Submitted by Gitie on 24 March, 2012 - 15:32
It's not too late to help - visit - dontshootbats.com to find out how you can help and for more information on bats.
"Full exclusion netting is the only reliable method" - NSW Govt (Dept of Environment & Climate Change)
Unfortunately LNP has announced plans to shoot bats instead of following progressive ways that actually work. Let your pollies know that these bad old ways are no longer acceptable.
Sign the petition at: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/don-t-shoot-bats.html
Submitted by Gitie on 5 March, 2012 - 13:42
Nom is a one year old pied-butcherbird and a much loved friend of readess Jan & Victoria Anderson (remember the gorgeous picture of Pingu magpie with Vic).
Nom and older brother Om were regular visitors to Jan's home along with their siblings and parents (see picture below).
Bird territorial rules are very complex. When another pied-butcherbird family moved into the area they felt Jan's yard fell within their boundaries and began to chase Om, Nom and family away much to Jan and Vic's dismay.
Around the same time Nom began to show symptoms of conjunctivitis. (Regular readers may remember our pied-butcherbird Butchie getting this terrible condition which often inflicts pied-butcherbirds and which can end in a cruel death for the bird.)
Submitted by Gitie on 4 March, 2012 - 22:53
2012 sees the continuation of the Year of the Bat.
Abandoned mines although unsuitable for human use can provide much needed habitat for bats and wildlife. In the United States alone there are over 48,000 abandoned mines. Abandoned mines are like caves and non-destructive mine closures are those where features such as bat gates, cupolas and other preservation tools have been installed to help bats (or other wildlife depending on the location) use the mines for refuge.
Bat Conservation International and the US Bureau of Land Management have combined their efforts to create a guide that helps determine the best closure type for mine openings. On their dedicated site http://www.batgating.com they provide a wealth of information as well a decision matrix tool to help land managers and conservation groups evaluate a closed land mine, or a mine targeted for closure and determine the most suitable mine opening. There is also a wealth of information on closure types, materials, considerations, and other expert material.
Such re-purposing is great news for bats and other wildlife and hopefully a turning point as more unusable mines are converted to help conservation efforts across the globe.
Submitted by Gitie on 3 March, 2012 - 16:59
I love wildflowers and I know that wild birds love wildflowers too. Bob Gibbon's Wildflower Wonders - The 50 Best wildflower sites in the World is filled with spectacular photographs like the one above of Wood Cranesbill and Bistort in the Upper Narreyroux Valley in in the Ecrins National Park in France.
Submitted by Gitie on 26 February, 2012 - 15:08
An impromptu stop not far from lake Padam Talao brought us some new surprises. Beautiful Partridges pottering in the scrub right next to the jeep.
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Abandoned mines although unsuitable for human use can provide much needed habitat for bats and wildlife. In the United States alone there are over 48,000 abandoned mines. Abandoned mines are like caves and non-destructive mine closures are those where features such as bat gates, cupolas and other preservation tools have been installed to help bats (or other wildlife depending on the location) use the mines for refuge.
