Diet, diel activity and prey handling during food provisioning in the common barn owl (Tyto alba): a comparative study using continuous camera monitoring data from three European countries

Even though various aspects of the barn owl’s (Tyto alba) diet and breeding ecology have been extensively studied in the past, high-resolution data on diel activity and prey handling at the nest are still scarce. This study investigated food provisioning, prey handling and diel activity patterns at three barn owl nests in Spain, England, and Ireland respectively, using the method of continuous camera monitoring. I monitored one month of the nestling period from each nest using video recordings from the breeding season of 2022 and 2023, observing which prey types were delivered, prey condition, timing of delivery and how prey was handled at the nest. Of the 1500 prey deliveries observed, small mammals accounted for as much as 95% of the total, with rodents (Rodentia) comprising the largest portion (79 %) and shrews (Soricidae) the second largest portion (15%). Less than 0.7% of the total deliveries were non-mammalian prey. Observation of hunting times revealed a strictly nocturnal activity pattern. Variations in night length due to latitudinal differences enabled longer nights and subsequently more hunting hours for the barn owls at the Spanish nest compared to the English and Irish nests. Prey were delivered intact in 99 % of the instances where condition could be determined, and decapitation of prey occurred only eight times in total. The probability of prey being stored decreased with increasing nestling age for nearly all prey groups, and shrews had a lower probability of being stored than other prey groups for all ages. The probability of nestlings feeding with maternal assistance decreased with nestling age, with a 50% probability of independent feeding occurring at ages 22 days and 16 days for the English and Irish nest respectively. Delivery rates were correlated with nestling age, with the rate initially increasing before diminishing as the nestlings aged and prepared for fledging. Camera monitoring proved to be an efficient way to obtain high resolution data on the barn owl’s food provisioning behavior. My results suggest that provisioning barn owls prefer to hunt small mammals, and while usually hunting opportunistically, might have the ability to select appropriately sized prey based on the nestlings’ current swallowing capacity. Low decapitation rates further indicate that barn owl pellets are a reliable data source for diet and small mammal assessment studies and may contain less bias than pellets from other raptors. Furthermore, variations in night length across latitudes may influence hunting behavior, with southern barn owls potentially benefiting from longer hunting hours in summer. However, northern barn owls may compensate for shorter nights with higher hunting effort per hour. Future studies on barn owl foraging ecology should include latitudinal variations in night length to gain a better understanding of potential fitness implications

Metastability and HP metamorphism at fluid deficient conditions, an example from the Bergen Arcs (Western Norway)

In the Lindæs Nappe, Bergen Arcs Western Norway, Precambrian granulites facies anorthosites (P<10 kbars, T=800°C) and their Caledonian eclogite (P<17 kbars, T=700°C) and amphibolite facies equivalents alternate on meter scale. It has recently been suggested by Camacho et al. (2005) that the granulite facies anorthosites, remained at low temperatures (350°C) and were only locally heated to 700°C and reacted to eclogites by spasmodic hot fluids. This is in contrast to previously published models (Austrheim 1987) where the fluid-triggered mineral reactions in a terrain that was at 700°C during the Caledonian Orogeny. In the latter model the dry granulites metastably survive the Caledonian HP/HT metamorphic event at 425 Ma...conferenc

Quality of life of women living with metastatic breast cancer and receiving palliative care: A systematic review

The quality of life (QoL) of women living with metastatic breast cancer and receiving palliative care needs more attention. We reviewed published studies (1992–2019) examining QoL of women receiving palliative care. The findings were interpreted according to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) definition of palliative care. Four themes emerged: (1) the impact of medical treatment on pain relief; (2) the need for psychosocial attention and support; (3) the necessity of an interdisciplinary approach; (4) ambiguous understanding of the term palliative care. A common understanding of the term palliative care and more research is needed to enhance the QoL of women living with metastatic breast cancer.publishedVersio

Brittle initiation of dissolution–precipitation creep in plagioclase-rich rocks: insights from the Bergen arcs, Norway

