Climate change threatens Hawaiian honeycreepers

From the United States Geological Survey:

Jeepers creepers: Climate change threatens endangered honeycreepers

Deadly diseases may move up Hawaiian mountains to birds’ refuges

As climate change causes temperatures to increase in Hawaii’s mountains, deadly non-native bird diseases will likely also creep up the mountains, invading most of the last disease-free refuges for honeycreepers – a group of endangered and remarkable birds.

A just-published U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) review discusses the likelihood of a forthcoming “disease invasion” by examining the present altitudinal range of avian malaria and pox, honeycreeper distribution, and the future projected range of diseases and honeycreeper habitat with climate change.

At one time, the Hawaiian Islands had no mosquitoes – and no mosquito-borne diseases. But, by the late 1800s, mosquitoes had set up permanent housekeeping, setting the stage for epidemic transmission of avian malaria and pox. Honeycreepers – just like people faced with novel viruses such as swine flu – had no natural resistance against these diseases.

Before long, Hawaii’s native honeycreepers significantly declined in numbers and geographic range. It was likely that malaria swept rapidly across all of the lower Hawaiian Islands after the disease was introduced, leaving few survivors. Today, native Hawaiian birds face one of the highest rates of extinction in the world. Of 41 honeycreeper species and subspecies known since historic times, 17 are probably extinct, 14 are endangered, and only 3 are in decent shape.

Pox and malaria transmission in Hawaii depends on climatic conditions, especially seasonal changes in temperature and rainfall that increase or decrease mosquito populations. “Without question, the one factor that prevented widespread and rapid extinction of virtually all of Hawaii’s native honeycreepers after the introduction of avian pox and avian malaria was the presence of high-altitude disease refuges on Kauai, Maui and Hawaii,” said lead study author Dr. Carter Atkinson, a USGS microbiologist based at the USGS Pacific Islands Ecosystems Research Center in Hawaii.

These cool, high-elevation – above 4,000 feet (1,200 meters) — mountains not only provided habitats that mosquitoes didn’t thrive in, but they also had habitat that honeycreepers liked, wrote the authors. While birds in those areas find refuge from the diseases – dispersing juvenile birds and adults that follow seasonal flowering of native plants to lower elevations are exposed to disease.

“Unfortunately,” said study co-author, USGS scientist Dr. Dennis LaPointe, “this seasonal movement happens at the same time that mosquito populations soar at mid-elevations, which fuels high disease-transmission rates there. There’s a continuous source of disease-susceptible birds each fall.”

Although most disease transmission now occurs in these mid-elevation forests, this will change if the projected 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees Centigrade) raise in temperature occurs.

“With this kind of temperature change, about 60 to 96 percent of the high-elevation disease refuges would disappear,” said Atkinson. For example, available high-elevation forest habitat in the low-risk disease zone would likely decline by nearly 60 percent at Hanawi Natural Area Reserve on Maui to as much as 96 percent at Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge on Hawaii Island. On other islands, such as Kauai, with lower elevations and no low-risk zones even now, predicted temperature changes would likely be catastrophic for remaining honeycreeper species.

“Right now, disease transmission in the mountains of Kaui is highly seasonal, but with temperature increases, disease would be able to be transmitted throughout most of the year,” said Atkinson. …

Honeycreepers rival Darwin’s finches in the Galapagos Islands in terms of their bill types and number of species that descended from a common founder. The birds specialize on food that includes nectar, fruits and insects. Before people came to the islands, as many as 56 kinds of honeycreepers probably occurred.

Avian malaria is caused by a protozoan parasite, and avian pox is a viral infection that typically causes tumor-like swellings on exposed skin of the feet, legs, beak and eyelids of infected birds. Malaria often results in appetite and weight loss, anemia, and massive enlargement of birds’ liver and spleen.

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The article, Introduced avian diseases, climate change, and the future of Hawaiian honeycreepers, was published in the Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery.

Hawaiian birds starve due to introductions: here.

The Kaua`i Creeper or `Akikiki has been named one of America’s top ten threatened species impacted by global warming in a new report released today: here.

Beauty myth merchants exploiting teenage girls

This video says about itself:

Performance art by Australian artist Penelope Thompson in Goyang City, Korea. This performance was made for the opening ceremony of Goyang International Open Air Sculpture Symposium in Korea, October 2, 2007. The performance theme was about women’s lives being restricted by the pressure to conform to society’s expectations of beauty.

