Journalists

[Graham Saunders]

Accompanied by the legend:

"Dozens found dead
Dozens of little blue penguins have washed up dead on Whangarei's eastern beaches, according to DOC staff."

on http://nz.yahoo.com/

[Byrd]

there was also a picture of an adelie penguin accompanying this article (on the thumbnail for the headline)

[Byrd]

this was the story:
http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/top-storie ... d-beaches/

Dozens of little blue penguins have washed up dead on Whangarei's eastern beaches, the Department of Conservation (DOC) says.

Concerned locals have reported seeing dead penguins at Ocean Beach, Urquharts Bay, Langs Beach, Waipu and Mangawhai.

DOC ranger Bryce Lummis said the birds were likely to have succumbed to strong winds that swept the region two weeks ago.

"When the strong easterlies hit the penguins and they are weak, a lot of natural attrition occurs; this is a sad but common phenomenon for little blue penguins," he said.

"Some of the penguins are likely to be older birds coming in to die. Others are probably females who have been hit hard by the storm not long after having young... others are often just looking for somewhere to rest."
Mr Lummis said specimens had been sent to Massey University Veterinary Clinic to confirm the cause of death.

[Neil Fitzgerald]

I noticed the adelie thumbnail too. You've got to laugh at it.

[Lacertae]

Especially when the DoC press release came with a picture of a Little Blue ...

[Graham Saunders]

It just goes to show that a little knowledge is a dangerous, or at least fool-making, thing.

A few years ago the Royal Society of Chemistry's magazine, Chemistry in Britain, contained a report that colourful birds were disadvantaged relative to drab birds around Chernobyl. It gave the example of orioles... accompanied by a lovely photograph of a Bullock's Oriole.

[Steps]

If a lot of these reporters had 1/2 a brain they would die of confusion
As you see from my avatar Im into also into Classic American muscle cars and British Jowett, namely Bradford..
The NZ hearald , every time it publishes something about bloody boy races and their jappa/ricer cars, they have put up a pic of a rare 1969 Chevy Camaro doing a burn out at a race track event sancended by the NZHRA...

In spite of it being pionted out several times.

[simon.fordham]

Remember four years ago when a penguin was seen crossing the Auckland Harbour Bridge and, yes, the picture was not of the smallest (little penguin) .............. they actually use an image of the largest (emperor).

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/artic ... d=10419777

Simon

[Graham Saunders]

Remember four years ago when a penguin was seen crossing the Auckland Harbour Bridge and, yes, the picture was not of the smallest (little penguin) .............. they actually use an image of the largest (emperor).

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/artic ... d=10419777

And their language can be less than correct:
Reading a book on birdwatching by a journalist I was horrified to see "... there are less than 40 fairy terns remaining ...", FEWER!

It almost rivals a cricket report I read which described the pitch as "tortuously slow". What, was the groundsman drunk? His report made for torturous reading.

Although to be fair some of these risible mistakes may be the fault of ignorant sub-editors. An article I wrote for a bird club newsletter concerning an ocean birdwatching trip (NOT titled 'Pelagic Magic') was doctored by the editor, who mistakenly believed he knew better: "Skeely skipper" became "Steely Skipper". The skipper was indeed skeely (Scots for skilled), although he may have been steely also, but didn't display it on the trip.

[phil hammond]

simon ---you've shattered my dream ---i've crossed the harbour bridge a 1000 times looking for an emporer penguin

phil h