As if things weren't bad enough: Tractor trailer crash on commuter rail tracks near Weymouth/Braintree line. Photo: Neal Simpson
February 4, 2015 - MASSACHUSETTS, UNITED STATES - A train crashed with a tractor-trailer in Braintree, Massachusetts on Wednesday.
CBS Boston reports that the Kingston/Plymouth Line train that left Boston's South Station at 10:50 a.m. collided with the truck on Grove Street in Braintree.
Location of the crash.
Response to Truck vs commuter train accident in Braintree. EMT’s await towed train #WCVB
Debris field Commerce Drive & Grove St Braintree after commuter train vs tractor trailer. Photo: Josh Brogadir
The driver of the tractor trailer jumped out of his vehicle before the crash, a spokesman for Keolis, the company that operates the commuter rail, told the station.
February 4, 2015 - EARTH - The following constitutes the latest reports of unusual and symbolic animal behavior, mass die-offs, beaching and stranding of mammals, and the appearance of rare creatures.
Hundreds of dead fish found floating in Mississippi River in Iowa, America
For
the second consecutive winter, hundreds of fish were found dead along
the shore of the Mississippi River in Davenport, Iowa. About 270 dead
freshwater drum fish were discovered along the shoreline between Lock
and Dam 15 and Credit Island Park according to a report from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. “The
fish kill was determined to be from natural causes, either oxygen
depletion, stress or disease,” the report said. “A similar fish kill of
freshwater drum occurred at approximately the same time last year in
the same area.”
When the ice melts, the fish that
died float to the surface and are blown to shore. It can look much
worse than it really is, though, as we reported in March 2014. If you have any doubts or concerns about a fish kill, it’s best to contact your local fisheries biologist or the DNR. - WQAD.
67 sick Sea Lions washed ashore already this year, 'no muscle, no fat,
just skin and bones', 'it's a real shock' in California, United States
California sea lion pups recover at SeaWorld San Diego's Animal Rescue
Center Jan. 27. Marine mammal rehab facilities have seen
high numbers of
sea lions this month. (Mike Aguilera/SeaWorld San Diego via Getty
Images)
This year is shaping up to be a brutal one for the California sea lion -- the third year in a row for record numbers of sea lion strandings in the state.
Sick, abandoned pups have shown up in alarming numbers on beaches in January.
"Their growth is stunted,” said Shawn Johnson, director of veterinary science at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, Calif. “They're basically starved to death -- no muscle, no fat, just skin and bones."
But pups aren't the only ones in trouble. California marine mammal rehabilitation centers this month have treated record numbers of sea lions of all ages.
"We've had 67 strandings of sea lions of all different ages,” said Johnson, whose center would normally see one, maybe two, sea lions in the entire month of January. “The whole population is getting hit hard."
"It's a real shock to us," he added.
The story’s much the same in Southern California.
“It's shaping up to be a very, very bad year as far as rehabilitation,” said David Bard, operations director at the Marine Mammal Care Center in San Pedro. There were 75 animals at the center as of the end of January. Like its sister center in Sausalito, the facility was seeing a wider age range of sea lions in January, as well as a greater cross-section of species.
The San Pedro center has seen “double the numbers we saw in the middle of January 2013” -- the year of an Unusual Mortality Event.
The National Marine Fisheries Service declared the UME in 2013 – a phenomenon characterized by an unexpected number of strandings and significant die-off of a marine mammal population.
Scientists thought the huge number of strandings in 2013 was an anomaly, Johnson said.
"But then it happened again last year, and now it's happening again."
The marine mammal centers in Northern and Southern California were not affected equally by strandings in 2013 and 2014, he added. In 2013, Southern California centers saw a huge influx of sea lions. Then in 2014, Northern California facilities were swamped.
Sausalito’s Marine Mammal Center, which averages 600 animals a year, responded to 1,030 animals, Johnson said. Of those, "711 were sea lions, mostly pups, but again it was spread over all the age classes."
January 2015, however, has been “extremely unusual” for the Northern California center, he said.
In winter, the sea lion population is concentrated in Southern California, then shifts northward in late summer, Johnson said. So for the center to see so many animals is cause for further concern.
There have been 60 UMEs in the U.S., for various marine mammals, since 1991. A cause has been determined in 29 of those cases, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Some are chalked up to infection. But since 1996 biotoxins from harmful algae blooms have been to blame in a majority of the UMEs, NOAA says. The biotoxins accumulate in the mammals' prey.
Another possibility is "the sea lion population is reaching carrying capacity," Bard said.
California sea lions were exploited in the 19th and early 20th centuries for their hides and blubber and continued to be hunted for sport in some areas later in the 20th century. The Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 led to dramatic increases in the populations of marine mammals, Johnson said. And the population is now abundant – 300,000, said NOAA Fisheries spokesman Jim Milbury, with a birth rate of about 50,000 a year.
