This week in birds - #11

Blue Jays were turning up in noisy flocks of 10 - 15 birds in my yard this week.

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The big irruption of an Arctic bird, the Snowy Owl, into the lower 48 states has been the big news in birding this winter. As far as I know, none made it as far south as we are, but at least one did make it to Dallas and caused quite a stir. 

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I always like looking at the data from the Great Backyard Bird Count, especially all the "top ten" lists. If you participated in the count and haven't yet entered your data, you have until March 5 to do so.

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A new report which analyzes water availability and usage indicates that water scarcity affects 2.7 billion people around the world for at least part of each year.

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A new protected area has been established in Colombia for an endangered bird, the beautiful and colorful Gold-ringed Tanager.

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A very rare and reclusive bird, the Junin Rail, has recently been seen and photographed at a high Andean lake in Peru. The bird is sometimes called the "Holy Grail of birding" because of its reclusive nature and the fact that it is so rarely seen. 

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The largest sea turtle in the world, the leatherback, is a threatened species and a recent study of the turtles' migration routes indicate that there are places in the Pacific where additional protection may be needed for the ancient creature.

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There's been a lot of excitement in Southeast Texas over all the overwintering hummingbirds this season. Imagine the excitement in New Jersey when a Broad-tailed Hummingbird turned up there! It was the state's first recorded and confirmed visit by the bird.

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And in other news from New Jersey, wildlife officials are hoping to buy up more high ground in Cape May County to provide protected areas for the salt marshes to expand as the earth warms and sea levels rise.

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Studies have found that deer ticks, which carry Lyme disease, are more prevalent in areas that have a lot of an invasive plant called Japanese barberry.  Scientists theorize that one key to controlling the ticks and the disease may be to control the exotic plant. 

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The survival of the Northern Spotted Owl continues to be problematic. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is designating more old-growth timber areas for the protection of the owl, and they may take a more proactive role in controlling the Barred Owl, a more aggressive owl which is expanding its range into areas where the Spotted Owl lives. These control measures may include killing some Barred Owls.

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The wild parrots of Telegraph Hill in San Francisco were made famous by a book and a television documentary about them a few years ago. The flock has thrived to the extent that some of the birds have split off into a satellite flock that has moved to the suburbs.

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Scientists doing the wolf study at Isle Royale National Park have noted some interesting interactions at moose carcasses between the wolves and Common Ravens.

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Around my backyard: This week, I've noted a few new birds around the yard. I heard my first Purple Martin of the year flying overhead on Wednesday.  Earlier in the week, I had noticed that the beautiful little Blue-gray Gnatcatcher was back as well. I haven't been able to catch one with the camera yet but I'll keep trying.

Another bird, which hasn't been entirely absent from my yard but is often scarce, is my favorite dove, the Mourning Dove. I see it in my yard much less often since the advent and dominance of the White-winged Dove in recent years. It's always a treat for me to see one here. 

The beautiful dove often comes to the feeders late in the afternoon to feed on the ground beneath them.

I love the song of the Mourning Dove, a sound I remember well from my childhood. For me, it is not a mournful sound at all. Rather, it is peaceful.

Now if I could just get the little Inca Doves to return to my yard.