Archive for August, 2007
beezhouse.com
Was sitting at home on Saturday night, enjoying a repeat of Iron Chef. Theme ingredient: Swallow’s Nest. I hear you ask WHAT? Which is exactly what I did. Very quickly worked out it was a delicacy in Chinese cooking, and by god… EXPENSIVE. Only to be served when the Emperer shows up. (In case you’re wondering, if the friends pop over, then you should serve sea cucumbers. Who knew?). Now, the chefs did their thing with US$24,000 worth of Swallow’s Nest. Broke the budget for the show apparently. We got to the end of the show somewhat intrigued. What is Swallow’s Nest?
Swallows or swifts make nests by regurgitating gelatinous substances, or the saliva. The nests are called swallow’s nest. It is also referred to as bird’s nest. Swallow is the bird Collocalia fuciphaga (Edible-nest Swiftlet), belonging to the Apodidae family and many other birds of the same breed. Swallow’s nest consumption has been known by the Chinese for thousands of years, and people especially those riches love it and consider it as one of the most precious tonic food they can have. As a food and a tonic, it is said to be highly nourishing, containing with elements which can stimulate cell and epidermal growth. If the swallow’s nest is taken regularly, so the tradition says, the skin will be glowing and delicate. Swollow’s nest is also good for the eyes. It is beneficial to the elderly and those who have just recovered from illness.
Yes, that’s right. It is bird spit. Scrapped from inside caves straight to a plate near you! Having eaten snails amongst other things, I can appreciate that some may find this a delicacy. (That said, I baulked at the goat on Friday night… didn’t seem right). Indeed, it is known in foodie circles as the “Caviar of the East”. The thing that shocked me is the fact that Swallow’s Nest is essentially flavourless. Upwards of US$2000 per/kg for something that is tasteless and flavourless. Surely, they were having a lend. No! For over US$100 for a bowl of soup, my god, that would want to be the best soup you’ve ever had.
August 14th, 2007
Pocono Record, PA -
John Serrao
Poconos Outdoors
August 12, 2007
This story is mostly about a bird, but it also concerns the birder who discovered it, resulting in the first historical record of this species nesting in the Poconos.
The bird was found completely by serendipity, yet if anyone is likely to make such an accidental discovery, it’s Rick Wiltraut, who has become famous throughout Pennsylvania’s birding community as the man who makes a habit of finding rare birds in unexpected places.
The bird in this case is the merlin, a small, speedy northern falcon which, until last year, was known in our state almost exclusively as a fall migrant that passed through en route from Canada to points far to the south.
In early summer, while driving in Promised Land State Park, Rick glimpsed a falcon in flight. Stopping to investigate more closely, he discovered an entire family of merlins nesting in a white pine just off the road, adjacent to a clearing.
It was only last summer that the first state records of breeding merlins were confirmed in western Pennsylvania, in Warren and McKean counties. Rick’s discovery represents the first breeding merlins in this entire region.
What makes this story so exciting is the amazingly sudden appearance of this falcon in the northeastern United States. The merlin is primarily a Canadian bird, breeding around bogs, coniferous forest openings, alpine meadows and boreal wetlands. In the eastern states, it’s been known to birders mostly as a fall migrant, passing swiftly by hawk lookouts on it’s way to the Gulf States, Mexico, the West Indies, or northern South America for the winter months.
In the DDT era, merlin populations suffered drastic reductions along with their close relative, the peregrine falcon. But recent years have seen dramatic increases in numbers of merlins migrating past autumn lookouts, hinting that they have recovered in Canada and the species is experiencing a population expansion. Sure enough, 100 merlin nests were found throughout the upstate New York last year — 25 years ago, there were none.
Rick Wiltraut is an environmental educator at Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center, near Wind Gap, and he serves on the seven-member Pennsylvania Ornithological Records Committee, which studies, documents, and verifies all records of our state’s birds. His passion is birds — not just identifying and listing them, but studying and observing their behavior.
When my wife, Felicia, and I met him at Promised Land on the last day of July (alerted to the merlins’ location by both Rick and Brian Hardiman, another extraordinary local birder — see announcement at end of column) he had already been stationed there with his binoculars and spotting scope for several hours, watching the four young merlins perched side by side on a dead branch in the top of a tree.
