More random thoughts about bartending
11 years ago
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Image of the Day
Friday, January 21, 2011
Gotta have one of these!
Penguin USB Flash Drive
Product Features
- High-Speed USB 2.0 certified
- Durable solid rubber casing
- Hot Plug and Play; Functions like another hard drive
- No driver needed for most operating systems
- Support: Windows 7, Vista, XP, 2000 and Mac OS
- Dimension: 59 x 40 x 17mm (approx.)
- Weight: 18g
The Penguin USB Flash Drive can be had for $19 at the USB Geek website.
New penguins arrive in Weymouth
| By Zoe Kleinman Reporter, BBC Dorset |
 The Gentoo penguins travelled for 14 hours by road from Edinburgh. |
A group of 10 Gentoo penguins from a Scottish zoo has taken up residence at Weymouth Sea Life Park following a 14-hour van journey across the UK.
The penguins will remain there until Easter a permanent home in the London Sea Life Aquarium is ready for them. They are sharing an adapted enclosure with the park's permanent residents, a group of Humboldt penguins.
Some of the Gentoos have paired-off but Weymouth staff hope they do not breed during their stay.
"We want to get them moved to London first," said displays curator and marine expert Fiona Smith.
The new arrivals travelled from Edinburgh Zoo to the south coast in specially ordered dog kennels and were placed in the enclosure still inside them while they acclimatised to their new surroundings and neighbours, the Humboldts.
Meeting the neighbours
"They are two species that wouldn't meet in the wild," said Sarah Moseley who looks after the park's penguin population.
"The Gentoos are quite a bit bigger than ours. Hopefully they will gradually intermingle."
 The penguins travelled in individual kennels inside a chilled van. |
"Because we haven't kept this species together before, we've got a little fenced-off area for them to chill-out in if they don't get on quite as well as we anticipate.
"Gentoos are very good at jumping out of water, they really do soar out of the water onto the land.
"We felt our enclosure fences weren't quite high enough for these athletic penguins so we've also increased that slightly during their stay."
Their keepers will know whether the birds are settled by their feeding patterns but initially they were showing encouraging signs of liking their new surroundings, said Ms Smith.
"They came straight out into the main enclosure very quickly.
"They are very relaxed and intrigued."
Source
South Georgia News
The Chinstrap colony at Cooper Bay is once again closed to visitors after a visiting yacht reported a large number of dead and dying penguins. All the Cooper Bay landing sites have now been closed by GSGSSI, with the exception of the macaroni penguin rookery, in case the penguins are suffering from an infectious disease. There was an outbreak of avian cholera in the same colony a few years ago. The carcass of one affected penguin was delivered to KEP and will be going to the Falkland Islands for analysis to hopefully find the cause of the die-off.
Source
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Little Blue Penguin Likes the Food in Otago Harbor
Little blue penguin attracted to appealing menu at wharf
Click photo to enlarge
Dunedin fisherman Peter Tuisano feeds a sprat to a little blue penguin in Dunedin's Steamer Basin. Photo by Jane Dawber.
The survival of penguin chicks had increased significantly because of the decline in predators.
He said the penguin in the Steamer Basin was a little unusual because it did not seem to follow the normal behavioural patterns of blue penguins.
When in their natural habitat, they head out to sea to feed, and only come ashore under the cover of darkness.
It is not known what brought the little blue penguin to the Steamer Basin, but Mr Fyfe believed it had taken up residence there because the food supply was good.
It had obviously become accustomed to the food it was receiving from fishermen, he said.
The penguin also appeared to be living in alternative accommodation.
During the hours of darkness, blue penguins come ashore and live underground in burrows, Mr Fyfe said.
"We're not sure where this one goes.
"There are lots of places under the wharves where it could go to hop out of the water. That may be where it goes at night," he said.
Doc has been keeping a close eye on the penguin after being notified by concerned members of the public that anglers were using fishing nets in an attempt to catch the penguin.
While feedback from some fishermen was that the penguin had become hooked a couple of times and it should be moved on, others saw it as an "upper harbour identity" and enjoyed its presence there.
Dunedin resident Peter Tuisano fishes from the pontoon almost every day, and said the penguin had never given him any trouble.
"We quite enjoy her company. If we saw anyone mistreating her, we would tell them off," Mr Tuisano said.
Mr Fyfe discouraged fishermen from feeding the penguin, as he hoped the penguin would return to its natural habitat.
"If they don't feed it ... it is obviously what encourages it to come up about the [fishing] lines."
Mr Fyfe said the penguin seemed to be quite happy and was not causing any particular problems, so Doc had decided to monitor the situation before making a decision on its future.
"If it proves to be an ongoing problem, we'll consider moving it, but it could come straight back."
Mr Fyfe advised people who came upon the penguin to leave it alone, but to call Doc if they accidentally caught it on a line, then gently remove it and put it back in the water.
