Mobile phones killing the bees?

There's an extremely interesting article out in the UK Independent which reports on evidence that the transmissions from millions of cell phones may be at the root of the collapse of honey bee colonies around the world. Research at Germany's Landau University suggests bees will avoid a hive if cell phones are place nearby. Interesting theory, and I'm sure it will get quite a bit of testing.

If it turns out that our cell phones are destroying honey bees, and thereby imperiling the fruit and berry crops pollinated by these bees, what should be done? Should we choose to unplug until the problems are solved?

Ivory-Billed Woodpecker?

ARBORETUM has raised this subject before and, we hope, we will again. America's greatest woodpecker deserves the attention of bird-lovers, and is getting it!

This winter there have been searches in four or five states for the ivory-billed woodpecker. In recent years, there have been reports that this bird, once said to be extinct, is still around in some of the deepest recesses of the southern wilderness which still remain.

In Texas this winter, there has been an extensive search of areas in Big Thicket National Reserve. Hurricane Rita had knocked down many trees and cluttered the wilderness areas, making these searches more difficult. On the other hand, downed trees will provide more food for the IBW, which feeds (what tense should I use?) on insect larvae.




So far, no new news has been reported to substantiate claims of the bird's existence. The controversy among birders and scientists -- it seems to me -- has two dimensions. One of the dimensions concerns "claims." Here, folks argue over the evidence collected so far. There is a piece of tape showing a bird which might be an ivory-billed woodpecker, made in 2004 in Arkansas. There is also an audio tape which might be the sounds of an IBW in Florida. Experts disagree about the validity of both.

One of Ornithology's most prestigious authorities, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology ( CLICK HERE ) defends evidence tending to show that the IBW is still extant.

Then there is "faith." It does seem that there are those who want to believe the bird has survived mankind, and those who have little faith that it could be so. Despite attacks from skeptics, the Houston Audubon Society, for one, proclaims its certainty. ( CLICK FOR H.A.S. STATEMENT)

The National Fish and Wildlife Service continues to sponsor searches for the bird and has provided a question-answer fact sheet for inquiring minds such as yours. ( PDF Format Q-A )

ARBORETUM continues to watch the debate.

Here is the most recent Associated Press report on the search and the debate: A.P. CLICK

WILDLIFE NOTES

How are things faring in the ARBORETUM?


Wolf Population Grows in Three States

By Associated Press

BILLINGS, Mont. -- The number of wolves in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming continues to grow, with at least 1,300 in the three states at the end of 2006, federal officials say.

"I keep thinking we're at the top end of the bubble," said Ed Bangs, wolf recovery coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "I can't see that there's room for any more, but we'll see."

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Nevada Takes Steps to Protect Butterfly
By SCOTT SONNER
Associated Press Writer

March 20, 2007, 4:38 PM EDT

RENO, Nev. -- Federal land managers working to keep a rare Nevada butterfly off the list of endangered species have closed scores of off-road vehicle trails at one of the biggest, most popular sand dunes in the West.

The closure affects about six square miles of public land where an ancient lake once existed. The emergency order replaces a voluntary measure the U.S. Bureau of Land Management imposed two years ago on a portion of up to 200 miles of trails that run through shrubs and other vegetation that is home to the Sand Mountain Blue Butterfly, the BLM said.

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American Croc No Longer Near Extinction

By BRIAN SKOLOFF
Associated Press Writer
March 20, 2007, 9:42 PM EDT

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declassified the American crocodile as an endangered species Tuesday, saying the animal has rebounded from the edge of extinction.

The reptile remains protected under the federal Endangered Species Act even though it was downgraded to a "threatened" species, making it illegal to harass, poach or kill the reptiles.

"It's just one step closer to recovery, but it still has many, many threats," Fish and Wildlife Service spokesman Tom MacKenzie said. "It's still protected with the full force of federal law."

The crocodile was on the brink of disappearing from South Florida, its only U.S. habitat, when it was originally listed as a federally endangered species in 1975. By 1976, the population was estimated at just about 300. Scientists now estimate there are up to 2,000 American crocodiles in Florida.

CANADA GEESE

Nearly everyone in Michigan has put their foot in it at some time. Goose droppings.

The Giant Canada Geese are the culprits. They seem to be without number, and they poop freely wherever they go. This is not nice poop, it is vile. (Actually, there are about 187,000 est., Canada Geese in Michigan.)

In the JACK PINE WARBLER, a publication of the Michigan Audubon Society (March/April 2007), the problem of the big nuisance is discussed. One theme of this story is that we the people are inviting these birds into our lives when they ought to be off somewhere minding their own business.

Here's how we do it: We build ponds and then plant near them, the sort of flora the geese like.

Not only that, within the confines of backyards, golf courses, and municipal ponds, the geese are safe from their predators: fox, bobcats, coyotes, and hunters.

Too, grammas, bird lovers and little kids with popcorn like to feed them .

Here are some suggestions from the DNR and Audubon:

1. Build barriers (fences, hedges, etc.) between ponds and grassy areas. Three foot high barriers are enough.

2. Don't ever feed them. Try to deny them sources of food.

3. Hunt them.

4. Apply repellants to grassy areas.

5. Train a dog to chase them. Of course, dogs add a new problem.

No one, least of all, the DNR or the Audubon Society, wants to wipe them out. But, they can be discouraged from areas where they are a nuisance. It's not an easy problem, and as Audubon says: if you find you have a small problem and don't deal with it, you'll discover that you have a very big problem.