[WanderingFalcon (Carol P.):]

WanderingFalcon (Carol P.): Two Things to be Thankful for this morning - 11/26/09 - Kathy O reports seeing Mariah @ 9:50 am and Larry O reports seeing Beauty@ 10:10 am

Now that just makes my day...Mariah   THANK YOU!!  The 2 girls still hanging around.

It's up, but I need to make some changes to comply with new storage restrictions.

Thanks Shaky, I'm an addict when it comes to your viewer.  (no comments please) 

[Wow, that's just too precious. Thanks. Just makes me angry why anyone would hunt any of these 2 beautiful animals.]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnMBe7pli0w

Wow, that's just too precious. Thanks. Just makes me angry why anyone would hunt any of these 2 beautiful animals.

UR mean! 

[Humpback takes seal under its flipper to cheat predators]

Humpback takes seal under its flipper to cheat predators


Maternal instinct? The humpback protects the seal (bottom right) in its armpit. Photograph: Robert L Pitman

There are plenty of stories of cetaceans saving humans. Indeed, Jonah was rescued by a whale when he was thrown overboard, and there have been tales of dolphins assisting swimmers in distress or shielding them from circling sharks.

Killer whales, however — themselves a species of dolphin — didn't get their name for nothing. Early Basque whalers called them whale killers when they saw them attacking other whales. Hunting like a pack of wolves, orca know no fear. They'll tear the throats from grey whale calves, and have even been known to take chunks out of sperm whales — the largest predators that ever lived.

But here's a sight to gladden the eye. Earlier this year, Californian scientists Robert L Pitman and John W Durban sailed to the Antarctic in search of killer whales. They were looking for a possible new species, known to hunt Weddell seals — one of the plumpest of the pinnipeds (the suborder that includes seals and sea lions) — by washing them off ice floes with their wake.

That's what was happening here — until a group of humpback whales arrived on the scene. Unlike orca, which are odontocetes or toothed whales, humpbacks are mysticetes, harmless leviathans with only baleen plates in their mouths.


Doubtless open-mouthed themselves, Pitman and Durban — along with a film crew from the BBC Natural History unit — watched as one seal, swept into the water by the orca, swam towards the humpbacks.

As the killer whales moved in, the plucky pinniped leapt on to the vast ribbed belly of a humpback, and nestled in the animal's armpit. Not only that, but when a wave threatened to return the seal to danger, the humpback used its massive flipper (at five metres, the longest in the animal kingdom) to nudge it back on.

"Moments later the seal scrambled off and swam to the safety of a nearby ice floe," wrote the scientists. They believe the seal triggered a maternal defence mechanism in the humpbacks. Whatever the truth, it's a heartening tale. But spare a thought for the orca. They've got kids to feed, too.

Photo: Maternal instinct? The humpback protects the seal (bottom right) in its armpit.

Rich's comment was, "did you have to read that before breakfast?"

ahhhh Rich   

[Is this your first sleep-over since you moved in? Enjoy Janet.]

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours - I have people sleeping in every room!  Let the cooking begin and may the Cowboys win!

Is this your first sleep-over since you moved in? Enjoy Janet. 

[Exactly!!]

A least this owner had some common sense!

Exactly!!

[picture gallery here]

It's not just that they're cute. Penguins help define the effects of pollution, overfishing and climate change.



CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA -- The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds -- a rehabilitation center complete with small swimming pools and medical files on all of its patients -- is where African penguins come to get better.

There are penguins that have been soiled by oil tanker spills and ones that have inadvertently gotten on a freighter and ended up out of their natural range. The staff and volunteers here lovingly restore them to health and, when possible, release these feathered creatures into the wild.

"They are quite fit when we release them. Fit and fat," said Venessa Strauss, chief executive of the foundation, with no small measure of pride in her voice.

But at this time of year, when millions of Americans are preparing to heartily consume another type of plump flightless bird (read: turkeys), one might be tempted to ask a simple question: Why are penguins special?

There are a number of reasons why we've become so fond of these avian friends from the Southern Hemisphere. Clearly, the adorability factor is key: their eerie similarity to tuxedo-clad waiters, tendency to waddle and well-documented devotion to their partners and offspring. The first Spanish explorers to Patagonia even called the pengiuns they saw pajaros niños, or "boy birds."

"Penguins aren't that different from people," explained Dee Boersma, a conservation biologist at the University of Washington at Seattle, who won the prestigious Heinz Award for her lifelong work on penguins. "They have to make a living, provide for their chicks and commute to find food. Walking upright and looking so well-dressed probably helps us identify with them."

