I’m moving

Avian Surroundings has moved and has a new name. A Remarkably Rich Avifauna is where I’ll be blogging from now on. I hope to see you there.

Words

“The most alive is the wildest”

 ~ Thoreau

Snowy Owl (Bubo Scandiacus)

 

When Linnaeus classified the bird in 1758 he gave her two synonymous names: Strix scandiaca and Strix nyctea. However, reasearch in the 20th century made it necessary to revise the traditional classification, as it was found that the snowy owl had little in common with the Strix family. Instead it was named Nyctea scandiaca and thought to belong to its own family. But in 2003 DNA comparisons showed that the snowy owl is closely related to the eagle owl (Bubo bubo) and was thus renamed Bubo scandiacus.

The snowy owl has big yellow eyes and a wing span of 140-165 cm. Males are smaller and normally completely white, while females are speckled with black. It’s a nomadic bird.  It migrates not only for reproduction purposes, but due to fluctuations in the populations of its prey species. So it happens that sudden invasions of snowy owls are observed by ornithologists in more southerly regions. The winter 1999-2000 saw one such invasion in Sweden, and William Leon Dawson describes large invasions in Ohio in 1926-27 and 1930-31:  

In 1926-27, 92, or 67 per cent, of the birds reported were killed or captured while in the recent invasion only 51, or 40 per cent, suffered the same fate. This, perhaps, is largely due to the fact that the height of the migration came nearly a month later in 1930-31 or mostly following and not during the hunting season. Also, in 1926-27 most of the birds reported appeared to be in a somewhat dazed condition and not at all at home in their new environment. Many were absolutely without fear and others appeared sick. Numerous birds at that time were captured by hand, flying into automobiles or attracted by bright lights. A number were struck down by railroad locomotives, picked up while in an exhausted condition or found in some unusual situation which hardly seemed a logical stopping place for a normal bird of prey. Of eleven stomachs examined by the writer at that time, ten were entirely empty while one contained a small quantity of chicken feathers. Nearly all birds handled were considerably emaciated. In 1930-31 records of birds taken under unusual conditions were very few. Most birds captured or observed appeared normal in every respect and not dazed or emaciated but as much at home as our native owls. This undoutedly accounts for a much lower percentage of the birds being killed or captured and leads me to believe that in Ohio, and perhaps elsewhere, the 1930-31 invasion did approach that of Snowy Owl Invasion of Ohio in 1926-27 in numbers much more closely than the figures actually reported would indicate. In 1930-31 a large number of the records listed were of birds reported to have been present in some particular locality for from two to nine weeks, the birds being observed almost daily hunting over stubble fields or bottom lands where meadow mice were abundant. All observers questioned were of the opinion that certainly a large percentage of the birds of this recent invasion did succeed in returning to northern regions in the spring, escaping the tragic fates of most of the owls of 1926-27. Of nine stomachs examined in 1930-31, all but one contained some food, including two Bobwhites, parts of a Ringnecked Pheasant, a sparrow, remains of a Hungarian Partridge, one rat, bits of two chickens, and eight mice.”

 

 

Mysterious Death

Al found this bumble bee resting peacefully on the veranda. She has her head tucked in under her body, and sure looks like she’s just taking an afternoon nap before going back to pollinating my garden. The wings are intact and the “fur” seems to be in good condition. I believe it’s a Bombus lapidarius.

Alpine Chough (Pyrrhocorax graculus)

I went for walk on top of Goldeck the other day and saw a swarm of alpine choughs soaring around the summit while producing the most peculiar sound. First-timer for me. And of course I left my camera at home. This one’s borrowed:

 

 

 

First-timer for me

Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)

Sometimes bird watching is really easy. No heavy boots, no mosquito spray or cans of cold ravioli. Just a beautiful day at a lakeside café. Even my subjects were most cooperative this time.

