Calif condors, Cuba ... and open garden

["Barbara Preston" <>]

Hi All

The thread on raptors prompted this posting:

* CALIFORNIAN CONDORS - I am going to California for a week next month (catching up with my son who's on exchange at Berkeley). We are spending a weekend at Big Sur, where I understand there has been a fairly successful (but still limited) program to re-introduce Californian condors. I have not done a great deal of research yet, but most of the info I have re sightings (esp apparent nesting) is at least a year old. I'll be grateful if anyone has any very recent info. And any other advice re birds etc around Big Sur or Berkeley (I plan to spend a bit of time in the hills behind the campus, the botanic gardens etc). (I've looked at the Ventana Wildlife Society site, and I assume they are the ones to contact.)

* CUBA - I'm then heading to Cuba for two weeks - mostly in Santiago de Cuba, also Havana. I may not get out of town much (will be participating in the International Choral Festival and associated events), but will be grateful for any advice for interesting half day or day trips.

* OPEN GARDEN - my garden is open again as part of Australia's Open Garden Scheme on 17-18 October - everyone is welcome!. I have tried to ensure the garden is bird-friendly (though the removal of two huge eucalyptus fastigatas has been a great loss for the birds ...). Funds raised go to Amnesty International. I've attached an A4 poster with more info (perhaps it could go workplace etc notice boards if your colleagues may be interested).

 

cheers

Barbara

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Barbara Preston Research
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O'Connor  ACT  2602
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From:

Sent: Wednesday, October 07, 2009 8:28 PM

To: ; m("gmail.com","serpophaga"); CTRL + Click to follow link" href="">Adam James Searcy ; m("canberrabirds.org.au","canberrabirds"); CTRL + Click to follow link" href="">canberra birds

Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] Australian Raptors- low density?

Please note that the northern hemisphere and asiatic regions have their fair share of corvids (ravens, crows, magpies and jays; and especially in urban areas at high densities) with equivalent roles and impacts on smaller birds as our currawongs and ravens here.

 

However, at least in the northern hemisphere densities of smaller breeding birds are often much higher than here, or clutch sizes are bigger, hence the many fledglings (espec. from tit species) provide welcome food for sparrowhawks etc..

 

Michael Lenz