Field Reports
BIRDWATCHING
Songbirds on the line
Scientists at Oregon State University are planning to attach specially designed micro-sized cell phones to migrating songbirds to help them learn more about the birds’ routes and habitat.
Each bird would have its own electronic signal encoded in the phone it carries. As it flies, a timer would activate the signal, which could be picked up by phone towers.
Tracking such birds has traditionally been difficult, because the birds are too small to carry most transmitters, said avian ecologist W. Douglas Robinson.
A prototype should be ready for testing by early 2007.
Associated Press
OUTDOOR PROGRAMS
Experts sharpen skills
Nordic skiing: Free slide show by Steve Hindman, author of “Cross-Country Skiing: Building Skills for Fun and Fitness,” Tuesday, 7 p.m., at Mountain Gear, 2002 N. Division.
Wildlife photography: Techniques for photographing wildlife and flowers, free program by Roger Hartman of the Spokane Falls Community College Photography Department during the Spokane Audubon Society meeting Wednesday, 7:30 p.m., at Riverview Retirement Center, 1801 E. Upriver Dr. (Use N. Granite St. entrance and take elevator to downstairs chapel.)
RichLanders
REptiles
Dead rattler strikes back
Two Texans learned a thing or two about poisonous snakes after killing a rattler last fall.
They shot the snake’s head off with a shotgun and loaded the carcass in the truck to show other hunters as a warning to be careful. Then they threw it into a pasture.
A few hours down the road, one of the hunters eyes became irritated. By the next morning, his eyes were swollen shut. The doctor who examined him said it looked like he’d suffered a chemical burn.
They surmised that the shotgun load splattered the rattlesnake’s head and vaporized its venom.
When Hanover handled the snake, he got the venom on his hands and later rubbed it in his eyes, made itchy by dust and ragweed. The vision in his eyes didn’t get back to normal until three weeks later.
Associated Press
Hunting
Studies mark decline
The urbanization of America has led directly to the decline in hunter numbers, statisticians have shown.
In the past 40 years, the nation’s population has transformed from 64 percent urban/36 percent rural to 78 percent urban/22 percent rural.
Urban youths who have not fished or hunted by age 20 are unlikely to take up the sports.
The survey research firm Responsive Management studied children 8-18 and revealed the following:
“92 percent of kids who hunt have a family member who hunts.
“91 percent of all children have an interest in wildlife.
“15 percent of youths learn about hunting in schools.
“56 percent of youths believe hunting for food is acceptable.
“40 percent of youths 8-14 are interested in hunter safety courses, but by ages 15-18, only 25 percent are interested. By the time they are adults, the lack of interest tends to transform to aversion to hunting.
San Francisco Chronicle