Full Moons and birds & bugs

[depakid]

I've seen this kind of thing- I bet many others here have too!
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If the night sky seems less tranquil on nights when the moon is bright, the observation probably isn't imagined since a new study has determined that at least one bird's level of activity dramatically increases with moonlight.

The finding adds to a growing body of evidence that lunar phases affect the behavior of insects, birds, fish and mammals -- including humans.

The study, which has been accepted for publication in the journal Animal Behavior, is among the first to provide direct evidence for the "full moon effect," since many other claims have been based on indirect observations and even folklore, such as werewolf tales.

In the case of streaked shearwaters, the focus of the study, this marine bird flew for longer periods and landed on water more frequently on nights with a full moon. But because sharks and other bird predators also appear to be more energized on such nights, the shearwaters didn't stay on the water for long.

"Pelagic seabirds, including shearwaters, are known to be preyed upon by sharks or seals at sea, so birds are attacked from under the sea, not from the air," lead author Takashi Yamamoto explained to Discovery News.

"When birds are sitting on the water's surface at night with a full moon, it shades moonlight passing through into the sea, so predators might be able to detect seabirds using such shades," added Yamamoto, a researcher at Japan's National Institute of Polar Research.

He and his colleagues captured 48 streaked shearwaters at Sangan Island in Japan. They attached global location sensors to the birds. These devices recorded time, light levels, immersion in seawater and water temperature. Geographical locations were estimated using the light data. At the end of the study, the researchers recaptured the birds and removed the sensors.

Since the birds are in the middle of the food chain, they not only move more to escape full moon-stimulated predators, but they also seem to take advantage of the improved light situation by feeding at night on squid and fish, especially their favorite: anchovies.

The scientists believe other marine birds, such as albatrosses, receive a comparable caffeine-like behavior jolt from a full moon.

More: http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/09/18/full-moon-birds.html

[lapfog_1]

1. My brother-in-law is an ER doc.

has been for 35 years now... and for decades they been scheduling extra docs and nurses in the ERs that his group handles on full moon nights. It's always busier.

[JDPriestly]

2. Planting according to the phases of the moon -- Don't know if it works

Just to give you an introduction to how it works, as the new moon grows, the gravitational pull encourages the seeds to swell with water, and burst into life much more quickly. This is generally considered the best time to plant leaf crops with the seeds on the outside of the plant, such as broccoli, lettuce, and grains.

As the it heads towards the second quarter, (this time is known as the waxing) the moonlight becomes stronger, creating good leaf growth. This is a good planting time, right up to the full. Best crops to plant are those that have seeds forming within the fruit, such as tomatoes, capsicum, beans and so on.

After the full moon, the waning starts. The light decreases, and energies go into the roots. The water table drops, and the root growth is encouraged to look down for water! It all makes sense now, doesn’t it?

http://www.home-herb-garden.com/moon.html

[Tanuki]

3. Mockingbirds sing by the light of a full moon, too!

It's delightful.