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Displaying items by tag: predator

Black guillemots have been driven out of their long-time homes around Bangor harbour - by hooded crows.
BBC News reports that the crafty crows have been raiding nesting holes throughout the harbour, and have almost eliminated this year's brood of guillemots - affectionately known as 'black penguins'.
"Often there's been the odd egg or chick which has disappeared but this year it's been extraordinary,' said black guillemot expert Dr Julian Greenwood. "It's been a virtual wipe-out."
Dr Greenwood plans to thwart the crows next year by fixing small pieces of plywood across the openings of nesting holes, keeping the predators out.
BBC News has more on the story HERE.

Black guillemots have been driven out of their long-time homes around Bangor harbour - by hooded crows.

BBC News reports that the crafty crows have been raiding nesting holes throughout the harbour, and have almost eliminated this year's brood of guillemots - affectionately known as 'black penguins'.

"Often there's been the odd egg or chick which has disappeared but this year it's been extraordinary,' said black guillemot expert Dr Julian Greenwood. "It's been a virtual wipe-out."

Dr Greenwood plans to thwart the crows next year by fixing small pieces of plywood across the openings of nesting holes, keeping the predators out.

BBC News has more on the story HERE.

Published in Marine Wildlife

About Quarter Tonners

The Quarter Ton Class is a sailing class of the International Offshore Rule racing the Quarter Ton Cup between 1967 and 1996 and from 2005 until today.

The class is sailed by smaller keelboats of similar size and is likely the world's most-produced keelboat class.

The Ton, Half, Quarter, etc. 'classes' were each given a 'length' and yacht designers had almost free rein to work the hull shapes and measurements to achieve the best speed for that nominal length.

The Ton Rules produced cranky and tender boats without actual downwind speed. Measurement points created weird, almost square hull shapes with longish overhangs.

They were challenging to sail optimally and lost value very quickly as any new wrinkle (e.g. 'bustles') to take advantage of the rule made older boats very quickly uncompetitive.

Although its heyday was 30 years ago, the boat class continues to make its presence felt by holding its own in terms of popularity against some fern race fleets.