> >>> To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: >>> unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) >>> to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au >>> =============================== >>> >>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ >>> >>> >>> No virus found in this incoming message. >>> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.436 / Virus Database: >>> 271.1.1/2742 - Release Date: 03/12/10 19:33:00 >>> >>> >>> >> =============================== >> www.birding-aus.org >> birding-aus.blogspot.com >> >> To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: >> unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) >> to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au >> =============================== >> > =============================== > www.birding-aus.org > birding-aus.blogspot.com > > To unsubscribe from this mailing list, > send the message: > unsubscribe > (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) > to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au > =============================== > =============================== > www.birding-aus.org > birding-aus.blogspot.com > > To unsubscribe from this mailing list, > send the message: > unsubscribe > (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) > to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au > =============================== =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: Sydney Pelagic Report - March 13, 2010 From: "Roger McGovern" <roglou AT bigpond.net.au> Date: Sun, 14 Mar 2010 09:07:16 +1100 SYDNEY PELAGIC REPORT - SATURDAY MARCH 13, 2010 OVERVIEW A great autumn day's birding off Sydney with heaps of interesting birds for all on board the Halicat to enjoy. Yes, I know that I always say that, but it was a terrific day despite the uncomfortable sea conditions caused by the persistent southerly of the past few days and which caused 4 or 5 people to suffer some sea-sickness - none seriously. We altered our berleying technique today as Hal had been to the fish markets and collected a large esky full of rather smelly and disgusting fish scraps. We started putting this material out shortly after leaving Sydney Heads and we had an entourage of birds following us all the way to the shelf - it made a great difference to our usual somewhat quiet journey over the Abysmal Plain. The birds of the day were undoubtedly a WHITE-BELLIED STORM-PETREL which came quite close to the boat in great light showing all the diagnostic features and two GOULD'S PETRELS which stayed around our slick and occasionally passed close by for at least half an hour. The White-bellied Storm-Petrel is only the second seen off Sydney from the Halicat and will be submitted to the NSW ORAC. The weather for the day was a mix of overcast with some sunny periods staying dry until we approached Sydney Heads in the afternoon to be greeted with a couple of heavy rain showers. Air temperature ranged from 19degC in the morning up to 23degC later in the day. Sea water temperature in the harbour was 20.4degC, outside the heads was around 21.3degc and reached a maximum of 22.6degC at the shelf break. We left Rose Bay at 7.15am and returned at 4.15pm having travelled all day in sea conditions of a 1.5m sea on a 1.5m swell. The wind blew at a constant 12 to 15 knots all day from the south and this caused us to take a more northerly route than usual to avoid the discomfort of fighting into the southerly seas. TRIP SUMMARY We set off from Sydney Heads with about 15 passengers on board from NSW, interstate and overseas and travelled on a heading due east rather than our usual route to the ESE and Brown's Mountain. Initially, there didn't seem to be a lot of birds around except for the odd Wedge-tailed Shearwater. However, after deploying the fish offal, we began to attract some customers and, in fact, stopped about 3 miles off the heads for a berleying session. This brought in good numbers of Wedge-tailed and Flesh-footed Shearwtaers, several Pomarine Jaegers and, surprisingly for March, an adult Black-browed Albatross. Short-tailed Shearwaters passed by and a few Australasian Gannets came along to see what was happening. We then continued motoring eastwards and berleying as we went with large numbers of shearwaters and the Pomarine Jaegers travelling with us. This activity brought a second Black-browed Albatross to the wake and then, to everyone's delight, an adult Wandering Albatross (ssp gibsoni) joined us for a short while. A single Hutton's Shearwater was seen by some on board and a Sooty Tern was seen by only one observer - but we were to see another later. The only cetaceans seen for the day approached the Halicat some 6 miles short of the shelf break and turned out to be a pod of about 50 Pantropical Spotted Dolphins, a new cetacean for many on board and one which is seen annually from the Halicat when the water temperatures are high. After a slow ride to the shelf break, we finally started a berleying drift at about noon some 12NM north of Brown's Mountain and, with the contingent of birds that we had 'brought with us' many more began to come to our slick. Great-winged Petrels of the NZ race gouldi appeared in small numbers, a couple more black-browed Albatross appeared, a few Wilson's Storm-Petrels came obligingly close to the boat and then, just as this observer was about to call a Long-tailed Jaeger on one side of the boat, the cry of 'Gould's Petrel' went up on the other! The Gould's (and a second one which arrived soon after) continued to draw everyone's interest since they provided fantastic views and a great opportunity to study the field marks. However, while this was going on, one of the several storm-petrels which were dancing around the back of the boat 'morphed' into a fregetta and, with it flying straight towards us in good sunlight, was clearly a White-bellied Storm-Petrel, a lifer for many on board. The interest continued with good views of a Sooty Tern, the arrival of a Shy Albatross (probably of the Australian nominate race) and another Wandering Albatross, this time a very young bird, again a gibsoni. Since it had taken so much time to get to the shelf, we had to reluctantly leave and set off back to Sydney. On the way, we added a couple of Fluttering Shearwaters and, in the harbour, a dark morph Arctic Jaeger to bring our species tally to a very respectable total of 19. BIRD LIST (Note that the number in parentheses represent the maximum number seen at one time) Great-winged Petrel 8 (2) Gould's Petrel 2 (2) Wedge-tailed Shearwater 300 (150) Short-tailed Shearwater 24 (6) Flesh-footed Shearwater 80 (20) Fluttering Shearwater 2 (1) Hutton's Shearwater 1 (1) Wandering Albatross 2 (1) both gibsoni Black-browed Albatross 4 (2) all nominate race Shy Albatross 1 (1) prob cauta Wilson's Storm-Petrel 7 (4) White-bellied Storm-Petrel 1 (1) Australasian Gannet 26 (8) Arctic Jaeger 1 (1) Pomarine Jaeger 22 (6) Long-tailed Jaeger 1 (1) Silver Gull 60 (15) Crested Tern 5 (4) Sooty Tern 2 (1) CETACEANS Pantropical Spotted Dolphin 50 Next Sydney pelagic trip will be on Saturday 10 April, 2010 departing Mosman Ferry Wharf at 06.45am and Rose Bay Public Wharf at 07.00am. Call Hal on 0411 311 236 to make a reservation. Cheers Roger McGovern __________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus signature database 4942 (20100313) __________ The message was checked by ESET Smart Security. http://www.eset.com =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: Re: US songbirds getting smaller, possibly as a result of climate change From: "michael norris" <menorris AT ozemail.com.au> Date: Sat, 13 Mar 2010 21:58:30 +1100 It's important to realise that substantial climate change has already been recorded in parts of the USA in recent decades, as in some other parts of the world. As the first generations to have had so much data and the resources to study it, we are privileged to be able to know about what has already happened to birds (and much else in the biosphere) associated with such phenomena. The enormous impacts of land-clearing on Australian birds is another well-established fact for this International Year of Biodiversity. This is quite separate from any debates about humans causing climate change and views about future climate change. But, let's face it, there is a "War on Science" in which denialists encourage irrational (not evidence-based) mockery of sound science and its predictions about the impacts of some humans on the rest of the biosphere (including other humans). See Clive Hamilton's recent articles on the ABC's Drum for the way these attacks are orchestrated. I also recommend Professor Stephan Lewandowsky's Climate debate: opinion vs evidence http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/stories/s2842091.htm. And for a commentary on the fallacies in some major denialist arguments: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn11462-climate-change-a-guide-for-the-perplexed.html Michael Norris Melbourne =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: Re: US songbirds getting smaller, possibly as a result of climate change From: Laurie Knight <l.knight AT optusnet.com.au> Date: Sat, 13 Mar 2010 21:05:05 +1000 The BBC is a solid news source put together by journalists. It is not peer reviewed. Oikos is issued by the Nordic Ecological Society and is a peer- reviewed journal in ecology. I imagine that it is credible as anything published in Australia. LK On 13/03/2010, at 7:22 PM, Peter Shute wrote: > I don't think the BBC should be regarded as grey. They went colour > decades ago. > > > -------------------------- > Sent using BlackBerry > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: birding-aus-bounces AT vicnet.net.au > > To: Ian May > Cc: Birding Aus > Sent: Sat Mar 13 19:49:45 2010 > Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] US songbirds getting smaller, possibly as > a result of climate change > > C'mon Ian, Laurie didn't write the report! Why attack him for > linking a > possibly interesting article, peer-reviewed or not? Discuss the > content if > you must, but don't shoot the messenger. > > Regards, > Chris > > On Sat, Mar 13, 2010 at 