Robins = astronomers friend

[nytecam]

BBC web news item quotes robins sing in towns at night 'cos of light pollution - another arrow to your bow on LP complaint ! and save the robins :-)

[Beulah]

I recall going to an event in the nearby town, and used the well-lit park and ride to get to the destination. 

We returned to the car park at around midnight and we were shocked to see a couple of Robins flying around and singing!

[Cath]

We wouldn't be human if we didn't cause caos to our natural surroundings and our fellow planetary inhabitants.

[NickK]

I see the sale of guns going up.. due to natural noise polution..

Actually next door is felling a tree right at this instance.. so there's less chance of noise pollution from nature in the future.. 

[ronin]

Find they sings just about all the time, especially in the summer months.

The ones I have also expect me to feed them.

There is a distinct look of "Where's the food then?" from them.

When digging over the small veg bed I am accompanied by at least 1 robin that grabs anything that wiggles. It really is a case of "Hey, the two legged thing is about to turn over some food for us."

Not quite as bad as a blackbird that realising I supplied the sultanas etc would tap the back door pane of glass until I threw food for (at) her.

Not sure about the light pollution being sort of "the problem" in the case of this species.

Birds I would have thought do not fly at night as they cannot see things like trees too well (dark).

Perhaps the artifical lights simply allow them to see and forage more - especially Robins which eat a lot of ground bug and grubs. I would not be too surprised if they are taking advantage of the light pollution as it enables them to forage at times when normally they could not.

[Beulah]

Perhaps the artifical lights simply allow them to see and forage more - especially Robins which eat a lot of ground bug and grubs. I would not be too surprised if they are taking advantage of the light pollution as it enables them to forage at times when normally they could not.

Aw great, that means we're responsible for obese avians.... 

[Dave Lloyd]

We wouldn't be human if we didn't cause caos to our natural surroundings and our fellow planetary inhabitants.

We do seem to get it wrong a lot, to the detriment of everything else. We've only been learning for 200,000 years or so though. An eyeblink cosmically.

[NickK]

Hmm less birds does mean less "Gimme Food or the Lens gets it!"

[Cath]

We've only been learning for 200,000 years or so though. An eyeblink cosmically.

Tell that to the Dodo's

[LukeSkywatcher]

Tell that to the Dodo's

Any bird that hasnt learnt to fly after millions of yrs of evolution of the avian species............really is fair game.

The Ostrich cant fly, but have you ever tried to catch one?. They have evolved to evade humans. Dodo's just kinda sat around all day.

[Cath]

I know. The point is, they were fine, they were chilling out bobbing along the ground doing what they did, but then one day, alone came the humans.

[LukeSkywatcher]

I know. The point is, they were fine, they were chilling out bobbing along the ground doing what they did, but then one day, alone came the humans.

 You snooze, you loose.

Evolution is all about survival of the fittest. The Dodo survived for centuries along side the peoples of the region. It was only when us Europeans arrived that they became extinct. Not sure what we did with them. Did we cook and eat them or just hunt and kill them for sport.

I bet they tasted like turkey.

[nytecam]

You snooze, you loose.

Evolution is all about survival of the fittest. The Dodo survived for centuries along side the peoples of the region. It was only when us Europeans arrived that they became extinct. Not sure what we did with them. Did we cook and eat them or just hunt and kill them for sport.

I bet they tasted like turkey.

Luckily robins are too small to make a viable snack:-) I read up on Dodo demise - apparently one of the the last dodos was on-route by ship to England but got eaten in Calais and was reportedly the finest fowl ever - explains it all. Today it would feature in a TV Bake off!

[symesie04]

Without looking up their genealogy i strongly suspect that Dodo's were once able to fly, but evolution gave up that ability (likely in favor of another trait) probably because a lack of predators in its habitat. Then sadly man turned up and the Dodo became fodder. Evolution by the way actually really isnt about survival of the fittest, fitness (strength etc) really have little to do with it for the most part. Evolution overall is driven by a need to adapt to environmental changes.

Wiki

" It is presumed that the dodo became flightless because of the ready availability of abundant food sources and a relative absence of predators on Mauritius."

Although evolution can in some cases respond to changes quite rapidly it was totally out paced to provide a solution to the mass slaughter the traders handed out. 

[Cath]

Wiki

" It is presumed that the dodo became flightless because of the ready availability of abundant food sources and a relative absence of predators on Mauritius."

Maybe not the flightless part, but the rest sounds like a very familiar situation indeed

Lets hope we're not always going to have such a bad effect on all the other life we share the planet with - including the lovely Robins.

[Yearofthegoat]

Although evolution can in some cases respond to changes quite rapidly it was totally out paced

...and the same thing is now happening on a global scale as a result of man-made climate change and habitat destruction.

E.g. insect blooms are appearing earlier - too early for fledgling chicks who would ordinarily feed on them. Oceans are becoming more acidic as they take up carbon, destroying coral reefs.

There's an argument that all this is natural as man is part of nature. There's another that says it's wanton destruction driven by the need for financial gains.

Only after the last tree has been cut down.

Only after the last river has been poisoned.

Only after the last fish has been caught.

Only then will you find that money cannot be eaten.

Look after your robins!

Only after the last tree has been cut down.

Only after the last river has been poisoned.

Only after the last fish has been caught.

Only then will you find that money cannot be eaten. - See more at: https://tendenci.com/quotes/648/#sthash.dnsYYNG7.dpuf

Only after the last tree has been cut down.

Only after the last river has been poisoned.

Only after the last fish has been caught.

Only then will you find that money cannot be eaten. - See more at: https://tendenci.com/quotes/648/#sthash.dnsYYNG7.dpuf

[Yearofthegoat]

(Well it looked like my cut and paste did work after all.

Looking forward to being able to edit!)

[StuartJPP]

Our local Robins will sing any time, day and night. It is strange how loud they can get at 3am when everything else is dead quiet.

Their song is quite melancholic...perhaps for a reason...they can't get to sleep!

[symesie04]

I believe Robins are considered early risers anyway and usually begin their chorus before dawn. However where i am there does seem to be a competition between my resident Robin and Blackbird who can get in first. Seems to get earlier and earlier each morning.