The environment just may not be able to support a larger sea lion population.
It's also possible the sea lions' prey has shifted, Johnson said: “Maybe the fish have all left, and that’s why this is happening. We’re hoping for some answers in coming weeks.”
A team from NOAA Fisheries is at Channel Islands now, looking for clues to help solve this 2-year-old mystery, Milbury said.
Although sea lions range from Mexico to Canada, the Channel Islands are where most of America’s sea lions breed. Hordes of the mammals pup in rookeries on the islands.
Scientists have spent time on the islands in the last two years, but this year may bring extra urgency.
“This is the third year in a row that the anomaly has happened,” Johnson noted. “They’re working really hard to try to answer those questions.”
After the 2013 UME, the Marine Mammal Care Center in San Pedro began fund-raising in earnest to expand the facility. It now has two new enclosures for the animals.
“I’m not sure even that is going to be enough,” operations director Bard said.
The centers are under financial stress with the added burden of so many animals to treat. Bard said the center has gotten some funding for part-time husbandry assistants but was recruiting volunteer interns. California’s rehab centers rely heavily on volunteers.
Johnson said donors were crucial with all the extra mouths to feed – in 2014, the center spent $100,000 on herring alone.“I hope that we have some answers soon,” Johnson said, “so that we can prepare for the future.” - LA Times.
Massive die off of fish in a river in Istanbul, Turkey
Riva
Stream, one of the largest streams of Istanbul region, has been
witnessing fish deaths on a massive scale for the last couple of days.
The shores of the stream near Bozhane, Öğümce, Göllü, Paşamandıra and
Çayağzı villages of Istanbul's Beykoz district were filled with dead
carps. Villagers said that the mass fish deaths were a result of
chemical dumping into the stream by nearby industries.
Local
fisherman Şeref Cesur, 60, claimed that industries near Ömerli village
secretly dump chemical waste stored in pools by tankers into the stream.
"We used to fish and swim in this stream since we were small. We even
drunk water from the stream," Cesur said.
Sıtkı İlter, headman
of Öğümce village, said that the fish deaths have been going on for a
week and they think the cause is industrial waste.
Amid the
blurry water of the stream that has an increased flow rate due to heavy
rainfall, there is visible foaming in the areas where dumped water is
released into the stream.
Locals said that they had witnessed similar incidents on a smaller scale in previous years.
The upper course of Riva Stream feeds Ömerli Dam, which provides more
than 40 percent of Istanbul's drinking water. The mouth of the stream on
the Black Sea, located just west of Riva village, is one of the most
popular getaways near Istanbul due to its wide beach, although sea
activities are losing popularity due to increasing pollution flowing
from the stream.
The seventy kilometer long stream is also one of the few streams in Istanbul which flows along its natural course.
Environmentalists have also expressed their concerns over the last few
years regarding high probability of increasing urban buildup near the
connection roads leading to the third bridge of Istanbul, which runs
parallel to the lower course of the stream. - Daily Sabah.
Thousands of dead starfish wash up on a beach in Abergele, Wales
THOUSANDS of dead starfish have washed up on a beach in Abergele after a period of stormy weather.
Shocked amateur photographer, Gordon McGookin, initially thought that
Pensarn beach was covered in rubbish when he went out for a walk on
Sunday.
On a closer inspection, he discovered thousands of starfish and razor clams spread out across 500 metres of sand.
Mr McGookin, aged 39 who lives in Pensarn, said: “I try to get out each
day usually walking on the beach. It was Sunday when I spied them, just
after the tide had gone out.
WATCH:Thousands of dead starfish.
“There
was thousands of them. I have never seen anything like it before. I was
a bit concerned but I guess the recent rough sea and high tides over
the last week or two was probably the cause.”
Mr McGookin, who enjoys photography as a hobby, took some pictures and a video.
Charlie Lindenbaum, marine monitoring ecologist for Natural Resources
Wales, said: “Unfortunately, this kind of event is relatively common
along the coast of Wales. The recent stormy weather and strong,
northerly winds will cause creatures like this to be washed on the shore
so it is most likely a natural occurrence.
“We would ask that
if people do see things like this to report it to us. We can then
investigate to make sure there is nothing else to blame for the event
and it also gives us an opportunity to learn more about the fantastic
species we have along our coast and does show the diverse and rich
wildlife we have in Wales.”
To report an environmental incident telephone 0800 80 70 60 - News North Wales.
Thousands of birds dying from disease at Walker Lake in Nevada, America
Canvasback ducks enjoy the water at Walker Lake. Thousands of ducks and other birds have died from an outbreak of avian cholera at the lake.(Photo: RGJ file)
Thousands of birds have died at Walker Lake from a disease experts say hasn't made an appearance in Nevada in decades.
