Red-faced Warbler photo by Greg Lavaty, courtesy of ABC.
The appropriately named Red-faced Warbler is the American Bird Conservancy's Bird of the Week. This little warbler spends summers in Arizona, New Mexico, and Western Mexico and heads south to Southern Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras for the winter. They prefer high elevations with fir, pine, and pine-oak forests. Their population is thought to be declining.
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One of the big stories in the world of birding this week has been the Blue-footed Boobies that are turning up across Southern California and as far north as Marin County in the state. The invasion has, of course, delighted birders far and near, but environmentalists are wondering just what the implications are. Why have the birds suddenly started appearing in an area where they are not normally seen?
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The Ig Nobel prizes in science were awarded this week and, as usual, there is a lot to think about and puzzle over in these awards.
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And this may sound like something worthy of an Ig Nobel, but it is actually serious science. Scientists are studying the ear wax of blue whales to try to learn more about their lives. It seems that the build-up of wax in the ears of whales acts somewhat like the rings in a tree's growth and apparently a lot can be learned from it.
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A ten-year project that studied and remapped the brains of birds has found that avian brains, in fact, look and act a lot like mammal brains.
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But one way in which birds are different from humans is in the absence of an important anti-inflammatory protein. Humans have it; birds don't.
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The major floods in Colorado have dominated the environmental news this week. Those floods will almost certainly have long-term environmental effects, but it is uncertain at this point just what they will be. It's somewhat easier to predict short-term effects as a result of the leaks from oil and gas wells in the area.
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The Scientific American tackles "The Five Biggest Myths About the Endangered Species Act." Number one on the list is the lie that it doesn't work. Tell that to the Bald Eagle and Peregrine Falcon, not to mention the Brown Pelican.
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This is the prime season for hawk watching. Hawks are on their fall migration and can often be found in large flocks, or kettles, as they catch thermals in their flight. Visit the HMANA website to find the best spots in your area for watching hawks.
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Goldenrod had long gotten a bad rap as a likely cause of allergies, but, in fact, the native plant is innocent and as gardeners are beginning to become educated on that point, more and more of them, including me, are using it in their landscapes.
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It's well-documented that PCBs are not a good thing to have in one's diet, but a new study from Cornell University shows some unexpected effects of the chemicals. They found that the songs of Black-capped Chickadees and Song Sparrows were altered by ingesting PCBs.
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A new species of legless lizard has been found right next to the runway of LAX airport. It was one of four new species of such lizards that have been found in Southern California, according to a recent announcement.
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The Dead Sea is becoming even deader. Water is being diverted that would normally flow into the sea and, as a result, the sea is slowly drying up.
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Around the backyard:
It was an exciting week as evidence of fall migration picked up. A lot of the increase was among the hummingbirds that continue to pour through, but other unusual birds showed up this week, too.
On Thursday, I showed you the Dickcissel that visited my backyard that afternoon. Well, while I was attempting to photograph that bird, something unexpected happened. The Wilson's Warbler that I had seen the day before turned up again. I assume it was the same bird, although it could have been another one. Most Wilson's Warblers look much alike after all. But this time at least I had my camera in hand and was able to get a few pictures.
It was late and the lighting was poor so the pictures are not as clear and crisp as I would like, but at least I was able to document the visit this time. Wonderful little bird! Very active.
I hope you've had a good week of birding. Fall migration is one of the most exciting times of year for birders. It certainly has proved to be so in my backyard this week.
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