This week in birds - #99

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

Blue-winged Teal are just one of the many species of ducks that visit our area in winter. The ponds and wetlands are teeming with water birds of all kinds at this time of year.

*~*~*~*

The eyes of the world (not including my own) will be on Sochi for the Olympics for the next couple of weeks. Russia pulled out all the stops to try and get ready to host the world for these Olympics. Unfortunately, their all-out effort was very destructive to the environment, including a wetland where 65 species of birds, including some that are endangered, used to make their home. The Russians have replaced the wetland with a manicured and manufactured "ornithological park," but there isn't a bird in sight. (*Update below.)

*~*~*~*

The debacle in Atlanta during the recent snow event there simply reinforced how ill-prepared some, perhaps most, American cities are to deal with even minor climate-caused emergencies.

*~*~*~*

Meanwhile, summer in Australia has meant that that country has had to deal with a different kind of climate emergency - bushfires. These fires have threatened some of Australia's rare bird species.

*~*~*~*

Painted Buntings are gorgeous birds. Many would say that they are the most beautiful of North American birds. Their beauty may possibly bring about the devastation of the species, however. There is a flourishing trade among disreputable people who trap the birds to sell as caged birds. The thought of one of these wild birds being doomed to live out its life in a cage is enough to break my heart.

*~*~*~*

New studies of sediments from the Ice Age indicate that wooly mammoths and other large mammals probably became extinct because of changes in vegetation that were brought about by climate change.

*~*~*~*

One of our oldest animal protection laws, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, passed 96 years ago, makes is unlawful to hunt, kill, or harm in any way some 800 listed species of birds. However, some conservationists complain that the law is not being enforced uniformly or in a transparent way.

*~*~*~*

Two Pink-footed Geese from Iceland have turned up in a field near Baltimore, delighting birders in the area. The geese normally winter in Europe, so they are just about 3,000 miles off-course.

*~*~*~*

California is suffering a severe drought which is drying up rivers and streams all over the state.  As a result, the state Fish and Game Commission has closed many areas to fishing in an attempt to save threatened salmon and trout. There is fear that the drought may be pushing the coho salmon into extinction.

*~*~*~*

Snowy Owls can operate as either diurnal or nocturnal hunters, depending on the circumstances. A research project is attempting to discover which is their preference - which will they choose when both options are available.

*~*~*~*

Loss of habitat, use of chemical fertilizers, and human encroachment is causing Nepal to lose its bird population. As of 2011, the country had 149 species on the threatened list.

*~*~*~*

While most of the attention has been on the extremely cold temperatures suffered in much of the country, Alaska has been having to cope with an unusually warm winter. In fact, most of the Arctic area is having an exceptionally warm winter.

*~*~*~*

Many bird species gather in large flocks to roost in winter. The blackbird family is especially known for this, but the flocks are especially dramatic when they are composed of large birds like crows and this can sometimes be disconcerting to some onlookers.

*~*~*~*

Around the backyard:

I'm refilling the bird feeders every day now, trying to keep my hungry horde of backyard birds fed.

One bird that hasn't been emptying my feeders so far this winter is the neatly dressed little White-throated Sparrow. I usually have at least of few of them in my yard at this time of year, but I haven't seen a single one here this winter.

Another absentee this winter has been the handsome iridescent Common Grackle. This one was a visitor last winter, but although their cousins the Red-winged Blackbird and Brown-headed Cowbird have both been present, I've yet to see any grackles in the yard.

Only one more week until the Great Backyard Bird Count. Maybe some of my absentees will show up then.

*Update 02/09/14: For more on the destruction of the environment around Sochi, see this story in Salon.com today.

This week in birds - #98

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

One benefit of the exceptionally cold weather that has been experienced in some parts of the country this winter is that it may have helped to kill off some persistent insect pests. In particular, scientists are hoping that the cold will be an ally in their fight against the Southern pine beetle. Effects of the winter cold are being monitored in the New Jersey pinelands to ascertain its impact on the beetle population.

*~*~*~*

Mute Swans are large and beautiful birds. Pairs of them are often used by artists to portray a symbol of love, but as we approach Valentine's Day, there is little love for the big birds in New York. The state is attempting to eradicate at least 2,000 of them in the wild. The problem is that the birds are not native; they are an introduced species, and they wreak havoc on the environment, often making it unusable for other water birds. Moreover, these very big birds are also very aggressive in protecting their territory. They do not hesitate to attack humans who come too close, as well as other birds. They also pose an extreme threat to any aircraft that ventures into their flight path. So, the state has decided that they have to go unless they are on private lands and/or their wings can be clipped so that they cannot fly.  

*~*~*~*

Eastern Bluebirds seem to face severe challenges to their survival throughout their range. This extends also to the island of Bermuda, where the population of the birds is in decline.

