Birds Ignite in California Skies

This is sad:

(NEWSER) – A cutting-edge solar technology in California's Mojave Desert may have a bit too much cut. Wildlife officials say they've counted one bird being scorched to death every two minutes by intensely focused rays of light at the BrightSource Energy plant, considered the largest solar thermal power plant of its kind in the world. The Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System uses more than 300,000 mirrors the size of garage doors to focus the sun's power toward "power towers" as many as 40 stories tall, and can power as many as 140,000 homes. Google is one of three owners of the plant at Ivanpah Dry Lake, near the Nevada border. (Source here)

Octopus as Art: Stop Issuing One-Day Hunting Licenses!

I saw this story a few days ago but didn't want to deal with it. Sometimes the greed and arrogance, as well as cruelty of humans just does me in. In this case, Dylan Mayer of Washington state and an over-blown sense of personal entitlement, tortured an octopus.

Mayer got himself a one day license to "hunt" an octopus. He did this in a protected marine area. He tricked the octopus by making noise in order to lure it from its home, then, according to witnesses, punched the still living octopus repeatedly after he hauled it onto his truck. Mayer said he wanted the octopus not just for its meat, but "to draw it for this art project."

Even if the octopus was hunted for food, as in hunting because one needs to survive, the gratuitous nature of the act is unjustified. If you need to hunt, then kill quickly and cleanly, and with gratitude.

A very sad story. So click on the link below and sign the petition. And call out this ass clown Mayer.
Stop Issuing One-Day Hunting Licenses! - The Petition Site

Coyotes on the Beach

Oregon beaches have been experiencing coyotes on the beaches for awhile now. (I wrote about coyotes in the Newport area in May of 2010,) for Oreogn L.O.W.F.I. I've heard them at night; it's both a cool and an eerie sound to hear them so close, and right on the beach. But, like bear and deer in the area, the coyotes in human developed areas are a problem, for both humans and animals. There's the reason why bear, deer, coyote, etc. are "infringing" in human populated areas. The animal's habitat is being decreased, the animals move in. There are other reasons as well: for example, humans feeding wildlife, particularly bears. (A Yachats, Oregon women was found guilty of feeding bears on her property; she was banned from living in the area) as I also blogged on L.O.W.F.I.

On Thursday, a five year old was bitten by a coyote on the beach in Nehalem State Park. (Nehalem is on the coast.) Wildlife authorities shot and killed the coyote; the child is undergoing a rabies shots series.

OH NO….The Idaho Live Bait Kill Wolves Bill…Voted Out of Committee..Goes To Senate For Vote!!!! � Howling For Justice

From Howling For Justice blog, this news about a horrifying bill. Let's hope it doesn't succeed. Live bait? Jesus fucking Christ what's wrong with people? The irony of killing wolves because they're killing the animals we kill to eat by using live animals to lure the wolves that we're killing... OH NO….The Idaho Live Bait Kill Wolves Bill…Voted Out of Committee..Goes To Senate For Vote!!!! � Howling For Justice

Animal rights group says drone shot down

A remote-controlled aircraft owned by an animal rights group was reportedly shot down near Broxton Bridge Plantation Sunday near Ehrhardt, S.C.

Steve Hindi, president of SHARK (SHowing Animals Respect and Kindness), said his group was preparing to launch its Mikrokopter drone to video what he called a live pigeon shoot on Sunday when law enforcement officers and an attorney claiming to represent the privately-owned plantation near Ehrhardt tried to stop the aircraft from flying.

"It didn't work; what SHARK was doing was perfectly legal," Hindi said in a news release. "Once they knew nothing was going to stop us, the shooting stopped and the cars lined up to leave."

Read more: http://thetandd.com/animal-rights-group-says-drone-shot-down/article_017a720a-56ce-11e1-afc4-001871e3ce6c.html#ixzz1mmR6g5f6
Animal rights group says drone shot down

[thanks to piglipstick for link.]