But cuteness is not the only reason penguins don't make it onto the main course: They are one of the leading indicators of what's happening to the planet.

More than half of all penguin species rank as either endangered or vulnerable to extinction, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Climate change is one of the main threats to penguins' existence: It is eroding the frigid habitat they depend on in the Antarctic, forcing them to travel farther for food. The Magellanic penguins that Boersma studies are traveling about 25 miles farther during incubation and going farther from their nest to raise their chicks than they did a decade ago.

And in some cases warmer ocean temperatures are changing the migration patterns of the fish they eat. "The fish are not where they're meant to be when the penguins need them," Strauss said.

Overfishing is another driver. Humans are collecting krill -- a shrimp-like crustacean that is an important part of the penguin's diet -- in ever-increasing numbers and taking other fish in a way that transforms the ecosystems that have sustained the birds for centuries.

And there is oil pollution, which continues to injure penguins from Argentina to South Africa. In 1994, rescuers took in 10,000 penguins soiled by the sinking of the Apollo off South Africa's coast, 5,000 of which survived. Six years later 19,000 were contaminated by a similar sinking of a ship called the Treasure, 17,000 of which lived. (An unknown number of penguins died in the field each time.) While these large-scale accidents garner public attention, it's the chronic, low-level pollution that often does the most damage.

Pablo García-Borboroglu, a researcher at the National Resource Council of Argentina and founder of the Global Penguin Society, wrote in a 2008 scientific paper, "Penguins are particularly vulnerable to petroleum spills because they swim low in the water, must surface regularly to breathe, do not fly, are less able to detect and avoid petroleum than other seabirds, and often encounter discharges of petroleum when they are at sea. . . . Petroleum pollution has killed thousands of penguins in Africa, Australia and New Zealand, South America, and even Antarctica."

Rehabilitation centers such as the one in Cape Town -- and the 25 that exist in Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay -- have saved a significant number of penguins. Studies have shown the population of African penguins, a separate species, is 19 percent higher than it would have been without such efforts, but its overall population has still declined 90 percent over the past century.

García-Borboroglu called penguin rehabilitation "an absolutely necessary activity," but added, "It is important to say that people, governments and enterprises should not perceive that rehabilitation is the solution to the oil pollution problem."

While policymakers are taking some steps to protect the penguins that remain -- temporarily closing the fishing zone around South Africa's Dassen and Bird islands, for example -- Strauss said these actions aren't enough, especially since broader environmental factors are at play.

"At the end of the breeding season, we get these large numbers of abandoned chicks," she said, adding that many African penguins can no longer support the two chicks a year they traditionally breed.

In the end, Boersma argued, it's not a question of penguins' resilience but of humans' treatment of the habitat on which they depend.

"Seeing a rockhopper penguin dashed by the waves against a boulder with blood coming from its head get up and shake itself off, then trundle to its nest to greet its mate and chick sure impressed me," she said, recalling an incident she witnessed during her research in the Falkland Islands. "What saddens me is that penguins are having a rough time, and some of this is because of how humans are using the world."

Even when you're not on the menu, it seems, you're not home free.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/gallery/2009/11/23/GA2009112304014.html picture gallery here

DRESDEN, Germany, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- German scientists say they've developed a technology that can determine the gender of turkeys and other birds before they develop external sexual features.

The researchers at the Dresden University of Technology led by Gerald Steiner say numerous bird species, nestlings and immature birds in particular lack external sexual characteristics. But identifying a bird's gender is important for poultry breeders, veterinarians, aviculturists and ornithologists.

Steiner and his team used infrared spectroscopic imaging to look at pulp germ cells -- cells from which other cells are derived -- extracted from the growing contour feathers of 23 male and 23 female six-week-old turkey poults. They said the technique, based on the genetic information contained in the cells, successfully classified female and male poults with an accuracy of more than 95 percent.

The study appears in the early online edition of the journal Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry.

EENIE, Meenie, Minee, Mo - and Tiny. Behind this cute quintet of barn owls lies a sorry tale. And it is one which could be repeated across the country.

The owls were taken into care by Diana Lewis of the North Devon Animal Ambulance after their owner realised he could not cope with them any longer.

"They became too expensive to maintain and he realised that the conditions in which they were kept were unsuitable and he could not give them the care they needed," said Diana.

First came a visit to the vet and Tiny, so named because of his small size and poor condition, is still undergoing special care at the North Devon Animal Ambulance Centre at Pottington.

