HELP HAZEL

Hazel Jackson is carrying out a research project on British parakeets:

The UK's wild Ring-necked Parakeets provide an excellent opportunity to study how invasive populations experience rapid population growth from a small number of individuals without experiencing any genetic side-effects — such as inbreeding depression, reduced survival rates and decreased disease resistance. Many island populations, such as the Mauritius Echo Parakeet, are unable to do this and require intensive conservation management to save the populations from extinction. I am investigating the genetic origin and makeup of Ring-necked Parakeets in the UK, to see what lessons can be learnt from the species to inform future conservation efforts. It's also important to understand any detrimental impacts parakeets may have, such as possible diseases, again with a view to mitigation.

Read on

MUIRHEAD`S MUIRHEAD:GLEANINGS FROM FOLKLORE FRONTIERS NO.62

A few days ago I received the current issue of Folklore Frontiers, number 62. There are a few interesting Fortean zoological gleanings in it, which I thought worth recording here in this, my final Muirhead`s Mysteries before Yuletide. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.The M-Files (stuff the X-Files, what about the M-Files!?) will resume on December 28th for a few days, then properly in the New Year on January 3rd 2010.

SHELL SHOCK: 'A contestant in World Egg Throwing championship, held in Swaton, Lincs., was banned for using a bazooka.' (Daily Star,25/6/09) (1)

BEES: David Hambling, discussing colony collapse disorder, mentions that the disappearance of bees was a running theme during the 2008 season of Dr. Who, where they were an alien species (Fortean Times, No 255, 2009). It reminded me of a claim about 35 years ago in The Atlantean, which stated that bees came from Mars and this accounted for their aerodynamic characteristics being impossible for Earth scientists to explain. Hambling also touched upon the controversial (and unauthenticated) quote attributed to Albert Einstein that if bees died out mankind would survive no more than four years (or was it also a shorter timespan?) (2)

GREYFRIARS BOBBY: (Screeton-Mars Bars and Mushy peas p.113) James Cormack, 78, a chauffeur from Edinburgh recalled how he squired the former filmstar turned animal activist Brigitte Bardot when she visited Scotland ten years ago to help save Woofie, the collier-boxer mongrel ordered by a court to be destroyed after it chased and intimidated a postman. “I took the opportunity to tell her the story of Greyfriars Bobby, which she hadn`t heard before. Even though she was hearing it through an interpreter she was in tears,” said Mr Cormack. “If the decision had gone against the dog Miss Bardot had a scheme to get it out of the country, flying Woofie to St. Tropez in her private plane.”' (The Sunday Post 10/8/09) (3)

PARAKEETS (FF 44:12,passim). 'It is now 40 years since ring-necked parakeets began breeding in Britain and speculation as to their origin continues. Nature columnist Derwent May trotted out this hoary chestnut: `One legend is that the first of them got away from Shepperton Studios when The African Queen, with Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn, was being filmed` (The Times Weekend 11/4/09) (4)

This final entry has nothing to do with Fortean Zoology but I thought I`d add it anyway:

MARS BARS AND MUSHY PEAS JOKE: 'A spaceship landed in my garden last night and a small creature emerged covered from head to toe in chocolate. I said: “Are you from Mars?”' (5)

1 Folklore Frontiers no.62. p.4
2 Ibid p.5
3 Ibid. p.11
4 Ibid. p.12
5 Ibid. p.11

Happy Christmas to all readers!!


SteeleSpan – Gaudate

Gudate,gaudate Christos est natus
Ex Maria virginae,gaudate
Tempus ad est gratiae hoc quod optabamus,
Carmina laetitiae devote redamus
Gaudate,gaudate Christos est natus

I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTED IN STORIES ABOUT FERAL POPULATIONS OF PARAKEETS..

Flocks of wild parrots, such as the ones of Telegraph Hill fame in San Francisco, can be found in various other urban and suburban areas. The parrots shown here are the Wild Parrots of Sunnyvale and have been flapping and squawking around town for some time now. The exact origin of these flocks is unknown.

While the ability of this flock to survive is not the weather so much as the ability to find enough to eat, it is important that the public does not feed them. Feeding these birds makes them dependent upon people and in danger of being too close to traffic, cats and other hazards.

Some of these birds end up in the Mickaboo Bird Rescue system for many reasons. There is a neurological disease of unknown origin that can strike them, causing them to be off balance, unable to fly or keep up with the flock. Some survive an attack by a hawk or cat and need medical help; others, flying too close to traffic, hit cars. Fledglings can have early flying accidents & break a wing or leg.

When injured they are taken immediately to an avian vet for treatment. Mickaboo pays for treatment and finds volunteers to help with recovery fostering. A few of the injured birds return to the wild, but not many. For more information, or to donate toward their veterinary care, please visit http://www.mickaboo.org/wildparrots.

THE WEIRDEST PARAKEET OF ALL TIME

From New Zealand the most peculiar mutation any of us have ever seen in a bird..