About a hundred dead birds block I-95 traffic - WTOP.com

About a hundred dead birds block I-95 traffic - WTOP.com

WASHINGTON - Hundreds of dead birds blocked traffic for hours Wednesday afternoon on Interstate 95 in Laurel.
The heavy congestion clogged the highway back to Route 212, but the real trouble happened just north of the Intercounty Connector near MD-198 (exit 33).
Inspectors from the Maryland Highway State Administration think the birds were killed after flying into huge power lines that cross the highway and are secured by large towers on either side.

Howling For Justice:No Justice For Journey’s Brother, OR9? � Howling For Justice

From Howling For Justice, a blog I recently discovered that is focused on informing us about wolf: (protection, activism, news, etc) this item on the sad news of the harvesting murder of OR-9 in Idaho.No Justice For Journey’s Brother, OR9? Howling For Justice

'We are trying to re-establish an animal that is native to the US' | Politics | Eugene News, Weather, Sports, Breaking News | KVAL CBS 13

Pretty cool but also disturbing. One question is: why? 'We are trying to re-establish an animal that is native to the US

Woodland caribou, rarely-seen creatures that with their antlers stand as tall as a man, are struggling to survive in the United States, precariously occupying one remote area of the Northwest as a final toehold in the Lower 48.

The federal government has proposed designating about 600 square miles in Idaho and Washington — roughly half the size of Rhode Island — as critical habitat in an effort to save this last U.S. herd of fewer than 50 animals.

Locals are for the most part angry over the introduction of caribou into Idaho, Washington and other states. If the caribou are protected at the cost of jobs and monies going to humans, then the animals are not seen as a precious thing, but an intrusive and disruptive element. Jobs,tourism, etc. affected by laws in place to protect caribou. Understandable.

On the other hand...

It's a wait and see situation right now; will the government designate areas for protection of the species or not?

Wolf Brother Killed: OR-7's sibling killed by Idaho "Hunter"

Very sad; the lone wolf that has made its way through Oregon and down into California had a sibling. OR-9, brother of OR-7 or Journey, as he's been named, was shot and killed by an Idaho hunter.

Fish and Game don't call this killing or murder, but "harvesting." Killing and murdering carry obvious meaning, while harvesting implies something good -- a reward, a reaping of a benefit. Interesting use of language. In Idaho, it's legal to kill wolves. The hunter murderer didn't have proper tags but he wasn't cited; according to Fish and Game the "hunter" had erroneous information as to renewal dates.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has issued a kill order for two members of the pack, but a federal judge has blocked it. The Legislature is considering a bill backed by ranchers that would give the state explicit authority to kill the wolves.

The bastard ranchers have lots of money and power, let's hope they don't succeed in this.

Idaho hunter kills brother of lonely Oregon wolf - California State Wire - fresnobee.com

Russia X-Files: Reporters, Cops Discover Dead Hares After Witnessing Mystery Light | DBKP - Death By 1000 Papercuts - DBKP

Strange lights, remote areas in Russia, dead hares: Russia X-Files: Reporters, Cops Discover Dead Hares After Witnessing Mystery Light. Thanks to Lesley at The Debris Field for link.

The Grey

I really dislike rants about books or film where the ranter hasn't read the book or seen the film. But I'm breaking my own rule. Furthermore, I love Liam Neeson. Love him, and I've forgiven him for getting that glazed, empty-eyed plastic surgery job that he got a few years ago. In spite of that awful eye job, he's still dreamy. However, it's impossible to forgive him for starring in a movie like The Grey, which is --  I assume, based on the previews -- basically, Moby Dick. Only on land, and with a wolf and not a whale. No, I haven't seen the movie, and I probably won't, unless it's late and it comes on cable and I think "what the hell..."

I am intrigued by Roger Ebert's review of the film. I respect Ebert, and often agree with him (except with his review of Blue Velvet, though  I might feel differently if I were to see the film again after so many years.) Did Ebert mean the The Grey isn't what we who haven't seen the film and assume it's about big evil meanie wolves killing people isn't that at all? Or that, in spite of the former -- it being exactly that -- there are redeeming qualities? I'm sure the acting and direction are excellent; but in film, like literature and art, that's not enough.