The other four have been passed on to falconer and bird of prey expert Jonathan Marshall and will be cared for by him and colleague Denise Van-Himtum until good homes can be found with people who have the necessary knowledge and facilities to look after them.

All were captive bred and have the necessary registration rings. It is illegal to keep wild birds.

These did not have the conditions they needed. But at least the owner had realised this and come forward to seek help. Many other people in similar positions would have just released them, Diana said.

Jonathan, who has been caring for and flying birds of prey for 30 years, said no one should get one without knowing how to look after it.

[image: (A) goshawk (B) red-tailed hawk (C) peregrine falcon (D) great grey owl (E) osprey.]

The most thorough study to date of raptor talons reveals their feet to be extraordinarily specialized hunting tools, perfectly suited to their gruesomely amazing killing strategies.

“Despite the ubiquity of raptors in terrestrial ecosystems, many aspects of their predatory behavior remain poorly understood,� wrote ornithologists in a paper published Wednesday in PLoS ONE. “Surprisingly little is known about the morphology of raptor talons and how they are employed during feeding behavior.�

To get a better understanding, the researchers took detailed measurements of the talons from 24 bird of prey species, and linked them to literature on raptor hunting and 170 videos of attacks.

They describe how accipitrids, which include hawks and eagles, have two giant talons on their first and second toes. These give them a secure grip on struggling game that they like to eat alive, “so long as it does not protest too vigorously. In this prolonged and bloody scenario, prey eventually succumb to massive blood loss or organ failure, incurred during dismemberment.�

Meanwhile, the talons of owls, which don’t usually land a killing blow as they strike, are relatively short but strong, and one toe actually swivels backwards. That lets owls crush wounded quarry between two pairs of opposable talons. The animal is then swallowed whole.

Falcons are so skilled at disabling prey with a mid-air, high-speed strike that their talons are smaller than those of other raptors. They just don’t need them as much. Once they’ve landed, falcons “will quickly pluck the neck area and attempt to kill prey swiftly by breaking the neck with a bite attack.�

Osprey have large, curved talons, almost like fishhooks — which is appropriate because they specialize in catching fish, swooping down and hitting them just below the water’s surface.

In addition to expanding understanding of these much-loved birds, the findings could help researchers understand the birds’ dinosaur ancestors. The researchers are now studying how dinosaur claws reflected their hunting and feeding habits.

image: (A) goshawk (B) red-tailed hawk (C) peregrine falcon (D) great grey owl (E) osprey.

ALISO VIEJO - This beats the dead sea turtle found on a San Clemente shore or suffocating doe found caught in a fence in Laguna Niguel, an animal control officer says.


The owl, found trapped in four-foot deep toilet Friday night, is recovering at the Orange County Bird of Prey Center, said Robbins.

He said an anonymous caller reported the owl was stuck at Acorn Park around 3 p.m. on Friday.

Did he think the caller was joking?

"I've never gotten pranks before; I thought it was kind of weird," said Robbins. "Maybe it could have been, but I've seen some crazy stuff."

When Robbins arrived on the scene at 6 p.m., he said he couldn't find the owl inside the outhouse because it was so dark. After taking a trip around the exterior, he went back inside and that's when he realized there was an owl staring back at him from the depths of a toilet.

Robbins, an animal services officer for the Mission Viejo Animal Shelter, is still baffled by the find.

"I can't even fathom it, it doesn't make any sense," said Robbins, 27. "I try to think of the different circumstances of how it could've gotten in there and none make any sense."

Owls are nocturnal animals and he's puzzled that the report came in at 3 p.m.

"I'd say the owl was stuck for at least a day," said Robbins. "The owl had to have been in there the previous night and the way it was... it wasn't active."

Robbins unbolted the toilet with an Allen wrench and a Phillips screwdriver that he borrowed from a maintenance man who was working across the field at a nearby school.

Once the toilet was dislodged, he grabbed a net to scoop up the owl, which he described as a juvenile.

"It was smelly and dirty," he said. "He lacked energy like he'd been through a long haul," said Robbins. "When he flapped his wings, you'd feel the drops hitting you."

Robbins brought the owl to the Serrano Bird and Animal Hospital in Lake Forest. Dr. Kristi Krause and Nicole Beaudet cleaned it off and gave it fluids, said lead veterinarian and the hospital's owner Dr. Scott Weldy. They found no injuries.

"He was fine," said Weldy. "He was just stuck at the wrong place at the wrong time."