The initiation of ductile shear zones commonly occurs spatially associated with fluid-rock reactions along brittle precursors. In many cases the relative timing of fracturing, fluid infiltration, reaction, and recrystallisation is unclear, making it difficult to disentangle mechanisms of shear zone initiation from subsequent deformation and recrystallisation. Here we present the study of the transition from a dry plagioclase-diopside-garnet-scapolite host granulite-facies lithology to (1) a low strain amphibolite-facies rock, and (2) a transition from low strain to high strain amphibolite-facies lithologies. Hydration of the granulite-facies precursor at amphibolite-facies conditions produces an assemblage comprised dominantly of plagioclase-amphibole-zoisite-clinozoisite-kyanite-scapolite-quartz. Detailed study of plagioclase chemistry and microstructures across these two transitions using Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) and Wavelength Dispersive Spectrometry (WDS) allows us to assess the degree of coupling between deformation and fluid-rock reaction across the outcrop. Plagioclase behaves dominantly in a brittle manner at the hydration interface and so the initial weakening of the rock is attributed to grain size reduction caused by fracture damage and fluid infiltration at amphibolite-facies conditions. Extensive fracturing-induced grain size reduction locally increases permeability and allows for continuing plagioclase and secondary mineral growth during shear. Based on plagioclase microstructures, such as, an inherited but dispersed crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO), truncation of chemical zoning, and the dominance of fine (5–150 µm), slightly elongate, polygonal grains we conclude that deformation is dominantly facilitated by dissolution–precipitation creep assisted by grain boundary sliding in the shear zone

Kompetansebehov i norsk havvindnæring

NORCE har, på oppdrag fra Vårgrønn, utarbeidet denne oversikten over kompetansebehovet innen utvikling, utbygging og drift av havvindprosjekter i og utenfor Norge, samt hvilken kompetanse som er tilgjengelig fra dagens offshoreaktiviteter i Norge. Studien peker også på hvordan eventuell kompetanse-mangel kan dekkes. Et utgangspunkt for studien er en rapport fra Thema Consulting Group som anslår at 50 GW havvind-produksjon på norsk sokkel og betydelige eksportleveranser fra leverandørindustrien kan gi Norge 60 000 arbeidsplasser relatert til havvind innen 2050. Det anslås at litt over halvparten av disse arbeidsplassene vil komme i aksen Vestland/Rogaland/Agder, med hovedtyngden i Rogaland (ca. 15 000 arbeidsplasser). Denne studien baserer seg på 16 kvalitative intervjuer med både vindparkutviklere og leverandører, samt en gjennomgang av eksisterende litteratur. Intervjuobjektene innen leverandørnæringen representerer hele verdikjeden og inkluderer blant annet rederier, engineering-selskap, verft, utdanningsaktører, softwareleverandører og advokatfirma.Kompetansebehov i norsk havvindnæringpublishedVersio

Effects of Climatic Stress on Red Deer Browse. Development of bilberry after an extreme weather event during the winter of 2014

De tørre og varme værforholdene med mye vind langs kysten på Vestlandet og i Trøndelag vinteren 2014 førte til en kraftig uttørking av en del plantearter, og det ble observert store områder med inntørka og død vegetasjon. Uttørkingen omfattet spesielt arter med vintergrønne blader (tyttebær), samt løvfellende planter der den overjordiske stengelen er levende (blåbær, og røsslyng). Slike fenomen omtales gjerne som klimastress og viser at planter i nordlige områder kan være sårbare for ekstreme værhendelser, spesielt høye temperaturer vinterstid. Blåbær er ei viktig plante for mange arter, fra store beitedyr til små insekter, og er en basisplante i mange næringskjeder. Endringer i blåbærlyngens biomassse kan derfor ha konsekvenser for mange andre arter..

Effekter av klimastress på hjortens vinterbeiter. Utvikling av blåbærlyngen etter tørkevinteren 2014

De tørre og varme værforholdene med mye vind langs kysten på Vestlandet og i Trøndelag vinteren 2014 førte til en kraftig uttørking av en del plantearter, og det ble observert store områder med inntørka og død vegetasjon. Uttørkingen omfattet spesielt arter med vintergrønne blader (tyttebær), samt løvfellende planter der den overjordiske stengelen er levende (blåbær, og røsslyng). Slike fenomen omtales gjerne som klimastress og viser at planter i nordlige områder kan være sårbare for ekstreme værhendelser, spesielt høye temperaturer vinterstid. Blåbær er ei viktig plante for mange arter, fra store beitedyr til små insekter, og er en basisplante i mange næringskjeder. Endringer i blåbærlyngens biomassse kan derfor ha konsekvenser for mange andre arter..

Legacy effects of herbivory on treeline dynamics along an elevational gradient

publishedVersio