*~*~*~*

The migratory Monarch butterfly population continues to decline. The butterflies that reached Mexico for the winter are covering the smallest area of land since this has been tracked. It is true that the population can fluctuate a great deal from year to year, but from a high of 20.97 hectares in the winter of 1996-97, the population this winter is down to 0.67 hectares. The primary cause of this decline appears to be the use of pesticides and herbicides in farming, particularly the profligate use of the herbicide Round Up which has killed off much of the milkweed stands in the Midwest that the butterflies depended upon.

*~*~*~*

A lawsuit by conservation groups over a planned wind farm along the Ohio shore of Lake Erie has stopped construction of the wind farm at least for the time being. The wind turbines would be in the flight path of many migratory birds including the most endangered songbird of North America, the Kirtland's Warbler.

*~*~*~*

A rare and endangered Philippine Eagle was killed at a conservation group's breeding compound on the island of Mindanao when it was hit by a falling branch.

*~*~*~*

Contrary to what you often hear from certain right-wing politicians, the use of solar power is actually booming in the United States. The biggest threat to its use seems to be those same politicians, who are generally allied with big oil and big coal and who apparently try to do everything in their power to impede the growth of solar energy.

*~*~*~*

The Ecuadoran government has set aside 7,000 acres of prime habitat as a preserve for the protection of the Andean Condor.

*~*~*~*

The most famous and, to our knowledge, the best-traveled Red Knot in the world has been sighted on Tierra del Fuego at the southern tip of South America this winter. The bird, designated as Moonbird B95, is also the longest-lived Red Knot on record at 20 years. He was originally banded on February 20, 1995.

*~*~*~*

It's not just Monarch butterflies whose existence is threatened. In Europe, almost a third of the butterfly species are in decline and fully one-tenth of them are in danger of extinction.

*~*~*~*

Researchers have found that, on Chesapeake Bay, Great Blue Herons and Bald Eagles often nest in the same trees. Although the observation is confirmed, they can't really explain why it happens.

*~*~*~*

Penguins are joining polar bears as poster animals to illustrate the dangers of global climate change. The existence of Adelie and Magellanic Penguins in particular is threatened by changing climatic conditions at the bottom of the planet.

*~*~*~*

Around the backyard:

I was reminded once again this afternoon of the vital role that Blue Jays play in the backyard avian ecosystem. I was idly watching the backyard feeders where at least a hundred little birds, mostly American goldfinches, were busily feeding when suddenly a Blue Jay in a tree at the southwest corner of the yard gave an urgent warning screech. Sometimes the birds will ignore the jay's calls I've noticed, but something must have been different today and they didn't hesitate. Every single one of them, even the Chipping Sparrows, made a dive for the shrubbery. A few seconds later, a Sharp-shinned Hawk streaked through the yard, but he didn't find a meal this time. Thanks to that backyard sentinel, the loud and obnoxious Blue Jay.

This week in birds - #97

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

White Ibis photographed at Brazos Bend State Park, February 2013.

*~*~*~*

South Africa has made a valiant effort to control poaching and protect its rhinoceros population, but in 2013 a record 1004 of the animals were killed there. At this rate, the country is losing the fight to save these magnificent critters.

*~*~*~*

The winter's most famous irruptives, the Snowy Owls, are still turning up in the darnedest places. Like McPherson Square in downtown Washington, D.C. in the middle of rush hour traffic. And in Delaware, feeding on a dolphin carcass. Finally, at least 20 of the big white birds have been seen in New Jersey this season.

*~*~*~*

The data are in and 2013 is confirmed as the fourth warmest year on record since those records have been kept. Meantime, in winter 2014, global climate change deniers in the Northeast are chortling over the cold weather there and claiming that it proves that global warming is a hoax, while, in the southern hemisphere, several countries, like Australia, are suffering through some of the hottest summers ever. 

*~*~*~*

As the sea ice melts, the diet of polar bears is changing. Instead of feasting on seal pups, they are eating more Snow Geese and dining on plants.

*~*~*~*

And in California this winter it has been so warm that the bears in the Sierra Nevadas that would normally be hibernating are awake and active.

*~*~*~*

North America's most endangered songbird, the Kirtland's Warbler, may be making a comeback, however slowly. In a very hopeful sign, Bahamian researchers have reported finding some of the birds wintering on San Salvador Island for the first time in 46 years. 

*~*~*~*

It was reported this week that scientists in Brazil have discovered a new species of river dolphin, the first new such species found since 1918.

*~*~*~*

The Hoatzin is an exceedingly strange bird only found in South America today, but new fossil evidence seems to indicate that it may have originated in the Old World and, at some point, made the transit to the New.

*~*~*~*

It seems that almost every week brings word of a new major oil spill somewhere. 2013 was a historically bad year for such spills. Many of those were from trains, but almost as much oil spilled from burst pipelines.