Weldy said the owl is recovering and getting back into shape in a flight cage at the Orange County Bird of Prey Center, a non-profit rehabilitation and release center for injured raptors. He plans to release the owl in two weeks

[Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. Enjoy the time with family, friends and of course our furry pets.]

<a href="http://www.webfetti.com/dl/index.jhtml?partner=ZKxdm030&utm_campaign=wf_smiley&utm_source=10063994&utm_medium=wf_blogger" >   Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. Enjoy the time with family, friends and of course our furry pets. [/url]

[Judge Jesse Margolis told Loessberg that the maximum sentence for the theft conviction is five years in prison and $125,000 fine]

GOLD BEACH – Two of three Oregon men indicted by a Curry County grand jury for illegally taking young peregrine falcons from nests from the headlands of Port Orford have been convicted and are scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 11. The third has asked for a jury trial.

Bert J. Loessberg, 53, Eugene, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to felony first-degree theft and a wildlife law violation in a plea bargain which saw a second wildlife law violation, two criminal trespass charges and a charge of harassing wildlife dismissed.
Judge Jesse Margolis told Loessberg that the maximum sentence for the theft conviction is five years in prison and $125,000 fine and the maximum sentence for the wildlife violation, unlawfully removing a peregrine falcon from its natural habitat, is one year in jail and a $6,250 fine.

Margolis asked if there was a legal excuse for what he did. Loessberg’s attorney, Robert Schrank, replied: “No legal excuse. There was a valid permit that was never used.�

Wayne A. Skankey, 51, Beaverton, pleaded guilty on Sept. 25 of first-degree theft as a misdemeanor and criminal trespass.

Both Loessberg and Skankey are scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 11.

Clinton Paul Rand, 35, Terrebone, pleaded not guilty to all charges and a three-day trial was scheduled to begin April 13.

Rand’s attorney, Jim Gardner, asked for trial to be set but to allow negotiations to continue until the Dec. 11 sentencing for the other two, but Margolis refused.

The judge said that under the court’s rules, once the pleas were entered trial would be scheduled and Rand would face a jury on all charges or plead guilty to them.

“We’ve done a lot of attempts to negotiate,� Gardner said and entered not guilty pleas and asked for the trial dates.

The three were indicted on charges of felony first-degree theft, the theft of a peregrine falcon, removed from habitat, on May 30. The habitat is reportedly about 30 to 40 feet down a 200 foot cliff.

The three were also charged with three Class A misdemeanors, including removal of wildlife in violation of permit, failure to make timely notice to ODFW of intent to make a nest entry and harassing wildlife.

They were also charged with two counts each of second degree criminal trespass for entering two properties on King Street in Port Orford to get access to the falcons.

The three were arraigned on Aug. 31.

Similar charges against Zayne J. Lees, 60, Powell Butte, were dismissed in court by Curry County District Attorney Everett Dial on Sept. 11.

Peregrine falcons are the fastest animals on earth, diving at speeds of more than 200 mph.

Falcons have had a long association with people. Falconry, the use of birds of prey in hunting, dates back to the year 2000 B.C. in ancient Egypt and China.

The practice reached Europe by 300 B.C. Because of its strength, intelligence, and maneuverability, the peregrine falcon was a prized possession among falconers. The peregrine falcon was the bird used by royalty in the Middle Ages, and its nests were sometimes the exclusive property of the nobles.

Widespread use of the pesticide DDT during the 1940s, 50s and 60s, caused peregrines to lay eggs with thin eggshells which cracked during incubation. By 1970, nesting peregrines were virtually eliminated from the Continental United States — there were no peregrines nesting east of the Mississippi River and only a handful in the Western United States. In Oregon, nesting peregrines disappeared completely, according to the Audubon Society of Portland.

DDT was banned in 1972 and the American peregrine falcon was listed as endangered under the Federal Endangered Species Act in 1973. A nearly four-decade-long recovery effort has brought the American peregrine falcon back from the brink of extinction. Today there are more than 2,000 known peregrine nest sites nationwide and more than 140 peregrine nest sites in Oregon. They were delisted from the Federal endangered species list in 1999 and the State of Oregon endangered species list in 2007.

Since the peregrine falcon was removed from the endangered list, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife issues a handful of permits to take them each year — issued by lottery.

But those taking those falcons must follow exact rules.

The indictment charges the three men violated the conditions of a wildlife removal from habitat permit.

The rules require that to make a nest entry to capture a young falcon, the ODFW must be given notice at least seven days in advance of their attempt

What possesses people??   

[Now how cute is that??? Thanks for posting. What a darling.]

Now how cute is that??? Thanks for posting. What a darling.