An
estimated 3,000 birds — most of them American coots and ducks — have
died in an outbreak of avian cholera since early December in an event
that still is unfolding. As many as 10 percent of Walker Lake's ducks
may have died.
"It is still an ongoing outbreak," said Peregrine Wolff, veterinarian for the Nevada Department of Wildlife. The event marks the first time for an outbreak of avian cholera in Nevada since the 1980s, Wolff said.
The
highly infectious and quick-killing disease is unrelated to the avian
flu that has spread among waterfowl in neighboring states and which
experts said last Friday was found in a duck in Nevada's Lincoln County
late in January. Avian cholera poses no threat to people or dogs.
The
Department of Wildlife was first notified by hunters in early December
that they were finding dead ducks around Walker Lake. It was the wrong
time of year for the most common culprit when it comes to Nevada bird
die-offs, avian botulism, so experts suspected something else was
responsible for a die-off that appeared fairly large in scale.
"There's not a lot of things that kill a lot of birds quickly but avian cholera in one of them," Wolff said.
Tests
of bird carcasses conducted at the National Wildlife Health Center lab
in Madison, Wis., revealed the birds had died of avian cholera.
The
outbreak likely started when infected ducks or geese flew to Walker
Lake and mixed with other birds. Live bacteria is released into the
environment from dead or dying birds and can quickly infect healthy
ones. Infected birds die within two days but can expire in as little as
six hours.
"When an outbreak is going on, it often occurs when a lot of birds are concentrated in one area," Wolff said. About
1,000 dead birds have been picked up around the lake but the number
killed is probably much larger because many dead birds are never seen,
Wolff said. More than 700 were picked up last Friday
along a seven-mile stretch of shore by a volunteer crew of Walker Lake
area residents. The dead birds were buried in a landfill.
"We need
to take care of it because they don't have the manpower to do it,"
resident Sheri Samson said of the decision to help the Department of
Wildlife by collecting carcasses. The
die-off has resulted in an unsightly and smelly problem in a scenic
place residents love to walk and otherwise enjoy themselves, Samson
said.
"It's an active beach area for all of us. It
doesn't feel comfortable to walk our pets there," she said, adding that
another cleanup is planned soon.
The outbreak will likely have to play itself out over coming weeks until wintering birds fly away, Wolff said.
"At
this point, there's not much we can do except wait for the birds to
start disbursing," Wolff said. "It's a concern because we will lose some
birds, but it's only going to affect what's on the lake. Will it have a
large population impact? Probably not." WALKER LAKE BIRD DIE-OFF
Of the 706 dead birds collected last Friday, here is a breakdown:
American coots: 546
Mallards: 50
Gadwells: 37
Ruddy: 29
Wigeons: 16
Shovelers: 13
Sea gulls: 12
Bufflehead: 2
Cormarant: 1 Source: Nevada Department of Wildlife. - RGJ.
10,000 Chickens killed due to avian flu in Hampshire, England
THREE people have been tested for bird flu following an outbreak at a Hampshire farm.
It is understood that three people, including a Defra official, were tested for the disease after showing symptoms.
This comes after health officials confirmed chickens at a farm in Upham, near Bishop's Waltham have avian flu.
A previously reported 1km restriction zone has been set up around the farm.
Now work has begun on slaughtering 10,000 chickens to try to contain the outbreak.
It is understood that this was confirmed last Friday following several deaths amongst the chickens.
It has been identified as the H7 strain, which is described by officials as ''much less severe'' than the H5N8 strain found at a Yorkshire duck farm in November.
Defra said there are no links between the two cases, while Public Health England said the risk to public health is very low.
The three people tested have proved negative. Defra said there are no links between the two cases, while Public Health England said the risk to public health is very low.
There is no food safety risk for consumers, according to the Food Standards Agency.
A 1km poultry restriction zone, including roads and footpaths, remains in place and the birds at the commercial chicken breeding farm, which has not been named, are to be culled as part of action to prevent any spread of the disease.
Nick Phin, director of the Centre for Infectious Disease Surveillance and Control, said: ''Based on what we know about this strain of avian influenza and the actions that have been taken, the risk to human health in this case is considered very low.''
A spokesperson for the Food Standards Agency said: ''On the basis of current scientific evidence, Food Standards Agency advice is that avian (bird) flu does not pose a food safety risk for UK consumers.''Laboratory investigations on the outbreak indicate that it is the N7 sub-type of H7 but this will need to be confirmed in further testing.'' - Hampshire Chronicle.
3,000 fish found dead in Collie River in Western Australia
Collie mass fish deaths Photo: Cobbler and redfin perch were among the species found dead in the Collie River. (Supplied: Department of Water)
Authorities
are investigating whether recent heavy rainfall caused thousands of
fish to die in the Collie River, in WA's South West.
About
3,000 fish, including cobbler and redfin perch, have been found dead in
the eastern branch of the river, about seven kilometres from the Collie
townsite.