*~*~*~*

"Bug Eric" reports on a very handsome and interesting mason wasp with the tongue-twisting scientific moniker of Pseudodynerus quadrisectus.

*~*~*~*

Why do tree-dwelling sloths take to the ground to do their pooping? And does it have something to do with moths? Stranger things occur in Nature!

*~*~*~*

Birders seem to be vying to come up with the most unusual type of "Big Year" in 2014. Here's a birder who is doing a Phone Skope Big Year, seeing how many birds he can photograph employing a digiscope and his iPhone. 

*~*~*~*

Around the backyard:

I'm having to refill my bird feeders almost every day now. A few more Chipping Sparrows and Red-winged Blackbirds are showing up to partake of the feast and the American Goldfinch flocks have more than doubled in size. It is not unusual to see a hundred or more fly up when I head out to the feeders. But they don't go far and they settle back down as soon as I leave. 

I'm continuing to see lots of the big hawks over my yard - chiefly Red-shouldered and Red-tailed.

Warblers, too, have been very plentiful around the yard this week. All in all, it has been a very good week for bird watching. 

This week in birds - #96

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

A male Vermilion Flycatcher seems to glow on a gray day at Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, January 2013.

*~*~*~*

The Fish and Wildlife Service is proceeding with its plan to reduce the invasive population of Barred Owls in the Northwest in order to help protect the indigenous Northern Spotted Owl. So far they have shot 70 of the Barred Owls.

*~*~*~*

Ever wonder how birds survive in extremely cold weather like that experienced recently with the polar vortex storm? Well, down and feathers are among the warmest of insulations, but the real key is being able to find enough food. Birds eat as much as they possibly can to generate the heat they need.

*~*~*~*

The California Condor is on a similar trajectory to the Passenger Pigeon, a bird which became extinct one hundred years ago this year. The condor is luckier though in that it has the protection of the Endangered Species Act. The Fish and Wildlife Service will soon be releasing its fifteen year plan for protecting the bird.

*~*~*~*

Flocks of birds that fly in a v-shape formation are conserving energy. But how and why do they learn to do that? Is is instinctual or learned behavior? Scientists are learning that the answer is more complicated than they thought.

*~*~*~*

Honestly, sometimes I just despair over the stupidity of the human race. A mated pair of endangered Whooping Cranes have been shot by some idiot in Kentucky. That is a federal crime and wildlife officials will be offering a reward for information leading to the arrest of the culprit.

*~*~*~*

The conservative government of Canada (of all places!) seems to be conducting an all-out assault on the scientists of that country. They are closing research facilities, firing scientists, and, most appallingly, destroying scientific records. Their actions seem directed primarily at scientists and institutions that work in the field of climate science, but this has a ripple effect to other areas of scientific endeavor. And you thought this only happened in places like Texas.

*~*~*~*

Common Ravens are known for their intelligence and it seems that they have figured out that greater height gives them an advantage when looking for prey. In the American West, they tend to build their nests on tall utility poles so that they can look out over a wider area.

*~*~*~*

All things in Nature are related and if we pull on one thread, there is no telling what we may unravel. Specifically, large carnivores like mountain lions are very important to the health of the ecosystem, not only, it turns out, for their prey but for other species, even including insects and plants.

*~*~*~*

To find out how falcons hunt their prey, scientists strapped backpacks containing video cameras on them, and they learned some very interesting and somewhat unexpected things.

*~*~*~*

I tend to think of Norway as a very enlightened country but I may have to reconsider. It seems that they are intent upon exterminating their wolves.

*~*~*~*

Although macaws will lay up to four eggs in their nests, they will only raise and fledge one chick. Scientists are studying this behavior to try to determine its evolutionary basis and why it would benefit the species.

*~*~*~*

Around the backyard:

It was very noisy in the backyard this morning. A pair of Red-shouldered Hawks engaged in courtship displays in the sky above the yard.  They were sometimes joined in their flight by a third hawk, a Red-tailed.

No doubt about which one this is. That red tail is a flag.

Two of the hawks flying together.

One of the Red-shouldered Hawks flying right over my head.

*~*~*~*

There was another interesting visitor to the yard today - a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, the first one I had seen in the yard this winter.

*~*~*~*

The feeders are dominated now by the American Goldfinches. Whenever I look at any of the feeders, they seem to be covered in goldfinches. That even includes the nyger seed feeders which they have finally discovered.

*~*~*~*

I hope your backyard birds are well fed and that you are finding time to enjoy them this winter. Happy birding!

This week in birds - #95

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


While much of the country has been blanketed under heavy snows for the past couple of weeks, the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California has had seriously meager amounts of snow this winter. This is very bad news for cities west and south of the range which depend on snow melt from these mountains for their water. It is also bad news for the animals which depend on rivers and streams being replenished by snow melt from the mountains.

