| Wednesday April 1, 2009 |
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Volume 8
Issue 4 |
Let Us SprayPort employees said that they were spraying Monsanto Roundup® herbicide on the clover at Bayside Park. If you think that this herbicide is safe, you have no problem. (Links:) |
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If you don't, you have no way of knowing where it may have been sprayed. Amphibian Roundup Herbicide Kills More Than Weeds These links go on and on, just type "roundup toxicity" into Google |
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After two weeks, the lawn now has gray patches of dead grass scattered all over it. Each patch of dead lawn has a clover plant in the middle. Perhaps with enough repeated spraying, a variety of clover will evolve (by natural selection) having a resistance to herbicides. This resolves the problem of knowing where the herbicide has been sprayed. (Link) The Poisoning of Public Thoroughfares: How Herbicides Blight California's Roads |
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Grass in the three Port of San Diego parks here is the main food source for winter migratory American coots. The birds are eating it all the time, but this herbicide "has been touted as being virtually without toxicity for birds and mammals". There are still questions about the test methods and results, and their legal status. Another potential problem is cited in this link: Corralling Roundup®. This herbicide is designed to be used with specific genetically modified organism (GMO) crops that resist this toxicity. This further restricts the biodiversity of farm crops. A conversation about Biodiversity on PBS was cited in the January Coot News. Scroll down and select "Transcript" to read this interview on the PBS link.
A few of the yellow flowers bloom at the north side of the marina. Everything else is dead or dying. Death and Dying
Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) that causes honeybees to disappear may be the most important ecological problem of our time. It is coming on quickly, and already threatens human food crops. Solving the CCD problem may provide answers for other ecological dangers since some believe that pesticides are responsible for CCD.
Colony Collapse Disorder information from the USDA.
CSI ApiaryThe Continued Unravelling of Colony Collapse Disorder
Bees and toxic chemicals Bees can suffer serious effects from toxic chemicals
Octopamine In the honey bee and fruit fly, octopamine has a major role in learning and memory
Timberline Fisheries mealworms are no longer available.
Pelagic BirdingSummer is coming, and many will be thinking of pelagic bird watching trips. If you don't go offshore every day, take a few Dramamine tablets at least an hour before leaving. When you get to the boat, it's too late. If you can, carry a bottle of water and a hand towel. If there's any chance of going south of the border, you need a passport to be legal. The skipper and the Coast Guard may say otherwise, and you probably won't have a problem, but you need a passport. SoCalBirding.com has pelagic birding trips. |
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This Red-necked Phalarope juvenile shown in the picture above, was photographed October 1, 2008 approximately six miles West of Point Loma.
The DovesThe doves are busy building their nests. Usually this is in or on a boat since there is little else to work with. In this case the picture shows a dove that just carried this twig to a sportfisher flybridge, adding to an existing pile of textiles. A few days later, the dove is sitting atop of a huge pile of sticks. |
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The SkunkUntil recently, it was not unusual to see a skunk or possum foraging around the restaurants by the marina. This skunk was sighted at the far end of the California Yacht Marina, and a camera was available to get a picture. The drastic reduction in the number of ducks should make hunting for eggs and ducklings more difficult for predators. However, according to a recent PBS show, skunks may travel three or four miles in a night. Is That Skunk? the PBS Nature episode. |
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The BlackbirdThe crippled female blackbird (right) now is fully integrated into the flock, and arrives to sing and squawk and to be fed a worm every morning. By the end of March, the blackbirds appear less frequently, and they may have gone on annual migration. |
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The SwallowsCompared to last year, the swallows are about two weeks late. They finally appeared at the end of March making nests from dead plant material killed by the herbicide. The swallows chase away the occasional American crow from around their nests. The sparrows have already fledged out their babies and are seen feeding begging juvenile sparrows in the marina. |
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The DucksIn the last week of March a few ducks are returning to the parking lot. Perhaps their winter starvation in the marina, lack of fresh water, or their search for nesting spots has overcome their terror of last September. There are puddles of water in the parking lot as usual. |
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There are a few eggs in the marina in March. Last year there were many duck eggs everywhere in February 2008. |
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TheTernsAnother sign of summer is when the Foster's terns can be heard overhead early in the mornings. Later they dive into the bay catching fish. |
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The BrantsThese geese are still here at the end of the month, but have mostly moved offshore out on the bay. All the Lesser scaups are gone and only a few Surf scoters remain. |
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The OspreyThese big birds are still carrying this sort of material to their nest. It may indicate that they are just starting in their breeding season. |
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ChangesOn the last morning in March, Monday is gone. This is inevitable, but still a shock, as time always goes on. She had been late for breakfast the past two days, staying on another dock. Beaky went over there, calling, but she did not appear. Beaky is shaken as he returns to fight off the remaining dozen wild coots by himself. He makes his best paired display but it has little effect on migratory coots. There is nothing to help this, but hand feeding and a full gut can take the edge off. |
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Nature Books for Children In March 2009, three "new" Ransome books written in 1906 have been reproduced and made available as PDF files. Arthur Ransome is the beloved author of nature books like Coot Club and Swallows and Amazons .
