Hancock Wildlife Channel

Injured eagle to receive artificial replacement beak

Sun, 04 May 2008 20:06:02 -0400

By Nicholas K. Geranios
Associated Press writer
May 3, 2008

"Give me an hour with a third or sixth grader and they will never shoot a raptor." - Jane Fink Cantwell

ST. MARIES, Idaho � The eagle is named Beauty, although she is anything but.

Beauty's beak was partially shot off several years ago, leaving her with a stump that is useless for hunting food. A team of volunteers is working to attach an artificial beak to the disfigured bird, in an effort to keep her alive.

"For Beauty it's like using only one chopstick to eat. It can't be done" said biologist Jane Fink Cantwell, who operates a raptor recovery center in this Idaho Panhandle town. "She has trouble drinking. She can't preen her feathers. That's all about to change."
Cantwell has spent the past two years assembling a team to design and build an artificial beak for Beauty, and it is due to be attached this month. With the beak, the 7-year-old bald eagle could live to the age of 50, although not in the wild.

"She could not survive in the wild without human intervention," Cantwell said.

The 15-pound female eagle was found in 2005 scrounging for food and slowly starving to death at a Dutch Harbor, Alaska, landfill. Most of her curved upper beak had been shot away, leaving her tongue and sinuses exposed, and she could not clutch or tear at food.
Beauty was taken to a bird recovery center in Anchorage, Alaska, where she was hand-fed for two years while her caretakers waited in vain for a new beak to grow.

"They had exhausted their resources and she would likely be euthanized," Cantwell said.

After getting complicated permits from the federal government, Beauty was taken in 2007 to Cantwell's Birds of Prey Northwest ranch near St. Maries, Idaho, about 50 miles southeast of Spokane.
Shortly after, Cantwell was speaking in Boise, where Nate Calvin heard the story of Beauty. Calvin, a mechanical engineer, approached her afterward and offered to design an artificial beak.

To read the rest of this story and see photographs of Beauty, please visit the link below:

The Wenatchee World Online

The Red List 2008 is Coming

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 20:34:37 -0400

18-04-2008
Birdlife International

�Reassessing the status of 10,000 species has been a massive undertaking" �Dr Stuart Butchart, BirdLife's Global Research Coordinator

May 19 will see the release of the 2008 IUCN Red List for birds. Occurring every four years, this full update is a global assessment of every bird species on earth: a complete inventory of the conservation status of the world�s avifauna.

For birds, the Red List is maintained by BirdLife International for IUCN, and with one in eight of the world�s 10,000 species at risk of extinction, compiling an accurate and fully documented list is time consuming but vital for planning conservation action. But what goes into a Red List update?

�BirdLife staff have had to assimilate and sift through a huge amount of data. These assessments cite a total of 12,500 references, and include information from 2,800 new published sources as well as from 3,000 unpublished reports�, says Jez Bird, BirdLife�s Global Species Officer.

�We have also received input from a huge number of scientists, conservationists and birdwatchers, both in the BirdLife Partnership and a broader network of collaborating organisations and IUCN specialist groups, with 1,400 reviews received from over 1,000 species experts�, Jez adds.

To read the rest of this article, please visit the link below:

The Red List is Coming

Hummingbird Articles

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 14:47:41 -0400

For those of you interested in humming birds (and who speak Spanish), our member jwnix tells us of an announcement by Sociedad de Ornitologia Neotropial:

The contents of Ornitologia Neotropical vol. 1-13 (2002) are now
available online as pdf files free of charge!

http://www.neotropicalornithology.org/revista/revista.html

Colossal Squid to come out of the Freezer

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 23:32:36 -0400

Interest in the dissection from the wider scientific community, never mind the public, is likely to be huge. The thawing and subsequent dissection will feature in a live webcast.

Technicians in New Zealand have postponed until Monday the delicate process of defrosting a colossal squid caught in Antarctic waters last year.

The Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni specimen, caught in February in Antarctic waters, is 10m (33ft) long and weighs over half a tonne.
The riddle for technicians at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa centre has been how to thaw the squid without any parts of its body starting to rot.

The thawing and subsequent dissection will feature in a live webcast.

The procedure begins Monday in Wellington.

Interest in the dissection from the wider scientific community, never mind the public, is likely to be huge.

The colossal squid is remarkable for its size, but also for how rarely it has been sighted.
It was identified first in 1925 from two tentacles found in a sperm whale's stomach. These deep-diving toothed whales regularly do battle with Mesonychoteuthis and other giant cephalopods such as the giant squid of the Architeuthis genus.

Since 1925, only a few Mesonychoteuthis have been sighted, all in the seas around Antarctica.

Very little is known about how and where they live. The one certainty is that they are fearsome opponents, with big beaks and unique swivelling hooks on the club-like ends of their tentacles.

One of the first tasks is likely to be ascertaining the squid's gender.

This one is believed to be male; and females are thought to grow larger than males.

So if this one is a he, presumably there are even bigger and heavier shes somewhere in the cold Antarctic waters.

The specimen has been frozen in a fishing net inside a plastic big container.

"We have to remove the container around it, manoeuvre the frozen squid into the defrosting tank, then carefully remove the net as it defrosts," said Carol Diebel, Te Papa's natural environment director.

"It's a very delicate procedure."

Later in the week, scientists will give public lectures about their initial results.

Once thawed and examined, the squid will be embalmed and preserved.

BBC News Website
By Richard Black
Environment correspondent, BBC News website
Published: 2008/04/26 19:18:36 GMT
� BBC MMVIII

Museum of New Zealand, Te Papa

Squid Webcast

Squid Blog

Over 100 Contaminants Found in Maine Birds

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 19:46:24 -0400

Overall, eagles carried the greatest contaminant load and, for many contaminants, had levels multiple times higher than other species

From: Main Environmental News March 27, 2008

The BioDiversity Research Institute recently released a new report documenting that over 100 harmful contaminants were found in Maine bird eggs.

Flame retardants (PBDEs), industrial stain and water repellants (PFCs), transformer coolants (PCBs), pesticides (OCs), and mercury were found in all 23 species of birds tested. The bird species studied live in a variety of habitats: on Maine�s ocean, salt marshes, rivers, lakes and uplands.

�This is the most extensive study of its kind to date and the first time industrial stain and water repellants were discovered in Maine birds,� says the report�s author, senior research biologist Wing Goodale.

Common loon, Atlantic puffin, piping plover, belted kingfisher, great black-backed gull, peregrine falcon and bald eagle had the highest contaminant levels. The flame retardant deca-BDE, banned last year in Maine, was found in eight species. Overall, eagles carried the greatest contaminant load and, for many contaminants, had levels multiple times higher than other species. Many of the contaminant levels recorded were above those documented to have adverse effects.

�These results are significant because many of these contaminants can interact to create effects more harmful than one toxic pollutant alone,� says Goodale, �and the pervasiveness of the pollutants strongly suggests that birds and wildlife in other states are also accumulating these contaminants.�

�Since we found that birds with high levels of one contaminant tended to have high levels of other contaminants, these compounds may cause top predators, such as bald eagles and peregrine falcons, to have greater difficulty hunting and caring for young,� Goodale adds.

To read the rest of this article please visit the link below:

Main Environmental News

Robson Bight update: Good News

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 23:42:54 -0400

April 19, 2008

Robson Bight update:
Good news!

Hello everyone,

We have good news. Yesterday, British Columbia�s Environment Minister Barry Penner announced that Canada�s federal government will cooperate with the province in removing the diesel fuel tanker now lying underwater in the Ecological Reserve at Robson Bight. Though no definite timing was stated, subsequent comments by Minister Penner clearly indicated that officials are aware that the northern resident orcas are expected to return by early summer.

The decision represents real progress on an issue that should have impelled immediate action of the part of governments. The aftermath of the August 20th accident saw a smoke & mirrors dance (�no problem�) that delayed inspection of the wreckage, and then, once the dire situation had been dramatically revealed in underwater imagery, we were treated with stalling instead of planning. It took considerable effort from the public side to convince our governments to do an underwater inspection of the wreckage in the first instance, and then even more effort to convince them to do what was obvious from the outset. Now, finally, we have a decision, but is it in time?

We are left feeling very encouraged, but still worried. If the tanker with its toxic cargo can be removed before the orcas return, great, but if it cannot, we will find ourselves once again waiting. What happens now will depend on the ability of government officials to move swiftly through the process of awarding a contract and having the job done. If a call for bids happens this coming week, with a very short window for submissions, and very soon thereafter the contract is awarded, there is time, barely.

As we hold our collective breath, we want to acknowledge the participants in this drama who have brought us to this hopeful point. Living Oceans Society has been instrumental from the outset; BC�s Environment Minister Barry Penner has been a true listener and advocate; North Island MLA Claire Trevena has worked quietly behind the scenes in Victoria; North Island MP Catherine Bell has been vocal in Canada�s Parliament; and our local leaders: Namgis First Nation Chief Bill Cranmer, Alert Bay Mayor John Rowell, Port McNeill Mayor Gerry Furney, and the board of our Regional District have actively sought a decision. To all of them we are very grateful; and behind & in front of all of them stand all those who have pressed the issue, insisting that those who have the responsibility, act responsibly.

At this point, we have a simple and pleasant request for you to act on. Please write again to the Ministers involved, thanking them for their decision. At the same time, please request that they do what is needed before the orcas return, i.e. before mid June, 2008. Thank you.

Here is a link to yesterday�s announcement:

http://www2.news.gov.bc.ca/news_release ... 000569.htm

Here is a link to one of the stories that appeared after yesterday�s announcement:

http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolo ... f9&k=54719

And here are contact details for Ministers Penner and Hearn:

The Honourable Barry Penner

Minister of the Environment

P.O. Box 9047, Stn. Prov. Gov't.

Victoria, B.C.

V8W 9E2 Canada

phone: 1-250-387-1187

fax: 1-250-387-1356

Email: env.minister@gov.bc.ca

The Honourable Loyola Hearn, Minister

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

200 Kent St. Ottawa, Ontario

K1A 0E6 Canada

phone: 1-613-992-3474

fax: 1-613- 995-7858

Email: Min@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

As ever, this comes with our best wishes to you all,

Paul & Helena

Sunken equipment to be raised

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 02:50:28 -0400

Goal is to protect habitat of Robson Bight frequented by whales

Sandra McCulloch
Vancouver Sun
Friday, April 18, 2008

VICTORIA - The provincial and federal government announced Friday a fuel tanker and other logging equipment containing pollutants will be recovered from the ocean floor near Robson Bight.

But the salvage operation might not happen before the annual visit of orcas in June, said Environment Minister Barry Penner.
"We'll try to avoid the time when we know the time they'll be there just in case something went wrong," Penner said, adding that "it's possible" the operation will be delayed until after the migration.

"My preference is to do it first but for the last week or two my ministry staff have been canvassing various salvage operators to check on their availability and interest...and it's going to be a real challenge to marshal enough equipment and resources to do this before mid-June."

Eleven pieces of equipment tumbled off a barge on Aug. 20, 2007 into 350 metres of water within an area designated as an environmental reserve.

Penner and federal minister of Fisheries and Oceans Loyola Hearn made the joint announcement to split the cost of the operation, which could be between $750,000 to $1 million.

The chances of recovering the costs from the logging company which owns the equipment are slim, since Ted LeRoy Trucking of Chemainus has already filed for bankruptcy.

The cost "is very dependent on weather conditions," said Penner. The cost will also depend on the number of pieces of equipment recovered, and the priority will be those which pose the greatest risk to pollution, he said.

"The price tag will go up as you try to recover additional pieces which are more dispersed," Penner said.
The government wants to minimize potential impacts to orcas and other wildlife.

"We think this is great news," said Jennifer Lash of Living Oceans Society.
"Hopefully they'll be able to move on it really quickly and they'll get that equipment removed before the whales come back in June."

Paul Spong, director of Orca Lab on Hanson Island, was jubilant upon hearing the news.
"I'm very relieved, I have to say. We're right on the brink on the time where a decision needed to be made in order to do the job before the orcas return this summer," he said.The orcas could pass through in late June or even early July, said Spong, so "they need to aim for getting that tanker out of there by the middle of June," he said.

Spong said the salvage operator could use a shroud that would go over the tanker "and if there's leakage as the tanker came up, it would be contained. I think that's a terrific idea."

Recent video footage of the sunken equipment shows the vehicles are mostly upright and relatively undamaged. The tanker, which carries 10,000 litres, doesn't appear to be leaking.

Great care must be taken in the salvage operation, said Lash. "We need to make sure we're working with salvage experts who will not just get the equipment to the surface but will minimize the amount of oil leaking out of the equipment, because [a major spill] would be a disaster," she said.

The timing of the salvage will be crucial because whales will come through the area in June, said Lash: "We're all going to be on the edge of our seats and we'll breathe a lot easier when this is over and done with."

There are lessons to be learned from this experience, Lash said.
"We want to know why a barge with logging equipment was even in Robson Bight in the first place. The amount of traffic going up and down the coast is increasing every day. We'd like to see the government have a plan for this area that manages the traffic and looks after the environment."

� Canwest News Service

Bowie Seamount Designated as Canada�s Seventh Marine Protected Area

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:39:00 -0400

Vancouver, B.C. � Gary Lunn, Minister of Natural Resources, on behalf of Fisheries Minister Loyola Hearn, today announced that British Columbia�s Bowie Seamount has been designated as Canada�s newest Marine Protected Area. A formal joint ceremony marking the event took place on Saturday, April 19, 2008 in Skidegate with Parliamentary Secretary Randy Kamp and Guujaaw, President of the Council of Haida Nation.

"Bowie Seamount is an oceanic oasis in the deep sea, a rare and ecologically rich marine area, and our government is proud to take action to ensure it is protected," said Minister Lunn. "By working in partnership with the Council of the Haida Nation and groups like the World Wildlife Fund-Canada, we are ensuring this unique treasure is preserved for future generations."

Fisheries and Oceans Canada will work together with the Haida Nation, community groups and an advisory team, including the province, to effectively manage Bowie Seamount under Canada�s Federal Marine Protected Areas Strategy, and preserve the health of Canada�s oceans and marine environment.
Named Sgaan Kinghlas, meaning Supernatural Being Looking Outward, by the Haida, who played a key role in its establishment as a Marine Protected Area, Bowie Seamount is located 180 kilometres west of Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands) in the northeast Pacific. The new Marine Protected Area will protect a complex of three offshore seamounts � Bowie, Hodgkins and Davidson Seamounts.

"Sgaan Kinghlas represents a shift in recognizing the need for respect and care for the Earth. This is a very significant turning point in reversing the trends that have been leading to the depletion of life in the sea," said Guujaaw.
Bowie Seamount is one of the most biologically rich seamounts in the world, due to unique oceanographic conditions that support an abundance of microscopic plants and animals, which, in turn, have contributed to Bowie�s diverse, complex ecosystem. It is fragile and vulnerable, however, and protecting it will contribute to its continued survival and that of its marine community.

"For many years, WWF-Canada has been working with partners to protect this unique, ecologically rich seamount," said Michele Patterson, Director of the Pacific Conservation Program for WWF-Canada. "The designation of the Bowie Seamount Marine Protected Area is an excellent example of how conservation can be achieved through Federal and First Nations� governments, the province, resource users, and environmental organizations working together to protect important marine habitats both for today,　and for our children tomorrow. We look forward to many more of these conservation successes in Canada."

Marine Protected Areas support conservation and protection of Canada�s ocean and ocean resources. Other MPAs, established under the Oceans Act, include Endeavour Hydothermal Vents, 250 kilometres southwest of Vancouver Island, which represents one of the most exciting deep-water areas in the world, The Gully, on the Scotian shelf, Eastport and Gilbert Bay off Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as Basin Head off Prince Edward Island and Musquash Estuary in the Bay of Fundy.
The federal government continues working together with provinces, territories, First Nations, industry, ENGO�s and communities as part of its commitment to establish a network of marine protected areas.

Background information on Bowie Seamount:

Bowie Seamount

Danger Still Lurks Below for Robson Bight Orcas

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 19:29:56 -0400

March 27, 2008
Robson Bight update : Waiting, waiting �

... the diesel might remain inside the tanker, or it might not. If it is released when orcas are present, the result could be catastrophic. - Dr. Paul Spong

When a barge dangerously laden with logging equipment, including a tanker truck of diesel fuel, spilled its load in the heart of the world�s best known orca habitat � the Ecological Reserve at Robson Bight - last August 20th, 2007, whale lovers were outraged, environmentalists dismayed, the public alerted, and even the oil industry took note.

Canada�s initial response, via its Coastguard, was to discount the possibility of serious impacts by claiming all the oil and fuel had been released and dispersed. Eventually, after being pressured by NGOs who raised the funds needed to conduct an underwater investigation, the governments of British Columbia and Canada commissioned an underwater inspection of the spill site. This was completed in early December. Months later, despite video evidence (http://www.livingoceans.org) that the tanker truck is intact and probably still full of toxic diesel fuel, we are still waiting for an announcement that the next obvious step � cleanup � will be undertaken before the orcas return in early summer. Organising and conducting the cleanup will take time, once the decision is made, and time is passing quickly. Meanwhile, a ticking toxic time bomb is lying on the ocean floor 350m below Robson Bight.

