Deer Oh Deer!

News from Washington DC that the authorities are going to use snipers to produce a mass cull of White-tailed deer in a major recreational park area (http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/feb/14/washington-deer-cull?INTCMP=SRCH). The Bambis stand accused of causing major damage to forested areas, including completely preventing regeneration by eating seedlings. Accommodating deer within such systems (a relatively small, confined space with no real predators) is difficult as the carrying capacity is likely to be very limited.

Birder's Bonus 109

Now there is a Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) active at Loughor Bridge.

Seeing the Changes 450

At Blackpill, Early scurvey grass (Cochlearia danica) was in bloom. Beetle larvae nibbled at the dead wood in my Loughor garden.

Birder's Bonus 108

Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) found flounder fishing off the Loughor Bridge sandbanks productive.

Birder's Bonus 107

I got a better picture of the peanut-eating Great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) that visits our Loughor garden.

Same Old Song?

Scientists, led by a Montealegre Zapata, have reportedly re-created the song of a large bush cricket that lived in NW China 165 million years ago, in the Jurassic era (http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2012/feb/06/mating-call-extinct-bush-cricket?INTCMP=SRCH). This large insect, it has been deduced from fossil evidence, would have produced a 6.4 KHz mating call, which would have been clearly in the human hearing range (many current bush crickets, like the one illustrated, produce calls nearer 20 KHz).

Birder's Bonus 106

More activity on Loughor estuary. There were 3 Mute swans (Cygnus olor) in an armada. There was also a Curlew (Numenius arquata) active on the margins.