Monday, March 28, 2011

Winter Birds - Vinterfuglene

The light is back after two months long dark season here in the North!
And the birds are more lively and showing colours and even great spring songs in spite of 1.6 meter of snow on flat ground!

Bullfinch Male is a startling gardenbird on the feeder!


Blackbirds are among the rarest visitors!


This young Willow Tit shows a deformed lower mandible.


The Great Tits are tough guys that stays all winter.


Waxwings are the gems of the winterbirds!


A few Fieldfares stay all winter, but most leaves Tromsø!

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Potential Impacts of Tree Plantation Projects in Tanzania

Les hva norsk firma gjør med miljøet i Tanzania!

> *Announcement: New report available
> *
> **
> In December 2009, Timberwatch released a preliminary report by/
> /Blessing Karumbidza & Wally Menne titled: /*Potential Impacts of Tree
> Plantation Projects under the CDM - An African Case Study*/ (See
> http://timberwatch.org/uploads/Draft%20Plantation_Projects_under%20CDM%20-%20Blessing%20&%20Wally(1).pdf
> Download 3 MB pdf file at www.timberwatch.org
> or click on the cover image below.
>
>
> *This new report expands on the preliminary Timberwatch report released
> in December 2009, and provides greater insight into the commercial and
> industrial activities of the Norwegian owned company Green Resources Ltd
> (GRL), and associated issues, in the Mufindi district of Iringa province
> in southern Tanzania. *
>
> *There are contradictions in the role of the government of Norway, as a
> major oil producer and exporter through Statoil, contributing
> substantially to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, while financing
> an environmentally destructive plantation sink project. It has entered
> into an agreement with GRL to purchase 400 000 carbon credits, subject
> to the Idete plantations receiving CDM temporary CERs. On the other
> hand, Norwegian public funds have also been invested in Green Resources
> Ltd. *
> * *
> *Norway wishes to occupy high moral ground and therefore seeks to align
> itself with progressive policies in social, environmental, human rights
> and other development issues. In view of the need to address climate
> change, Norway has committed itself to mitigation projects around the
> world, seeking to buy more than 6 000 000 carbon credits. The GRL
> plantations therefore represent an important political investment for
> the Norwegian government.*
>

Make your own Stereo Microphone

I've made use of an old Telinga Disc http://www.telinga.com/, and bought a few components (some parts collected in the tool shed) and created this relatively cheap parabolic Stereo for Phantom 48V

The two Behringer C-2 mics are mounted on a piece of Plexiglas and connected with XLR cables.


The handle itself is collected from an Electric Drill, and a hosepipe 32mm (1 1/4'')with a setscrew (blue)is used for the fixing of the mics.


Take the cables and plugs out of the hole and seal it with foam.


A deadcat or similar like this one from Furrywindscreens is perfect. Go out and make recordings!!
Greenfinch and Bullfinch at 30 meter. Edited in Audacity, +11db and converted from wav to mp3.