This week in birds - #80

A roundup of the week's news of birds and the environment:

Images of the extinct Passenger Pigeon.

There has been a lot of talk and a lot written both in the scientific journals and in the mainstream media this summer about the possibility of "de-extinction," i.e., recreating species of animals that have gone extinct. One of the prime candidates for such a project would be the beautiful Passenger Pigeon, extinct now for almost a century. What a wonderful thing it would be to see these marvelous creatures that once blackened the skies of North America with their vast flocks alive and in the air again. But what about the morality of the situation? Would it be right to bring back an animal which might only go extinct a second time? The debate among scientists rages. The knowledge and the technique for accomplishing such a thing seem to be available, but should they be employed in such a project?  

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The big news in the environment this week was the massive Rim Fire that threatens Yosemite National Park in California. Such fires are exacerbated by continuing drought. The giant sequoias of Yosemite, though, have outlived all kinds of threats in their long lives and it is likely that they will survive this one also. 

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Soon the Whooping Cranes will be making their way south once again. Scientific research has shown that when young birds follow the migration-wise older birds they are able to migrate much more successfully. To which I say, "Duh!"

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Migration is much on the mind of birders as well as birds these days. Modern technology, in the form of "Birdar," is being employed to help track the fliers. The "Nemesis Bird" blog has a feature about it.

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The first gray wolf recorded in Kentucky in 150 years was shot by a hunter who claimed that he thought it was a coyote, an animal which can be legally hunted in the state. Stupidity abounds.

In a related note, Wisconsin had its first managed wolf hunt last fall and 117 animals were killed. The hunt had been presented as a way to reduce tensions and increase tolerance for the animals in wolf country. A recently released survey by the University of Wisconsin indicates that, if that was the goal, it wasn't achieved.

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The prolonged drought has produced ideal conditions for the spread of avian botulism in the Tule Lake Refuge in Oregon. Thousands of ducks that are molting and unable to fly out of the area have died from the disease.

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In New Jersey, a man has been arrested and charged with killing or attempting to kill Red-tailed Hawks, Red-shouldered Hawks, Cooper's Hawks, and Sharp-shinned Hawks, all of which are, of course, protected species. As I said, stupidity abounds, and, if the charges are proved, I trust he will get the maximum penalty available.

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Lest it seem that I have nothing but sad news to report this week, here's a feel-good story: A young fledgling Red-tailed Hawk that was hit by a car in Philadelphia earlier this year was nursed back to health at a wildlife rehab center and this week was successfully released into the wild, proving that not all humans are without merit in their relations with wild things. 

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National Geographic tells the amazing story of how a mammal virus evolved into an avian virus.

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Geologists have recently discovered that there is a massive canyon under a Greenland ice sheet. It is being compared in size and scale to the Grand Canyon. 

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The White Storks of Poland are a major tourist attraction in the town of Zwykowo. They outnumber the human residents of the town, who are attempting to improve the habitat for the storks which nest on the roofs of houses. The residents consider them good luck - and they are, for they bring extra income from tourists to the area.

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Velvet ants are fascinating critters. They look like big ants but they really aren't. They are, in fact, parasitic wasps. 

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Scientific American has a blog post about another interesting wasp, the cicada killer wasp. The cicada killer, as its name suggests, hunts and kills those much larger insects. I saw one in action in my yard a couple of years ago and it was mesmerizing. (Incidentally, I did a post about cicadas on my "The Nature of Things" blog earlier this week.)  

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Around the backyard:

Fall migration is well under way and I am almost certain that I have a Rufous Hummingbird in my backyard, but so far I've only had fleeting glimpses as the bird chases some of the Ruby-throats around. I hope to get it in my binocular sights for a closer look or maybe even catch it with my camera to confirm my suspicion. 

The Chimney Swifts are still here. I see seven to ten of the little birds barreling around the skies over my yard in late afternoons. If you are interested in Chimney Swifts, you might like to participate in the Citizen Science project "A Swift Night Out" on the weekend of September 6, 7, and 8. Just click on the link for details.

And the molt continues. Most of my backyard birds are looking really raggedy just now. Earlier this week, I saw a bald-headed Blue Jay, not an attractive sight! But in a few more weeks, all the raggediness will be forgotten and they will all be sleek and beautiful again.

Happy birding. Remember to keep those birdbaths cleaned and filled with water and if you feed the hummingbirds, clean and refill your feeders frequently. The late summer heat spoils the sugar water pretty quickly.