The fledglings had left the nest (probably an old crow or hawk nest — merlins don’t build their own nests) just a few days before, after being fed there by their parents for about a month, following an incubation period of another month. Rick had observed the adult male merlin delivering barn swallows to the female, who in turn fed them to the noisy, hungry babies. Now, these babies were taking their inaugural flights, and already they exhibited the breathtaking speed and maneuverability for which this falcon is famous.
We watched in awe as they left their perch and zoomed in dizzying circles over the trees, shrieking at a soaring turkey vulture that dared to invade their space.
With a 2-foot wing span and 12-inch body length, a merlin is considerably smaller than a peregrine and only a bit larger than our smallest falcon, the kestrel, although it is much heavier and bulkier than the latter. Females are larger then males, and lack the slate-blue backs of their mates. Both sexes have dark tails with prominent crossbars, heavily streaked underparts, and short, yellow legs and feet. Like all falcons, merlins have long, pointed wings and tapered, bullet-shaped bodies for powerful flight.
The merlin’s speed is legendary — it was once used in falconry in Europe, where it’s also a northern breeder. Just imagine how fast a predator has to be in order to capture a barn swallow or bat in flight. Merlins will often burst into pursuit of passing birds from a perch in a tree, or ambush sandpipers on a beach or mudflat from behind the cover of shrubs. They’ve also been known to follow harriers (marsh hawks) flying over fields and marshes and grab songbirds scared from cover by the much larger hawks. Merlins are also frequently seen snatching large dragonflies from the air as they migrate south. At the other extreme, they prey upon pigeons, too — in fact, an old name “pigeon hawk,” and the scientific name is Falco columbarius, pigeon falcon, based on their swift, direct flight.
It wasn’t more than a few years ago that a Pennsylvania outdoor writer described his encounter with a merlin as “a glimpse of the distant frozen north.” Today, that situation has changed, and the merlin has suddenly become a member of Pennsylvania’s forest and wetland communities. Thanks to people like Rick Wiltraut, the birders and other outdoor enthusiasts of our state can look forward to being informed about more such happy occurances in the future.
Announcement: Brian Hardiman will be leading a trip to Trinidad for the Monroe County Environmental Education Center from Jan. 12-19, 2008. My wife and I accompanied Brian on this same adventure two years ago and saw more than 150 species of tropical birds, as well as butterflies, exotic wildflowers and trees, beautiful tropical scenery, wonderful people and much more. It’s a trip we’ll never forget. Call Brian at the center, (570) 629-3061 for more details.
August 13th, 2007
nps.gov
One of the most significant bird species in North America uses Carlsbad Cavern as a summer nesting home. The cave swallow, a close relative of the cliff swallow, can be seen from early February to late October (sometimes even November) nesting just inside the entrance to Carlsbad Cavern. The swallows provide entertainment for visitors by chattering, swooping, and making spectacular dives into and around the mouth of the cave.
Habitat and Range
The cave swallow is a permanent resident of Mexico. Currently it is expanding its range northward into the United States. The primary nesting sites chosen by the birds are caves, however they sometimes occupy bridges and similar structures. Unlike the cliff swallow, the cave swallows’ nest is not fully enclosed. It is shaped like a small half-cup; it is constructed of mud and plant fibers, and lined with feathers.
The colony of cave swallows at Carlsbad Cavern is probably one of the northernmost colonies of cave swallows in the United States. It is also probably the largest, no one knows for sure. A migratory species, the cave swallows usually arrive at Carlsbad Cavern in the early spring, and depart for wintering grounds by late fall.
History
Cave swallows were first found nesting in undeveloped caves in the Slaughter Canyon area in the 1930. They were rediscovered in June 1952. In 1966, three nesting pairs of cave swallows arrived at Carlsbad Cavern and made their nests just inside the entrance. Since then the population has increased to an estimated 2,000 birds. Although the colony varies in size from year to year, it is the largest known colony of this species in the United States.
