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A news item claimed (http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_7740000/newsid_7746000/7746056.stm) that the impressive flocks of Starling (Sternus vulgaris) creating aerial ballet with their allelomimetic movements in the skies of Rome were generating too much mess by dropping their blessings from the skies. The response of the authorities was to blast the roosting birds with the amplified sound of a starling in trouble to drive them from the area. This was claimed to be kinder than the Belgian technique of using dynamite on them. That may well be true but disturbance can cause fatalities in feeding birds and it is a bit sad to welcome the visual aspects of the display without the inevitable animal products. Perhaps virtual starlings would be more appreciated?
This blog may help people explore some of the 'hidden' issues involved in certain media treatments of environmental and scientific issues. Using personal digital images, it's also intended to emphasise seasonal (and other) changes in natural history of the Swansea (South Wales) area. The material should help participants in field-based modules and people generally interested in the natural world. The views are wholly those of the author.
Monday, 1 December 2008
Staring Out the Starlings?
A news item claimed (http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_7740000/newsid_7746000/7746056.stm) that the impressive flocks of Starling (Sternus vulgaris) creating aerial ballet with their allelomimetic movements in the skies of Rome were generating too much mess by dropping their blessings from the skies. The response of the authorities was to blast the roosting birds with the amplified sound of a starling in trouble to drive them from the area. This was claimed to be kinder than the Belgian technique of using dynamite on them. That may well be true but disturbance can cause fatalities in feeding birds and it is a bit sad to welcome the visual aspects of the display without the inevitable animal products. Perhaps virtual starlings would be more appreciated?
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