People have been warned not to eat or handle the fish.
Department of Water spokesman Adam Maskew said initial test results were expected later on Tuesday.
"At the moment, we've collected samples of the dead fish and marron and we're undertaking pathology tests," he said.
"Water samples have also been taken for analysis as well." - ABC Australia.
37,000 birds killed due to avian flu near Netanya, Israel
An
additional 37,000 cases of avian flu have been identified in Kfar
Vitkin, a moshav near Netanya, the Agriculture Ministry said on Monday.
The birds were all turkeys at the Beit Herut coop, were being culled
and buried to prevent the spread of the disease, the ministry said.
Other
cases have occurred and undergone treatment throughout the Sharon and
Haifa regions, as well as in the Palestinian Authority, over the past
few weeks. Some of the impacted areas have included farms in Moshav
Halevy, Kibbutz Magal, Binyamina-Givat Ada and Aviel, as well as near
Jenin and Kalkilya in the PA. - JPost.
50,000+ fish dead due to sewage pollution in Cartagena, Colombia
The communityasked toAguas deCartagena accountable for the environmental and economic damage// JulyBrown-TheUniversal
According
to narrate the natives from the village of Puerto Rey, Puerto Bello
sector, due to the expansion of the water pipe to the area north of the
city making Aguas de Cartagena, broke the duct of wastewater passing
through the place, causing environmental damage.
Based
on a community, it is estimated that more than 50 thousand fish died
because sewage contaminated around 13 breeding sites. Economic
losses of this possible environmental disaster has not been determined,
but according to the owners of farms, these contained seeds of fish
that cost from 500 thousand to 3 thousand five hundred pesos, not
including maintenance and feeding the animals.
Affected fish species include Tarpon, red bream, tilapia and bocachico.
Duct
of wastewater, according to residents of the area, broke around 10
o'clock in the morning by the work of excavation that waters of
Cartagena ahead. While hours later managed to stop the fluid, some houses are completely surrounded by these waters, as this medium. "We are very concerned about the situation, I had 5 thousand fish in the hatchery and all are dead. We want to Aguas de Cartagena we answer for damage. With this business I keep my family. Now I don't know what will I do", said Rubén Darío García Muñoz, one of those affected by the situation. Another
concern of the community is related to health, in particular the
children, who may be affected by the amount of wastewater that is around
the area, a situation that is aggravated because the beautiful port
sector is not paved and the terrain is suitable for the accumulation of
fluids. For this reason also requested support from the environmental authorities. Such is the situation of Claudia Marrugo, who lives in a House of wood that was completely lined with sewage. She lives with her husband and three children aged 4, 6 and 7. "It gives me fear that children will be sick by this water, also the smell is horrible," added Marrugo. Meanwhile
waters of Cartagena said that the accident caused the fissure of the
pipe and the dumping of sewage, without causing flooding to homes, was
then immediately controlled through an emergency download. It said drainage work being carried out to start the respective service, which it is estimated will last for 10 hours. - El Universal. [Translated]
10 dead whales during the past month 'baffle scientist' along south coast of Australia
Local
scientists are investigating if underwater seismic testing is to blame
for the deaths of three more whales along South Australia s coast.
Hundreds of birds dying in South Bay, San Francisco, America
Something is suddenly killing hundreds of birds in the South Bay and it might be related to the drought.
Native band-tailed pigeons stop eating and drinking before becoming so weak, they fall from the trees. They can no longer fly or see, their beaks are gaping open. And within a couple of days, they die.
Many of the carcasses end up at the Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley where a closer look shows white lesions that have swelled up and blocked their throats.
WATCH: Something is killing South Bay pigeons and drought is making it worse.
Researchers think the culprit is avian trichomoniasis (trick-oh-mah-nye-ah-sis) and, despite all the dead birds, the good news is that it can’t spread to humans.
Since the beginning of January, a minimum of 200 to 300 pigeons have died.
Due to the drought, the birds are forced to share dwindling water sources and feeding ground, making it easier to spread the highly contagious bacteria.Similar cases have also been reported in Lafayette and Orinda. - CBS.
Insane dash cam video catches #Taiwan plane crash landing into river #GE235
February 4, 2015 - TAIWAN
- At least 11 people have been killed after a regional TransAsia
passenger flight carrying 58 crash-landed into a river in northern
Taiwan. Incredible video-footage of the crash has emerged, showing the
jet nearly hitting a highway as it ditched.
Dramatic dash-cam footage captured TransAsia Airways flight GE235 as it descended out-of-control towards a highway, moments before slamming into the Keelung River near the Taiwanese capital, Taipei.
The plane was carrying 58 passengers and crew, including 31 tourists from mainland China, Reuters reported. Taiwan's Civil Aviation Authority [CAA] reported 16 people had been rescued; 33 people are still unaccounted for.