From British daily The Morning Star:

Teenagers turn to face cream to avoid ageing

Tuesday 26 May 2009

One in three women under the age of 25 is already using anti-ageing products, while 12 per cent started applying anti-ageing creams before their 16th birthday.

The shocking poll of 2,000 women between the ages of 18 and 25 also revealed on Tuesday that 47 per cent would even be prepared to have cosmetic surgery to shave some years off their appearance, despite the obvious health risks.

A Feminist Fightback spokesperson said: “It’s completely understandable that young women feel such pressures. It is beauty as defined by the free market and just another way for capitalism to control women.”

Nearly 70 per cent of respondents said that they dreaded signs of ageing and over half felt pressured to stay looking young.

A significant proportion felt that the most pressure came from exposure to celebrities.

But Simple Health Beauty, which carried out the research, warned that “the majority of these products are not designed for women under the age of 40.

“Some are formulated with harsh ingredients, such as retinol derivatives which are not suitable for sensitive skin. These ingredients may cause skin damage when used prematurely, which can lead to photosensitivity in later life.”

The number of incidents of self-harm in Scotland’s only all-female prison has “rocketed” by over 800 per cent, it was revealed on Tuesday: here.

Scotland’s whales threatened by NATO

From Wildlife Extra:

Scotland’s whales at risk from military exercises

Military sonar causing unusual behaviour in Scotland’s whales

May 2009. The safety of western Scotland’s whales and dolphins has been called into question following an incident involving naval sonar. This took place during the major NATO military exercise, Joint Warrior, in Scottish waters.

Military sonar on the hydrophone

The Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT) conducts regular boat surveys for whales and dolphins on the west coast of Scotland using observers and hydrophones (underwater microphones). On the 12th May, they observed two minke whales within an hour displaying unusual and worrying behaviour. At the same time they heard military sonar on the hydrophone – sometimes so loud that they could not keep the headphones on. The whales were both moving in the same direction at high speed, regularly leaping clear of the water. This behaviour, known as ‘porpoising’, is more typical of dolphins and rarely seen in undisturbed whales.

HWDT and the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) have renewed their call for a full and transparent Environmental Impact Assessment to be conducted by the Ministry of Defence for the exercise.

Military sonar can cause very unusual behavious and strandings amongst cetaceans.

Joint Warrior – Major NATO exercise

Joint Warrior is a major exercise led by the UK and involving 12 NATO and Allied Nations. At-sea operations are conducted for two weeks and occur twice every year. Up to 85 aircraft, 22 ships and 3 submarines operate during this massive international exercise. Military sonar, used during the exercises, emits intense loud noise that can disturb and harm whales and dolphins, which rely on their sensitive hearing to navigate, find food and communicate. Naval sonar, more commonly linked to mass strandings events of deep diving whales, has also been associated with minke whale strandings in the Bahamas and in North Carolina. On the west coast of US, close to Seattle, similar rapid fleeing behaviour has been observed from killer whales and dolphins in response to sonar.

Scotland Minke whales

The west coast of Scotland is well-known for its populations of minke whales which migrate to the area in the summer months to feed in the rich and productive waters. Decreases in sightings of minke whales have already been reported off the west coast of Scotland during naval activities. It is not known how any disruption in the whales’ feeding behaviours will affect populations in the long term.

HWDT and WDCS have joined forces to monitor important whale habitat in the Minch, western Scotland, during the Joint Warrior exercise as a result of ongoing environmental concerns. WDCS has been conducting land-based whale and dolphin observations in northwest Scotland, whilst HWDT has been surveying from its dedicated research vessel, Silurian, using visual and acoustic techniques.

Porpoising behaviour – Very unusual

Nienke van Geel, HWDT’s Biodiversity Officer said “Seeing Minke whales porpoising many times successively is very unusual. Both whales moved very fast, too fast for us to keep up with them to try to take identification pictures. We estimated they were travelling at least at 15 knots. Our research has already shown a decline in Minke whale sightings in the last few years, so we’re worried about anything that might adversely affect the population.”

