h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Which proves that my journal isn't totally useless, after all.

What if I take a lipstick and paint the face/wattles/comb of my nice and red?

Will it give me more

"anecdotes vary as to whether the cayenne's for starting up first-time layers"

all it did for girlfriend, was made her sneeze

Just got back from a run to the nearest convenience store.

Was just about to get out the car when a flock of two families (four adults, eight half grown progeny) of Gambel's quail moved in and started feeding under one of the native desert shrubs, the trailing, rather plump, adult hopping up into an elevated position to play lookout while they fed.

I decided to wait and watch while they fed rather than opening up the car and frightening them away.

They're quite my favorite of the local song birds and the local wild life at the moment is mostly laying low, staying as cool as they can and waiting out the remainder of the hot season.

Listening to an old Robert Mitchum radio drama on the radio at the moment.

~ ~ ~ ~

I live in a very special senior citizens park. We have a large pond in the centre with a beautiful hammock in the middle of it. This is Florida! It is not a cloth bed, but a natural island.

We have many birds that live here, ducks, ibis, wood storks and sand hill cranes to name but a few of them (we also have hawks, crows, mocking birds and a few others from time to time).

There is a woman who lives down the road who insists on feeding the ducks bread, even though she has been told that this is not only detrimental to their health, but also against the law by her neighbours, the park management and even the local Fish and Wildlife Officers!

The problem is not that the birds gather on the road when it is about feeding time (even though they interfere with us when we take our dog to 'do her business' on our golf cart) but the chemicals and preservatives are very decremental to their health. It also removes their natural fear of people.

Our pond is finally showing signs that we might have an alligator living in there. This is actually a good thing as they help to control other evasive species.

There are very strict laws about people not feeding alligators because if they equate people with food they will become even more dangerous. Eventually they will have to be removed and killed because some fool thought they were 'helping'

I could have posted this in 'Petty Hates', but it is not a 'petty' issue,.

I my wildlife!

F S

PS: If I ever catch her trying to feed the 'gator I will take pictures and try my best to have her prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

Do not mess with my Wife, my Dog or my Alligator - It will not go well for you!

~ ~ Yes, 'The Do-Gooder' Sometimes does more harm than good. My title for such a person with a disparaging tone in my voice is: "The Little 'ol Lady in Tennis Shoes" ... . .. ...

This is Florida argh! I've just seen on tv, about the explosion of African Rock Pythons around the Everglades and the panic that they'll inter-breed with the explosion of Burmese Pythons there, creating a man-eater super-snake

Kind of a problem, the Florida pythons, with no native predators except maybe the bears, cougars, bobcats, wolves and coyotes to keep them in check.

In the far east they're processed into broth to provide a base for egg flower soup.

You will not read this in most public accounts.
The Florida Everglades Python problem began shortly after Hurricane Andrew destroyed much of the city of Homestead, just south of Miami. in 1992.

One of the businesses destroyed was a pet store that specialized in reptiles. Many of the animals escaped into the wild.

It was far easier for the authorities to blame unknown pet owners for releasing the pythons than to admit their own lack of control of the situation.

The python population in the Everglades very real problem and needs to be addressed.

F S

Unrestricted year round hunting, bountys, python leather products.

Perhaps it would be better to classify them as an endangered species and preserve them, then spread the rumour that their hearts are beneficial for the sexual power - and let poachers solve the problem for us

Now, that might work.

I've been getting mad about the Asian carp that need to be kept out of the Great Lakes. They destroy biodiversity in the waters, and they're a hazard to shipping. They FLY. Boaters can get concussions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InENM6fwIwE

http://bassonline.com/freshwater-species/snakehead-fishing/#gsc.tab=0

are the Florida canals and Everglades becoming a dumping ground for "unwanted pets" as well as hurricane intervention ?

Over the last century or so there have been many non-native species introduced to Florida, both plant and animal.

Given both the mild climate and lack of predators here they tend to reproduce at alarming numbers.

Some, especially the plants and trees were introduced as being decorative. Others were purposely brought in as an attempt at mosquito control, including the plant Water Hyacinth and the ubiquitous 'Love Bugs'. Then there are species who were introduced to other parts of the country that migrate here on their own such as Kudzu grass and African Killer Bees.

Although there are large urban areas on both sides of the 'Glades - Ft. Lauderdale and Miami to the east and Naples and Ft. Meyers to the west, they are separated by a hundred miles of almost empty land. That is a fairly long drive to just drop off an unwanted pet.

Another major problem is the run-off of fertilizers from agriculture to the north (primarily Sugar Cane) is providing far more nutrients to the flora than was available historically. This also upsets the natural balance.

This a very simplified reply to a complex question, but I thought you might find it interesting.

F S

Thanks Florida. I know due to stuff like that, Australia has one of the highest border/immigration controls going. Some stuff will be zapped by radioactive isotopes to kill bugs etc

On the 'love bugs', I remember those from Mississippi, September and October 2007, when they were swarming in their seasonal climax.

As one of the locals remarked in passing, "Good for nothing except to ruin a paint job."

Saw a turkey vulture cruisin' the highway today, presumably looking for roadkill.

http://backyardzoologist.wordpress.com/2010/05/21/turkey-vultures/

That's a good blog, ITI, thanks!

We have a lot of turkey vultures on our side of the country, too - they're beautiful flyers.