Nature News #1

Bird news

Warmer, wetter weather in Canada’s North could have a devastating impact on nesting seabirds, says a biologist with the Canadian Wildlife Service in Iqaluit.

The northern spotted owl population in British Columbia is down to six birds. The government plans to capture two males to pair with two females in their captive breeding program, which current holds ten owls.

The Syncrude trial for the death of over 1,600 ducks has heard that ducks covered in bitumen die of hypothermia, which mats the feathers, allowing cold water to touch the skin. It also reduce a bird’s buoyancy and leaves it unable to fly.

For the first time in Canada, the Whip-poor-will has joined the ranks of bird species facing declines in their populations, suffering a drop of 10% in a decade due to declining habitat and fluctuating insect populations.

A possible hybrid black-capped x mountain chickadee was seen in Saskatchewan, and photographed by Nick Saunders.

Researchers at the University of Alberta have discovered a gene in ducks that helps detect avian influenza. The gene, which is not found in chickens, detects when a virus begins to spread in ducks and initiates the bird’s immune response.

Mammal news

The fluctuating population of snowshoe hares, currently in the low point of their cycle, has Canada lynx wandering into the city of Whitehorse, Yukon. Residents are being warned to look out for lynx making forays into the city looking for food.

The B.C. Supreme Court has halted work on a coal mine project in northern BC. The court ruled the B.C. government failed to sufficiently consult with the West Moberly First Nation on its concerns over destruction of critical caribou habitat.

The public has rejected the idea of an aerial wolf kill in B.C. to benefit threatened mountain caribou. The response has been overwhelmingly negative since the proposed aerial wolf kill became widely known in February.

Alberta’s Endangered Species Conservation Committee has recommended for the second time in eight years that grizzly bears be listed as a threatened species. Their population is suffering due to loss of habitat and industrial development.

The Alberta Provincial government confirmed this week that the spring grizzly bear hunt has been suspended for 2010. Current population estimates for bears in Alberta sit at 691 bears and of those, 359 are considered to be mature, breeding adults.

Even though hunting grizzly bears in Alberta has been outlawed, human-related mortality is still responsible for most of their deaths. Last year, six were killed by poachers, three were mistaken by hunters for black bears and shot, and five were killed in human-related accidents.

An Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources report is recommending a deer cull to manage an overpopulation in the Iroquoia Heights Conservation Area, where the natural seasonal movement has been impeded by human-related factors.

White-nose syndrome, a lethal disease blamed for wiping out entire bat colonies in the USA, has arrived in Ontario. More than 20 cases have been confirmed at three sites in the province.

Researchers in Canada and the USA are continuing an international study of pronghorn antelope by placing radio collars on 40 animals. The project is designed to track pronghorn antelope across northern Montana and southern Canada.

Herptile news

The Vancouver Aquarium has successfully bred the endangered Oregon spotted frog, whose population may be down to 300 animals in BC. Biologists at the aquarium have counted 600 to 900 eggs spawned by two pairs of frogs brought into the program in 2009.

Ottawa is pushing through a highway extension for new housing developments, despite the fact it could wipe out local populations of endangered Blanding’s turtles. Requirements under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act have been waived, and a loophole in the Endangered Species Act is enabling work to proceed.

Fish news

Research by the BC Department of Fishers has found the warm temperature of the Fraser River during the summer appears to be playing a key role in the decline of an endangered run of sockeye salmon.

Insect news

A new report on the mountain pine beetle epidemic describes it as one of North America’s largest natural environmental disasters. The pine beetle is expected to kill a billion cubic metres of timber in British Columbia.

At the University of Guelph, a bee scientist thinks he has solved a big chunk of the mystery of the disappearing honey bees. After studying commerical hives for a year, he has picked five main dangers.

Butterfly enthusiasts are being asked to contribute to  the Maritimes Butterfly Atlas, the first comprehensive butterfly survey ever conducted in the Maritime provinces. The survey was launched by the Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Centre.

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