El Annie
Tuesday 4th March 2003, 19:58
Climate change blow to rare geese.................
One of the rarest types of geese over-wintering in Scotland is in decline because of climate change and threats from rival breeds in their Arctic nesting grounds. The entire population of Greenland white-fronted geese migrates to Scotland and Ireland in the autumn. In the 1980s there were as few as 16,000 left, but increased protection measures resulted in this figure doubling over the next 15 years. However, numbers are falling again. Islay has been the winter home to 12,000 of the geese - 2,000 fewer than last year. It is thought that colder weather in the nesting grounds has led to to fewer goslings being born, while there has been an influx of much bigger, more dominant Canada geese.
More information - Scotsman
Love is a hoot for farm's lovebirds......................
Love is in the air - quite literally - this month for two feathered friends who have chosen to nest at a farm near Caldbeck Common. The breeding pair of barn owls have made a home at Greenrigg Farm, where a specially-provided nest box helped to ensure they reared and fledged six owlets last year. Now the owners of the farm, Ken and Pauline Woolfenden, are hoping that the male barn owl has returned to mate with the female, who lives in the nest box all year round, again. Pauline said: "We think the male has returned but we can't be sure. He's very difficult to spot. I think we'll probably only know for sure in a few months time if and when the female has given birth to some owlets."
More information - Cumberland News
You can find some more interesting stuff at the website - http://www.habitat.org.uk/news1.htm
Annie :)
One of the rarest types of geese over-wintering in Scotland is in decline because of climate change and threats from rival breeds in their Arctic nesting grounds. The entire population of Greenland white-fronted geese migrates to Scotland and Ireland in the autumn. In the 1980s there were as few as 16,000 left, but increased protection measures resulted in this figure doubling over the next 15 years. However, numbers are falling again. Islay has been the winter home to 12,000 of the geese - 2,000 fewer than last year. It is thought that colder weather in the nesting grounds has led to to fewer goslings being born, while there has been an influx of much bigger, more dominant Canada geese.
More information - Scotsman
Love is a hoot for farm's lovebirds......................
Love is in the air - quite literally - this month for two feathered friends who have chosen to nest at a farm near Caldbeck Common. The breeding pair of barn owls have made a home at Greenrigg Farm, where a specially-provided nest box helped to ensure they reared and fledged six owlets last year. Now the owners of the farm, Ken and Pauline Woolfenden, are hoping that the male barn owl has returned to mate with the female, who lives in the nest box all year round, again. Pauline said: "We think the male has returned but we can't be sure. He's very difficult to spot. I think we'll probably only know for sure in a few months time if and when the female has given birth to some owlets."
More information - Cumberland News
You can find some more interesting stuff at the website - http://www.habitat.org.uk/news1.htm
Annie :)