*~*~*~*

Birders choose to do their birding in many creative ways. Here is a birder who is attempting a Big Year...on bicycle!

*~*~*~*

The recent rash of Bald Eagle deaths in Utah, which I had reported here in my last roundup, has been determined to have been caused by West Nile virus. We think of this as primarily a summer disease, but apparently the temperatures there have been conducive to the spread of the mosquito-borne virus. Evidently, the eagles got the disease by eating waterfowl that had been infected.

*~*~*~*

The EPA has published the first rule governing emissions of carbon dioxide from new power plants.

*~*~*~*

Salvage logging in the area where the Rim Fire occurred in 2013 may be putting at risk the rare Black-backed Woodpecker which depends on that habitat.

*~*~*~*

A tracking device recovered from a male Red-necked Phalarope from Scotland has revealed a unique migration by that bird. He flew thousands of miles across the Atlantic Ocean all the way to the Pacific.

*~*~*~*

The Northern shrimp population in the Gulf of Maine has collapsed and, consequently, a moratorium has been put on shrimping in that area for the foreseeable future. This has dire economic implications for local restaurants that depend on the crustaceans. The shrimp are moving out of the Gulf and going farther north in reaction to warming waters. The same thing is happening with the famous Maine lobster.

*~*~*~*

Several bird conservation groups are attempting to block the installation of a wind farm on the shores of Lake Erie in the path of an important flyway for migrating birds.

*~*~*~*

Antarctic penguins are attempting to adapt to the fast-changing climate which is affecting even that frigid area. In some cases, the penguins are having to climb 100 foot high ice cliffs to get to their breeding ground.

*~*~*~*

It is accepted fact - at least by people who accept the idea of evolution - that birds' skeletons have structures that are equivalent to our fingers. Now researchers are attempting to discover which "fingers" the birds actually have.

*~*~*~*

We are nearing the centennial anniversary of the death of the very last Passenger Pigeon, a bird named Martha who died in a zoo cage. These wild and beautiful birds were essentially blasted out of existence by human hunting. Just in time for the sad anniversary, a new book by Joel Greenberg has been released. It is called A Feathered River Across the Sky: The Passenger Pigeon's Fight to Extinction. I heard a discussion of the book on NPR this week. It sounded very interesting.

*~*~*~*

While residents of the northern hemisphere have been dealing with heavy snow and record cold temperatures recently, residents in the southern hemisphere have had the opposite problem - record high temperatures in many places. For example, parts of Australia have been suffering with temperatures that climbed upwards of 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

*~*~*~*

Around the backyard:

The feeders, including the hummingbird feeders, have been under heavy pressure by hungry birds all week. I've had to refill them a couple of times. This is a drastic change from the recent past. I was particularly glad to see the return of the House Finches and the American Robins this week.

*~*~*~*

My Christmas present was a new Apple iMac. Its delivery was delayed by snow and inclement weather, but it finally arrived and I'm trying to learn to communicate with it. It's a bit like learning a whole new language.

My first real computer was an Apple, way back in the Stone Age of computing, and for several years, we always had Apples, but at some point, we started getting PCs. It's what we had at our offices so it seemed practical, I guess.

I've had an iPad for a while, but this is my first "big" Apple in years. I love it! It is faster than the speed of light and can leap tall buildings in a single bound! Now, I just have to master it.

Most especially, I have to learn how to deal with my photos on the iMac. You may notice that this post is photo-free. I hope by my next entry, I'll be more proficient in using my new toy!

This week in birds - #94

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

Photo by Tom Middleton, courtesy of the American Bird Conservancy.

Feathered from beak to toe tips, the Snowy Owl, the American Bird Conservancy's Bird of the Week,  is well-equipped to survive on the frigid, high Arctic tundra. Its thick feathers make this bird North America’s heaviest owl, typically weighing about four pounds.

Some Snowy Owls remain on their Arctic breeding grounds year-round, while others migrate in winter to southern Canada and the northern half of the United States. In years when food is scarce, Snowy Owls may stage “irruptions,” traveling far south of their usual haunts in search of food, to the delight of birders and nonbirders alike. This has definitely been one of those irruptive winters, with Snowies making an appearance all over the Northeast and Midwest.

The Snowy Owl loves open areas such as coastal dunes, prairies, fields, and airports. Its attraction to airports often brings it into fatal conflict with humans. The population of this charismatic bird is declining, most likely due to loss of habitat.  

*~*~*~*

And still more about Snowy Owls. Some well-meaning bird lovers, fearing that the irrupting birds are starving have attempted to feed them with live mice purchased for the purpose. In fact, there is no real evidence of widespread starvation, and this seems to be another example of uninformed and misguided interference with Nature.

Here are some pictures and videos of Snowies around the country, some of which feature their encounters with Peregrine Falcons that appear to resent the invasion of the big white owls into their territories.