Wolves are not the enemy. Exploiting animals -- using them as allegories for human anxieties and fears, unease and dissatisfactions -- is a tradition in human artistic expression. It's more creative, fun, silly, and interesting, to make up fantastical creatures or frightening monsters, to make up weirdness to scare, creep out, amuse, than it is to feed the greed gene and titillate with supposed horrors from the animal kingdom. 

OR-7: Oregon's Lone Wolf

OR - 7, or Journey, as he's been named, is a wolf that has moved through eastern Oregon and down into California, where he is currently.  Journey's movements are followed by wildlife authorities -- Journey is searching for a mate, it is believed. California has a web page devoted to Journey, and educating the public about wolves.

It's against the law to kill a wolf, at least in California and Oregon. Though there are those in Oregon who are working hard to get that changed, like the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association. I literally pray every day that they are utterly unsuccessful. Here's more in an item that appeared in today's local paper, The Register Guard.

A Dead Whale In Tokyo Bay

A Dead Whale In Tokyo Bay

As for the dead blue whale in Tokyo Bay (see below), it probably was while still healthy...feeding somewhere between the Bering Strait and the Sea of Okhotsk, unknowingly ingesting radioactive and chemically-contaminated krill at depths of 100 meters or more. These krill are spawned over the Japan Trench were the warm Kuroshio meets the cold Liman currents.

Upon feeling strange symptoms in its gut and having difficulty in holding in air, the huge cetacean rose to the surface for easier breathing and slowly swam southward in the Liman/Oyashio Current in search of warmer waters. Once past Choshi Point, it headed toward the brackish water flowing out of Tokyo Bay in hopes of reaching the estuary of the Edo River, where it could rest in the shallow bed of running fresh water. It senses filth in the water, however, and decides to push further south in search of a cleaner river.

Because They Can: Chimeras

Disturbing science news on "chimeras" which is the name given to lab created monkeys:BBC News - First 'mixed embryo' monkeys born

For the first time, scientists have produced monkeys composed of cells taken from separate embryos.

The animals were born after researchers combined cells from different embryos and implanted them into female monkeys.

Such animals, which contain genetically distinct groups of cells from more than one organism, are called "chimeras".

The three monkeys have been given names, and they have scientists excited for what "might" be revealed. However, as a Dr. Mitalipov is quoted:

But he stressed there was no practical use for producing human chimeras.

Fortean Name Game and More: Beebe, Arkansas

Last New Year's, birds fell to their deaths in Beebe, Arkansas. The cause of the deaths was said to be from fireworks. Or gunfire. Or both. Or maybe something else. No one was sure, but officials did their best to stick with the "celebratory noise" explanation. Many other reports of bird falls in the U.S. came in last year around that time. But Beebe, Arkansas seemed to be the point of origin for the Fortean falls.

Then this New Year's, a new report of birds falling to the ground, and again, in Beebe. A Fortean coincidence to be sure. Same town, twice? At the same time of the year? So I looked up Beebe, Arkansas and I found that the town was named after Roswell Beebe. Roswell! Also on the Wikipedia entry is a section on the bird falls from 2011, but also, information on the current bird deaths. That was quick!

Dead Blackbirds Fall Again in Ark. Town - ABC News

Fortean coincidences: birds fall from trees on New Year's in the south, specifically, Beebe, Arkansas, which is where the bird falls happened last New Year's:Dead Blackbirds Fall Again in Ark. Town - ABC News From ABC News:

Thousands of dead blackbirds rained down on a town in central Arkansas last New Year's Eve after revelers set off fireworks that spooked them from their roost, and officials were reporting a similar occurrence Saturday as 2012 approached.

Police in Beebe said dozens of blackbirds had fallen dead, prompting officers to ban residents from shooting fireworks Saturday night. It wasn't immediately clear if fireworks were again to blame, but authorities weren't taking a chance.

Officer John Weeks said the first reports of "birds on the streets" came around 7 p.m. as residents celebrated the year's end with fireworks in their neighborhoods.

"We started shutting down fireworks," he said. "We're working on cleaning up the birds now."

The Huffington Post had a short AP item on the story.

And here's pretty much the same item from Beebe, Arkansas, but with video.

See the Bird Falls tab at top of blog for more bird stories.