Each nest usually contains from two to five eggs, which are laid in mid-May. The young birds are able to fly about 20-23 days after they have hatched. After reaching maturity the swallows appear to return to Carlsbad each summer for the rest of their lives. However, this information has not been proven, and research is ongoing.
The cave swallows share Carlsbad Cavern with the cave’s large summer Mexican free-tailed bat colony. The bats, however, roost considerably further into the cave than the swallows. The birds are daytime flyers, feeding primarily on insects. Both colonies seem to co-exist without difficulty.
A Continuing Study
In 1980, an extensive banding project was initiated by a local researcher. Its purpose is to learn more about the birds and research their winter range.
August 10th, 2007
Dunn County News, WI - Jul 23, 2007
By Dennis Weibel, Red Cedar Notebook
Last month, millions of people from around the world took part in the Internet vote to name seven new “Wonders of the World.” It seems that some folks were disappointed that only one of the original wonders was still in existence. They longed for a new list of wondrous architectural achievements, ones that could be viewed and visited in the 21st century.
I have long been an admirer of human architecture, from the stunning brilliance of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome to the stoic grandeur of our very own Mabel Tainter Memorial Building, but I also marvel at the constructions of other animals. For thousands of years, animals have used residential materials, anatomical adaptations and a bit of ingenuity to build marvelous structures, from beehives to beaver dams.
Engineering marvels One such construction is the mud nest of the cliff swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota). Examples of these can be found under the bridges that span the Red Cedar River and trail. My favorite spot to observe both the nests — and the birds that built them — is from the Red Cedar State Trail underpass at Irvington.
The swallows, themselves, are easy to see. They continuously swoop through the air in eye-straining patterns, rarely pausing to perch. Most often, they appear to be dark brown, but with just the right light and angle of view, the iridescent blue-gray feathers on their crowns and shoulders glimmer and catch the eye. Cliff swallows have a squared-off tail and a pale orange rump patch, features that distinguish them from other swallows found in Dunn County.
These swallows prefer life in a colony, rarely constructing a solitary nest. You can easily spot their numerous, conical, gourd-like nests plastered to the underside of the bridge. They are made out of mud pellets, carefully carried to the site in the beaks of swallows.
Frequent flyers
This past spring, I watched newly-returned cliff swallows congregate on the mud flats just south of the bridge. Scores of birds scooped up beakfuls of mud, flew to the bridge, deposited the mud pellets and flew back. They repeated the process over and over and over. The average nest contains 1,000 to 1,400 mud pellets, or trips from mudflat to bridge.
A few lucky swallows avoid this tedium altogether. They migrate back early to take up residence in one of the previous year’s nest, having to make only minor repairs. In this situation, the early bird truly does “catch the worm.”
Upon completion of repairs or construction, the nests are lovingly lined with grass and feathers. The female then lays four to five eggs.
My very rough count of nests stuck to the four large I-beams that support the Irvington Bridge comes to about 200. With four eggs per nest, there were, at one time, possibly a whopping 800 eggs waiting to hatch.
Safety in numbers
Bob and Mary Brown from the University of Tulsa have spent 20 years observing and studying cliff swallow colonies. They have determined that there is safety in such large numbers. The massive volume of eggs and nestlings tends to overwhelm predators and dilutes predation of the young. (If you wish to learn more of the Brown’s research, visit their Web site at: www.bio.utulsa.edu/Brown.htm.)
If you visit the bridge anytime soon, the plaintiff cries of hungry babies will tell you that the eggs have hatched.
Feeding these newly-hatched nestlings is a monumental task. Cliff swallows dine exclusively on insects, favoring flies, beetles and mosquitoes. Their long, pointed wings allow for quick, maneuverable flight, handy for chasing tiny insects in mid-flight.
Air traffic
Each day, the adults make thousands of forays, ceaselessly catching insects and depositing them into small gaping mouths. With some 800 mouths to feed, flights in and out of the Irvington Bridge rival those at O’Hare International, with nary an air traffic controller in sight.
The multitude of young cliff swallows will likely fledge (take flight for the first time) in the next few days. When they do, they will congregate in large groups called crèches.
