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Show Wednesday, November 19, 2008 B7 Vamaguchi chairs ALA Christmas Seals campaign use Notes Vernal Express 1 . Feathered transplants now call Utah home The number of Eurasian collared doves, Streptopelia decaocto, is rising in the Ashley Valley. Immigration is a common and often controversial topic in " the news. But did you know that several of our most familiar birds are also immigrants from other lands? "Transplants" might beabet-ter beabet-ter term, as these species have all been brought here by people. But once established, some of them took over the continent faster than any wave of human settlers. The common city pigeon (more formally known as a rock pigaoivr-ojBk do ve-i6, native . of Eurape and Asia It may. vfelL': have been the earliest domesticated domesti-cated bird, first raised for meat and later for message carrying. French and English colonists brought the birds to Nova Scotia and Virginia in the early 1600s, and they have spread throughout through-out North America, except for northern Canada and Alaska. The rock pigeon nests naturally natu-rally in rocky cliffs, but find buildings equally suitable, and thus develops large urban popu-r lations. Some people enjoy feeding feed-ing the pigeons, but many cities, including Vernal, consider the birds nuisances and health hazards haz-ards and have made it illegal to feed them. Another familiar denizen of urban areas is the house sparrow, native to most of Eurasia and also Africa. First imported into Brooklyn in the 1850s, it likewise spread across this continent, aided by further releases in the Midwest and West, including Utah. Some researchers believe that seeds in horse droppings contributed con-tributed to the house sparrow's relentless expansion, and that its population declined somewhat some-what after automobiles replaced horse-drawn vehicles. However, the birds' fondness for parking lots, where they pick insects from radiator grilles and scavenge food scraps from the pavement, shows they have adapted quite well to the motor age. Starlings are often heard in noisy flocks high in trees, or seen wheeling though the sky in tight formations, which is a defense against attacking hawks. These European natives began their conquest of North America from 100 birds released in New York's Central Park from 1890 to 1891. European starlings sometimes some-times mimic the sounds of various vari-ous other birds and even cats and dogs, which is not so surprising since they are related to the Asian mynas, popular talking cage birds. Starlings eat many insect pests such as cutworms and Japanese beetles, but this benefit is tempered by their impact on native birds, as noted below. The newest of these winged invaders is the Eurasian col-lared-dove, introduced into the Bahamas in the mid-1970s. They soon became established in Florida and alongthe adjacent coast, and have been steadily expandingtheir range northward and westward. In January 2003, a single Eurasian Eur-asian collared-dove was noted duringthe Christmas Bird Count (CBC) in Jensen. One more was iUFFE at i Golden Corral ) a . . 1 it 1 - -t - 1 a im I nursaay, Novemoer u j 11 am -4 pm I ) " . Owl i:aMi We - Kpress 60 East 100 North Vernal Utah -435-789-3511 www.vernal.com Carved Turkey Smoked Pit Ham Jumbo Fried Shrimp Homemade Pumpkin Pie - Coconut Cream Pie t Sweet Spot Dessert Bar C Bakery Cafe Pies & Cakes All You Can Eat Sirloin Steak Carved Salmon Homemade Pot Roast Kristi Yamaguchi, Olympic Gold Medalist and most recent winner of Dancing With the Stars, has been named chairperson chair-person for the 2008 American Lung Association Christmas Seals Campaign in an effort to help raise funds in support of the organization's mission: to prevent pre-vent lung disease and promote lung health. The American Lung Association Asso-ciation Christmas Seals tradition tradi-tion began in 1907 to conquer Tuberculosis. Today, the Lung Association is fighting new battles, bat-tles, including the fight against influenza. On average each year, about 36,000 people die and roughly 226,000 people are hospitalized because of influenza and its complications (such as pneumonia). Nearly 250 million mil-lion Americans more than 4 out of 5 are recommended for annual influenza vaccinations this year. Kristi is committed to supporting sup-porting the American Lung Association As-sociation in its efforts to promote lung health, not only through the Christmas Seals Campaign, but also as national spokesperson for the organization's Faces of Influenza educational initiative, which teaches families about the dangers of influenza and the need to be immunized. "Throughout my skating career, ca-reer, my doctor always stressed the importance of an annual influenza in-fluenza vaccination to maintain my health. Today, as a mother of two young children, I realize my whole family needs to be immunized against influenza to help protect their respiratory health. It's a responsibility I take very seriously and that's why I have joined forces with the American Lung Association in this important initiative." Over the next month, more than 12 million Americans will receive a letter from Kristi along with the familiar decorative holiday stamps, urging them to open their hearts to the Lung Association As-sociation this holiday season. Please visit www.lungusa.org for more information or to make a donation to the American Lung Association. About the American Lung Association: Beginning our second century, the American Lung Association is the leading organization working to prevent lung disease and promote lung health. Lung disease death rates are currently increasing while other major causes of death are declining. The American Lung Association funds vital research on the causes of and treatments for lung disease. With the generous gen-erous support of the public, the American Lung Association is "Improving life, one breath at a time." For m ore information about the American Lung Association, Asso-ciation, a Charity Navigator Four Star Charity, or to support the work it does, call 1-800-LUNG-USA (1-800-586-4872) or log on to www.lungusa.org. BLM botanist to speak on lichens Mistakenly thought of as plants, lichens are a unique partnership part-nership between a fungus and green algae or cyanobacteria. Because of their ability to inhabit extreme environments, such as tundra or desert, lichens become an important survival tool for many species of wildlife that rely upon them for food, water or nesting materials. Come learn more about these fascinating organisms at 7 p.m., Nov. 20 at Utah Field House of Natural History, 496 E, Main St., Vernal. 4 For more information, call 435-789-3799. seen during the January 2005 Jensen CBC, but by the end of the year, when the CBC fell on Dec. 31, the number was up to 52. Since that time, Eurasian collared-doves have become a common sight around the Ashley Valley. They are slightly larger, plumper, and paler in color than the native mourning dove, with a shorter, more rounded tail, and distinctive narrow black "collar" across the back or the neck. So far, the mourning dove appears to be holding its own, at least in more rural and unsettled areas, while the Eurasian collared-dove seems to prefer urban and suburban settings. However, declines in native species are the usual downside of introducing birds, or any other animals or plants to a new area. If the imported species adapts well to the condition it finds, it may out-compete native species for food or displace them from nesting sites. For instance, house sparrows and European starlings nest in tree cavities, putting them in conflict with many native birds. The rapid decline of the much-loved Eastern bluebird, in particular, is a sad reminder of how our tinkering with nature often has unintended results. 29th Annual Santa's Workshop "HANDMADE CRAFTS" By Area Artists! Friday, November 28th 11a.m. - 6 p.m. (Santa from 1-4 p.m.) Saturday, November 29th 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. (Santa from 1- 4 p.m.) at Vernal Junior High h 99 Per Person Our famous yeast rolls available for take out. Call ahead and we will have them hot and ready to go. 1096 West Hwy 40 . 1 fj 789-7268 :: i i I Mi rM?'' w appy fill 'A Birthday... I 1 ? f Paybacks are awful, aren't they! ? |