Syracuse.com - Blame Shakespeare for spread of starlings in his country: Oddities in the Outdoors

HuntingNY-News · March 10, 2014

A 12-year-old Louisiana boy caught a state-record blue catfish on a piece of Vienna sausage he had brought to eat as a snack.

William Shakespeare

1). How did European starlings come here from Europe and become one of the most plentiful songbirds in the New World? Blame a group of 19th century Shakespearean enthusiasts who were determined to introduce to this country every bird mentioned in Shakespeare's works.

A Bronx drug manufacturer, a member of the group, is specifically credited with bringing the starling here, according to scientificamerican.com.

Shakespeare noted the mimicking ability of the starling while writing Henry IV, Part 1. Hotspur is contemplating driving King Henry nuts by having a starling repeat the name of Hotspur's brother-in-law Mortimer, whom Henry refuses to ransom out of prisoner status.

2). Ever been on a camping or hiking trip and run out of water? Try breaking off a branch from the nearest pine tree, peel away the bark and slowly pour lake water through the stick.

Researchers at MIT say this method should trap any bacteria - and that the method is capable of producing up to four liters of drinkable water a day.

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2014/need-a-water-filter-peel-a-tree-branch-0226.html

3). A 12-year-old Louisiana boy caught a 114-pound blue catfish that looks to be the new state record for that species. The fish, caught on a unique bait, weighed four more pounds than he does.

The boy used a piece of Vienna sausage he had brought along as a snack, according outdoorchannel.com.

4. The U.S. Geological Survey announced last week that scientists had successfully bred a captive male western gray wolf and a female western coyote. The project, according to a USGS press release, is an important step in showing whether the eastern wolf of southeastern Canada is a unique species eligible for protection under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

5). Just because you saw a robin this past weekend doesn't mean it's a sure sign that spring is almost here. (My wife spotted one in our front yard.)

Many robins now stay in Central New York year-round. You just don't see them because they avoid bird feeders and hang out in woodsy, wetland areas that are out of sight.

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog