FOR THE LOVE OF BIRDS

by Dansk 4 Replies latest jw friends

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  Dansk

  DAILY GRIST
  14 Mar 2003
  Environmental news from GRIST MAGAZINE
  <http://www.gristmagazine.com>
  
  
  NO FLY ZONE
  Although it's hardly what Iraq is most famous for right now, the nation is an ornithologist's paradise -- and war there could be a
  disaster for migrating birds. If combat begins during March or April, as expected, the situation will be especially grave, because
  during these spring migration months, millions of birds cross Iraq en route to their northern breeding grounds. The Tigris and the
  Euphrates, Iraq's key rivers, are important stops on the long-distance migration routes for birds that winter in Africa, then
  head north to breed in Europe and western Russia in the summer. Such birds include pelicans, storks, and many species of shorebirds.
  "From a biodiversity point of view, this is the worst possible time of the year to have a war" in Iraq, because birds "could abort their
  migration or even starve to death," said Phil Hockey, a migration specialist with the Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology.
  
  straight to the source: MSNBC.com, Reuters, 13 Mar 2003
  <http://www.gristmagazine.com/forward.pl?forward_id=895>
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  ISP

  Drug traffickers use carrier pigeons to beat surveillance

  Drug traffickers in Pakistan are using carrier pigeons to beat the latest technological advances in surveillance.

  Flocks of the birds, each carrying 10 grams of heroin, are flying from the tribal belt along the border of drug-producing Afghanistan to Pakistan.

  The Pakistani Daily Times, quoting intelligence sources, said the pigeons could carry the drugs at speeds of more than 30mph.

  Drug traffickers in the semi-autonomous tribal territories are not under the jurisdiction of Pakistan's laws.

  But if they are caught plying their trade in the so-called 'settled areas' of the country they face the death penalty.

  Birds can be used to do dodgy stuff. No doubt Saddam is at this moment attaching WMD to the local birdlife.

  ISP
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  Englishman

  Dansk,

  I used to work part-time for the RSPB, trapping and ringing birds so as to trace their migration routes. We used to get about a 1% recovery rate. My most memorable retrieve was a sand-martin ringed in the Lake district and picked up 4 weeks later in South Africa.

  Englishman.
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  mouthy

  I found that very interesting! Dansk.Englishman- what an interesting job- Do you still do it. Or did I read USED to. ISP -I learn something everyday from this board
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  RAYZORBLADE

  Migratory birds are going to have a difficult go of it should there be a war in Iraq. Poor wee critters.

  Here's something that will make you sick, especially if you live in Canada.

  Toronto: with its gleaming skyscrapers, night-time splendor of lights - KILLS BIRDS probably by the countless thousands. How so?

  The Great Lakes region, various parts of it, are an important flyway here in North America. Lake Erie's Point Pelee is a bird watchers paradise, but so are places like Long Point, and on Lake Ontario, around Toronto (northwest corner of Lake Ontario), Presque Isle and surrounding area.

  Birds are for some reason, attracted to the lights eminating from our skyscrapers. Also, the reflective glass fools them, and they fly head-on into the glass windows, dropping many storeys to the ground, to either die or suffer silently. This happens so many times here, it's not funny.

  There are organizations here in the city that have been very proactive in getting tennants of tall skyscrapers here in this city, to turn off unused lights, or draw blinds in such a fashion, that the birds can see that there is indeed, a window, and avoid it.

  In the business core of this city, during the migration north, you'll see some caring soul, display on a blanket: 100s of dead birds, some that are incredibly beautiful. They are displayed, albeit in a grim fashion, to elicit awareness of this problem.

  The CN Tower, they're bird friendly. During spring/fall migration, they turn off the illuminated parts of the tower (keeping only the strobe lights, and aircraft warning red lights, on) off to assist the birds on their migration northward.

  I saw this about 5 years ago, and it almost brought me to tears. To see a gorgeous: indigo bunting dead along with vireos, phoebes, warblers, finches and other beautiful little songbirds, broke my heart. Killed by our senselessness. Lights being left on at night in the numerous skyscrapers downtown, unnecessarily.

  Today it continues to be a problem.

  When war and upheaval takes place, not much is done to placate innocent animals that hold no party or political leanings. Sad.