Animals
S


Binoculars

Eurasian hoopoe migrates in the wrong direction and ends up in Kimberley, Australia


perthnow.com.au
Tue, 24 Feb 2015 17:35 UTC
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© Department of Parks and WildlifeA eurasian hoopoe bird caught on camera.
One of Australasia's most camera-shy birds has been snapped in the Kimberley after flying off course.

WA's Department of Parks and Wildlife said it was only the third sighting of the eurasian hoopoe bird in the country and it was "excited" to find it on its cameras.

The sighting of the flamboyant hoopoe, usually native to Eurasia and northwest Africa, is thought to be a result of the birds flying off course during their migration.

The cameras, installed on Adolphus Island to monitor cane toad populations, have also revealed the largest range of wildlife in the area.

The 35 cameras have recorded large numbers of native bird species and endangered Northern Quolls.

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© Micha JacksonA eurasian hoopoe spotted in Broome in 2011.
Source: Australian Associated Press
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Binoculars

Rare razorbill from northern latitudes seen in Bermuda

Simon Jones
The Royal Gazette
Mon, 23 Feb 2015 21:18 UTC
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© Andrew DobsonThe rare razorbill on the Great Sound
The Island's first sighting of a razorbill was reported yesterday.

Audubon Society member Paul Watson spotted the bird on the Great Sound in the morning.

He was soon joined by the group's president, Andrew Dobson, to get photographic evidence of the sighting. He said: "It is the first time this species of bird has been seen in Bermuda.

"It was sitting on the surface of the water and making regular dives in search of fish."

Mr Dobson added: "Razorbills belong to the family of birds known as Alcids, which also includes puffins.This crow-sized seabird is widely distributed through boreal and low-arctic Atlantic waters; the bulk of the world population breeds in Iceland.

"With only about 300 pairs nesting in Maine, the razorbill is among the least numerous of all breeding seabirds in US waters.

"Most razorbills from North American colonies winter south of their breeding range in ice-free, coastal waters, with largest numbers frequenting shoal areas in the outer Bay of Fundy and Gulf of Maine."
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Roses

Pit bull terrier kills two-year-old girl in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania


The Christian Science Monitor
Mon, 23 Feb 2015 18:12 UTC
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Pit Bull terrier
Police say the dog attacked Paylynn Devaugh inside a home in West Mifflin around 8:45 p.m. Sunday.

Police say a 2-year-old girl has died after being mauled by a pit bull in a Pittsburgh suburb.

Police say the dog attacked Paylynn Devaugh inside a home in West Mifflin around 8:45 p.m. Sunday.

The girl was pronounced dead at Jefferson Memorial Hospital.

Police say Paylynn lived in nearby Forest Hills.
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Bug

Locust swarms causing damage to crops in New South Wales, Australia

Taylor Jurd
Western Magazine
Fri, 20 Feb 2015 15:52 UTC
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Locust swarm
Swarm activity of locusts have been reported across 100 kilometres of the central west, with farmers having to hand feed stock due to crop loss.

Central west, senior biosecurity officer, Rhett Robinson said said flying swarms are affecting the feed available to livestock and farmers are having to hand feed.

"There is major potential impact to sowing.

"Low density swarms can wipe out a newly emerging crop within days."

Mr Robinson said over 130 reports of locust activity had been received since January.

"We've had reports in areas such as Gilgandra, Collie, Armatree and Curban.
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Binoculars

7 Snowy owls from the Arctic seen in New York City

Christopher Brennan
Daily Mail, UK
Sat, 21 Feb 2015 20:18 UTC
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The owls are native to Canada, Scandinavia and northern Russia.
Humans may be staying inside for the frigid temperatures of the polar vortex, but the gust of arctic weather has brought unexpected guests to New York City.

Seven snowy owls have been spotted this year in the city, which reached a 60-year low of 1F for February 20 on Friday morning.

The birds are generally seen along the water in Brooklyn and Queens, but one was found on Governor's Island off the southern tip of Manhattan, according to DNA Info.

Comment: See also:

An Ice Age indicator? Unusually high number of snowy owls migrate early to Wisconsin

Snowy owl sightings on the rise across the upper US

SOTT Exclusive: Snowy owls flee northern latitudes for unprecedented fourth consecutive year - Sign of impending Ice Age?