WATCH: TransAsia flight GE235 crash caught on camera.
Latest reports from the scene of the crash confirm one fatality and 10 others who "show no sign of life," according to officials from the Taiwan Fire Department, as quoted by Reuters.
Taiwanese officials said the aircraft, a turboprop ATR 72-600, crashed shortly after takeoff from Taipei Songshan Airport.
The aircraft was filmed as it passes close to some buildings before careening towards a highway. Moments before impact, the plane turns on its side, its left wing shearing the overpass guardrail as well as clipping the roof of a moving vehicle. The plane’s belly is clearly visible as the aircraft narrowly misses a full crash into the roadway.
Screenshot from youtube.com video
Rescuers carry out a rescue operation after a TransAsia Airways plane
crash landed in a river, in New Taipei City, February 4, 2015.
(Reuters/Pichi Chuang)
The wing of TransAsia GE235 clipped a taxi cab on the highway.
The wing of TransAsia GE235 clipped a taxi cab on the highway.
Amazingly, the pilots were able to ditch the plane into the river flowing alongside the highway, which explains how some passengers survived the crash. Television footage showed several passengers wearing life jackets swimming clear of the wreckage.
The death toll is expected to climb as rescue crews continue their effort to find survivors in the mostly submerged aircraft. Dozens of rescue teams in small rubber rafts are seen delivering what appear to be bodies covered in white sheets to the shore, just a few dozen meters (yards) away from the aircraft.
At a live news conference on Wednesday, TransAsia CEO Chen Xinde offered his “deep apology” to the families of the passengers and crew aboard the downed flight.
TransAsia Airways #ATR72-600 was forced to ditch in Keelung River after takeoff from Taipei Songshan Airport
TransAsia Airways #ATR72-600 was forced to ditch in Keelung River after takeoff from Taipei Songshan Airport
A video showed Taipei rescuers rushing to the scene of the crash to help the survivors.
Initial reports said that at least a dozen people were injured, while about 10 were trapped in the wreckage when help arrived.
In July 2014, a TransAsia ATR-72 crashed while landing on the Taiwanese island of Penghu in bad weather conditions. Forty-eight people died in that crash, with 10 survivors.
WATCH:First video after TransAsia flight GE235 crash lands into river in Taipei.
Wednesday's crash is the latest in a string of accidents to plague the Asian airline industry over the past year. On Dec. 28, an AirAsia jet crashed soon after taking off from the Indonesian city of Surabaya, killing all 162 passengers and crew on board.
On March 8, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 vanished from radar while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, China. The plane was carrying 239 passengers and crew members from 15 nations. Despite a multinational search effort, the plane has never been located.Four months later, Malaysian Flight MH17 went down in eastern Ukraine, killing all 283 passengers and 15 crew on board. - RT.
February 4, 2015 - EARTH - The following constitutes the latest reports of unusual and symbolic animal behavior, mass die-offs, beaching and stranding of mammals, and the appearance of rare creatures.
Over 300 manatees converge on Three Sisters Spring in Florida to escape cold temperatures
Manatees at Three Sisters Spring in Citrus County, Florida.
Manatees
invaded a natural spring in Florida, prompting scores of volunteers to
rush to protect the massive mammals. A total of 300 manatees converged
upon Three Sisters Spring, with 65 of the mammals gathering at one time
on average.
The manatees began arrive around noon at the Three
Sisters Spring central pool. Volunteers blocked off the public walkways
in an effort to protect the mammals that were gravitating to the shallow
natural springso they could warm themselves.
The Citrus County wildlife park was forced to shut down so the massive influx of manatees could be dealt with properly.
Last week about 220 manatees decided to make the Three Sisters Spring
their new temporary home. Florida wildlife workers consider the
migration of manatees on Monday a "dramatic surge." The manatees began
arriving when the tide rose. Over
the course of an hour, about 290 manatees had arrived at that natural
spring. A cold front was expected to arrive on Monday evening, according
the the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The
wildlife staffers were waiting until sunrise today to determine if it
was necessary to keep the Three Sisters Spring closed for the protection
of the manatees. The extreme low tide is expected to occur around 10:44
a.m. this morning. - Inquisitr.
A five-year-old body was trampled to death by a wild elephant in Tonkaboti area under Sadar upazila on Monday night.
The deceased was identified as Md Tareque, 5, son of Nurul Islam of the area.
Witnesses said, a herd of wild elephants stormed into the area at
around 7:30pm. At one stage, one of the elephants swooped on Nurul's
farmhouse of the area and killed his son.
Nurul and his wife sustained injuries while they were fleeing the house.
Some of the houses in the area were also damaged by the elephants. - The Daily Star.
