Ever since Smithsonian Magazine publish 2007 article, "The Amazing Albatrosses" I have been an enthusiast concerning migratory birds. Plotting on maps the migration and feeding routes time well spent, especially when involving teenagers. They soak up knowledge like a sponge.
Forty years ago while snorkeling Key West a Reef Octopus introduced herself. I became intrigued thus the next five years exploring two oceans in the pursuit of this remarkable creatures. Ended up with six Oceanic aquariums. Two were 300 Gallon with homemade saltwater filtration systems that would rival todays technology. Lot of trial and error but I had thriving young octopus in my home and loved every minute of it.
Currently raising Monarch Butteries to aid in the migration, Canada to Mexico. This year we raised, tagged and released 258 Monarchs. Unfortunately their numbers are down 85% from thirty years ago. Mainly due to pesticides and loss of habitat in Mexico. Conservation efforts by small groups and notable non profits have accomplish much however the challenges are many. Greed, Monsanto and total ignorance at the federal level responsible. My own opinion they will vanish within the next twenty years.
Back to our Bar-tailed Godwit. China has taken bold action in long-term conservation and protection of The Yellow Sea for bird migration pathways. Lot to be said on how they do things compared to others. Northern Hemisphere designates lots of money but the end result majority of time, a comical joke.
smithsonianmag.com
"The Amazing Albatrosses" fly 50 miles per hour, go their first six years without touching land, predict the weather, mate for life, and they're among the world's most endangered birds. They live about 50 years, have the widest wingspans (10 feet) of any bird, but can only dive a few feet into water. Their chicks' (born to parents at least 11 years old) nutritional needs cannot be met by only one parent - parental stability is essential. The breeding pair returns to the same nest year after year, adding a fresh layer of peat and vegetation until the pedestal becomes as tall as a top hat.
Introduced predators such as rodents and feral pose a danger, especially to defenseless chicks which are left alone for long periods while their parents shuttle back and forth from distant feeding grounds. Natural disasters also cause heavy losses. In 1985, storm surges washed over two royal albatross breeding islands in the Chathams, killing chicks and, even more problematic, removing much of the islands' scant soil and vegetation. With the albatrosses lacking nesting material in subsequent years, the breeding success rate dropped from 50 percent to 3 percent: the birds laid their eggs on bare rock, and most eggs were broken during incubation. The most serious threats to albatrosses today are to adult birds - hooks, nets and trawl wires inflict a heavy toll of injury and death.
These super-soarers cover tens of thousands of miles in their oceanic forays. Individuals of some species circumnavigate the globe, covering 500 miles/day. Because the birds maintain their course day and night, in cloudy weather and clear, scientists believe they use some kind of magnetic reckoning to fix their position relative to the earth's magnetic field.
The birds also seem able to predict the weather. Southern Buller's albatrosses were found to fly northwest if a low-pressure system, which produces westerly winds, was imminent, and northeast if an easterly wind-producing high-pressure system prevailed. The birds typically chose their direction 24 hours prior to the arrival of the system, suggesting they can respond to barometric cues.
Fledglings of most albatross species weigh 50 percent more than adults. They need the extra fat to tide them over when they are learning to feed themselves.
"Kiwi Ingenuity" tells of New Zealanders' commercial fishing efforts to minimize damage to albatrosses. One fisherman reports using noise cannons and long curtains of fluttering streamers to scare birds away from his hooked and baited lines, and weighting the lines so that they sink before birds can get at them. He also sets the lines at night, when fewer birds are feeding. Other measures include using thawed baits (sink faster than frozen ones), dying baits blue making them harder for birds to see. Other boats have stopped throwing fish waste overboard - reducing the attraction for birds. Reductions of 95% in bird kills have been accomplished. |