LITTLE BLUE PENGUIN
Known in Maori as korora
• The world's smallest penguin.
• They stand 25cm tall and weigh about a kilogram.
• Found in many places around New Zealand and Southern Australia.
• They only come ashore under the cover of darkness and live underground in burrows.
• Although they are quite common, its small size and unusual habits make it rarely seen.
Source
Man Arrested and Charged in the Bullying of Penguin Guardians
Manly penguin wardens quit
11 Jan 11 @ 03:58pm by PETER BODKIN
TWO volunteer penguin wardens have quit their posts in recent weeks over fears for their safety while protecting Manly’s endangered penguin colony from harm.
Johnyth Burton, 72, resigned from her position last week following an incident on New Year’s Day, when she was allegedly assaulted by 28-year-old James Oatley after Mrs Burton stepped in to protect a penguin from an off-leash dog at Manly Cove.
It is alleged the dog jumped free from a boat carrying Mr Oatley and a group of friends as they came to shore near Manly Wharf.
The incident follows the deaths of seven little penguins last month at nearby Federation Point in an apparent dog attack.
Penguin warden co-ordinator Angelika Treichler yesterday told The Manly Daily a second warden had now resigned from their role guarding the endangered animals.
“They are just scared,” she said.
Ms Treichler said while the wardens enjoyed excellent support from local police, they desperately needed more council rangers to back up their nightly patrols.
“We do not get enough protection ... I would like two extra night rangers, who are not busy with drunks, to be there for the protection of people and animals,” she said.
Manly Council general manager Henry Wong said the council would do “whatever it takes” to protect the penguin colony.
“But agreement and co-operation between all the agencies involved is required,” he said.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is continuing its investigations into last month’s attack, although they have been unable to further identify the dog involved after inconclusive DNA tests.
“(We) will continue to liaise with Manly Council about possible increased protection for the little penguin population,” a NPWS spokeswoman said.
“The most valuable protection however can come from dog owners by following regulations and keeping their pets leashed and out of dog-free areas as directed.”
Source
Johnyth Burton, 72, resigned from her position last week following an incident on New Year’s Day, when she was allegedly assaulted by 28-year-old James Oatley after Mrs Burton stepped in to protect a penguin from an off-leash dog at Manly Cove.
It is alleged the dog jumped free from a boat carrying Mr Oatley and a group of friends as they came to shore near Manly Wharf.
The incident follows the deaths of seven little penguins last month at nearby Federation Point in an apparent dog attack.
Penguin warden co-ordinator Angelika Treichler yesterday told The Manly Daily a second warden had now resigned from their role guarding the endangered animals.
“They are just scared,” she said.
Ms Treichler said while the wardens enjoyed excellent support from local police, they desperately needed more council rangers to back up their nightly patrols.
“We do not get enough protection ... I would like two extra night rangers, who are not busy with drunks, to be there for the protection of people and animals,” she said.
Manly Council general manager Henry Wong said the council would do “whatever it takes” to protect the penguin colony.
“But agreement and co-operation between all the agencies involved is required,” he said.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is continuing its investigations into last month’s attack, although they have been unable to further identify the dog involved after inconclusive DNA tests.
“(We) will continue to liaise with Manly Council about possible increased protection for the little penguin population,” a NPWS spokeswoman said.
“The most valuable protection however can come from dog owners by following regulations and keeping their pets leashed and out of dog-free areas as directed.”
Source
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Push and a shove floors a guardian of penguinsGeesche Jacobsen CRIME EDITOR
January 3, 2011
Only trying to help ... Angelika Treichler near Manly Wharf, where she protects the remaining penguin colony. Photo: Steven SiewertJames Oatley, 27, of Mosman, was allegedly among a group of people on a boat that was pulling into the beach about 9pm. It is alleged he jumped off the boat and was followed by a large, short-haired dog believed to belong to the boat's skipper.
As soon as the dog was on the beach it started running towards a female penguin that was making its way to its mate, which was nesting further up the beach.
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Police arrest a man over an alleged attack on Saturday night. Photo: Alana Fisher
The dog seemed to think it was a game, said one of about 100 people who were watching the scene. ''The dog thought everyone was playing because the ladies where chasing it,'' said a local resident who did not want to be identified.
The wardens said they asked Mr Oatley and the dog's owner to put the dog on a leash, explaining they might be fined for letting their dog run on the beach.
Fairy Penguins. Photo: Rick Stevens
It is alleged that Mr Oatley became aggressive, initially splashing water on to Mrs Burton, 72, to prevent her taking photos, then pushing her so she fell backwards on to the sand.
Onlookers came to her aid and she was badly shaken and resting in bed last night but did not have any serious injuries.
Ms Treichler said there were only five pairs of penguins left in the area and they had kept a low profile since seven of them were killed in a dog attack last month.
In mid-December Manly Council voted to establish tighter controls and improve the fencing to protect the endangered colony.