20 dolphins have been found stranded on Irish shores in January
The number of common dolphins stranded throughout
the country since October is close to the amount that should be expected
for an entire year
Scientists
have expressed alarm at a recent spike in dolphin strandings which has
seen almost 20 of the animals recovered on Irish shores in the last
month.
The number of common dolphins stranded throughout the
country since October is close to the amount that should be expected for
an entire year, according to marine biologist Dr Simon Berrow.
"The number of dolphins we've had washed up in the last few weeks is shocking in terms of conservation and management,"said Dr Berrow, a member of the Marine Biodiversity Research Group at Galway Mayo IT (GMIT).
"Last year it wasn't such a big issue, but this year we're back up to a big peak in strandings. A
lot of them have ropes around their tails, they have marks that are
consistent with being caught in fishing nets," added the marine expert,
who was part of a team that performed an autopsy on the carcass of a
female killer whale found in Tramore on Saturday.
"We've
had 10 strandings of the Cuvier's beaked whale which is really, really
rare. We usually get one every few years, but we've had 10 over the last
few weeks, and they've had six or seven in Scotland as well," he said.
The discovery of the orca whale's remains was regarded as an intriguing novelty by researchers,but the alarming increase in dolphin and Cuvier's whale strandings -
where the animals found are usually dead - has caused some consternation
in the scientific community.
Figures
compiled by the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) illustrate a
marked increase in common dolphin strandings since 2010, when just five
were reported here. There were around 100 sightings of stranded common
dolphins in 2013, and following a lull early last year the numbers now
appear to be on the rise.
Approximately 30 such incidents have been recorded since last October, according
to Dr Berrow, but a lack of expertise means researchers can't
definitively say why the situation appears to be deteriorating once
again.
Ireland is one of the few coastal EU countries which
does not have a dedicated post-mortem system for deceased marine
animals, despite it having one of the largest whale and dolphin
populations on the continent.
"The big problem is that there's
no official post-mortem programme in Ireland, so when these things
happen we don't know the cause of death.
"These things get
washed up and we say 'wow, this is really, really unusual, something's
happened offshore' but we can't then follow up and say this is caused by
fisheries interaction, pollution or anything else because we don't know
... We need to address it to be honest because these animals are
dying," he said.
Latest estimates by the IUCN conservation red
list puts the number of common dolphins on European continental shelf
waters at just under 64,000. Conservationists have cautioned against the
use of purse-seine nets by fishing trawlers, which can accidentally
entangle and injure the animals.
Elsewhere, the body of a
killer whale which appeared on a beach in Tramore on Friday has been
removed, and its organs are now being examined by specialist researchers
from GMIT and University College Cork.
It is now believed that
the specimen was one of a mature rather than a young female but
uncertainty remains over the cause of death, which was initially thought
to be malnourishment.
Studies will be carried out on its
intestines and blubber over the next few weeks, and it is hoped that the
results will provide a rare insight into the marine environment in
which the whales reside. - The Irish Times.
Elephant handler has his arm amputated after being trampled by raging animal in Kharkov, Ukraine
Shock: Oleg Grishchenko (pictured before the
attack) was caught unaware when the elephant named Tandy charged at
him. He suffered serious crush injuries and had to have his arm
amputated
Oleg
Grishchenko, 39, has worked with elephants all his life and is
considered one of the most knowledgeable handlers in eastern Europe.
But he was caught unaware when the animal, called Tandy, became
extremely and unexpectedly agitated, charging at him at a zoo in the
city of Kharkov, in eastern Ukraine.
Friends
and family have appealed for money to help Mr Grishchenko pay for his
operation and take time off to come to terms with his injuries.
Head of the Department of Elephants and Hippos Yuri Danilenko, 46,
said: 'It all happened very quickly. God knows how exactly, it was a
pure accident.'
Working with elephants is notoriously dangerous
and there have been many accidents and deaths in the UK and abroad
involving the animals which weigh several tons.
Some believe
illness can make them snap, while others think small enclosures can lead
to bad tempered animals suddenly cracking under the strain of
captivity.
Mr Grishchenko had been working at the zoo since
1993, without incident and was considered an expert in communicating
with and understanding the animals.
His
injury after the elephant knocked him over and stamped on his arm was
so severe that doctors were forced to amputate it at the elbow.
Tandy was the first elephant born in the Ukraine when she came into the world on July 19, 1998 in Odessa Zoo.
The zoo has decided not to put her down after the unexplained incident. - Daily Mail.
Wintering Cape May warbler found in Enterprise, Oregon
A Cape May Warbler wintering in Enterprise is only the second member of its species ever found wintering in Oregon.
Dozens of birders who journeyed to Enterprise in recent weeks spent a chunk of their time trying to glimpsesomething that all agree is rather rare: a Cape May Warbler wintering in Oregon.
Among the visitors was Eugene resident Alan Contreras, co-editor of the 2003 guide, "Birds of Oregon: A General Reference."