6:28 PM, Ian May > wrote: > >> C'mon Laurie! It's not April 1 yet. Didn't we read last year >> that birds >> forced up the mountains by higher temperatures are becoming smaller >> too. If >> this keeps going, crows will be smaller than blow flies. >> >> Are these climate change findings an example of robust peer reviewed >> science or just quotes from grey literature? >> >> >> Regards >> >> >> Ian >> >> Laurie Knight wrote: >> >> http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8560000/8560694.stm >>> >>> Climate linked to smaller birds >>> By Matt Walker >>> >>> Editor, Earth News >>> >>> Songbirds in the US are getting smaller, and climate change is >>> suspected >>> as the cause. >>> >>> A study of almost half a million birds, belonging to over 100 >>> species, >>> shows that many are gradually becoming lighter and growing >>> shorter wings. >>> >>> This shrinkage has occurred within just half a century, with the >>> birds >>> thought to be evolving into a smaller size in response to warmer >>> temperatures. >>> >>> >>> >>> =============================== >>> www.birding-aus.org >>> birding-aus.blogspot.com >>> >>> To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: >>> unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) >>> to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au >>> =============================== >>> >>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ >>> >>> >>> No virus found in this incoming message. >>> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.436 / Virus Database: >>> 271.1.1/2742 - Release Date: 03/12/10 19:33:00 >>> >>> >>> >> =============================== >> www.birding-aus.org >> birding-aus.blogspot.com >> >> To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: >> unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) >> to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au >> =============================== >> > =============================== > www.birding-aus.org > birding-aus.blogspot.com > > To unsubscribe from this mailing list, > send the message: > unsubscribe > (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) > to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au > =============================== > =============================== > www.birding-aus.org > birding-aus.blogspot.com > > To unsubscribe from this mailing list, > send the message: > unsubscribe > (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) > to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au > =============================== =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: Re: Herdsman Lake, Perth - BAWA Walk From: Syd Curtis <sydc AT ozemail.com.au> Date: Sat, 13 Mar 2010 21:03:38 +1000 Highlights? Not a decent songster among the lot! (Just kidding!) 71 species in a single morning. Wow! Syd :-) > From: John Graff > Date: Sat, 13 Mar 2010 13:26:45 +0800 > To: Birding-Aus , Birds WA E-Mail List > > Subject: [Birding-Aus] Herdsman Lake, Perth - BAWA Walk > > > Hi all, > > > > For those who might be interested, the BAWA walk at Herdsman Lake this morning > was excellent. The water level is relatively low, so there are a few waders > about, as well as all of the usual suspects. In all, we saw 71 species for the > morning > > Highlights included; > > Little Egret (2+, north end of lake) > > Black-winged Stilt (20+) > > Banded Stilt (1, near the Heron Pl carpark) > > Red-necked Avocet (3, near Heron Pl carpark) > > Common Greenshank (2, 1 in breeding plumage) > > Common Sandpiper (1, near The Foreshore, N end of the lake) > > Black-fronted Dotterel (20+) > > Red-kneed Dotterel (3, near The Foreshore, N end of the lake) > > Buff-banded Rail (4+) > > Spotless Crake (1) > > > > Cheers, > > John =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: Re: The birds people keep as pets From: brian fleming <flambeau AT labyrinth.net.au> Date: Sat, 13 Mar 2010 21:12:31 +1100 Wiltshire's inhabitants should refrain from wearing animal-skin hats. The equivalent Great Horned Owl in North America has been responsible for the deaths of hunters wearing coonskin and other animal hats. Or so I have been told. Problem: if you turned a whole possum-skin into a hat, would you be at risk from a Powerful Owl? (This question is theoretical only. No possums have been harmed during the conduct of this thought-experiment). Anthea Fleming Laurie Knight wrote: > A pet Eagle Owl has escaped from its aviary in the UK. I'm not sure why > anyone should be allowed to keep a bird with a 2 metre wingspan as a pet. > see > http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/lock-up-your-pets-killer-owl-on-the-loose-1920721.html > > =============================== > www.birding-aus.org > birding-aus.blogspot.com > > To unsubscribe from this mailing list,send the message: > unsubscribe(in the body of the message, with no Subject line) > to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au > =============================== > > =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: Re: US songbirds getting smaller, possibly as a result of climate change From: Peter Shute <pshute AT nuw.org.au> Date: Sat, 13 Mar 2010 20:22:18 +1100 I don't think the BBC should be regarded as grey. They went colour decades ago. -------------------------- Sent using BlackBerry ----- Original Message ----- From: birding-aus-bounces AT vicnet.net.au To: Ian May Cc: Birding Aus Sent: Sat Mar 13 19:49:45 2010 Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] US songbirds getting smaller, possibly as a result of climate change C'mon Ian, Laurie didn't write the report! Why attack him for linking a possibly interesting article, peer-reviewed or not? Discuss the content if you must, but don't shoot the messenger. Regards, Chris On Sat, Mar 13, 2010 at 6:28 PM, Ian May wrote: > C'mon Laurie! It's not April 1 yet. Didn't we read last year that birds > forced up the mountains by higher temperatures are becoming smaller too. If > this keeps going, crows will be smaller than blow flies. > > Are these climate change findings an example of robust peer reviewed > science or just quotes from grey literature? > > > Regards > > > Ian > > Laurie Knight wrote: > > http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8560000/8560694.stm >> >> Climate linked to smaller birds >> By Matt Walker >> >> Editor, Earth News >> >> Songbirds in the US are getting smaller, and climate change is suspected >> as the cause. >> >> A study of almost half a million birds, belonging to over 100 species, >> shows that many are gradually becoming lighter and growing shorter wings. >> >> This shrinkage has occurred within just half a century, with the birds >> thought to be evolving into a smaller size in response to warmer >> temperatures. >> >> >> >> =============================== >> www.birding-aus.org >> birding-aus.blogspot.com >> >> To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: >> unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) >> to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au >> =============================== >> >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ >> >> >> No virus found in this incoming message. >> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.436 / Virus Database: >> 271.1.1/2742 - Release Date: 03/12/10 19:33:00 >> >> >> > =============================== > www.birding-aus.org > birding-aus.blogspot.com > > To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: > unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) > to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au > =============================== > =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: Re: US songbirds getting smaller, possibly as a result of climate change From: Laurie Knight <l.knight AT optusnet.com.au> Date: Sat, 13 Mar 2010 18:52:16 +1000 If you have measured more than 486,203 birds over a period of several decades, then you might be in a position to throw stones, Ian. Declining body sizes in North American birds associated with climate change Josh Van Buskirk 1 , Robert S. Mulvihill 2 and Robert C. Leberman 2 1 Inst. of Zoology, Univ. of Z�rich, CH-8057 Z�rich, Switzerland, and: Dept of Zoology, Univ. of Melbourne, 3010 Victoria, Australia 2 Powdermill Avian Research Center, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Rector, PA 15677-9605, USA Oikos Early View Published Online: 2 Mar 2010 DIGITAL OBJECT IDENTIFIER (DOI) 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2009.18349.x Recent climate change has caused comparatively rapid shifts in the phenology and geographic distributions of many plants and animals. However, there is debate over the degree to which populations can meet the challenges of climate change with evolutionary or phenotypic responses in life history and morphology. We report that migrating birds captured at a banding station in western Pennsylvania, USA, have exhibited steadily decreasing fat-free mass and wing chord since 1961, consistent with a response to a warmer climate. This confirms that phenotypic responses to climate change are currently underway in entire avian assemblages. Declines in body size were not explained by an index of habitat condition within the breeding or wintering distributions. Instead, size was negatively correlated with temperature in the previous year, and long-term trends were associated with the direction of natural selection acting on size over the winter: species undergoing the strongest selection favoring small wing chord showed the most rapid long-term declines in wing. Phenotypic changes are therefore in line with the prevailing selection regime. Paper manuscript accepted 12 November 2009 On 13/03/2010, at 6:28 PM, Ian May wrote: > C'mon Laurie! It's not April 1 yet. Didn't we read last year > that birds forced up the mountains by higher temperatures are > becoming smaller too. If this keeps going, crows will be smaller > than blow flies. > > Are these climate change findings an example of robust peer reviewed > science or just quotes from grey literature? > > > Regards > > > Ian > > Laurie Knight wrote: > >> http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8560000/8560694.stm >> >> Climate linked to