A family of mute swans paddled by in a summer-lazy fashion as I was having my second extra-foamy cappuccino. The five cygnets were very bold and enjoyed their greens right in front of my lens, intently watched by their mother. They were all keeping one leg out of the water by leisurely resting it on their downy backs, which made me feel even more relaxed in my lounging chair.

What a great day

 

Falconry and the falcons

Al and I went to Burg Landskron near Villach to see their falconry show. It’s an old fortress that’s been turned into a breeding station and research centre for birds of prey. The rough stonewalls of the ruin make a perfect framework for the big aviaries, and what used to be the inner courtyard is now an adlerarena.

It was great to see these magnificent birds gain height in a thermal and soar overhead only to dive down onto the falconer’s lure with incredible speed. Exhilarating. Watch the edited video.

Falconry is outlawed in my home country, Sweden. Exceptions from the prohibition to keep wild animals in captivity are only made for breeding programs aiming to increase wild populations of threatened species. The reason for banning falconry in 1969 was the assumed connection between ailing raptor populations and falconers helping themselves to raptors’ chics and eggs in the wild. In 1976 the number of breeding peregrine couples in Sweden was less than 10, and they only managed to produce 6 fledglings. But the real cause was the use of toxic substances such as DDT in agriculture. DDT accumulates in body fat, which is why it’s so fatal to the big predators at the top of the food chain. A small fish ingests DDT from the algae and plankton it feeds on, and a bigger fish, a perch say, eats a substantial amount of these poisonous small fish before it, in turn, becomes food for a human, or a white-tailed eagle. The poison made the eagles’ eggshells so thin that the birds couldn’t roost without breaking them.

“Not only were the Swedish government mistaken in the cause of the declining raptor populations, but they also spread the misconception that all falconers were egg thieves”

Not only were the Swedish government mistaken in the cause of the declining raptor populations, but they also spread the misconception that all falconers were egg thieves. It’s true that there was a huge black market for eggs as well as captured adult birds, but you don’t achieve much in the way of conservation by stopping real bird enthusiasts from keeping and breeding birds. The criminals tend to carry on anyway, now that people will pay more for a good specimen. As a matter of fact, conservationists learned the art of breeding birds of prey from falconers, but have rarely given that a mention.

Even though I’m principally against keeping birds in cages, I think falconry needs to be revaluated in Sweden. It certainly has a greater purpose than the keeping of pet parrots.

Portugal – Climbing Castles and Exploring Caves

Visiting Convento do Cristo in Tomar was like entering a labyrinth. You go through a doorway and find yourself on a balcony overlooking the courtyard with the fountain you took closeup photos of half an hour ago. You go straight through a long tiled corridor with doors on either side and end up in the same hall you just left – or one that looks the same.

Above “a giant jellyfish, who knows?”

Caves are equally confusing. Luckily we had a guide to show us around. I didn’t learn as many geological facts as I had expected, but was shown more animal-like formations than I needed. Obviously the guide has seen that cave too many times. Above “a giant jellyfish, who knows?”

The cave was dicovered by a shephard boy who saw birds diving towards the ground and disappearing. He went over to the spot and found a hole in the ground. He thought it was an old well and dropped a stone in to see how deep it was. Quite deep indeed. Cavers later explored the cave and found it to be a great pillared hall with an area of 6000 square metres – the pillars being stalagmites and stalactitesgrown together at the rate of one centimetre per century.

Portugal in June

 

First coat of paint on miniature replicas of traditional Portuguese fishing boats drying in the sun. After a great seafood lunch on top of a cliff we went for a climb and stroll to the beach in Nazaré and found a playmate (a fisherman’s dog).

I’d like to see him land on an egg, though

The beaches are white and many miles long. Sandstone sculptures make perfect view points for watching ridge soaring seagulls. My boyfriend (above right) kept saying: “I could do that in my hang glider, it’s easy”. I’d like to see him land on an egg, though.

 

 

 

Bicycle ride to Millstättersee