ANIMAL BEHAVIOR: Migratory Patterns And Disaster Precursors - Lost Snowy Owl Seen In Cornwall, England In A Strange Case Of Wrong Time, Wrong Place?!

Snowy owl

April 11, 2016 - ENGLAND - The scene of engine houses against the backdrop of a crisp blue sky might be fairly common in Cornwall, but what is not is the small white bird nestling in the hedgerow.

This snowy owl, which was snapped by photographer Adam Whitehouse, was probably trying to gather its bearings after flying way off course.

The eye-catching birds are native to Arctic regions in North America and Eurasia rather than the tip of West Cornwall.

Mr Whitehouse said the pretty white visitor stopped off for a spell at St Just on April 4 and was pictured here just above Kenidjack Valley.

He said it was not the only rare visitor of late and in the same few days a number of other Arctic birds have been seen in the area, including a rare Gyr falcon in the same location and an Iceland gull on the beach.

- Plymouth Herald.

MASS FISH DIE-OFFS: Migratory Patterns And Disaster Precursors - Thousands Of Dead Fish Found On Beach In Samoa?!

April 10, 2016 - SAMOA - It was a horrific scene according to villagers, where thousands of dead juvenile fish washed ashore and were laid out on one side of Amouli Beach.

Employees of the Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources (DMWR) were dispatched to the area after concerned villagers called. Samoa News spoke to two DMWR employees who confirmed that samples of the water have been shipped off island for analysis and testing, to determine if there are nitrites, or ammonia in the water — pollutants that may have contributed to Wednesday's unexpected event.

The group of dead fish included species of rabbitfish (lo), squirrelfish (malau), and goatfish (i'a sina).

DMWR's Alama Tua explained that DMWR staff biologists would test the fish to determine the cause of death.

The American Samoa Environmental Protection Agency (AS-EPA) is also on board, assisting DMWR in trying to find out what happened. - Samoa News.