*~*~*~*

And speaking of raptors, have you ever noticed that movies and TV shows, even those that should know better, almost invariably use the sound of the call of the Red-tailed Hawk to stand in for any raptor or a large bird of any kind? I have noticed it and been annoyed by it over the years, but I never knew that other people noticed as well. I felt vindicated by the Salon.com article.

*~*~*~*

Grasshoppers exist in a great variety of forms. Proof of that fact is found in this collection of photographs of the grasshoppers of Florida.

*~*~*~*

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife service has announced that it has designated as critical habitat for the Franciscan manzanita 230 acres of open space in San Francisco. This shrub had been thought to be extinct for decades until its recent accidental rediscovery.

*~*~*~*

Something is killing Bald Eagles in Utah. A mysterious fatal illness has struck at least 16 of the birds since the beginning of December. Wildlife personnel are attempting to discover the cause of the illness and find a way to stop it.

*~*~*~*

The largest predator in South America, the Orinoco crocodile, is in danger of extinction. Venezuelan wildlife officials have mounted a last ditch effort to try to save animal. 

*~*~*~*

The Conservation Reserve Program pays farmers to allow some of their land to be planted in native grasses or sometimes trees in order to provide natural habitat for wildlife, but now more and more acreage is being taken out of the program due to government budget cuts and a failure by Congress to appreciate the importance of maintaining this habitat. This is proving detrimental to the welfare of the animals that depend on such habitat.

*~*~*~*

One of the beneficiaries of restoring native grassland habitat is the Monarch butterfly. Such areas that allow for the growth of milkweed, the plant on which the Monarch's survival depends, are absolutely essential to the effort to prevent the extinction of this species.  

*~*~*~*

Dolphin deaths along the coasts of our country continue to soar. Those that occurred along the East Coast particularly during this past summer were related to a virus, but there is some evidence that those happening along the Gulf Coast may be related to the continuing effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion in 2010.

*~*~*~*

Around the backyard: 

Here are some more visitors to my backyard this week.

This female Downy Woodpecker and her mate are daily visitors to the suet cakes at the backyard feeder system.

The Tufted Titmice are probably the most frequent visitors (beside the House Sparrows) to my feeders these days. I often see four or five at a time at the feeders. They are usually accompanied by Carolina Chickadees.

Another constant visitor is the Pine Warbler. This is the female of the species, who is much more drably colored than her sometimes gaudy mate.

And, yes, I did finally observe a visit by my favorite dove, the Mourning Dove. I'm sure they have been here all along. They just weren't around when I was looking.

This week in birds - #93

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

Photo by Tom Grey, courtesy of American Bird Conservancy.

At 3.25 inches long, the Calliope Hummingbird is the smallest breeding bird found in Canada and the United States—and the smallest long-distance migrant bird in the world. This tiny hummingbird travels over 5,500 miles round-trip during its migration! This remarkable little bird is the American Bird Conservancy's Bird of the Week.

This is a bird of the west. It favors open forests, meadows, and canyons in high mountains, often preferring areas alongside streams.

Calliopes winter in dry thorn forest and humid pine-oak forests in southwestern and south-central Mexico. Vagrant Calliopes are increasingly found wintering in the eastern U.S., however, much like other species of western hummingbirds such as the Rufous Hummingbird.  The population of the Calliope is considered stable.

*~*~*~*

November 2013 was the hottest November on record since 1880. Almost every region on Earth was warmer than usual with only a few exceptions, including central and eastern North America, the Southern Ocean near Antarctica, northern Australia, and southwest Greenland. On the other hand, Russia had its hottest November since 1880 with some areas seeing temperatures 14 degrees Fahrenheit (8 degrees Celsius) above normal.

*~*~*~*

The emerald ash borer is a noxious invasive pest from Asia that has caused considerable damage to forests in parts of the United States. But its progress has be slowed and maybe halted by native bark-foraging birds like nuthatches and woodpeckers. It seems that these birds find the borer extremely tasty.  

*~*~*~*

The Bar-tailed Godwit is the long-distance champion of migrating birds, flying from Alaska to New Zealand in autumn and then back again in the spring. Researchers believe that the bird is adapting its migration patterns to fit the new reality of climate change. This affords some evidence and provides hope that other birds may be able to do likewise.

*~*~*~*

Some amazing bee portraits have been posted that provide views of bees that you have never seen before. You can take a look at those pictures here.

*~*~*~*

Certain small birds engage in very energetic displays. A prime example is members of the manakin family. Researchers have studied the Golden-collared Manakin and found that these birds do not actually expend as much energy in the displays as one might imagine. 

*~*~*~*

A recently discovered Emperor Penguin colony on Antarctica is flourishing and has been found to contain even more birds than originally thought. New estimates number the colony at around 15,000 birds.