A TALE OF THREE BOOKS tells the story of how Clint Heitman of Boston, Massachussetts acquired these books, restored and replicated them.
A Child's Book of the Seasons(25395 Kilobytes)
Pond and Stream(27231 Kilobytes)
A Child's Book of the Garden(Things in Our Garden)(25792 Kilobytes)
Readers of Ransome's popular books of the 1930s about birds and sailing, will find familiar passages in these early books. Anyone can download these books, but they are each about 26 Megabytes in file size, so a fast internet service is required.
All Things Ransome 26-Mar-09 Tim Johns, the creator and editor of the Arthur Ransome Literary Pages, has passed away.
beakyandtheduck.wmv Just when you sit down to a meal, someone is at the door. Beaky pecks the duck at the ending.
monday.wmv Monday "licks" pudding from my fingers. Beaky confiscates crumbs and threatens intruders.
Space VehicleSometimes a stupid sign can be mobile. How is this Space Vehicle confined, and what are we supposed to do about it? |
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This department provides important technical information for the professional wildlife photographer, and advanced amateur. Current developments in new equipment are covered, as well as handy "hints and kinks" to help you get more performance from your old camera.
Legal Information Sources for Photographers
Legal Handbook for Photographers
References on Photography Rights:
(I don't make this stuff up department)
Brokered by the California Department of Boating and Waterways $1.27 million in public funding was provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Boating Infrastructure Grant Program for a new marina in San Diego Bay with only twelve slips. This is close to every manager's dream; a marina with no troublesome boats or docks.
ROUNDUP HERBICIDE New York State's Attorney General has successfully sued Monsanto for claiming that RoundUp is "safe" and "environmentally friendly."
NWF Backyard Habitat Program Make a home for birds, butterflies and other of nature's creatures at your home, but only for the right sort of creatures.
DYER ISLAND 2000 plastic penguin houses on the Dyer Island Nature Reserve
Chula Vista Power Plant May Not Disappear Soon Waterfowl may use this land for a few more years before it is filled with a hotel, convention center, sports stadium, and parking lots.
Tenants Legal Center Legal help for boat owners
Barnegat Lighthouse State Park To view the bird images, right click your mouse and select "View Image".
California Department of Fair Employment & Housing Hope for pet owners
Governor Borrows $29 Million from Boating Fund Don't eliminate this agency, just take their money.
Biology-Online.org molecular bio, etc.
Bird enthusiasts lose their 'marvelous place' For decades, a leaky faucet at Cabrillo National Monument attracted warblers, flycatchers and dozens of devoted ornithologists
Funny Pics for Online Use How to deal with Internet forums
New San Diego Boat Show A sidebar to this story states "Marriott Marina Will No Longer Provide Slips to SD Boat Show" because of the shortage of boat slips in San Diego Bay. About 36 slips will be filled by current owners who wish to move to a larger slip or those on the extensive waiting list.
Chemtrail conspiracy theory Adiabatic decompression or toxic chemicals?
After A Fight, Rooks Go To Their Mates For A Beak Rub Too much stress
Red Meat Those darn birds
U.S. Department of Freethought Suppression For April 1st.
Arctic Raven, Killed by Renewable Resources Officers Inconceivable to rational people.
Big Picture:
Wild Coot Click on the image to view it full size. Use your browser's Back button to return. |
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"Fall is my favorite season in Los Angeles, watching the birds change color and fall from the trees." David Letterman
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