The council called on the Environment Department to declare the area a ''critical habitat'' and called for a ''zero-tolerance'' approach for infringements.
''We lose penguins all the time - that's why they are not increasing,'' Ms Treichler said. ''In the '50s we had hundreds of penguins. For [some] human beings their lifestyle seems to be more important than the penguins.''
Police arrived moments after the alleged assault. They arrested the man and breath-tested the boat's skipper.
Mr Oatley has been charged with common assault and is due to appear in Manly Local Court on January 27. The boat's owner, 27, of Manly, has been charged with drink-driving while in charge of a boat.
The Oatley family endured a protest hearing before Wild Oats XI was confirmed as the winner of the Sydney to Hobart for the fifth time in six years. A claim that the yacht had improperly used a radio during the race was dismissed.
Source
Call to watch for penguins
TANIA BUTTERFIELD
11/01/2011
TANIA BUTTERFIELD
RECOVERING: Ecoworld manager Regan Russell holds Flipper, a little blue penguin.
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Picton Ecoworld Aquarium manager Regan Russell said four penguins were brought into the aquarium last week.
One penguin appeared to have been hit by a boat and suffered extensive internal bleeding, while another was found on Queen Charlotte Dr near Momorangi Bay with injuries to its head and leg. Interislander ferry staff also found a baby penguin weighing less than 400 grams. All three died within hours of arriving at Ecoworld, Mr Russell said.
One penguin, named Flipper by Ecoworld staff, appeared to have been mauled by a dog and had one of her flippers bitten off, but was was making a good recovery.
Many penguins are found onshore in the Picton area during breeding season, which ended last month. Mr Russell said some penguins might have hatched a second lot of eggs and still be onshore.
"The problem with penguins is they nest under baches and the yacht club, which is close to the dog track.
"They like to nest close to people. Why have a burrow when you could have a bach?"
Penguins also came ashore to malt their coat after breeding and had to stay on land for about a week until their new coat was waterproof.
Ecoworld has received about 20 penguins, but this is the first time any have died.
"It's very unusual. We've been doing this [working with penguins] for only two years, so it might be that more people know about us and are bringing them in," he said.
Department of Conservation biodiversity assets manager Mike Aviss said people in Marlborough Sounds should be aware of the wildlife around them.
"It's a bad time of year [for penguins], with a lot more people here. It's a broad issue, which gets bigger as the population grows," he said.
He said boats, pets and traffic all impacted on penguins.
"We're lucky we have safe breeding areas on our islands, as without them, the penguins would struggle more than they are.
"People just need to be aware of the place they're in.
"People are conscious of their impact on fishing stocks, but they probably don't think of the other impacts of them just being here."
- The Marlborough Express
Source
Second Penguin Chick at Aquarium Dies
Posted: Jan 18, 2011 6:39 PM CST Updated: Jan 18, 2011 6:39 PM CST
MONTEREY, Calif- The Monterey Bay Aquarium regrets to announce the death of its second African blackfooted penguin chick. Staff found the chick, which hatched January 11 in the penguin exhibit in the aquarium's "Splash Zone: Ocean Homes" family gallery, dead in its nest Tuesday afternoon.
"We're devastated," said Aimee Greenebaum, associate curator of aviculture. "We know these penguin chicks have a high mortality rate, but you're never really prepared for the worst."
There were no visible signs of trauma, said Aquarium Veterinarian Dr. Mike Murray. He will send the chick's body to the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory at U.C. Davis, where an avian pathologist will perform tests to try to determine the cause of death.
The first penguin chick, now 10 days old, continues to gain weight, according to Greenebaum. As of Monday, it weighed approximately 15 ounces, nearly double its last weight of about 8 ounces on Friday. Greenebaum cautions that she still considers this chick vulnerable, despite its robust growth, because of its young age and the fact that it is being raised by first-time parents.
The parents of both chicks are Dassen and Umngane who are still caring for their first chick inside their nest site high up in the penguin exhibit. Staff moved their second egg to the nest of adoptive parents Tranya and Molopo in early December to incubate and raise. Adoptive parenting is standard procedure among members of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), especially with endangered or threatened animals that – like African blackfooted penguins – are part of a Species Survival Plan.
In the wild, blackfooted penguin pairs often lay two eggs. Sometimes only one egg hatches, and if both hatch, the larger chick often commands more attention – and therefore gets more food. Dr. Murray said even in an exhibit environment, a younger and smaller second chick faces greater odds to survive than does the first chick hatched.
Aquarium staff will continue to update the first chick's progress on the aquarium's website (www.montereybayaquarium.org), Sea Notes blog (seanotesblog.org)and through its Facebook fan page (www.facebook.com/montereybayaquarium).
Source
Image of the Day (yesterday)
Pingüà Saltaroques (Eudyptes chrysocome) banyant-se amb aigua fresca. Illa de Saunders. Illes Falkland.
Originally uploaded by Joan Masdeu
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