The absence of official reaction to the evidence from the underwater inspection is puzzling, and disturbing. The only thing that seems clear is that once again the governments are dragging their feet. Possibly they are hoping the problem will go away if they ignore it long enough. That simply isn�t good enough. The orcas will return soon, probably in June & no later than July. If the fuel tanker isn�t removed by the time the orcas arrive, it will be considered too risky to do the job until they leave again in the fall or early winter. This means the cleanup could be pushed back to next spring. Meanwhile, the diesel might remain inside the tanker, or it might not. If it is released when orcas are present, the result could be catastrophic. Leaving it lying at the bottom with orcas swimming above is foolhardy and negligent. For the orcas� sake, and to ensure the ecological integrity of Robson Bight, the job must be done now. Waiting any longer is not an option.

As a matter of urgency, please insist that Canada and British Columbia act now. Thank you.

Here are the contact details:

The Honourable Loyola Hearn, Minister
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
200 Kent St. Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0E6 Canada
phone: 1-613-992-3474
fax: 1-613- 995-7858
Eamail: Min@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

The Honourable Barry Penner
Minister of the Environment
P.O. Box 9047, Stn. Prov. Gov't.
Victoria, B.C.
V8W 9E2 Canada
phone: 1-250-387-1187
fax: 1-250-387-1356
Email: env.minister@gov.bc.ca

LINKS:

OrcaLab Organization

Living Oceans Organization

Robson Bight Ecological Reserve

Marching in to Spring

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 02:38:00 -0400

Spring makes its official appearance in the Northern Hemisphere at the Vernal Equinox. This is the moment at which there is exactly the same amount of daylight as there is darkness in your location. The exact moment varies from year to year and also depends on your partcicular latitude.

In Victora, B.C. Spring makes its official arrival Wednesday, March 19, 2008 at 22:49. (that's 10:49 PM)

Spring has many activites and events to celebrate and learn from, some of which you may have already noticed on our calendar.

If you are able to travel to Vancouver Island, make plans to drop in to the Rathtrevor Beach Nature House near Parksville.
They have drop in hours beginning on March 20 and select days in April.

On Saturday March 29, wherever in the world you live, turn out your lights at 8PM for 1 hour and participate in Earth Hour!

Earth Hour began in Australia last year as a means to raise awareness about global climate change and in 2008 has become a world wide phenomenon. Earth Hour uses the simple action of turning off the lights for one hour to deliver a powerful message about the need for action on global warming. (Notice it says turning off the lights-- I think that means that we can leave our computers on and continue to watch our cameras - by candlelight if need be. ) If you would like to add your name to the growing list of supporters for this event you can do so by going to my Earth Hour page and registering.

Terry's Earth Hour page

We can watch our our own network of friends and associates grow as more and more people get word and join in. I'd like to think that many of you will join me and the rest of the world in this simple but powerful show of concern for our precious planet.

April 22 is Earth Day ... if an hour is good, how much better to have a whole day?!

Did you know that the week of April 6th to 12th, 2008 is Canada's National Wildlife Week?
This year the theme is particularly important to one and all: Pollinators - from flowers to food to our future. You should keep an eye on their website to see if there are activites planned in your area.

Albertans!! I've got one for you: April 26 and 27, 2008 is the Grande Prairie Trumpeter Swan Festival to celebrate the return of Trumpeter Swans to the Grande Prairie region.

Alaska is celebrating Spring and shorebirds with the Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival May 8-11, 2008.

In the U.K. the 2008 National Wildlife Week seems to be 3 weeks long. National Wildlife Week (Special Triple Bill) runs from May 31 to June 21, 2008.

May is also the month for World Migratory Bird Day.
This two-day awareness raising campaign will take place globally for the third consecutive year on the 10 � 11 of May, 2008. The theme for the 2008 celebration is Migratory Birds - Ambassadors for Biodiversity.

I'm looking for something solid about a US National Wildlife Week. It's out there somewhere I'm sure, but the links don't seem to be in place.

Spring has lots of excitment to be sure. This is but the tip of the iceberg. Look around and see what you can do to celebrate the season in your area.

OH I almost forgot... there is an Eagle Release on Vancouver Island on April 12, 2008 at 2 pm.