This week in birds - #13

They're back! The male Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are now passing through our area.

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New York City is giving away trees. Some 5,000 trees will be given out this spring, including such varieties as Japanese maple, Eastern redbud, flowering cherry, Carolina silverbell, blackgum and fruit trees — cherries, plums, apples, pears, peach, fig and persimmon. The trees’ retail value is said to run from $50 to $100 each. It's all part of the city's effort to offset the effects of human-released greenhouse gases by planting a million trees in the city by 2017.

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What's up with that "dawn chorus" anyway? Why do birds wake up singing every day? The Safari Ecology blog speculates on the answers to those questions. 

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Poisoning of birds of prey in Scotland has been a continuing problem of concern to conservationists and all who love birds. The government and conservation agencies have been trying to educate people about the importance of these birds and it may be having an effect. The good news is that the number of birds killed was reduced by more than 50% in 2011. 

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The Wisconsin Assembly has approved a bill that would allow the hunting of wolves in the state. The bill, which is opposed by most conservationists who say it is "anti-science", is on its way to the desk of Republican Gov. Scott Walker, who is almost certain to sign it.

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Wind turbines continue to pose a danger to many birds but particularly so, it turns out, for vultures. This appears to be true because of unique blind spots in those birds' field of vision. 

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Did you read about the discovery of a previously unknown species of frog? It was found in New York City, of all places! The still-unnamed species looks a bit like a leopard frog and apparently had gone unnoticed because people thought that is what it was. Turns out it is a whole 'nother kind of leaper.

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According to new research, about 3.7 million Americans live within a few feet of high tide and risk being hit by more frequent coastal flooding in coming decades because of the sea level rise caused by global warming. The most vulnerable state is Florida, but also in danger are Louisiana, California, New Jersey, and New York.

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Recent research has shown that fully 47% of the world's seabird populations are declining.  Furthermore, at least 28% of the species are endangered.

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Producing oil from tar sands in Canada has been shown to be particularly destructive to the environment. But now research indicates that it is even more destructive than previously thought, when the ancillary destruction of peatlands is taken into account.

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BirdLife International's report on "The State of the World's Birds" has been published online. It makes for interesting, if often depressing, reading.

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Scientists are trying to understand the history and causes of drought by interpreting tree rings. Most people learn in grade school that concentric rings in the stump can tell a tree’s age and that wider rings can indicate times of vigorous growth and that narrow rings  indicate slower growth and possibly times of difficulty in the tree's life. This branch of science is called dendrochronology, and it’s focused on reconstructing the history of environmental and climatic change. By understanding the past, scientists hope to be able to find ways of dealing with the present and planning for the future. 

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Around the backyard:  Most of the permanent resident birds are now busily building their nests or looking for places to build their nests.

This Northern Mockingbird and his mate have been inspecting various shrubs around the yard.

The Eastern Bluebirds are looking at potential homes, as well. Unfortunately, they have to battle with the dratted House Sparrows in order to stake their claim. I'm not sure how this will turn out but I'm doing all I can to discourage the sparrows. 

The Carolina Chickadees appear to have settled in a box they have used in the last two years.

The wrens and the cardinals and the Mourning Doves, too, have been house-building this week as well. The doves almost always nest in the big pine tree just on the other side of the fence in my neighbor's yard. I look forward to the return of these birds, iconic emblems from my childhood, in the spring. I love to sit in the backyard in the late afternoon and listen to their sweet voice. Funny how just that sound can bring back so many memories.