smaller birds >> By Matt Walker >> >> Editor, Earth News >> >> Songbirds in the US are getting smaller, and climate change is >> suspected as the cause. >> >> A study of almost half a million birds, belonging to over 100 >> species, shows that many are gradually becoming lighter and >> growing shorter wings. >> >> This shrinkage has occurred within just half a century, with the >> birds thought to be evolving into a smaller size in response to >> warmer temperatures. >> >> >> >> =============================== >> www.birding-aus.org >> birding-aus.blogspot.com >> >> To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: >> unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) >> to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au >> =============================== >> >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ >> >> >> No virus found in this incoming message. >> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.436 / Virus Database: >> 271.1.1/2742 - Release Date: 03/12/10 19:33:00 >> >> =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: Re: US songbirds getting smaller, possibly as a result of climate change From: Chris Sanderson <chris.sanderson AT gmail.com> Date: Sat, 13 Mar 2010 18:49:45 +1000 C'mon Ian, Laurie didn't write the report! Why attack him for linking a possibly interesting article, peer-reviewed or not? Discuss the content if you must, but don't shoot the messenger. Regards, Chris On Sat, Mar 13, 2010 at 6:28 PM, Ian May wrote: > C'mon Laurie! It's not April 1 yet. Didn't we read last year that birds > forced up the mountains by higher temperatures are becoming smaller too. If > this keeps going, crows will be smaller than blow flies. > > Are these climate change findings an example of robust peer reviewed > science or just quotes from grey literature? > > > Regards > > > Ian > > Laurie Knight wrote: > > http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8560000/8560694.stm >> >> Climate linked to smaller birds >> By Matt Walker >> >> Editor, Earth News >> >> Songbirds in the US are getting smaller, and climate change is suspected >> as the cause. >> >> A study of almost half a million birds, belonging to over 100 species, >> shows that many are gradually becoming lighter and growing shorter wings. >> >> This shrinkage has occurred within just half a century, with the birds >> thought to be evolving into a smaller size in response to warmer >> temperatures. >> >> >> >> =============================== >> www.birding-aus.org >> birding-aus.blogspot.com >> >> To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: >> unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) >> to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au >> =============================== >> >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ >> >> >> No virus found in this incoming message. >> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.436 / Virus Database: >> 271.1.1/2742 - Release Date: 03/12/10 19:33:00 >> >> >> > =============================== > www.birding-aus.org > birding-aus.blogspot.com > > To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: > unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) > to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au > =============================== > =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: Re: US songbirds getting smaller, possibly as a result of climate change From: Ian May <birding AT ozemail.com.au> Date: Sat, 13 Mar 2010 19:28:54 +1100 C'mon Laurie! It's not April 1 yet. Didn't we read last year that birds forced up the mountains by higher temperatures are becoming smaller too. If this keeps going, crows will be smaller than blow flies. Are these climate change findings an example of robust peer reviewed science or just quotes from grey literature? Regards Ian Laurie Knight wrote: > http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8560000/8560694.stm > > Climate linked to smaller birds > By Matt Walker > > Editor, Earth News > > Songbirds in the US are getting smaller, and climate change is > suspected as the cause. > > A study of almost half a million birds, belonging to over 100 > species, shows that many are gradually becoming lighter and growing > shorter wings. > > This shrinkage has occurred within just half a century, with the > birds thought to be evolving into a smaller size in response to > warmer temperatures. > > > > =============================== > www.birding-aus.org > birding-aus.blogspot.com > > To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: > unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) > to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au > =============================== > >------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > >No virus found in this incoming message. >Checked by AVG - www.avg.com >Version: 8.5.436 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2742 - Release Date: 03/12/10 19:33:00 > > > =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: The birds people keep as pets From: Laurie Knight <l.knight AT optusnet.com.au> Date: Sat, 13 Mar 2010 18:11:02 +1000 A pet Eagle Owl has escaped from its aviary in the UK. I'm not sure why anyone should be allowed to keep a bird with a 2 metre wingspan as a pet. see http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/lock-up-your-pets-killer-owl-on-the-loose-1920721.html =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: US songbirds getting smaller, possibly as a result of climate change From: Laurie Knight <l.knight AT optusnet.com.au> Date: Sat, 13 Mar 2010 17:53:39 +1000 http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8560000/8560694.stm Climate linked to smaller birds By Matt Walker Editor, Earth News Songbirds in the US are getting smaller, and climate change is suspected as the cause. A study of almost half a million birds, belonging to over 100 species, shows that many are gradually becoming lighter and growing shorter wings. This shrinkage has occurred within just half a century, with the birds thought to be evolving into a smaller size in response to warmer temperatures. =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: Herdsman Lake, Perth - BAWA Walk From: John Graff <jgraff2 AT hotmail.com> Date: Sat, 13 Mar 2010 13:26:45 +0800 Hi all, For those who might be interested, the BAWA walk at Herdsman Lake this morning was excellent. The water level is relatively low, so there are a few waders about, as well as all of the usual suspects. In all, we saw 71 species for the morning Highlights included; Little Egret (2+, north end of lake) Black-winged Stilt (20+) Banded Stilt (1, near the Heron Pl carpark) Red-necked Avocet (3, near Heron Pl carpark) Common Greenshank (2, 1 in breeding plumage) Common Sandpiper (1, near The Foreshore, N end of the lake) Black-fronted Dotterel (20+) Red-kneed Dotterel (3, near The Foreshore, N end of the lake) Buff-banded Rail (4+) Spotless Crake (1) Cheers, John _________________________________________________________________ Looking for a new home? With all the latest places, searching has never been easier. http://clk.atdmt.com/NMN/go/157631292/direct/01/==============================www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au ============================== Subject: RE: Radjah Shelduck From: John Graff <jgraff2 AT hotmail.com> Date: Fri, 12 Mar 2010 19:22:20 +0800 Hi Jan, The bird has been hanging around for a while now, having been seen at a number of Perth metro lakes over the last two months including Bibra, Herdsman and South (see http://birdswa.org.au/sightings.htm and http://birdswa.org.au/sightings/sightings_133.htm). I haven't been to see it, but the general consensus seems to be that it's a wild bird (there have been escapees recorded in the past) Cheers, John > From: janengland AT linkt.com.au > To: birding-aus AT vicnet.net.au > Date: Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:39:53 +1000 > Subject: [Birding-Aus] Radjah Shelduck > > Hi everyone, > > Whilst in Perth last week, Tania Ireton and I went to some lakes on the southern side of Perth. Unfortunately most were dry but Bibra Lake had a small amount of water near the jetty. One surprising sighting was of a Radjah Shelduck roosting near an Australian Shelduck. This is way out of range for a Radjah Shelduck. Has anyone else seen this bird there before? > > Jan > ==========www.birding-aus.org > birding-aus.blogspot.com > > To unsubscribe from this mailing list, > send the message: > unsubscribe > (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) > to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au > ========== _________________________________________________________________ Get the latest jobs delivered. Sign up for SEEK Jobmail. http://clk.atdmt.com/NMN/go/157639755/direct/01/==============================www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au ============================== Subject: Radjah Shelduck From: "Jan England " <janengland AT linkt.com.au> Date: Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:39:53 +1000 Hi everyone, Whilst in Perth last week, Tania Ireton and I went to some lakes on the southern side of Perth. Unfortunately most were dry but Bibra Lake had a small amount of water near the jetty. One surprising sighting was of a Radjah Shelduck roosting near an Australian Shelduck. This is way out of range for a Radjah Shelduck. Has anyone else seen this bird there before? Jan ==============================www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au ============================== Subject: RE: Dunlin in NSW From: Simon Mustoe <simonmustoe AT hotmail.com> Date: Fri, 12 Mar 2010 09:27:00 +0000 Hi, For the benefit of those who might want more information about this bird, we've mapped the location at http://www.bird-o.com/. We've also uploaded photos of varying plumages and a description of some of the more obvious field characters to look for to separate this species from Australian shorebirds. Regards, Simon Mustoe. > From: l.knight AT optusnet.com.au > To: pterodroma AT bigpond.com > Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Dunlin in NSW > Date: Fri, 12 Mar 2010 18:08:33 +1000 > CC: birding-aus AT vicnet.net.au > > I can hear the sound of twitchers grinding their teeth from here ... > > Tomorrow might be a good day for twitcher spotting ... > > On 12/03/2010, at 5:55 PM, Mike Carter wrote: > > > BARC has received a submission on a Dunlin seen by Pattie Parker in > > the Tuross Lake Estuary, NSW on the 5 January 2010. The bird was in > > partial breeding plumage with black patches emerging on the belly. > > This is one of 4 rare or uncommon waders Pattie submitted to the NSW > > rarities committee. The others were Broad-billed Sandpiper, Long- > > toed Stint & Ruff. > > The submission was a hard copy but has been converted to a file of > > 116 Mb that includes video and still photographs. Pattie accesses > > the sand bars in the estuary by kayak. She believes that she may > > have first seen this bird in November. A 'dumpy brown wader' was > > seen next day by Michael Crowley but it has not been seen since. > > It is likely that it is still somewhere in Australia and by now > > should be obvious at a glance. So when you find it, give me a ring! > > > > Mike Carter > > 30 Canadian Bay Road > > Mount Eliza VIC 3930 > > Tel (03) 9787 7136 > > > > =============================== > > www.birding-aus.org > > birding-aus.blogspot.com > > > > To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: > > unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) > > to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au > > =============================== > > =============================== > www.birding-aus.org > birding-aus.blogspot.com > > To unsubscribe from this mailing list, > send the message: > unsubscribe > (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) > to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au > =============================== _________________________________________________________________ Tell us your greatest, weirdest and funniest Hotmail stories http://clk.atdmt.com/UKM/go/195013117/direct/01/==============================www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au ============================== Subject: Re: Dunlin in NSW From: Laurie Knight <l.knight AT optusnet.com.au> Date: Fri, 12 Mar 2010 18:08:33 +1000 I can hear the sound of twitchers grinding their teeth from here ... Tomorrow might be a good day for twitcher spotting ... On 12/03/2010, at 5:55 PM, Mike Carter wrote: > BARC has received a submission on a Dunlin seen by Pattie Parker in > the Tuross Lake Estuary, NSW on the 5 January 2010. The bird was in > partial breeding plumage with black patches emerging on the belly. > This is one of 4 rare or uncommon waders Pattie submitted to the NSW > rarities committee. The others were Broad-billed Sandpiper, Long- > toed Stint & Ruff. > The submission was a hard copy but has been converted to a file of > 116 Mb that includes video and still photographs. Pattie accesses > the sand bars in the estuary by kayak. She believes that she may > have first seen this bird in November. A 'dumpy brown wader' was > seen next day by Michael Crowley but it has not been seen since. > It is likely that it is still somewhere in Australia and by now > should be obvious at a glance. So when you find it, give me a ring! > > Mike Carter > 30 Canadian Bay Road > Mount Eliza VIC 3930 > Tel (03) 9787 7136 > > =============================== > www.birding-aus.org > birding-aus.blogspot.com > > To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: > unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) > to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au > =============================== =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: Dunlin in NSW From: "Mike Carter" <pterodroma AT bigpond.com> Date: Fri, 12 Mar 2010 18:55:55 +1100 BARC has received a submission on a Dunlin seen by Pattie Parker in the Tuross Lake Estuary, NSW on the 5 January 2010. The bird was in partial breeding plumage with black patches emerging on the belly. This is one of 4 rare or uncommon waders Pattie submitted to the NSW rarities committee. The others were Broad-billed Sandpiper, Long-toed Stint & Ruff. The submission was a hard copy but has been converted to a file of 116 Mb that includes video and still photographs. Pattie accesses the sand bars in the estuary by kayak. She believes that she may have first seen this bird in November. A 'dumpy brown wader' was seen next day by Michael Crowley but it has not been seen since. It is likely that it is still somewhere in Australia and by now should be obvious at a glance. So when you find it, give me a ring! Mike Carter 30 Canadian Bay Road Mount Eliza VIC 3930 Tel (03) 9787 7136 =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: WTNTs in Victoria From: "Celia M. Browne" <cebrowne AT netspace.net.au> Date: Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:25:11 +1100 The following sightings were made over Linton (south-west of Ballarat), Victoria: 8+ on 6th March, 12+ on 8th March & 2+ on 9th March. Observed by BOCA campers at Linton over the long weekend. Celia M. Browne =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: Fwd: Chicken's split sex identity revealed From: Paul Taylor <birder AT ozemail.com.au> Date: Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:05:09 +1100 Further to the earlier discussion about peacocks, here is an intriguing article about gynandromorphic chickens (half male, half female.) So much for hormones! http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100310/full/news.2010.114.html -- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Paul Taylor Veni, vidi, tici - birder AT ozemail.com.au I came, I saw, I ticked. =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: RE: Re: A Conference presented by a mix of amateurs and academics From: Roaminoz - <roaminoz AT hotmail.com> Date: Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:04:59 +1000 I thought it rude. I think I must have read the first paragraph three times to make sure I was reading what was written. Jude > > In light of the recent discussion on amateurs and academics I hope the sentiment in the first paragraph was not an intentional swipe, I really really hope that I have misinterpreted the following and that it was just unfortunate wording. > I'm sorry but I stopped reading after that as I was busy trying to work out what the sentiment actually was. > Bob Green > > For those intelligent amateur birdwatchers who like to understand birds as well as look at them, Birds Australia Southern Queensland is holding its second Annual Conference on Saturday 27th March at the Griffith University Ecocentre. Academics are welcome too. > ==========www.birding-aus.org _________________________________________________________________ Link all your email accounts and social updates with Hotmail. Find out now. http://windowslive.ninemsn.com.au/oneinbox?ocid=T162MSN05A0710G==============================www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au ============================== Subject: Adelaide Fringe play "The Sociable Plover" From: Philip Griffin <philipgriffin AT gmail.com> Date: Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:41:46 +1030 Greetings, Having a wife who loves British crime TV, and having a more-than-passing interest in theatre and birds myself, earlier this week we went to see one of the many shows on offer in Adelaide at present, "The Sociable Plover". It's a murder mystery set in a bird hide with a chap who has seen every bird on the British list except the Sociable Plover. Now, the atmospheric conditions are perfect for it to land right in that field over there, so he's set up camp in his local bird hide and is waiting for the plover to land amongst the many Northern Lapwings already present. I won't go into the twists and turns, but if you're in Adelaide and it sounds like your cup-of-tea so to speak, I can highly recommend the experience. And so can the reviewers who are giving it 5 stars... Here are some other links concerning the production www.glamadelaide.com.au/main/the-sociable-plover-fringe/ www.talkfringe.com.au/index.php?view=act&id=565 It goes until Sunday of this weekend 14th March 2010. tix.adelaidefringe.com.au/ticketing/EventDetails.aspx?EventGuid=1e3a5e7d-c1be-4c65-88e8-5e17e587cac6 As a complete aside, we got briefly talking to the producer (and actor who plays the birdwatcher), the excellent Guy Masterson. The last time I had seen him on stage was in a similarly excellent adaptation of "Twelve Angry Men", the music for which was written by wonderful British comedian/ musician Bill Bailey, who is currently presenting a series for British TV entitled "Bill Bailey's Bird Watching Bonanza". Cheers Philip *-*-*-*-*-*-* Philip Griffin philipgriffin at gmail dot com =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: Square-tailed Kite over Brisbane From: Tom Tarrant <aviceda AT gmail.com> Date: Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:42:51 +1000 Today on my return from work in Toowong at 1.30pm I observed a Square-tailed Kite over Bardon Park near Bowman Parade (-27.45513, 152.97515) My first in this part of Brisbane. Also observed 22 White-throated Needletails in front of gusty south-easterly change, heading north. Tom -- ******************************** Tom Tarrant Kobble Creek, Qld http://kobble.aviceda.org http://picasaweb.google.com.au/aviceda/ ******************************** =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: A note for those planning a trip to New Caledonia From: "Tony Palliser" <tonyp AT bigpond.net.au> Date: Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:02:46 +1100 Today I received the following note from Vivien Chartendrault requesting that birders coming to New Caledonia keep records of their sightings. I have a copy of a prepared checklist available in XLS format that provides a species list along with status. If you would like a copy please email me privately. Regards Tony Our NGO (Soci�t� cal�donienne d�ornithologie) is very interested in all data from birdwatchers coming to NC and we would appreciate if you can follow this information to any birdwatcher who might have data from NC. Those data would just be centralized in a database