*~*~*~*

Some of our smallest butterflies are among the toughest and are able to survive lower temperatures than many of their larger and flashier cousins. Among the toughest is the tiny Dainty Sulphur.

I photographed this Dainty Sulphur in my backyard earlier this fall. It is tiny and very pretty but the name "Dainty" Sulphur is deceiving. It is able to survive some fairly rugged conditions.

*~*~*~*

Scientists believe that the Kiwi bird, the national symbol of New Zealand, may actually have Australian roots. The bird may have originated in Australia and flown to New Zealand where it evolved into its present flightless state. This is based on new fossil evidence.

*~*~*~*

There will be winners and losers in the climate change lottery. Research indicates that one of the losers may be the desert tortoise whose habitat is changing faster than it can adjust. 

*~*~*~*

Research shows that birds that breed cooperatively, i.e., have more than the parental pair cooperating in defending the nest and care and feeding of the young, have a greater degree of success in repelling brood parasites such as old world cuckoos.

*~*~*~*

Around the backyard:

This was the week when I saw my first Orange-crowned Warbler in the backyard since 2011. That was a very exciting moment. But this was a big week for all the "winter warblers." Yellow-rumped Warblers seemed to be everywhere in the yard and Pine Warblers appeared at the bird feeders in twos and threes rather than the singletons that I had been seeing.

It was also nice to hear the voices of the Cedar Waxwings every time I stepped outside this week. They were a reminder that winter really was near and now, as of today, it has arrived. Happy Solstice Day!

This week in birds - #92

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

Photo by Greg Lavaty, courtesy of American Bird Conservancy. 

The Yellow-breasted Chat is classified as a warbler, but this is one weird warbler and the debate continues as to whether it is really something else altogether. The great ornithologist Roger Tory Peterson called it an "aberrant warbler" and that about sums it up. The chat is twice as big as most warblers and has a heavy beak more reminiscent of vireos than the long, thin beaks of other warblers. Moreover, its songs could hardly be called melodic in the sense that most warbler songs are. Instead, its voice is a bizarre collection of cackles, clucks, whistles, and hoots. Its voice and behavior have caused it to be called the "buffoon of the briar patch."

The Yellow-breasted Chat is a skulker that is more often heard than seen. It prefers deep thickets and underbrush. Its population is considered stable in the mid-section of the continent and in the west, but it is declining in the northeastern area. Threats to its existence include loss of habitat through human development and parasitism by cowbirds.

The chat is one of my favorite summer visitors and it is this week's Bird of the Week as designated by the American Bird Conservancy.

*~*~*~*

Crazy ants are something that many people in the Houston area have become familiar with in recent years. Research on this new pest has lagged somewhat because of Americans' failure to see the value of and to support basic scientific research, according to blogger Myrmecos. This is a far more widespread problem than just those pesky little ants.

*~*~*~*

Conservation groups, including the American Bird Conservancy, have expressed concerns that a new rule announced by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will decrease protections for Bald and Golden Eagles and will result in more preventable eagle deaths.

*~*~*~*

Reports of dolphin deaths along the East Coast have tapered off in recent weeks, but the virus that caused the spate of deaths this summer is still active and still killing the critters. It's just that it has moved farther south, along with the dolphins, into warmer waters for the winter.

*~*~*~*

After it was revealed that the Port Authority in New York was killing Snowy Owls around the city's airports, there was such a public outcry that the agency announced that it would work with conservation groups to relocate the birds instead. In this, the Port Authority lagged behind Boston's Logan Airport which has long employed wildlife specialists to trap and relocate the birds.

*~*~*~*

Lapland Longspurs were seen in Washington, D.C. at the Washington Monument this week. It was only the second record of the bird reported to eBird. The other record was from 1985.

*~*~*~*

Twenty-two pilot whales from a pod that got stranded in the Everglades of Florida died. Veterinarians are trying to determine if disease was a factor in the strandings. The status of other members of the pod is unknown and it is hoped that they have escaped the death trap.

*~*~*~*

The Chalk-browed Mockingbird of Argentina is a vigorous defender of its nest, just like its cousin, the Northern Mockingbird. Researchers reported this week their observations of the birds furiously attacking Shiny Cowbirds which, like our Brown-headed Cowbirds, lay eggs in the mockingbirds' nests. The researchers found that, even though the cowbirds still managed to lay some of their eggs, the mockingbirds' attacks kept them from destroying the mockers' eggs and so at least some of the mockingbird clutch of eggs survived.

*~*~*~*

The Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo has been listed as a threatened species, but conservation groups argue that it should be listed as endangered instead and given more complete protection under the law.

*~*~*~*

In other news of endangered species, a rare California shrub, the Indian Knob mountain balm (Eriodictyon altissimum) will remain on the endangered list, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It rejected a petition from a conservative group to reduce protection for the shrub.