WDCS’s Head of Scottish Policy, Sarah Dolman added “Western Scotland is one of the most important marine habitats in Europe. We are concerned about the potential impacts that these massive and regular exercises, including Exercise Joint Warrior, are having on our marine wildlife. The UK Ministry of Defence should conduct a full and transparent Environmental Impact Assessment – like those currently being undertaken by the US Navy – as a matter of urgency”

Local Gairloch Marine Wildlife Centre

Local Gairloch Marine Wildlife Centre owner and marine biologist, Ian French, shares these concerns. “We continue to see reduced numbers of animals when the exercises are taking place locally and this is affecting our business. Strandings that coincide with naval activities, and sightings of rarely seen species, lead me to believe that these animals are being driven inshore. Marine tourism in Scotland is important and the navies operating in these waters need to do so responsibly”

Strandng incidents connected to military sonar

This is not the first time that Minke whales have been involved in incidents related to naval sonar. In one of the best documented mass strandings that occurred in the Bahamas in 2000, a Minke whale stranded in an incident that also involved a dozen beaked whales (a species commonly associated with naval sonar strandings). A Minke whale also stranded with thirty-four short-finned pilot whales and two pygmy sperm whales stranded in the Outer Banks, North Carolina in 2005, coincident with a sonar exercise use about 90 nautical miles southeast of the stranding area. The government reported that the stranding had a number of features in common with other ‘atypical’ sonar-related strandings.

Joint Warrior is taking place from 11 – 21 May and 5 – 23 October.

Courtesy of the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT).

In a paper published in the May issue of the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, Delphine Mathias and Aaron Thode of Scripps Oceanography for the first time describe a direct comparison between sperm whale clicking sounds and the physical features of the animal’s head, including its size and internal organ structure: here. And here.

The Scottish Green Party has announced that it is pushing for an amendment to the Marine Bill that would designate Scottish waters as a cetacean sanctuary to protect whales and dolphins: here.

Seven cetacean species seen off the north of Scotland: here.

Eight species reported in UK national whale and dolphin watch week: here.

UK dolphins travel much further than previously thought: here.

This video is about a striped dolphin in Antwerp, Belgium.

Georgian opposition demonstration

In this video, ‘people have gathered in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi for a mass opposition rally against President Mikhail Saakashvili.’

From Trend News in Azerbaijan:

26.05.09 17:38

Georgia, Tbilisi, May 26 /N. Kirtskhalia/

The radical opposition had completed their rally at the Central Stadium “Dinamo” named after Boris Paichadze in Tbilisi. According to organizers, there were gathered at the stadium 60,000 people and then go to the Parliament of Georgia.

The procession will be held on the central streets of Tbilisi.

The rally was scheduled for 12.00-16.00. However, the demonstration began with a half late.

Opposition leaders stated that they would continue their “peaceful rally demanding Saakashvili‘s resignation and necessarily compel the president to resign.”

“Saakashvili brought the country to a standstill, brought it before the crisis, and the only way out of this situation is president’s resignation and early elections” they said.

Poland, bye bye

Goniadz, Poland, 23 May.

After the beautiful things which we have seen yesterday, this morning is our last chance to walk along Biebrza national park.

On the other river bank, a red deer is visible in the telescope.

Goldfinches.

Willow warbler sound. Its relative, the greenish warbler, is one the last migratory birds to come back in spring. It might have arrived here from India by now; but we did not see it.

Great reed warbler and Savi’s warbler singing in the reeed beds.

Roe deer on the other side.

A male marsh harrier, pursued by a lapwing.

A sedge warbler, flying upwards, singing.

A jay flies to a tree.

A white stork stands on a rooftop.

House martins fly to their nests under the bridge. At least one sand martin flies among them.

A tree sparrow is nesting in a hole in the top of a lamppost near the bridge.

A redshank sitting on a pole.

A swift, drinking river water while flying.

On the sandy road back: a greenfinch, and goldfinches.

A collared dove on a wire.

At 11 o’clock, our bus to Warsaw departs.

11:05: many white storks as we cross the bridge over the Biebrza river.

A lapwing on a field.

12:05: just before Sambory village, a hare crosses the road.

At 12:10, we cross the Narew river bridge.

White-winged black terns flew there. They were the last ones of many “special” birds which we saw in Poland.

Biebrza, third day

This video, in English, is about nature in Biebrza in Poland.

22 May.

Like yesterday, we are in Goniadz, Poland.

A linnet on a shrub.

Cuckoo and golden oriole sounds.

Fieldfares.

A male and a female Montagu’s harrier, circling around each other, not far away. When a female marsh harrier arrives, they drive it away.

In the reed beds, a blue tit (visible), and a Savi’s warbler (invisible, singing).