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Attention

Thousands of crabs wash up on Balboa Island, California

Laylan Connelly
Orange County Register
Sun, 22 Feb 2015 15:55 UTC
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© Laylan ConnellyTiny red crabs washed up in Balboa Island in Newport Beach on Saturday, some dead, some alive.
Daniel Stringer had an idea after eying the little lobster-like crustaceans that washed ashore on Balboa Island.

"I'll get the barbeque," said Stringer, who has lived on Balboa Island for 47 years and has never seen the small crabs like the ones that showed up Saturday. "I like mine with butter."

Thousands of mini crabs - which actually look like tiny lobsters or craw fish - created a rim of red along the shoreline, scattered on the sand along the sleepy seaside of Balboa Island in Newport Beach. Most washed up dead at high tide, but some were still alive and swimming near the shoreline.

Passerby stopped to marvel at the unusual sight, some people coming to the aid of the ones that still looked like they had some life to them.
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Wolf

Man killed by family dogs in Coal Hill, Arkansas

Shain Bergan
5newsonline.com
Fri, 20 Feb 2015 14:57 UTC
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Dogs kill man in Coal Hill, Arkansas
The Coal Hill man found dead in the woods near his home earlier this month died from "canine injuries" from a family member's dogs, according to newly-revealed autopsy results.

Fredrick Crutchfield, 63, was found dead Feb. 4 by a family member. Investigators sent his body to the Arkansas State Crime Lab to determine a cause of death. An autopsy revealed Crutchfield died from loss of blood due to "multiple canine injuries," according to a statement released by the Johnson County Sheriff's Office on Friday (Feb. 20).

Deputies said the dogs involved in the death belonged to a family member. The animals have since been impounded, according to the Sheriff's Office.
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Ice Cube

Grebes struggle as Great Lakes freeze over

Josh Elliott
ctvnews.ca
Sat, 21 Feb 2015 21:06 UTC
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© Lynn ChamberlainA stranded grebe
Animal rescue workers in southern Ontario are struggling to keep up with an influx of injured grebes, a species of waterbird that's fast running out of splashdown spots as the Great Lakes freeze over.

Grebes are smaller cousins to the loon, and spend their entire lives in the air or on the water. But with more than 80 per cent of the Great Lakes covered in ice, grebes are having a tough time finding open water to land in during Ontario's deep freeze. That's forced some grebes to touch down on solid ground, where they lack the ability to walk or take flight again.

"If the grebes land on land, they're dead," said Gail Lenters, who operates the Shades of Hope Wildlife Refuge, located north of Toronto, near Lake Simcoe.


Comment: It appears to shaping up to be a re-run of last years' mass avian die-off (due to the extreme cold and extensive ice cover), see these March, 2014 reports:

Hundreds of ducks found dead around Great Lakes due to ice cover

10 Fold increase in the number of dying water birds rescued in Toronto due to extreme cold

Death toll of waterbirds on frozen Lake Erie likely to number tens of thousands

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Wolf

Couple attacked by their pit bull in Costa Mesa, California


cbslocal.com
Fri, 20 Feb 2015 18:13 UTC
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© Southern Coubyies News ServiceA couple's dog was taken by Costa Mesa animal control officers after severely biting both of them Friday evening in Costa Mesa.
A Costa Mesa couple was attacked by their own pit bull Friday evening, authorities said.

The couple was driving their pit bull through a shopping center in Costa Mesa on their way to Huntington Beach when the dog turned on them.

Authorities said the couple both sustained serious injuries. Witnesses said both were bitten repeatedly in the arms.

The attack occurred just before 7 p.m. in the 1100 block of Victoria Street.

The husband was driving, his wife was a passenger. They said the dog attacked inexplicably.
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Binoculars

Rare Arctic gyrfalcon located in Ulster County, NY

D. Bruce Yolton
urbanhawks.blogs.com
Mon, 16 Feb 2015 21:33 UTC
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© D. Bruce YoltonGyrfalcon
I went up to Ulster County, NY to see the Gyrfalcon that has around for a few weeks. The bird, which depending on the day has been easy to find or hard to find, was very cooperative today.

In addition to the Gyrfalcon, I was able to photograph a Short-eared Owl. Definitely worth driving for four hours!


Comment: See also:

Rare Arctic gyrfalcon found in Wells Harbor, Maine

Rare Arctic gyrfalcon seen in Madbury, New Hampshire

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