Free Republic

The tree trimmer at the center of a federal and state investigation into the destruction of nests and slaughter of baby birds in Oakland said Thursday that he "screwed up" because he allowed his crews to chain-saw trees even as baby birds were falling out. Pulido was the supervisor for a crew of tree trimmers hired Saturday by the U.S. Postal Service's Civic Center Annex in Oakland. The post office ordered trees containing the nests of egrets and black-crowned night herons, species protected by the U.S. Migratory Bird Act, to be cut because the nesting birds were defecating on mail...

OTTAWA - the H5 virus of the aviary influenza was discovered on wild birds in Canada, announced Monday the Canadian authorities, by specifying that there was no threat for human health. The Canadian authorities indicated, in an official statement, that a "national survey carrying into migrating wild ducks revealed the presence" of aviary influenza. The investigation made it possible to discover 28 positive cases in Quebec and 5 in Manitoba, "ascribable to the H5 sub-type", specifies the official statement. "the Canadian agency of public health determined that no information contained in these results could let believe that it would...

Interfax.com - 10:54 No confirmation of bird flu in Tula - official

An unknown disease has caused the deaths of thousands of wild Teal ducks in north-western Iran, but a government official said today the cause was not the bird flu strain that has killed birds in Romania and neighbouring Turkey. Behrouz Yasemi, an official with Iran's State Veterinary Organisation, blamed a "mysterious disease" for the deaths of 3,692 wild ducks. "We were looking for bird flu [but] medical tests have definitely ruled out flu," Yasemi said. "Experts are now in the process of diagnosing this mysterious disease. We may be able to diagnose it in the next few days." The...

Nothing spoils a day at the beach like these two dreaded words: swim ban. Summer only officially started last week, and the Chicago Park District already has hoisted the red flag that renders beaches off limits for swimming 23 times. Trying to pinpoint the source of these bans often turns into an environmental whodunit. We know the weapon is E. coli, bacteria that are typically harmless but serve as a clue that fecal contamination — and the disease-causing microorganisms that go along with it — might be lurking nearby. When E. coli levels get too high, the "No Swimming" signs...

Sunday, October 5, 2003Vultures' onslaught terrorizes livestock -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Increase in flocks depletes Ohio farms By John Seewer The Associated Press Hear the black vulture's call AKA: Black buzzard, carrion crow; SIZE: 23 to 27 inches; WINGSPAN: 54 to 60 inches COSHOCTON, Ohio - Alan Brinker couldn't figure out why all of his newborn lambs were dying. "We'd have 10 new babies, and the next day I'd go out and we had 10 dead ones," the central Ohio farmer said. Suspecting that a flock of black vultures may be to blame, he drove out to a hillside where a lone ewe...

A federal investigation has been launched into the plight of up to 50 million migratory birds killed each year by mobile phone and broadcast masts strung across the US. The communications commission has a legal duty to minimise the environmental effect of the hundreds of thousands of masts spread across the country. At some masts located on migratory routes, thousands of birds have been recorded as being killed in a single night. The commission, which also has the duty to enable the best available communication, is taking on the issue in an effort to manage the expansion of masts in...

<p>"They'll start looking for handouts," said Matt Marcinek, assistant regional manager for region two of Pennsylvania State Parks. "They have a natural fear, but become less afraid if you feed them."</p> <p>The birds can become especially volatile during the mating season, when simply walking by an unknown nest can trigger a wild goose chase from a protective daddy goose. The birds' squawk is not worse than their bite: Geese beaks are strong and can damage the skin, he said.</p>

For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use. The excited proclamation came from Drew Kuckler, who was now up on his knees, anxiously scanning the March skies for the source of the sound. The sky search was soon joined by my son Matt, who had already flipped the power switch on his electronic game caller. The three of us were spending our Saturday afternoon in a south central Iowa cornfield, laying smack in the middle of 450 snow white goose decoys. From my position, the scene resembled the aftermath from an explosion at the diaper factory. Our hope, however,...