to help us improving our knowledge of NC birds. Best regards, Vivien Vivien Chartendrault Coordinateur SCO R�sidence de Magenta Lot 9 - B�timent P2 41, rue du 18 juin BP3135 98846 Noum�a Cedex Tel/Fax : +687 23-33-42 Mob : +687 92-66-02 Site Web : www.sco.asso.nc Blog : http://sco.over-blog.org/ ==============================www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au ============================== Subject: Re: RFI Waterbirds VIC From: "Mike Carter" <pterodroma AT bigpond.com> Date: Thu, 11 Mar 2010 11:06:57 +1100 I have many over 45 years. Your time period is not stated but if I assume you are talking about now, we are still getting occasional broods of Pacific Black Duck and Chestnut Teal SE of Melbourne but most had assembled at non-breeding winter refuges before the recent rain. Possibly dispersed again. Mike Carter 30 Canadian Bay Road Mount Eliza VIC 3930 Tel (03) 9787 7136 ----- Original Message ----- From: To: Sent: Thursday, March 11, 2010 10:30 AM Subject: [Birding-Aus] RFI Waterbirds VIC >A request for Victorian bird observers. > > If anyone has seen or heard about waterbird breeding at any Victorian > locations would they please me? > > > cheers, Martin > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > > > > > > Notice: > This email and any attachments may contain information that is personal, > confidential, legally privileged and/or copyright.No part of it should be > reproduced, > adapted or communicated without the prior written consent of the copyright > owner. > > It is the responsibility of the recipient to check for and remove viruses. > If you have received this email in error, please notify the sender by > return email, delete > it from your system and destroy any copies. You are not authorised to use, > communicate or rely on the information > contained in this email. > > Please consider the environment before printing this email. > =============================== > www.birding-aus.org > birding-aus.blogspot.com > > To unsubscribe from this mailing list, > send the message: > unsubscribe > (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) > to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au > =============================== =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: RFI Waterbirds VIC From: Martin.O'Brien AT dse.vic.gov.au Date: Thu, 11 Mar 2010 10:30:09 +1100 A request for Victorian bird observers. If anyone has seen or heard about waterbird breeding at any Victorian locations would they please me? cheers, Martin ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Notice: This email and any attachments may contain information that is personal, confidential, legally privileged and/or copyright.No part of it should be reproduced, adapted or communicated without the prior written consent of the copyright owner. It is the responsibility of the recipient to check for and remove viruses. If you have received this email in error, please notify the sender by return email, delete it from your system and destroy any copies. You are not authorised to use, communicate or rely on the information contained in this email. Please consider the environment before printing this email. =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: Migration / colour banding From: Alan McBride <amcbride1 AT me.com> Date: Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:34:04 +1100 In light of recent requests for banding information I thought I'd repost a note from Chris Hassell to the Oriental Birding listserv. You never know, some Thai or norther Aust birds may head the wrong way over the next month or so or come to other parts of Australia at the end of boreal summer breeding. Cheers Alan Begin forwarded message: From: Krys Kazmierczak Date: 11 March 2010 8:27:53 AM AEDT To: OB Subject: [OB] Fw: Hello and migration from Chris Hassell Dear All I have been asked to forward the following message. Please do not reply to me. Kind regards Krys -- Krys Kazmierczak OB Owner/Moderator orientalbirding-owner AT yahoogroups.com Note also that over 4000 shorebirds have been flagged in Thailand these past few years, including 100-plus most recently within the past week. The Thai birds bear a black flag above a green flag, and may also already be on their way north. It is important also to note the shape of the flags from Thailand (oblong indicating the Inner Gulf of Thailand; tapered flags indicating the peninsula). The web address for reporting sightings is http://www.awsg.org.au/reportform.php ----- Original Message ----- *From:* Chris Hassell *To:* Chris Hassell *Sent:* Tuesday, March 09, 2010 12:14 PM *Subject:* Hello and migration from Chris Hassell Hello to all my friends and colleagues in Asia. It is migration time again. Already Eastern Curlew and Greater Sand Plovers have left my study site of Roebuck Bay [near Broome, NW Australia] and are heading to your sites. This is just a reminder to you all, please look out for colour-banded birds and flagged birds. Remember with birds that have colour bands it is also *vital to get the position of the flag as this is part of the combination*. Colour bands are recorded *top band on left tarsus lower band left tarsus* *top band right tarsus lower band right tarsus.* This is the method regardless of where the flag is positioned. There are of course white flags and colour bands from NZ as well as yellow flags from Broome, Australia. I know that those of you who this is addressed to know these details but if you could pass this on to anyone you know who will be in the field this spring migration I would be very grateful. If any of the inexperienced observers wish to contact me then I am very happy to mail them images or anything I can to help. I will be in Bohai Bay working with Miss Yang Hongyan again this year, so I am afraid I will not be able to met many of you but I wish you all the very best with your catching and studies. Cheers Chris Chris Hassell Global Flyway Network +61 (0)8 9192 8585 +61 (0)408 954 655 turnstone AT wn.com.au www.globalflywaynetwork.com.au/ __._,_.___ __,_._,___ =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: Re: Koels From: Alan McBride <amcbride1 AT me.com> Date: Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:55:06 +1100 Yes, they're on their way north;-) Haven't heard them today at all? Wonder if yesterday was their last day here? Cheers Alan On 10/03/2010, at 20:23 , Richard Jenkin wrote: Hi Alan Still calling around Ashford NSW , 60 kms north of Inverell over the weekend as well. Regards Dick Lynn and Dick Jenkin Tashkent Friesians PO Box 92 Dungog NSW 2420 02 49921158 Djangos Facebook Page Tashkent Friesians -----Original Message----- From: birding-aus-bounces AT vicnet.net.au [mailto:birding-aus-bounces AT vicnet.net.au] On Behalf Of Alan McBride Sent: Monday, 8 March 2010 6:13 PM To: Troy Mutton Cc: birding-aus AT vicnet.net.au Subject: [Birding-Aus] Koels Koels have been calling around Bilgola Plateau all week! In fact they're particularly vocal this week; maybe they're mustering troops to depart? Heard one an hour or so ago. Alan **************************************************************************** *** Alan McBride, MBO. Photojournalist | Traveller | Writer | Birding Guide + Member: International Travel Writers & Photographers Alliance National Association of Independent Writers & Editors American Writers & Artists Inc. Travelwriters . com http://web.me.com/amcbride1 http://www.worldreviewer.com/member/alanmcbride/ http://www.linkedin.com/in/alanmcbride http://www.twitter.com/alanmcbride Good planets are hard to find; until we do, please, be green and read from the screen Tel: + 61 419 414 860 Fax: + 61 2 9973 2306 Skype: mcbird101 P O Box 190 | Newport Beach | NSW 2106 | Australia This e-mail and any files transmitted with it, are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to which they are addressed. If you have received this e-mail in error please notify the sender. This e-mail is also subject to copyright. No part of it should be reproduced, adapted or transmitted without the prior written consent of the copyright owner. **************************************************************************** ******* On 08/03/2010, at 17:34 , Troy Mutton wrote: Hi folks, < SNIP > Anyway - has anyone seen any birds lately? I had a Koel in the backyard yesterday. Latest one I can recall having here in Sydney. Cheers Troy =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: RE: Scientists tease DNA from eggshell of extinct birds From: "Tony Russell" <pratincole AT esc.net.au> Date: Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:58:45 +1030 Geez, they might even be able to bring back my old mum ! Tony -----Original Message----- From: birding-aus-bounces AT vicnet.net.au [mailto:birding-aus-bounces AT vicnet.net.au] On Behalf Of Peter.Fuller AT callista.com.au Sent: Wednesday, 10 March 2010 3:02 PM To: Colin Trainor Cc: birding-aus AT vicnet.net.au Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Scientists tease DNA from eggshell of extinct birds If they bring back the Moa they'll have to bring back Haast's Eagle to control it! : D Watch out kiwi's! "Colin Trainor" Sent by: birding-aus-bounces AT vicnet.net.au 10/03/2010 03:27 PM To cc Subject [Birding-Aus] Scientists tease DNA from eggshell of extinct birds Scientists tease DNA from eggshell of extinct birds * By Richard Ingham in Paris * From: AFP * March 10, 2010 1:22PM IN a world first, scientists in Australia announced today they had extracted DNA from the fossilised eggshells of extinct birds, including iconic giants such as the moa and elephant bird. The achievement marks a major step towards drafting the genome of birds wiped out by human greed, although the scientists warn this does not mean an extinct species should -- or even can -- be resurrected in the style of Hollywood movie hit Jurassic Park. The team, led by Michael Bunce of Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia, say they isolated DNA from desiccated inner membranes in fossil eggshells, found in 13 locations in Australia, Madagascar and New Zealand. Ancient genetic material was coaxed from the eggshell of the moa (Dinornis), a flightless cousin to the ostrich