According to Contreras, Wallowa County normally attracts birders during
January from various locales - because "several kinds of birds are
found there in winter that are hard to find elsewhere in Oregon," he
says - and this year's sighting of the Cape May Warbler, early in
January, added to the allure.
The warbler has been located
generally near the southern end of Enterprise City Park. This is only
the second time a Cape May Warbler has been spotted wintering in Oregon.
Contreras said the first time was in 2001 in relatively balmy
Brookings. He said the species, which breeds in central to eastern
Canada, normally winters in the Caribbean or in Central America.
After visitors from Portland made the initial sighting here, birders
visiting from Eugene, Albany and Corvallis relocated the warbler on
Sunday, Jan. 18, Contreras said. The following weekend brought groups
from the Salem Audubon Society and the Bend Bird Club. In all, roughly
50 such enthusiasts made the trip during January, Contreras estimated.
Contreras said Enterprise's Cape May Warbler has been living "off of
suet feeders and whatever it gets out of old apples." He expects it to
remain here until winter ends, but its survival can't be assumed. - Wallowa County Chieftain.
Snowstorm brings Eurasian thrush to Apple River, Canada
This rare Fieldfare was spotted by Blaine and
Kathleen Spicer in Apple River, Cumberland County, on Jan. 31, and again
over the next two days.
Kathleen
Spicer has seen a lot of different birds in her yard over the years,
but very few in North America have been visited by a Fieldfare.
The robin-like European bird was first spotted by Spicer's husband
Blaine in an apple tree in their yard during a snowstorm on Jan. 31, and
was still being observed there as of Monday.
"Blaine saw it
out the window and said, 'I don't know what this is,' so I grabbed my
camera and stood on a chair to get a picture of it," aid Mrs. Spicer. "I
thought maybe it was a Varied Thrush, because it had a robin shape. But
when I looked at the picture, I knew it was something else."
Although she had never seen a Fieldfare before, there was something
familiar about the bird. She grabbed a guidebook she had for European
birds, and there one was right on the cover.
While it can be
found as close as Greenland, the Fieldfare is more common in Europe,
Iceland and Central Siberia. A large thrush, it eats worms and insects
while its normal range, but will eat fruit in winter when other food is
not available.
There have only been five prior documented
sightings of a Fieldfare in Nova Scotia, and the only other one
photographed was in Granville Ferry, Annapolis County, in 1994. - Cape Breton Post.
Cougar attacks 45-pound dog in Placerville, California
A
homeowner came face to face with a mountain lion early Sunday morning
in a remote, wooded area of Placerville after it attacked her 45-pound
dog.
Susan McPherson knew something was wrong after her dog,
Mate, ran into the backyard at 3:30 a.m., and she did not hear his usual
barking.
WATCH: Mountain lion attack in Placerville.
So she followed him - and spotted a mountain lion.
"I saw a large cat walking away," McPherson said. "I yelled at it. And
he turned his head, and there was this gray dog (in the mountain lion's
mouth) ... like a rag doll. So, I'm like, 'This can't be my dog.'" - KCRA.
Groundhog Punxsutawney Phil 'forecasts' 6 more weeks of winter
The
handlers of Pennsylvania's most famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil,
said Monday the furry rodent has forecast six more weeks of winter.
Members of the top hat-wearing Inner Circle announced the "prediction" Monday morning.
A German legend has it that if a furry rodent sees his shadow on Feb.
2, winter will last another six weeks. If not, spring comes early.
The forecast was also announced on Twitter, as was referenced in the
official proclamation read by Jeff Lundy, the Fair Weatherman of the
Inner Circle.
"Forecasts abound on the Internet, but, I,
Punxsutawney Phil am still your best bet. Yes, a shadow I see, you can
start to Twitter, hash tag: Six more weeks of winter!"
The
forecast was delivered after a steady pre-dawn rain turned to snow as
temperatures dropped from the high 30s to around freezing. They were
forecast to keep dropping over much of the state, prompting the state
Department of Transportation to lower the speed limit to 45 mph for many
interstate highways which were already wet and expected to freeze or be
covered with snow as the day wore on.
The rain
kept some revelers away, with state police estimating the crowd at
around 11,000, slightly smaller than in recent years when upward of
15,000 attended.
Despite the German legend, Phil's handlers
don't wait to see if he sees his shadow - as he likely would not have on
such an overcast day. Instead, the Inner Circle decide on the forecast
ahead of time and announce it on Gobbler's Knob, a tiny hill in the town
for which the groundhog is named, about 65 miles northeast of
Pittsburgh. Records going back to 1887 show Phil has now predicted more winter 102 times while forecasting an early spring just 17 times.There are no records for the remaining years.
Phil's counterpart in New York City, Staten Island Chuck, delivered a
conflicting message in calling for an early spring after not seeing his
shadow.
