Birds and Birding news..
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Written by Charleen O'Donoghue
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Monday, 25 May 2009 |
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Taken from Science Daily… “University of Florida biologists are reporting that mockingbirds recognize and remember people whom the birds perceive as threatening their nests. If the white-and-grey songbirds common in cities and towns throughout the Southeast spot their unwelcome guests, they screech, dive bomb and even sometimes graze the visitors' heads -- while ignoring other passers-by or nearby strangers. According to Doug Levey, a UF professor of biology."We tend to view all mockingbirds as equal, but the feeling is not mutual, Mockingbirds certainly do not view all humans as equal." The research is described in a paper set to appear next week in the online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.The paper describes the first published research showing that wild animals living in their natural settings recognize individuals of other species, Levey said. It may provide clues as to why mockingbirds and selected other bird and animal species flourish in heavily populated cities and suburbs -- while other species either grow rare or disappear entirely.” You can read more about the wonderful birds HERE. 
Chalk-browed Mocking bird by Lip Kee Licence
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Written by Charleen O'Donoghue
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Friday, 22 May 2009 |
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News in from Janine - Boulders Beach Lodge & Restaurant... I stood at the waters edge yesterday at Bloubergstrand and waved farewell to 84 African Penguin from Namibia. They had just spent the last 4 weeks at rehab at SANCCOB. It was a very emotional moment for most people there, a moment in time that will stay with me for a long time. Even our penguin backpacks got the pink spot to indicate that they had just been released. The photos below were taken by Janine Genade and Cathy Hazell.  
 
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Written by Charleen O'Donoghue
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Wednesday, 20 May 2009 |
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Just in from Janine at Boulders Beach Lodge & Restaurant "Cathy & I are off to witness this amazing event – will email photos as soon as we get back!" Hot off the press from SANCCOB On Thursday morning 21 May SANCCOB (Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds) will release 84 of their Namibian-guest African penguins back into the wild. Over the past few weeks this group of African penguins have been experiencing true Cape hospitality at the SANCCOB Rehabilitation Centre in Table View. The release will take place on the Derdesteen Beach and it’s anticipated that these charismatic creatures, who are known to ‘fly through the water’, will swim back to their colonies off the Namibian coast. The preparations for release will include an early morning final feed and wash, in preparation for the long swim home. At 10am they will be marked with a ‘pink spot’ on their chests and will be transferred into boxes for one final short leg of their journey.At 11am the convoy will leave SANCCOB (directions attached) and make their way to Derdesteen Beach in Blouberg for the historic release.The mass release will take place at 11.30am and SANCCOB CEO, Venessa Strauss will be available for interviews from 11.40am onwards.
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Written by Charleen O'Donoghue
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Tuesday, 19 May 2009 |
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 The famous Peregrines from Sussex, breeding on top of Chichester Cathedral produced 4 chicks, at the end of April. It was discovered during the ringing of the chicks last week, that there were 3 girls and a boy. Their sex was identified through foot measurements. Peregrine females are said to have bigger feet than the males.
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Written by Charleen O'Donoghue
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Tuesday, 19 May 2009 |
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African Penguin numbers now at all time low - Alarming decline in breeding colonies continues
African Penguin numbers have fallen to a historic low point and urgent action is required to halt the alarming decline in the breeding colonies of the Western Cape of South Africa.
New research presented at this international congress attended by scientists from South Africa, Europe and the USA revealed that: | Last year there were only about 26,000 pairs of African Penguins left in southern Africa (this represents their global population)- a decline of about 121000 breeding pairs since 1956. | | The decline in penguin numbers is increasing with studies suggesting that the fall of 1.44% p.a. up to 2006 has now increased to 2.34% a year | | Over the last three generations there was a 50% overall decrease in penguin breeding pairs. | | The annual survival rate of adult penguins in the key breeding colonies of Robben Island and Dassen Island has fallen by about half since 2000 |
WHAT IS CAUSING THE CRISIS? To find out more, read HERE!
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Birds and Birding news.. 
