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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Big decline in aerial insectivores (1 Viewer)

Our bird club here in Pennsylvania just had a program on White-Nose Syndrome. The rapidity of it's spread and the mortality rate from it are alarming.

There was speculation that the increase in flying insects could be beneficial to avian insectivores. I feel that any benefit will be more than offset by the increased mortality due to West Nile Virus because of the increased mosquito population.

Mike
 
I'd also argue that the insects themselves are somewhat changed by the amounts and kinds of chemicals and insecticides that are put into them. ...a al Carson's SILENT SPRING.
Imagine eating raw chicken or beef that has had so many unhealthy chems put into it, and having no choice of other foods.
As an aside on the WNS issue, if you get a chance look at a map of how WNS has spread since it's discovery several years ago, and now imagine native Americans encountering smallpox or several other diseases initially. Chilling to think of all the bodies that would be lying around (like bats now) to be scavenged and never found. We aren't that different after all.
 
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