ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - A well-known biologist in Newfoundland and Labrador says he hasn't seen anything like it in his 30-years as a scientist.
Bill Montevecchi says gannets who should be nesting at Cape St. Mary's have abandoned their chicks for cooler waters.
Guides at the popular bird sanctuary noticed the phenomenon earlier this month when the seabirds suddenly disappeared.
Montevecchi says since then, there have been plenty of gannet sightings off the coast of Labrador and it now appears as though the birds are travelling further north to find food.
He says that's because local water temperatures are three to four degrees higher than normal.
Wildlife officials aren't sure if the gannets have abandoned the nests altogether and say the abandoned chicks are vulnerable to other adult birds and the prospect of starvation.
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Story
39 weeks ago
. . . seabirds abandon chicks????
http://www.klaus.cz/clanky/195
Hakuin
39 weeks ago
another crank
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%A1clav_Klaus#Criticism_of_theories_of_anthropogenic_global_warming
peetey
39 weeks ago
hmmm
I'll tell you a funny experience that still has me scratching my head. Three Xmases ago I was at the Tsawassen ferry terminal waiting for the boat idly watching a gull feed its offspring when the brick dropped........December? a weaner?
Also, we had a big boom in eagles on the West Coast recently, and although this is subjective observation, the crows delayed their nests to later in the season to avoid the eagles predation.
My temporary conclusion is that birdies have strategies available to them to cope with events not readily overt to myopic hunters. (that would be us)
Hakuin
39 weeks ago
what
was the dodo's strategy then?
harry
37 weeks ago
my guess is
that the dodo's were employing a strategy similar to that of Jack Nicholson as US President in the Tim Burton film "Mars Attacks"....ringing a bell anyone?
Aisingioro
30 weeks ago
Thank you for the good
Thank you for the good writeup. It in fact was a amusement account it. Look advanced to far added agreeable from you! By the way, how could we communicate?
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gospel
29 weeks ago
the fish aren't there to feed
the fish aren't there to feed the young or the adults the migration cycle is off and so are the water temperatures.
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samenzhen
25 weeks ago
GOOD tipic
Montevecchi says since then, there have been plenty of gannet sightings off the coast of Louis Vuitton Handbags Labrador and it now appears as though the birds are travelling further north to find food