*~*~*~*

Remember that gray wolf called OR-7 that crossed the border from Oregon into California in 2011, thus becoming the first confirmed presence of a gray wolf in California in 90 years? Well, he just paid another brief visit and then crossed back into Oregon. His visits have impelled conservation groups to ask for the listing of the gray wolf as an endangered species in California so that future visitors can be protected.

*~*~*~*

Eurasian Tree Sparrows are able to recognize eggs from other birds that are deposited in their nests, researchers find, and they will sometimes remove the eggs - although not always.

*~*~*~*

One success story of the Endangered Species Act has been the recovery of grizzly bears in and around Yellowstone Park. In fact, the species has recovered so nicely that some are now calling for dropping it from endangered status.

*~*~*~*

Around the backyard:

Can it be? When I stepped out my front door this morning, I could swear I heard Cedar Waxwings calling from down the street. I stopped and listened intently but could not definitely confirm that that is what I heard. It is just a bit early. I usually see the first waxwings of the season around Christmas. Come to think of it, Christmas is almost here...

The American Goldfinches are finally stopping in my yard and not just flying over, but so far I haven't seen any at the feeders. They seem to be concentrating on crape myrtle seeds which they love.

Activity at the feeders has picked up this week, including at the front yard feeder which had been almost completely abandoned for a while. I'm still not seeing that much variety at the feeders, but the long-absent White-winged Doves are beginning to turn up in ones or twos again. Can fifteens and twenties be far behind?

This week in birds - #91

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

Photo by Ron Dudley, courtesy of the American Bird Conservancy.

The largest hawk in North America is this week's Bird of the Week, designated by the American Bird Conservancy. This hawk is so big, in fact, that it is sometimes mistaken for an eagle. It is the Ferruginous Hawk. It is a bird of the prairie and open spaces. Its range is mostly west of here, and yet on our New Year's Day visit to Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge a few years ago, we saw one perched on a utility pole. This is only one of the two species of hawks in America that have feathered legs, right down to their toes. (The other is the Rough-legged Hawk.)  That makes them easier to distinguish from the bare-legged Red-Tailed Hawk which they somewhat resemble - unless you get a good look at the tail. 

The Ferruginous is stable in its population and seems to be doing well in most areas of its range.

*~*~*~*

The big news in the world of birds on this continent this week is the continued invasion of the more southerly parts of the continent by that beautiful bird from the High Arctic, the Snowy Owl. Birders everywhere are all atwitter and aflutter with the excitement of possibly encountering one of the owls. Amazingly, one of the owls has even been sighted in Bermuda!

*~*~*~*

Did you see the story of the confused young Sea Eagle in Australia who picked up a wildlife camera that had been set to record the activities of crocodiles, apparently thinking it was edible? The camera was in the process of filming when he picked it up and it continued to film as he flew away with it and then set it down and tried to dismember it. Thus, the eagle became the first known animal to make its own wildlife film!

*~*~*~*

This is the season when migrating birds often wind up far out of their normal range, having either been confused and lost their way, or maybe just attempting to see a new part of the world. Recently, a vagrant Fork-tailed Flycatcher, a bird that rarely crosses the southern border into the United States, except in the Rio Grande Valley, was found in Connecticut. 

*~*~*~*

And speaking of our southern border, U.S. policy in recent years, motivated by totally irrational fears, has created an environmental and humanitarian disaster along the border, stripping the land of much of its vegetation.

*~*~*~*

We all know that hummingbirds are amazing, almost magical creatures. One of their "super powers" is that they are able to switch from burning glucose to fructose and back again in order to maintain their high metabolism. This is something which no other creature is known to be able to do. 

Furthermore, hummingbirds are able to function and thrive at high altitudes because their hemoglobin has evolved high oxygen-binding capabilities.

*~*~*~*

House Finches in North America suffer from an epidemic of conjunctivitis.  The progress of the disease has been tracked for years, including by citizen scientists participating in Project FeederWatch. The data from such tracking are yielding new information about how a disease becomes epidemic and spreads. 

*~*~*~*

What is it about the magnificent tail of the peacock, male of the Peafowl, that attracts the female, the peahen? Researchers set up cameras to determine where the peahen focused her attention and found that it was on the lower regions of the tail.

*~*~*~*

Senate Bill 1731, dubbed the "Endangered Species Management Self-Determination Act" by its author Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, would bar the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from listing any new species under ESA without the approval of the governors of any states in which that species resides, and require a joint resolution approving each listing by Congress as well. It would effectively gut the ESA which has done so much to protect and restore many species, including the Bald Eagle, which would probably be extinct by now without it. A similar bill has been introduced in the House of Representatives. Neither of these bills is likely to become law in the present political make-up of Congress, but we know that these people never give up. They will keep introducing these bills, hoping to wear down resistance. Meanwhile, they get a helping hand in seeking to destroy the environment from the right-wing lobbying group known as the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) 

*~*~*~*

Studies of the Pukeko, a New Zealand relative of our Purple Gallinule, show that the fleshy shield or badge on top of the bird's head is an accurate barometer of each bird's status in the group. The badge grows or recedes according to heightening or lowering of the bird's status. 