Supernatural flock of birds mourn dead North Korean despot Kim Jong-Il

With video clip. Despite the snarky tone of this short item, interesting bird news:

Supernatural flock of birds mourn dead North Korean despot Kim Jong-Il: North Korean state news is now reporting that divinely anointed flocks of magpies have been flocking to a monument of Kim Jong-Il's father, Kim Il-sung. On December 18, a few dozen magpies landed near a memorial statue in Unsan county and just would not leave.

According to The Telegraph, "Locals claimed the magpies would not fly away even when the villagers approached them or shone torches into the trees."

Another Mass Bird Death Event

Over 30 Birds Mysteriously Die on Montgomery Co. Road | LEX18.com | Lexington, Kentucky

There's a bizarre scene in Montgomery County where dozens of birds are dead.
More than 30 birds are lying dead on Indian Mound Drive at the intersection of Grassy Lick Road in Mt. Sterling.
All the birds appear to be the same species, and seem to have died and landed at this spot all at once.
No word yet about what caused their death.
The strange sight was first spotted on Christmas morning by people who live nearby.

And on the 15th of this month, this mass bird death event in Utah. As I commented in that post, it was close to this time last year we saw many mass bird falls; are we about to witness more of these in the next month or so?

USDA found to be poisoning bird populations, causing mass die-offs involving millions of birds

Natural News brings us their top ten censored stories of 2011, including this one about the government's intentional eradication of birds and other animals: USDA found to be poisoning bird populations, causing mass die-offs involving millions of birds.

After hundreds of starlings were found dead in the Yankton Riverside Park, concerned citizens began to investigate. Before long, a USDA official called the local police and admitted they had poisoned the birds. "They say that they had poisoned the birds about ten miles south of Yankton and they were surprised they came to Yankton like they did and died in our park," says Yankton Animal Control Officer Lisa Brasel, as reported by KTIV (http://www.ktiv.com/Global/story.as...).

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/031076_USDA_bird_deaths.html#ixzz1hgCS8jcU

Wolves in Oregon and the Journey of 'Oregon-7'

The wolf (which happens to be my totem and clan, and an animal I have a great affinity for, having come to me in dreams many times. Usually Wolf comes to me as very large, and snow white...) has made a "come back" into Oregon, and this is either beautiful news for some, and very bad news for others. Ranchers in particular see the return of the wolf as bad news.

One wolf has become a symbol; a symbolic animal hero, almost mystical in its journey. The wolf, so far unnamed save for the clinical label of "Oregon-7" wears a GPS collar. His journey is tracked. Oregon-7 is, hopefully and probably, looking for a mate:
if this wolf can locate a mate, it could help wolf recovery. All on his own, Oregon-7 is a biological dead end.

"We’re out here trying to find out which way it’s going to go," Stephenson says.
In September, the 2½ year old male left the Wallowa mountains in search of a new territory and company, a process called dispersal. The GPS collar recorded the wolf’s location every three hours. Oregon-7 traveled more than 700 miles.

This article: Field Notes: In Oregon’s Cascades, A Lone Wolf details Oregon-7's latest movements, as well as giving background and context to why "Oregon-7's" journey is important.

There was a time in Oregon when bounties were paid for wolf kills. Now, in Oregon, it is illegal to kill wolves, which are listed as an endangered species. This law is being contested however; ranchers, cattlemen, etc. are working very hard to change that law. This story from October, 2010 gives an account of an illegal wolf kill (a wolf that had a GPS collar and was being tracked by wildlife authorities) in Northeastern Oregon. About the wolf that was killed in 2010:

“It’s infuriating when any animal is senselessly and illegally killed, but the facts in this case are especially egregious,” says Wally Sykes of Northeast Oregon Ecosystems of Joseph, Oregon. “The biologists had just fitted this endangered wolf with a hard-to-miss collar and sent out photos printed in newspapers and websites across the state. Whoever shot this wolf knew what they were doing and just didn’t care that it was illegal.”

The irony is that the Wenaha wolf pack hasn’t been a problem for Northeast Oregon ranchers. The pack keeps to itself in the high country and has never attacked livestock. The Imnaha pack, on the other hand, killed at least six or seven calves this year in Wallowa County.