The bus takes us to a sedge peat bog.

We hear the aquatic warbler singing. Later, we see this exciting rare species at close distance.

This is a video of a singing aquatic warbler at Nagyivan, Hortobagyi National Park, Hungary.

An aquatic warbler photo is here.

A woodlark in one of the few trees in the bog. A common snipe, flying.

Skylark, singing.

Two moose.

A kestrel.

Then, a female hen harrier. This species stopped nesting in Poland years ago. Here was their last stand. That this bird now is here as late as 22 May, may mean that hen harriers will start nesting again. Recently, this species has declined in the Netherlands.

This video is about hen harriers in Scotland.

We continue, to a few small lakes. There, two hoopoes sit in a tree.

Sounds of corncrake. Corncrakes in the Netherlands: here.

And a skylark, singing.

Black terns, white-winged black terns, and whiskered terns flying over the lakes, diving sometimes.

Some white-winged black terns try to drive away a fox.

Black-tailed godwit and redshank at the next stop.

At the stop after that, a common tern sitting on a log in the middle of the river.

At the next stop, “our” Polish biologist sees a carrion crow, which is rare in Poland.

And someone else sees a golden oriole, singing. Which is also rare: not hearing the singing, but seeing this species, which usually is hidden near leafy tree tops.

This is a golden oriole video.

Our last stop turns out to be the best stop of today. From a watchtower, where barn swallows nest, we have an excellent view over mudflats, meadows, and water.

A black stork flying among many white storks. Great egrets.

Near the bank: wood sandpiper. A greenshank, catching a small fish. Little ringed plover.

A female ruff. Grey lag geese.

Then, both a male and a female citrine wagtail.

This is a citrine wagtail video.

As we arrive back in Goniadz, a lapwing tries to drive away a male Montagu’s harrier.

Greenfinch. Whitethroat.

Common cranes in Britain: here.

[Monday 2 November 2009]: One of the England’s rarest birds of prey, the Hen Harrier, has all but vanished as a breeding species after a disastrous breeding season this year, according to latest figures: here.

Fox, cranes, and lapwing in Poland

Poland, 21 May.

As I mentioned, we arrived in Goniadz village, on the edge of Biebrza national park, late in the afternoon.

Sounds of golden oriole, chiffchaff, serin, greenfinch.

Barn swallows drinking from the river while flying just above it.

On a coniferous shrub, a male and a female linnet.

This video is from Stibbe in the Netherlands.

Many fieldfares flying to treetops.

There is a greenfinch nest with chicks in a small coniferous shrub in the garden.

As we walk along the river, we see four adult elks and one calf through the telescope.

Swifts flying. An icterine warbler (see also here) singing.

Then, we hear a wryneck sound in a distant tree. When the Polish biologist in our group plays a recorded wryneck sound, the bird immediately flies to the big tree above our heads.

This is a video of a wryneck; recorded in Breskens, the Netherlands.

The wryneck keeps calling, while making the neck movements from which its name is derived.

Meanwhile, under the wryneck tree, a common frog jumps through the grass.

A Savi’s warbler‘s song from a river reedbed.

A white stork arrives back on its nest, where its sitting partner welcomes its with a clattering sound. Hear stork clattering sound here (especially the lowest of the two sound files on that page).

We reach the bridge, where we put up the telescope.

Across the river, we see two cranes. They are asleep already, though it is not really dark yet.

Then, not far from the cranes, we see a fox. Probably, the fox is eating something quite big, as it keeps eating for a long time. However, the long vegetation hides what exactly the fox is eating.

A lapwing tries to drive the fox away, by flying closely to it and calling loudly. This wakes up the cranes, who stand up and start calling.

A black-tailed godwit tries to drive the fox away. It has as little success as the lapwing: the fox keeps eating.

Then, a redshank tries. The fox is still unimpressed.

The lapwing tries again, with the same result.

Meanwhile, the cranes have started dancing. These big birds are apparently the only ones which might impress the fox enough to leave its meal. However, will they do it? Sometimes, one crane walks to within a few meter of the fox. The fox then lifts it head to watch. As soon as the crane walks away, it starts eating again. Sometimes, both cranes walk to within a few meter of the fox. Again, it lifts it head. And goes back to its food, as soon as the cranes walk away again.

Then, the night falls, making it impossible to see how this story ends.

A bat detector detects a commun noctule bat flying near the river. Tree frog sounds.