that reached up to four metres (13 feet) in height and was hunted to extinction by New Zealand's Maori by the late 18th century. DNA was also extracted from the elephant bird (Aepyornis), like the moa and ostrich a species of ratite, said the study, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Growing up to three metres (10 feet) high, the bird was wiped out by European colonisation of Madagascar by 1700. Other successes were reported using eggshells from an Australian owl and a New Zealand duck of unknown date. The oldest egg sample was from an emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae), some 19,000 years old. But the team were unable to get DNA from far older samples in Australia, estimated at 50,000 years old, from an extinct megafaunal bird called Genyornis. The technique entails reducing the shell to powder, extracting the DNA with lab chemicals and then amplifying it using polymerase chain reaction, or PCR -- a standard tool used by forensic scientists, for instance, in getting the famous "genetic fingerprint.'' Mr Bunce said the team extracted in each case only a tiny amount of DNA -- just 250 base pairs, the "rungs'' on the ladder-like genetic code, and this is less than a fraction of one percent of the bird's genome. "The point was proof of principle, to show that it can be done,'' he said in a phone interview with AFP. "We didn't go out to get very long pieces of DNA. That's obviously the next step.'' Mr Bunce said the exploit would give palaeontologists a new window into creatures of the past. Until now, DNA has been teased from bones -- for instance, providing most of the genome of the Neanderthal, our enigmatic extinct cousins -- and also from preserved hair. Eggshells, overlooked as potential source material, turn out to be astonishingly robust at protecting DNA. They are a tough biomineral matrix of calcium carbonate and are less prone than bones to infiltration by bacteria, which contaminates samples. And they are also plentiful. Archaeological sites have yielded harvests of eggs plundered from nests by early humans, eager to keep a store of protein at hand. It could be possible to go back further than fossilised eggs that are older than 19,000 years, if the shells come from a permanently cold environment, the scientists hope. But eggs that are completely "mineralised'' -- in other words, like rock -- over hundreds of thousands of years are not a likely option. Could the moa, the elephant bird or the dodo, which was hunted to oblivion for food and hat feathers, ever walk again? "We can reassemble the genome to get an idea of what an extinct species looked like. But (resurrecting it) is still in the realm of science fiction. It's completely hypothetical, and frankly not a debate I really want to have,'' said Mr Bunce. So far, scientists have only been able to synthesise a tiny strand of DNA, creating around 200 artificial base pairs, he said. The human genome, by comparison, amounts to around three billion base pairs. "Some researchers have inserted certain genes into living species... (but) this does not bring an extinct species to life,'' co-researcher Charlotte Oskam pointed out. "We think, like the mammoth, that it will be possible to do extinct genomes using fossil eggshell but it is a huge leap to imagining we can clone an extinct species. Personally I think it is unethical to recreate a species that is extinct.'' ==============================www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au ============================== =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: RE: Koels From: "Richard Jenkin" <richardnjenkin AT bigpond.com> Date: Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:23:02 +1100 Hi Alan Still calling around Ashford NSW , 60 kms north of Inverell over the weekend as well. Regards Dick Lynn and Dick Jenkin Tashkent Friesians PO Box 92 Dungog NSW 2420 02 49921158 Djangos Facebook Page Tashkent Friesians -----Original Message----- From: birding-aus-bounces AT vicnet.net.au [mailto:birding-aus-bounces AT vicnet.net.au] On Behalf Of Alan McBride Sent: Monday, 8 March 2010 6:13 PM To: Troy Mutton Cc: birding-aus AT vicnet.net.au Subject: [Birding-Aus] Koels Koels have been calling around Bilgola Plateau all week! In fact they're particularly vocal this week; maybe they're mustering troops to depart? Heard one an hour or so ago. Alan **************************************************************************** *** Alan McBride, MBO. Photojournalist | Traveller | Writer | Birding Guide + Member: International Travel Writers & Photographers Alliance National Association of Independent Writers & Editors American Writers & Artists Inc. Travelwriters . com http://web.me.com/amcbride1 http://www.worldreviewer.com/member/alanmcbride/ http://www.linkedin.com/in/alanmcbride http://www.twitter.com/alanmcbride Good planets are hard to find; until we do, please, be green and read from the screen Tel: + 61 419 414 860 Fax: + 61 2 9973 2306 Skype: mcbird101 P O Box 190 | Newport Beach | NSW 2106 | Australia This e-mail and any files transmitted with it, are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to which they are addressed. If you have received this e-mail in error please notify the sender. This e-mail is also subject to copyright. No part of it should be reproduced, adapted or transmitted without the prior written consent of the copyright owner. **************************************************************************** ******* On 08/03/2010, at 17:34 , Troy Mutton wrote: Hi folks, < SNIP > Anyway - has anyone seen any birds lately? I had a Koel in the backyard yesterday. Latest one I can recall having here in Sydney. Cheers Troy =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: re: RFI Panti Forest - Johor Bahru From: Chris Ross <chrisx2 AT ihug.com.au> Date: Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:33:37 +1100 Steve, I visited Panti in 2002, it's really not a National Park or anything similar more like a state forest and there was quite a bit of logging happening. There was not a great deal of trail walking to be done, just short walks from the car. I suspect the good bird areas change as logging occurs and regrowth occurs. I got a ride with a Singapore local who picked me up at 5:00am from my hotel and took me out there, we were back across the causeway by about 2-3:00pm and he dropped me off at the Sungei Buroh nature reserve on the north side of Singapore and I later got a bus then the MRT back to town. This was on a Saturday when a group of people who go there regularly were heading out. I'm not aware of any public transport there and I'd hesitate to try to find the right areas myself. Though I'm sure you could get a cab to take you from Jahore, but I'm not sure of the ability of a Singapore cab to cross the causeway into Malaysia. Your best bet is to find some locals going out there and see if you can hitch a ride. Posting on one of the Asian bird forums is a good bet. Having said that we saw some good birds and I grabbed this shot: http://www.aus-natural.com/Birds/Others/slides/Oriental%20Dwarf%20Kingfisher.html There was not a lot around there and I'm not aware of any maps, I don't recall anything on the road between Jahore and the forest other than small villages. Chris Ross www.aus-natural.com =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: Black-necked Stork genetic work From: "Greg & Val Clancy" <gclancy AT tpg.com.au> Date: Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:10:48 +1100 Dos anyone know the name and contact details of a researcher in Western Australia who is carrying out genetic work on the Black-necked Stork? He/she has been receiving feathers for analysis from a wildlife park in New South Wales. I contacted Michael Bunce but he does not know anything about the stork work. Greg Clancy Ecologist Coutts Crossing NSW ==============================www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au ============================== Subject: Re: Scientists tease DNA from eggshell of extinct birds From: Peter.Fuller AT callista.com.au Date: Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:32:21 +1100 If they bring back the Moa they'll have to bring back Haast's Eagle to control it! : D Watch out kiwi's! "Colin Trainor" Sent by: birding-aus-bounces AT vicnet.net.au 10/03/2010 03:27 PM To cc Subject [Birding-Aus] Scientists tease DNA from eggshell of extinct birds Scientists tease DNA from eggshell of extinct birds * By Richard Ingham in Paris * From: AFP * March 10, 2010 1:22PM IN a world first, scientists in Australia announced today they had extracted DNA from the fossilised eggshells of extinct birds, including iconic giants such as the moa and elephant bird. The achievement marks a major step towards drafting the genome of birds wiped out by human greed, although the scientists warn this does not mean an extinct species should -- or even can -- be resurrected in the style of Hollywood movie hit Jurassic Park. The team, led by Michael Bunce of Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia, say they isolated DNA from desiccated inner membranes in fossil eggshells, found in 13 locations in Australia, Madagascar and New Zealand. Ancient genetic material was coaxed from the eggshell of the moa (Dinornis), a flightless cousin to the ostrich that reached up to four metres (13 feet) in height and was hunted to extinction by New Zealand's Maori by the late 18th century. DNA was also extracted from the elephant bird (Aepyornis), like the moa and ostrich a species of ratite, said the study, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Growing up to three metres (10 feet) high, the bird was wiped out by European colonisation of Madagascar by 1700. Other successes were reported using eggshells from an Australian owl and a New Zealand duck of unknown date. The oldest egg sample was from an emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae), some 19,000 years old. But the team were unable to get DNA from far older samples in Australia, estimated at 50,000 years old, from an extinct megafaunal bird called Genyornis. The technique entails reducing the shell to powder, extracting the DNA