The adults will continue to feed the young throughout this period. Imagine, if you will, the dilemma of flying up to a crèche of 50-60 juvenile birds, mosquito in beak, and trying to locate that sweet little face you call your own. The adults and young overcome this obstacle through a series of vocalizations.
When autumn is ready to turn the world over to winter (something I care not to think about right now), we will need to say good-bye to these avian architects. Cliff swallows are some of the world’s premier migrators. They will fly to the southern regions of South America to escape the cold of the upper Midwest.
Come spring they will rejoin us, grab some mud, build new nesting structures and start the circle of life anew.
In our next column, we will take a look at a plant some people consider a weed, while others look upon it as a “jewel.”
August 8th, 2007
MH Ng, KH Chan, YC Kong - Biochem Int, 1986 - ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
The edible bird’s nest extract from Collocalia spp. was found to contain a glycoprotein which could potentiate mitogenic response of human peripheral blood monocytes to stimulation with Concanavalin A or Phytohemagglutinin A.
The potentiating effect of the extract was most marked at suboptimal mitogenic concentrations of these lectins, decreasing the 50% optimal concentration of Con A and PHA by 6- and 2.5- folds respectively. The potentiating effect was exerted early during the first 10 hours following stimulation with Con A. This potentiation activity was not dialysable, but it was stable to limited digestion with trypsin, alkaline pH and extraction with ether.
August 7th, 2007
Portsmouth Herald News, NH - Aug 1, 2007
By Sue Kike
“Look up,and see things Fliying/between the day nigh swallows with
spools of dark thread sewing the shadows together” — From “Bat” by D.H. Lawrence
I first interacted with swallows — tree swallows in particular — when I worked at the Wells Reserve; beautiful flyers, insect eaters, however they were primarily the pesky birds that took over bluebird nesting boxes.
An experience this past weekend forever transformed my image of this bird. While out on the marsh at dusk, during a near full moon, countless tree swallows poured from the surrounding marsh and trees, waves upon waves of birds flying and wheeling over the water in front of the setting sun. It was a wonderful sight and, apparently, quite common. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, “Outside of the breeding season the Tree Swallow congregates into enormous flocks and night roosts, sometimes numbering in the hundreds of thousands. They gather about an hour before sunset at a roost site, forming a dense cloud. They swirl around like a living tornado and as darkness approaches they then wheel low over the cattail marsh or grove of small trees. Large numbers drop down into the roost with each pass of the flock until the flock disappears.”
Research suggests that this communal flying teaches young birds where the best foraging sites are while also joining them together for their migration south.
Tree swallows live in open areas near bodies of water and fields, especially wooded shorelines, and it is therefore relatively easy to find tree swallow habitat in York. Swallows are easily recognized; small and slender aerial feeders, they dine primarily on insects, and are usually observed darting and swooping over fields, marshes and ponds. There are five species of swallow you might see in Maine.
Tree swallows and barn swallows are the most common and they are easy to tell apart. A swallow with a deeply forked tail is a barn swallow; if it doesn’t have the deeply forked tail, it is most likely a tree swallow.
Another amazing aerial display to watch for: a tree swallow taking a bath, quite a challenge to a bird that spends little time on the ground. The tree swallow has solved this problem by skimming over the surface of the water. Lightly touching the water with its wingtips, the swallow flies upwards and shakes the water over its body.
While most of us can’t quite welcome mosquitoes into our hearts, it is important to remember how vital they are to our local bird populations. We couldn’t have flocks of thousands of tree swallows without the dense clouds of mosquitoes that sustain them. So, if you’d like to see something just as spectacular as fireworks, don some bug repellent and head to your nearest marsh at dusk to watch the aerial displays of the tree swallows.
