Animals
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Binoculars

Swainson's Thrush from North America turns up on Welsh island in June


skokholm.blogspot.co.uk
Wed, 03 Jun 2015 13:30 UTC
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Swainson's thrush on Skokholm
Given the lack of fat reserves observed when the Swainson's Thrush was ringed yesterday (it had after all just flown across the Atlantic), it was perhaps no surprise that the bird was still present this morning. The fantastic news was that it was happily feeding in the dense shrubbery of the Farmhouse Courtyard.

We had read that Swainson's Thrushes often select favoured perches to which they periodically return, and so it has turned out to be. Approximately every 40 minutes or so the bird has been returning to the same area of dappled sunlight and cleaning its bill on the branches. Although it has occasionally been pursued by the resident Blackbirds (which have just fledged their young in to exactly the same area), it has generally been unmolested by our local birds.

Given that the bird is showing predictable behaviour, is in an area where a group of birders can observe from a distance without disturbing the bird or Skokholm's fragile habitat and as there is something of a weather window tomorrow, we have decided to press ahead with a twitch.

Despite the clear skies prevalent tonight, the bird has found good feeding and must still be relatively light.

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Fish

Are fish falling from the sky in Fairbanks, Alaska?

Tony Marco and Mesrop Najarian
edition.cnn.com
Sat, 06 Jun 2015 13:17 UTC
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Lampreys are fish but seem eel-like in appearance.
There are flying fish, and then there are the variety witnessed by residents of Fairbanks, Alaska. These have literally been dropping from the sky, it seems.

Four eel-like fish called lampreys have been found in odd locations around Fairbanks, far from the water, according to Mike Taras of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Most were dead, but one was found alive outside a Fairbanks thrift store.

"Two gentleman came in and asked if we have a bucket with water because there's an eel in your parking lot," said the store's manager, Sue Valdrow. She put the fish, which was about a foot long, into a container of water and called officials.
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Info

40% of Europe's shark and ray species facing extinction

Arthur Neslen
The Guardian
Wed, 03 Jun 2015 17:35 UTC
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© Tony Gilbert/IUCN Angel shark, Squatina squatina, once abundant has drastically declined and has been declared locally extinct in the North Sea and also from large areas of the northern Mediterranean Sea.
About 40% of Europe's sharks and rays are threatened with extinction, according to the authoritative red list's first full assessment of Europe's 1,220 marine species.

Where fish population trends could be measured, nearly a third were found to be in decline by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which publishes the list. The IUCN found 7.5% of all the continent's marine species at risk of extinction - a number that jumps to 10% when 'near threatened' species are counted too.

The findings came on the same day as the World Bank warned of the economic costs of overfishing and the UN general assembly agreed on the need for a new treaty to protect marine life in the high seas.

"It is alarming that many commercially and ecologically important species continue to be at risk in Europe," said Simon Stuart, the chair of the IUCN's species survival commission. "We need to take urgent action to reduce target and incidental catches of threatened species, and to set and enforce fishing quotas based on scientific understanding of population declines."

The IUCN identified overfishing as the primary cause of the decline in marine biodiversity, followed closely by bycatches - accidental fish kills - coastal development, and pollution.
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Attention

Hundreds of barrel jellyfish wash up on the south coast in UK

Emma Glanfield
Daily Mail, UK
Fri, 05 Jun 2015 16:17 UTC
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The English Channel is teeming with the enormous jellyfish just as thousands of people are due to visit the coast this weekend.
Hundreds of 4ft barrel jellyfish have washed up along the south coast of England as millions of people prepare to flock to the country's beaches to make the most of the soaring temperatures.

Port worker Clive Thomas managed to capture photos of the giant jellyfish in Portland Harbour in Dorset, while dozens more have been found washed up further along the coast in Bournemouth.

In one morning alone, lifeguards in Bournemouth recovered more than 100 jellyfish which had beached themselves.

Despite their large size, barrel jellyfish - which are called Rhizostoma pulmo in Latin - cause little harm to humans as their sting is not considered powerful. It is similar to a nettle sting and can cause a rash.

The recent influx to British shores is down to rich nutrients presently in the water which create ideal conditions for plankton to bloom.

The jellyfish are attracted towards the shore by the plankton but strong southerly winds often mean they end up being swept into the shallows.
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Frog

Biblical scenes in China as a plague of toads descend on town after heavy rainfall

Jake Polden
Daily Mail, UK
Fri, 05 Jun 2015 15:54 UTC
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The toads pile on top of each other, and because of their colour, give the impression the ground is moving
A scene of biblical proportions descended upon China's Liaoning Province following heavy rainfall.

A plague of toads was filmed in the area of Ganjingzi Qu, Liaoning Sheng, swarming a pathway and making the ground look like it was moving.

Hopping in their tens of thousands, the toads, which were all relatively small in size, escaped from a nearby lake.

According to local news reports the amphibians arrived in the area after heavy rainfall in the morning.

In the short clip people can be seen attempting to negotiate around the toads as they jump in every direction.

