Landfill incineration chimneys scorching perched raptors
Associated Press
“A towering landfill smokestack offers an irresistible perch for raptors to watch for rodents scavenging in the treeless landscape below. But when flames fed by landfill gas rush upward, the birds are being scorched or burned alive. At the urging of wildlife rehabilitators, the solid-waste industry is starting to investigate where birds may be at risk and ways to protect them — such as welding deterrent spikes atop smokestacks and providing alternative perches. It’s unclear how widespread the problem is, but suffering or dead birds have been reported in recent years in New York, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Illinois.” [more here]
Cactus Wren gets another chance in Culver City
Los Angeles Times
“Cactus wrens were last seen in Baldwin Hills 10 years ago, said Kimball Garrett, ornithology collections manager at the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History. Human activities are not entirely to blame for the demise of the bird, whose numbers have declined throughout Southern California. Much of its former habitat is now covered with invasive plants, contaminated with pesticides and fertilizers, stressed by drought, surrounded by development and dominated by predators that now include feral cats and dogs. Baldwin Hills is an ideal place for a comeback. The 50-acre ecosystem links sky, sandy hill country and sea via the Ballona Creek drainage system. Its gullies, grasslands and brush support quail, meadowlarks, wood rats and gopher snakes.” [more here]
Common British bird species dissapearing
Guardian News & Media
“Government figures show that populations of 19 bird species that rely on farmland have halved since serious counting started in the 1970s - a decline conservationists blame on intensive farming methods, with insecticide and herbicide sprayed on to monoculture fields shorn of vibrant hedges. The unmistakable yellow hammer, which likes to sing while perched as a dash of color on hedges and bushes, has steadily disappeared with the hedges and bushes. And a startling 80% drop across England in 40 years has diluted the shifting Rorschach blots painted on the dusk sky by massed flocks of starling - though urban changes are blamed for this too.” [more here]
State grant helps protect grassland bird species
Department of Environmental Conservation
“More than 2,100 acres of privately owned, critical natural habitats will be protected and enhanced thanks to grants awarded today to help conserve dwindling grasslands in communities throughout upstate New York, State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis announced today. Grants totaling nearly $600,000 will be awarded to 22 private property owners as part of DEC’s Landowner Incentive Program (LIP) for grassland protection and management.”DEC and our partners in conservation have been tracking the decline in grassland bird populations through the Breeding Bird Survey since 1960s,” Grannis said. “Loss of pastures and hayfields have been the main reason for their decline. These grants will assist private landowners, most of them farmers, in restoring dwindling habitat for the benefit of birds as well as other wildlife.” [more here]
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