August 6th, 2007
doi.wiley.com
Keli Ou 1 *, Teck K. Seow 1, Rosa C. M. Y. Liang 1, Bee W. Lee 2, Denise L. M. Goh 2, Kaw Y. Chua 2, Maxey C. M. Chung 1 3
1Bioprocessing Technology Center,
2Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine,
3Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Singapore National University of Singapore, Singapore
email: Keli Ou (btcoukl@nus.edu.sg)
*Correspondence to Keli Ou, Bioprocessing Technology Centre, National University of Singapore, 10 Medical Drive, Singapore 117597 Fax: +65-796-9596
Keywords
Bird’s Nest • Allergen • Immunoreaction • Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis • Edman degradation • Mass spectrometry
Abstract
For centuries, the edible nests of Collocalia spp. (Bird’s Nests) have been used as a Chinese delicacy that had been claimed to be an effective health-giving tonic. However, clinical
studies indicated that in Singapore, Bird’s Nest is the most common cause of food-induced anaphylaxis in children, which could lead to potentially life-threatening allergenic reactions. The purpose of this study was to characterize the major allergens in Bird’s Nest by using the combined technologies of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE), immunochemistry, N-terminal protein sequencing, and mass spectrometry. Results from the immunostaining of the Western blots of the Bird’s Nest 2-DE separated proteins with the sera from allergic patients indicated the presence of a major allergen of 66 kDa. Initial searches of the matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization - time of flight - mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) tryptic peptide masses of the allergen in the SWISS-PROT and NCBI nonredundant databases revealed that this protein was novel. Based on the partial protein sequence information obtained from N-terminal microsequencing and nanoelectrospray-tandem MS, the 66 kDa immunoreactive allergen was found to be homologous to ovoinhibitor, a Kazal-type serine protease inhibitor, which is one of the dominant allergens found in chicken egg white.
August 3rd, 2007
cbc.ca
Bird’s nest soup is a delicacy in Chinese cuisine. It’s made with the nests of a species called a “swift,” and is among the most expensive animal products consumed by humans.
Getting your hands on an edible swift’s nest will run you a few hundred dollars, but for interest’s sake, here’s the recipe as prepared by Chef Howard Dubrovsky:
(Makes 3 servings)
Ingredients:
• 1 bird’s nest (approx 5 gr)
• 600 ml water
• 2-3 tbsp sugar
• 2-3 slices of ginger
Directions:
1 Soak the nest in water for 2 hours to rehydrate.
2 Drain off the nest.
3 Place the nest and the 600 ml water in a double boiler (a bowl on top of a pot will work too) and simmer for 90 minutes covered.
4 The nest will appear translucent and will be very soft. Add the sugar and ginger and cook another 10 minutes.
August 2nd, 2007
White Rock Peace Arch News, Canada -
By Tracy Holmes
Staff Reporter
Jul 19 2007
Naturalists involved in the comeback of Purple Martins in the Lower Mainland will lead talks and a walk Sunday to share the success story.
Celebrate the Purple Martin: A Species at Risk in the Lower Fraser is set for 1-5 p.m. July 22 at Historic Stewart Farm, 13723 Crescent Rd.
“We’re trying to promote the success of the return of the Purple Martins,” Peninsula naturalist Jude Grass said.
“We’ve now got at least a half-dozen successful colonies in the Lower Mainland. It’s really a neat success story.”
Grass is chair of Sunday’s event and said as many as five speakers will lead illustrated talks on Purple Martin projects. There are several in place, including Maplewood Flats, Port Moody, Iona Island and Blackie Spit.
The presentations, which will be indoor, will be followed by a rain-or-shine jaunt to Blackie Spit to view the birds and nest boxes.
Grass described Purple Martins as beautiful birds that nest in large colonies on the East Coast, but prefer more private accommodations here.
“They’re an interesting bird,” she said. “Ours also like to be over water. In the east, they’ll nest in your backyard.”
Purple Martins are the largest North American swallow. The blue-black bird winters as far south as Brazil, but returns to southwestern B.C. every spring for breeding season – provided there’s somewhere to call home.
The bird was scarcely seen in North America after 1940, but began making a comeback in B.C. 20 years ago.
Nest boxes were first installed off Blackie Spit in 1994, to aid the population’s recovery. Volunteers replaced the boxes – 21 in all – last February.
Experts say the Purple Martins will head south for good if their population is not encouraged and supported here.
Sunday’s event is free to attend. It’ll likely appeal most to those age eight and older, Grass said. For info, call 604-538-8774.
August 1st, 2007
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