with lab chemicals and then amplifying it using polymerase chain reaction, or PCR -- a standard tool used by forensic scientists, for instance, in getting the famous "genetic fingerprint.'' Mr Bunce said the team extracted in each case only a tiny amount of DNA -- just 250 base pairs, the "rungs'' on the ladder-like genetic code, and this is less than a fraction of one percent of the bird's genome. "The point was proof of principle, to show that it can be done,'' he said in a phone interview with AFP. "We didn't go out to get very long pieces of DNA. That's obviously the next step.'' Mr Bunce said the exploit would give palaeontologists a new window into creatures of the past. Until now, DNA has been teased from bones -- for instance, providing most of the genome of the Neanderthal, our enigmatic extinct cousins -- and also from preserved hair. Eggshells, overlooked as potential source material, turn out to be astonishingly robust at protecting DNA. They are a tough biomineral matrix of calcium carbonate and are less prone than bones to infiltration by bacteria, which contaminates samples. And they are also plentiful. Archaeological sites have yielded harvests of eggs plundered from nests by early humans, eager to keep a store of protein at hand. It could be possible to go back further than fossilised eggs that are older than 19,000 years, if the shells come from a permanently cold environment, the scientists hope. But eggs that are completely "mineralised'' -- in other words, like rock -- over hundreds of thousands of years are not a likely option. Could the moa, the elephant bird or the dodo, which was hunted to oblivion for food and hat feathers, ever walk again? "We can reassemble the genome to get an idea of what an extinct species looked like. But (resurrecting it) is still in the realm of science fiction. It's completely hypothetical, and frankly not a debate I really want to have,'' said Mr Bunce. So far, scientists have only been able to synthesise a tiny strand of DNA, creating around 200 artificial base pairs, he said. The human genome, by comparison, amounts to around three billion base pairs. "Some researchers have inserted certain genes into living species... (but) this does not bring an extinct species to life,'' co-researcher Charlotte Oskam pointed out. "We think, like the mammoth, that it will be possible to do extinct genomes using fossil eggshell but it is a huge leap to imagining we can clone an extinct species. Personally I think it is unethical to recreate a species that is extinct.'' ==============================www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au ============================== =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: Scientists tease DNA from eggshell of extinct birds From: "Colin Trainor" <Colin.Trainor AT cdu.edu.au> Date: Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:44:44 +0930 Scientists tease DNA from eggshell of extinct birds * By Richard Ingham in Paris * From: AFP * March 10, 2010 1:22PM IN a world first, scientists in Australia announced today they had extracted DNA from the fossilised eggshells of extinct birds, including iconic giants such as the moa and elephant bird. The achievement marks a major step towards drafting the genome of birds wiped out by human greed, although the scientists warn this does not mean an extinct species should -- or even can -- be resurrected in the style of Hollywood movie hit Jurassic Park. The team, led by Michael Bunce of Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia, say they isolated DNA from desiccated inner membranes in fossil eggshells, found in 13 locations in Australia, Madagascar and New Zealand. Ancient genetic material was coaxed from the eggshell of the moa (Dinornis), a flightless cousin to the ostrich that reached up to four metres (13 feet) in height and was hunted to extinction by New Zealand's Maori by the late 18th century. DNA was also extracted from the elephant bird (Aepyornis), like the moa and ostrich a species of ratite, said the study, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Growing up to three metres (10 feet) high, the bird was wiped out by European colonisation of Madagascar by 1700. Other successes were reported using eggshells from an Australian owl and a New Zealand duck of unknown date. The oldest egg sample was from an emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae), some 19,000 years old. But the team were unable to get DNA from far older samples in Australia, estimated at 50,000 years old, from an extinct megafaunal bird called Genyornis. The technique entails reducing the shell to powder, extracting the DNA with lab chemicals and then amplifying it using polymerase chain reaction, or PCR -- a standard tool used by forensic scientists, for instance, in getting the famous "genetic fingerprint.'' Mr Bunce said the team extracted in each case only a tiny amount of DNA -- just 250 base pairs, the "rungs'' on the ladder-like genetic code, and this is less than a fraction of one percent of the bird's genome. "The point was proof of principle, to show that it can be done,'' he said in a phone interview with AFP. "We didn't go out to get very long pieces of DNA. That's obviously the next step.'' Mr Bunce said the exploit would give palaeontologists a new window into creatures of the past. Until now, DNA has been teased from bones -- for instance, providing most of the genome of the Neanderthal, our enigmatic extinct cousins -- and also from preserved hair. Eggshells, overlooked as potential source material, turn out to be astonishingly robust at protecting DNA. They are a tough biomineral matrix of calcium carbonate and are less prone than bones to infiltration by bacteria, which contaminates samples. And they are also plentiful. Archaeological sites have yielded harvests of eggs plundered from nests by early humans, eager to keep a store of protein at hand. It could be possible to go back further than fossilised eggs that are older than 19,000 years, if the shells come from a permanently cold environment, the scientists hope. But eggs that are completely "mineralised'' -- in other words, like rock -- over hundreds of thousands of years are not a likely option. Could the moa, the elephant bird or the dodo, which was hunted to oblivion for food and hat feathers, ever walk again? "We can reassemble the genome to get an idea of what an extinct species looked like. But (resurrecting it) is still in the realm of science fiction. It's completely hypothetical, and frankly not a debate I really want to have,'' said Mr Bunce. So far, scientists have only been able to synthesise a tiny strand of DNA, creating around 200 artificial base pairs, he said. The human genome, by comparison, amounts to around three billion base pairs. "Some researchers have inserted certain genes into living species... (but) this does not bring an extinct species to life,'' co-researcher Charlotte Oskam pointed out. "We think, like the mammoth, that it will be possible to do extinct genomes using fossil eggshell but it is a huge leap to imagining we can clone an extinct species. Personally I think it is unethical to recreate a species that is extinct.'' ==============================www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au ============================== Subject: Southern Ocean Pelagic...2 spaces left From: Simon Mustoe <simonmustoe AT hotmail.com> Date: Tue, 9 Mar 2010 22:09:55 +0000 Hi, Two spaces left on the pelagic out of Hobart next month. Contact me on 0405 220830 if you want a spot. Simon. _________________________________________________________________ We want to hear all your funny, exciting and crazy Hotmail stories. Tell us now http://clk.atdmt.com/UKM/go/195013117/direct/01/==============================www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au ============================== Subject: RFI Panti Forest - Johor Bahru From: "Steve Potter" <steve AT frontier.org.au> Date: Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:09:19 +1030 Hi Folks. I have a day in Singapore in April this year (Wednesday the 14th) and was interested if it is possible to do a "quick" morning trip out to Panti Forest In Johor Bahru? I have a plane to catch at 7pm and know it would be tight but I'd be keen to have a go. What are the logistics of getting a taxi/public transport there and back in one day? Aside from this, if I go sometime later for a couple of days: Where is a good place to stay overnight? Can a car/motorbike be organized for rent close by? Is there a map available showing trails etc? Cheers and thanks Steve Potter m: 0407 398 234 e: steve AT frontier.org.au =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: Re: A Conference presented by a mix of amateurs and academics From: "Bob Green" <shriketit AT bigpond.com> Date: Tue, 9 Mar 2010 20:36:08 +1030 In light of the recent discussion on amateurs and academics I hope the sentiment in the first paragraph was not an intentional swipe, I really really hope that I have misinterpreted the following and that it was just unfortunate wording. I'm sorry but I stopped reading after that as I was busy trying to work out what the sentiment actually was. Bob Green For those intelligent amateur birdwatchers who like to understand birds as well as look at them, Birds Australia Southern Queensland is holding its second Annual Conference on Saturday 27th March at the Griffith University Ecocentre. Academics are welcome too. ==============================www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au ============================== Subject: A Conference presented by a mix of amateurs and academics From: Birds Australia Southern Queensland <basq AT birdsaustralia.com.au> Date: Tue, 09 Mar 2010 07:40:22 +1000 For those intelligent amateur birdwatchers who like to understand birds as well as look at them, Birds Australia Southern Queensland is holding its second Annual Conference on Saturday 27th March at the Griffith University Ecocentre. Academics are welcome too. Registration form available now from www.birdsaustralia.com.au/the-organisation/2nd-annual-conference.html Program: GPS Workshop facilitated by Greg Leach, South East Queensland Catchments (Bring your GPS and manual.) Papers 1. Are rainforest restoration plantings useful for birds? by Carla Catterall, Griffith University 2. The status of the Eastern Bristlebird, by Sheena Gillman 3. Monitoring Bush Stone-curlews on Moreton Bay Islands, by Jon Coleman, Queensland Wader Study Group 4. Towards understanding shorebird distribution and threats on ocean-exposed beaches: a case study for Moreton and North Stradbroke Island, by Tara Neilsen, University of the Sunshine Coast. 