In some areas of the pavement the distance between each amphibian is quite large, and there doesn't appear to be an overly dramatic amount of them.

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Attention

2 killed in separate jumbo attacks in India


The New Indian Express
Fri, 05 Jun 2015 14:42 UTC
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Elephant kicking up some dust
Two persons were killed in separate incidents of elephant attack in Angul and Rourkela on Wednesday.

In Chhendipada of Angul, Pitamber Pradhan (55) of Brahmanbil village was trampled to death by an elephant. He had gone to his vegetable farm on the outskirts of the village when the animal attacked him.

Soon after Pradhan's death, locals resorted to agitation accusing the forest officials of taking no step to drive away an elephant herd from the area despite being informed by them.

The agitators were pacified after the police assured them of ensuring payment of compensation to the family of the deceased.

So far, five persons have been killed by elephants in the Angul Forest Division in the last two months.

Of the five deaths, one was reported from Nuakheta village under Bantala range, one each from Manikjodi and Karatpeta villages, both under Purnakote forest range and two in Chhendipada Forest Range.

According to experts, the elephants are straying from forest to human habitation in search of water as water bodies in the forest have dried up.

In the second case, 56-year-old widow Sagni Pradhan was trampled to death by a tusker while she was sitting on the verandah of her house at Ratakhandi village under Rourkela Forest Division in Sundargarh district.
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Attention

Portents and signs: Piglet born with 2 heads in China


uk.news.yahoo.com
Fri, 05 Jun 2015 14:23 UTC
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© CENPoor piglet: The unique farmyard animal in China.
A pig has astonished Chinese villagers after being born with two heads, four eyes and two snouts.

The poor animal hardly has the strength to walk because his twin's head weighs so much.

But pig farmer Jing Guanglan believes the piglet will bring him luck because so many people will want to come and see it - and perhaps buy it.

And he is feeding it with milk powder and fresh vegetables so that it will grow big and strong.

The unique animal was one of a litter of 11 piglets born just four days ago in Beiyan Village in the township of Gaoguan in Chengkou County, in Southwest China's Chongqing municipality.

Comment: Other freak animal births in 2015:

Portents and signs: Dog with two bodies and eight legs born on Tonga

Portents and signs: Mutant pig born with strange features and appendage in China

Portents and signs: Mutant pig born in Scotland

Portents and signs: Calf born with 2 heads at Florida farm

Portents and signs: Lamb born with face like an 'angry old man' in Dagestan

Portents and signs: 5-legged lamb born in Wales

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Attention

Third shark attack off Reunion Island this year


Surfing Life
Tue, 02 Jun 2015 12:56 UTC
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Yesterday at around three pm, a 47-year-old man named Eddy Chaussalet was surfing with bodyboarders at a break called la Follette, on Reunion Island, when he was attacked by a shark.

He was given first aid by firefighters and doctors at the scene, and was then sent to the Saint-Denis University Hospital. His arm was badly wounded, but authorities have said that he is not expected to have to amputate, and he will make a full recovery.

Eddy is a well known Reunion surfer who competes in local competitions regularly and is a familiar face in the line-up at la Follette. The break is one of Reunion Island's top ranking big wave spots.

Since 2011, this is the 17th shark attack in the island's waters, and the third this year (the first was a woman who died of cardiac arrest after being attacked, and the second a promising young teen surfer who died from bull shark wounds).

Our thoughts go out to Eddy, his family and friends, as well as the locals of Reunion Island.
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Fish

Film of undiscovered deep sea creatures released after Puerto Rico ocean floor expedition

Jack Simpson
The Independent, UK
Thu, 28 May 2015 12:45 UTC
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More than 100 species of fish, 50 deep-water corals and hundreds of invertebrates were filmed during the expedition
A team of scientists mapping the ocean floor off the coast of Puerto Rico have captured some amazing images of deep sea creatures, some of which have never been seen before.

Scientists from the US government-backed National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration used a remotely operated vehicle across 12 dives to explore the ocean floor to depths up to 20,000ft and then stream their discoveries online.

In the video taken from these expeditions and posted online by the website Quartz, an assortment of weird and wonderful creatures such as a fluorescent jellyfish and bright pink starfish can be seen.

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Black Magic

'Black magic' fears as whole animal skin is found in London park

Alexandra Rucki
London Evening Standard
Wed, 03 Jun 2015 10:02 UTC
Mysterious skin
© FacebookMysterious skin: the grim discovery was made by Clissold Park users.
Authorities are investigating after a mysterious animal skin with flesh still attached was discovered in an east London park.

The grim discovery was made by users of Clissold Park, in Stoke Newington, who were concerned the flesh belonged to one of the goats kept in an enclosure inside the park.

Josey Wales uploaded images of the flesh to Facebook with the message: "What appears to me skinned goat found in Clissold Park - has been there for a few days apparently.

"This is not a goat skin rug - there is flesh still attached to it.

"Have any goats been stolen locally or [in] the surrounding areas?"
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