January wildlife

[Stan da Prato]

..or in this case former  life.  The sperm whale washed up at Joppa, Edinburgh,  this weekend and currently being  removed. Around 14 metres long and thought to have been hit by a ship. This a deep water whale and even  the North Sea is not its natural habitat.

[Steve Garvie]

Interesting image Stan!

I've yet to see a live one but as you say Scottish coastal waters are generally too shallow.

I've seen Minke, Humpback and Killer Whales in the Forth. There was a returning Humpback that spent a fair bit of time in the trench between Inchcolm island and the Aberdour-Kinghorn shore every February-March for a few years in the late 1990s; it was easily observed from the elevated viewpoint to the east of Aberdour, a bit surreal!

A small pod of Killer Whales were present by The Rail Bridge in January 2007 (easiest to see from Carlingnose Point) whilst Minke Whales can occasionally be seen on the boat trip to the Isle of May of from Fife Ness. 

I wonder what passes through unnoticed!

[Anthony Darby]

Sad to see a whale like that. They have reduced the speed of ships in the Hauraki Gulf to prevent the killing of Bryde's whales.

This popped up on my FB page: http://www.forestandbird.org.nz/bat-conference

[mark smyth]

Is it April 1st?

"Should the Scottish sea eagle population be controlled?
BEING part of government is about taking the right decision, not the popular one.

The time has now come for the Scottish Government to admit that sea eagle re-introduction has gone wrong - and do something about it.

Farmers and crofters have had enough and are now calling for official action. The government must now take heed. These alien birds are proving a real threat to the iconic golden eagle, as well as lambs and hoggs.

Surely we don't have to wait until a small child is attacked before the government intervenes. Privately, some Scottish Natural Heritage personnel will admit the total unsuitability for the area of these birds.

This organisation's credibility rating in the countryside would soar if it was to now admit that it got it wrong - and advise government accordingly."

http://www.thescottishfarmer.co.uk/opinion/question-of-the-week/question-of-the-week-for-january-18-2014-x.23197824

[Maggi Young]

The Herald Newspaper has  carried a report that " FARMERS are seeking curbs on the growing sea eagle population because of their deadly impact on sheep and other wildlife which they fear threatens to get out of control. Representatives from the ­farming community in Argyll will meet Scottish Natural Heritage, which is already conducting a review of the management scheme overseeing the birds, in a bid to discuss their concerns today. " (Friday 17th January)


None of this tallies with what I have been told, or read, about the diet of Sea Eagles.
As for bringing in alarmist  comments about small children being attacked, well, that goes beyond 2April 1st" tomfoolery  to the realms of  downright irresponsible  nonsense, in my opinion.

There have been ridiculous alarmist reports of this kind before in the Scottish press - in spite of no evidence of such things.  daft!

[mark smyth]

Does Ian Bainbridge still work for Scottish Natural Heritage? - just wondering

[Steve Garvie]

This is the usual mix of scaremongering linked to bad journalism. Sea Eagles are native not alien and in the last 10,000 years have only been missing from Scotland for under 70 years when they were poisoned and shot to extinction.

There is no evidence that they out-compete Golden Eagles which are holding their own on Mull (due to lack of persecution).
In fact many farmers and crofters hate Golden Eagles more than Sea Eagles!

Here is a link to the typical bad journalism that these raptors are subjected to: http://www.dailymail...arp-talons.html

In the above example the "facts" surrounding the two eagle species are mixed up to sensationalise  the issue. The picture shows a Golden Eagle with a lamb in its talons. The text then discusses the Sea Eagle re-introduction programme as if the pictured raptor was a Sea Eagle. Eagles eat dead lambs and have been observed doing so on numerous occasions. Just because an eagle has a dead lamb in its talons it doesn't necessarily mean that the eagle killed the lamb. Far more lambs die from bad weather and bad husbandry than the combined effects of all the predatory mammals and birds put together.

Sheep die from bad weather, bad husbandry, misadventure (cos they is stoopid) and from being worried by dogs (apparently West Highland Terriers are known to repeatedly whisper "mint sauce" at them!).

As for the nonsense of a Sea Eagle taking a child -this is complete fiction.
Children are in far more danger from farm animals: http://www.mnn.com/e...you-than-sharks

[Maggi Young]

Literally dozens of children are killed every year by farm machinery  and that's only  in the UK ....
there's a lesson in there somewhere.....

[mark smyth]

So true Maggi and they don't ban farmers rearing children

[Peter Maguire]

So true Maggi and they don't ban farmers rearing children

Are they battery farmed, or is that just the result of many hours indoors hunched over gaming machines? 

[fermi de Sousa]

Sheep die from bad weather, bad husbandry, misadventure (cos they is stoopid) and from being worried by dogs (apparently West Highland Terriers are known to repeatedly whisper "mint sauce" at them!).

Steve! That is scurrilous rumour! I've met Ian and Maggi's Miss Lily, and she wouldn't say "boo" to a goose let alone "mint sauce" to a lamb!
 
cheers
fermi

[Anthony Darby]

Ooo. Two new species of dolphin found - one in Brazil (http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/viewart/20140127/NEWS01/301270024/New-dolphin-species-found-Brazil) and one off Australia (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/10/131029-new-humpback-dolphin-species-ocean-animals-science/). Maybe it's time to go on a Moa hunt? I'm reading "Moa" (http://www.craigpotton.co.nz/store/moa) just now and am finding it absolutely fascinating. I'd love to find a moa bone!

[arillady]

Looks like a good book Anthony.

[mark smyth]

A Pacific diver has turned up on a small lough far in land in Northern Ireland. It should be wintering in the north Pacific. I went to have a look on Sunday
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Loon

[Steve Garvie]

Nice bird Mark!
With the different head profile and the obvious chin-strap in your bird I can see the difference between this and Black-throat.