Chuck emerged from his home at the Staten Island Zoo
early Monday and took part in a new ceremony that didn't include being
held by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Last year, in de
Blasio's first time at the annual ceremony, the rodent slipped from his
grasp and fell to the ground. It died weeks later.
A medical
exam revealed it died of internal injuries, but zoo officials said it
was unclear if they were caused by the fall from de Blasio's arms. Zoo
officials didn't make the death public for months.
The accident
became a source of teasing for the mayor, and de Blasio himself
suggested Monday that "teams of animal behavior experts and scientists
have consulted from all over the country" to keep the groundhog safe.
In Wisconsin, the mayor of Sun Prairie might not be getting too close to a groundhog again.
During a celebration Monday, the handler of Jimmy the groundhog held
the animal next the face of Mayor Jonathan Freund, and Jimmy promptly
bit down on the mayor's left ear.
Freund flinched, but went on with the event. - Morning Sun.
February 4, 2015 - NORTH AMERICA- Ice cover on the Great Lakes has made quite a leap after the first, week-long cold snap of the season.
As
of Thursday, ice covered 34.1 percent of the Great Lakes, up from just
5.6 percent on Jan. 1, and 10.8 percent on Jan. 5 — the first day of a
polar plunge that gripped most of the eastern U.S. for days to come.
Animation of ice cover on the Great Lakes from Jan. 7 to Jan. 14 (NOAA)
“Last year, the Great Lakes were 21.2 percent ice-covered on Jan. 14, making this year’s ice cover 13 percent higher to date,” writes weather.com.
“If you recall, below-average temperatures were persistent from
mid-January onward in the winter of 2014, leading to the second highest
ice coverage on record at 92.2 percent on March 6, 2014.”
Satellite image of Lake Erie on Jan. 9, 2015 shows the lake’s mostly ice-free water peeking through the clouds. (NASA)
By Jan. 14, Lake Erie had iced over. Thin ice
can be seen in the eastern half of the lake, while thicker ice had
formed over the western half. (NASA)
(NOAA)
The ice breaking tug Breaker cuts through Lake Erie.
Lake Erie in winter on approach to Buffalo.
Sunset on Lake Erie.
Lake
Erie’s ice cover has sky-rocketed this month, and is now about
88 percent covered in ice. Just a couple weeks ago, it was ice-free.
Last year, Erie’s climb was slightly more gradual, starting in December
and then shooting up twice after Polar Vortex I and II in January. It
seems this year Erie is getting it done in one shot.
According to our winter weather expert Wes Junker, more cold might be in store
behind a potent winter storm late next week. “After the storm pushes
through, colder weather is expected to filter in,” Junker writes. “By
the end of the two week period, temperatures could take a plunge as a
strong upper level ridge develops over Alaska and northwestern Canada.” -
Washington Post.
Satellite photo shows Michigan in white after weekend snowstorm coats region
The Great Lakes region covered in snow and ice Monday, Feb. 2, 2015. A
weekend snowstorm dropped more than a foot of snow across some
locations.
(Courtesy UW-Madison SSEC)
Who says you can't wear white after Labor Day?
Sunshine
prevailed for most of the afternoon Monday, Feb. 2, providing us with a
spectacular view of our Great Lakes with little in the way of cloud
cover. The remnants of the weekend snowstorm
aren't too difficult to spot, considering a blanket of white stretches
from the Midwest into Michigan and farther east to Canada. Lake Erie is
about covered, too, as most of its surface has frozen over.
The
Great Lakes still are relatively ice-free as a whole. An early onset of
cold temperatures last winter brought Lake Michigan's ice cover to 36
percent one year ago today, compared to 26 percent currently, according
to the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory.
Even more strikingly, Lake Superior's ice coverage this year is 30 percent compared to 77 percent just last season.
West
Michigan could get a new shot of snow Tuesday night into Wednesday,
with 1 to 3 inches forecast. A blast of colder air soon will follow for
the rest of the state, holding high temperatures into the teens. - MLIVE.
Once again, Great Lakes ice far above normal
Great
Lakes ice cover has been above normal five of the last seven years, and
seven of the last thirteen years. It is already far above the normal
annual maximum, with another month of growth left.
Many experts claim the exact opposite, because their career depends on lying about the climate.
Chantelle told The Press:
"My 9-year-old daughter said there was a ball of fire in the sky. I
thought it would be a lovely sunrise but she opens the blind in front of
me and showed me.
"It was falling fast and you could see the flames.
I grabbed my phone and we went outside to take a picture. We watched it
for a while then went to the upstairs window to get a better look. I
told my 18-year-old who came and had a look and my 6-year-old son.
"It was very weird; we didn't have a clue what it was. I looked on
Facebook to see if anyone else had seen it, and put the local news on to
see if there had been anything related to it." - The York Press.