Scientology accused of fraud

This video says about itself:

scientology OTIII and XENU, from BBC Panorama 1987.

From AFP news agency:

Church of Scientology on trial in France

May 26, 2009, 10:11 am

PARIS – The Church of Scientology and six of its French leaders went on trial on Monday on charges of organised fraud that could lead to an outright ban on the organisation in France.

Known for its Hollywood celebrity followers Tom Cruise and John Travolta, the group is in the dock in Paris for the second time in six years, although French courts have prosecuted several individual Scientologists since 1978.

The court is hearing a complaint from two women, one of whom alleges she was manipulated into handing over 20,000 euros (28,000 dollars) for costly Scientology products, such as an “electrometer” to measure mental energy.

She says she was approached in a Paris street by a Scientologist in late 1998 who offered a free personality test, at a time when she was feeling psychologically fragile.

After being told that her test results were poor,

Yes, people who do that dodgy Scientological personality test are always told that their results are poor; in order to persuade them to part with their money.

the woman was sold a series of “life-improvement courses”, vitamins and other products that she could ill afford, landing her in debt.

The second complainant alleges she was forced by her Scientologist employer to undergo testing and enroll in courses in 1998. When she resisted, she was fired.

The plaintiffs’ lawyers argue that Scientology resorts to harassment and pressure to rein in victims who show signs of vulnerability.

The Scientology Celebrity Centre in Paris, its director Alain Rosenberg and five other top officials are accused of preying on fragile followers “with the goal of seizing their fortune by exerting a psychological hold”. …

The Scientologists are also charged with illegally supplying pharmaceutical products after plaintiffs said they were given vitamins and concoctions to improve their mental state. …

Founded in the United States in 1954 by science-fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, the Church of Scientology was officially recognised as a religion there nearly 20 years later.

It is often accused in European countries of exploiting its members financially. In France, where there are believed to be several thousand Scientology followers, officials treat it as a sect and not a religion.

The trial is scheduled to continue until June 17 and a ruling is not expected until some time later.

Even if the court rules in favour of the plaintiffs and decides to impose a ban, the Church of Scientology has the right to appeal and the legal wrangling could continue for years.

See also here.

Wikipedia Blocks Church of Scientology From Editing Entries: here.

Biebrza, second day

Poland, 21 May.

Like yesterday, we are in Wosnawies.

Thrush nightingale and golden oriole sounds.

Hear the thrush nightingale singing on ARKive: here.

Tree sparrows. Hoopoe calling.

A whitethroat.

Two jays.

A red-backed shrike in a coniferous tree.

We go by canoe down the Narew river.

From the reed beds near the river banks, we hear great reed warbler, and reed warbler.

And sedge warbler.

We sometimes see the great reed warbler, as it is so big that it is more difficult for it to hide. And the sedge warbler, as it often flies upwards, singing.

We don’t see the secretive reed warbler, however. Except maybe when we see a nest hanging from reed stems. A little brownish bird flies out. Too quickly to see whether it is a sedge warbler or a reed warbler, or maybe another species yet.

Reed bunting sitting on a reed stem. Yellowhammer on the right hand side bank.

Our canoe passes a mute swan.

A collared dove.

The sounds of the skylark, cuckoo, hoopoe.

And the Savi’s warbler.

As we leave the canoe for dry land, we see a scarlet rosefinch.

From the bus, two roe deer.

A turtle dove.

This is a video of common cranes in France.

A crane in a meadow near the Biebrza river.

Black-tailed godwits. A curlew.

A yellow wagtail on a leafless branch.

Then, a rare bird: a Montagu’s harrier. First, a male. Soon, a female joins it.

This is a Dutch video about Montagu’s harriers in Poland.

Then, a much bigger bird of prey: a greater spotted eagle. It has a small radio device attached to it, so its movements can be studied.

A lesser whitethroat sings.

Finally, two white-winged black terns.

We arrive in Goniadz village.

Common rosefinch and wryneck migration: here.

Pale sosefinch photos from Jordan: here.

Economic crisis continues

This video from the USA is called Marx’s Theory of Economic Crisis.

This video from the USA is called Joseph Stiglitz on the Fall of Lehman Brothers.

USA: Former Lehman Brothers banker to head New York City’s Housing Authority: here.

Unemployment is set to rise to record levels in Spain as the economy contracts under the impact of the global financial meltdown: here.