5. Monitoring and Protection of Seabirds and Shorebirds on South Stradbroke Island, by Jason Searle, Gold Coast City Council 6. Some Birds Australia Southern Qld conservation projects in SE Qld, by Dez Wells, Birds Australia Southern Queensland 7. The future of Brigalow birds, by Martine Maron, University of Queensland. 8. The Glossy Black Conservancy � A unique collaborative approach to species management across human borders, by Adrian Caneris, Glossy Black Conservancy -- Regards Grahame Rogers Secretary, Birds Australia Southern Queensland PO Box 224, Crows Nest, Qld, 4355 www.birdsaustralia.com.au/the-organisation/southern-qld.html =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: Gary Porter contact details, please From: Jonny Schoenjahn <jonnybird AT bigpond.com> Date: Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:04:55 +0800 G'day all, I lost contact with Gary Porter and I will be grateful if someone cold facilitate the contact or provide me with Gary's new email address. Gary once worked for Queensland Parks and Wildlife, Longreach, in 2005 or so, but only temporarily if I remember correctly. Pease reply to me directly. Thank you. Cheers, Jonny jonnybird AT bigpond.com http://www.jonnybird-australia.com/greyfalcon.htm =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: Fw: RFI -First time visitors to Aus. From: "Bryan Groom" <bmgroom AT telkomsa.net> Date: Tue, 9 Mar 2010 08:26:32 +0200 Hi all, Mamy thanks to those of you who have responded. We really appreciate you input Regards Bryan ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bryan Groom" To: "Birding - Aus" Sent: Monday, March 08, 2010 11:16 AM Subject: RFI -First time visitors to Aus. > Good day to you all, > > Greetings from South Africa > > My wife Hilary & I are planning a first time visit to spend time with our > daughter & family, > farming outside Narrabri NSW, and will be in the area for around 3 weeks > during mid September to mid October, and would like to hear of birding > opportunities in the area during our stay. > We will also be spending time with a brother in N Curl Curl, Sydney, and > whilst we will have less time there, would welcome some ideas in the > immediate area. > > Thanks in anticipation. > > Kind regards > Bryan > > Bryan Groom > Tel: 011 453-1312 > Cell: 0763120275 > Fax: 0865653126 > Skype: bryan.hilary.groom > > Sabap 2 Observer No: 1598 > Home Pentad: 2605_2805 > http://bryangroomatlassing.blogspot.com/ =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: Re: BBBQ From: Chris Sanderson <chris.sanderson AT gmail.com> Date: Tue, 9 Mar 2010 16:27:34 +1000 If you had all year to find them, Enoggera Reservoir could be a chance (though personally I doubt you would find them there, except by luck, I know of only the two records from the site), but for someone with limited time, the three sites I mentioned earlier are the go, as the birds are resident at those sites. Inskip is by far your best bet as birds are many times easier to find than at any other site I know (I still haven't missed BBBQ there on 4 visits, though I know a few people who have missed them). I can't stress enough how hard these birds can be at the other publicly known sites in comparison. For reference this is a shot I took on my last visit there: http://aussiebirding.wildiaries.com/pictures/9611 Regards, Chris On Tue, Mar 9, 2010 at 3:19 PM, Peter Horler wrote: > Jill > > Eremaea has- > "19/10/2008 > Site:Brisbane Forest Park - Enoggera Reservoir > Location:27�26'34"S 152�55'36"E > Notes:Flushed 2 quail from beside fire trail 25 metres from dam (near > western most point of walking track that follows the edge of the dam) and in > area with a large pop'n of Bell Miners Clear view < 5m of both in flight but > great views of female as it exploded into flight and flew past me Reported > by Gavin O'Meara." > > also an older set of observations by Gavin Goodyear at Mt Mee State Forest. > > Cheers > Peter > Pine Mountain, Q > > Never take life seriously > Nobody gets out alive anyway > > > > > www.birding-aus.org > birding-aus.blogspot.com > > To unsubscribe from this mailing list, > send the message: > unsubscribe > (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) > to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au > ==============================www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au ============================== Subject: BBBQ From: Peter Horler <peter.horler AT gmail.com> Date: Tue, 9 Mar 2010 15:19:02 +1000 Jill Eremaea has- "19/10/2008 Site:Brisbane Forest Park - Enoggera Reservoir Location:27�26'34"S 152�55'36"E Notes:Flushed 2 quail from beside fire trail 25 metres from dam (near western most point of walking track that follows the edge of the dam) and in area with a large pop'n of Bell Miners Clear view < 5m of both in flight but great views of female as it exploded into flight and flew past me Reported by Gavin O'Meara." also an older set of observations by Gavin Goodyear at Mt Mee State Forest. Cheers Peter Pine Mountain, Q Never take life seriously Nobody gets out alive anyway ==============================www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au ============================== Subject: Celebrate World House Saprrow Day Event Ideas. From: Alan McBride <amcbride1 AT me.com> Date: Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:52:16 +1100 A re-post from Oriental Birding site. Alan Begin forwarded message: From: Mohammed Dilawar Date: 9 March 2010 4:31:08 PM AEDT To: orientalbirding Subject: [OB] Celebrate World House Saprrow Day Event Ideas. Dear Friends, The first World House Sparrow Day will be clebrated on 20th March. We want all the bird lovers to come together and celebrate this day. You can celebrate this day with a family picnic where you can come go out and do some common bird watching and apreciate the beauty of the common birds. World House Sparrow Day is not only a day to create a awareness in regard to the decline of House Sparrows and other common birds but also a day to celebrate the beauty of these unique birds which share the same environment as we all do. The World House Sparrow Day website is also a place where people working on House Sparrows and other common birds can come together communicate, exchange resources and bring about change. So even though World House Sparrow Day is on 20th March we want people to work for the conservation of House Sparrows and other common birds through out the life throughout the year. I hope you all will be with us this 20th March. We would also like to request you to please join the House Sparrow and World House Sparrow Day groups on Facebook to contribute and communicate with Sparrow minded people. This can be even celebrated in your residential coplex, office or school. Please visit the below link for more event ideas please visit http://worldhousesparrowday.org/How.html Also register your event by sending us information in the below format this will help people near you or your city to join you. We want WHSD to be celebrated across the world. We are linking up with as many organisations as we can. If you are also working to save the House Sparrow, do keep us informed. Register your event by sending us information in the below mentioned format at the earliest. Name of the Organisation Country State/region Complete postal address - Email � Organisations Website � Organisations weblink for event � Telephone Numbers - Name of event coordinator � Description of your WHSD Event you plan to carry out: *Note � Please send us details of the event conducted by you along with Photogrphs so we can upload it on the website after the event. Also send us media cuttings and web links so we can upload it on the website. -- Best wishes, Mohammed.E.Dilawar Website: http://www.natureforever.org www.worldhousesparrowday.org 09420001820 ==============================www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au ============================== Subject: ASHMORE REEF 2010; Revised schedule From: "Mike Carter" <pterodroma AT bigpond.com> Date: Tue, 9 Mar 2010 15:08:28 +1100 George Swann's Kimberley Birdwatching's 2010 annual trip to Ashmore Reef ex-Broome, originally proposed to run from 25 October to 1 November has had to be rescheduled. It will now run from SATURDAY 16 OCTOBER TO SATURDAY 23 OCTOBER inclusive. This has resulted from the cancellation of a trip that was to precede ours run by others using the same vessel. George Swann or I have attempted to contact all persons that have expressed interest in the trip to advise them of the change but due to communication problems may have missed some. So if you have expressed interest and haven't heard from either of us directly, please contact me now to confirm that the new dates are acceptable to you. We know for sure that there are still a few places available so if you are, or might be, interested in coming and would like further details, please contact me. Mike Carter 30 Canadian Bay Road Mount Eliza VIC 3930 Tel (03) 9787 7136 =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au =============================== Subject: Re: RFI BBBQ Brisbane From: "Roy & Helen Sonnenburg" <royson AT uq.net.au> Date: Tue, 9 Mar 2010 11:21:23 +1000 Hi Jill After spending some time last weekend looking closer to Brisbane because of flooding on the road to Inskip Point/Rainbow Beach, I would definitely try to get to Inskip if you have time. It is approximately 3 hours north from Brisbane but the chances of seeing them are very good. Roy Sonnenburg www.birdingservices.com.au =============================== www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request AT vicnet.net.au ===============================