*~*~*~*

The Northern Bald Ibis is a migratory bird that once spent part of its year in northern Europe, but it was extirpated by hunting some 300 years ago. Now, scientists are attempting to reintroduce the distinctive bird to its former range.

*~*~*~*

Will printed field guides finally give way to apps for mobile devices that birders can carry into the field and easily access? They no doubt have their place and they are convenient, but, for me at least, nothing can ever quite take the place of a beautifully rendered paper field guide that I can hold in my hands and thumb through at my leisure. 

*~*~*~*

Around the backyard:  

Sadness descended on my backyard yesterday and it is the reason this post is a day late. I lost a good friend.

Bubba

03/26/98 - 12/07/13

Rest in peace, my sweet friend.

This week in birds - #90

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

Photo by Luke Seitz, courtesy of American Bird Conservancy.

The common name for the American Bird Conservancy's Bird of the Week is "Fool Hen." It got the name because its first defense when threatened by a predator is to freeze in place until the threat is almost upon it. Then it bursts into flight, which may startle the predator enough to allow the bird to make its escape. Those who observed this action apparently saw it as a foolish strategy. But maybe the Fool Hen gets the last laugh, because it is thriving, its population stable.

The bird's proper name is Spruce Grouse and it lives in the cold, cold North, mostly in Canada but occasionally dipping into the northernmost United States. It is a bird of the coniferous forests, especially those that feature dense undergrowth of shrubs such as blueberries. True to its name, one of its favorite foods is spruce or other coniferous needles.

Spruce Grouse are at home in the trees and prefer to walk along tree limbs or on the ground rather than fly. An interesting feature of the bird is that each fall they grow "snowshoes"—short fleshy bristles called pectinations—on their toes, which help support the bird on snow and probably help to grip slippery branches as well. These bristles are shed each spring.

*~*~*~*

Those magical white owls made famous by Harry Potter, the Snowy Owls, are making their annual incursion into the northern United States. Snowy Owls are normally birds of the High Arctic and birders get very excited when they venture farther south.

*~*~*~*

Tomorrow is the first day of December, which means that Christmas Bird Count season is almost upon us. This will be the 114th CBC. If you are interested in participating this year - and why wouldn't you be? - the Audubon website will help you find a count that is taking place near you.  

*~*~*~*

Researchers have determined that Barn Owl nestlings are able to recognize their siblings' calls. Clever little owlets! 

*~*~*~*

The bonobo, formerly called the pygmy chimpanzee, is probably the least well-known of all the great apes. It is also one of the most severely endangered. It is rapidly losing space to encroaching human populations and activities in its home range of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

*~*~*~*

It seems hard to believe but apparently some Californians mistake Turkey Vultures for California Condors! Now, vultures are much smaller than condors, and, typically, they are found in groups, whereas condors are usually solitary. But they are both black and they both have naked heads, so, yeah, I guess there is a certain family resemblance. 

*~*~*~*

The UK had a particularly wet and cold spring in 2012 and it was especially hard on birds, but studies show that urban birds actually fared much better than their country cousins during that season.

*~*~*~*

The effects of climate change in the Galapagos Islands  threaten the continued existence of the flightless Galapagos Cormorant. The warming of the ocean's waters near the islands' coasts is adversely affecting the cormorant's food supply, which in turn affects the bird's ability to breed successfully.

*~*~*~*

An editorial in the Seattle Times makes an argument for keeping some totally natural wild spaces in urban parks. Actually, that seems like a no brainer to me.

*~*~*~*

Those who are only familiar with the domesticated varieties of turkey may be surprised to learn that Wild Turkeys can actually fly. True, they are not equipped for long distance flying, but they are perfectly able to execute explosive take-offs and fly for short distances, sufficient to escape predators. Not unlike their cousin, the Spruce Grouse, actually. 

*~*~*~*

The male Laysan Albatross is a philandering rascal that will mate with as many females as he can, but he only participates in raising one chick. So his other "wives" with their chicks will often pair up with another female albatross which will help to raise their chick.

*~*~*~*

The okapi, also known as the "forest giraffe," has joined the growing number of animals on the Red List of Threatened Species. This wonderful animal is the national symbol of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is a close relative of the giraffe and is endemic in rain forests, but its numbers have declined drastically to the point that it is now considered endangered, just one step away from extinction. Poaching and habitat loss, as well as the presence of rebels, illegal miners, and elephant poachers are all threats to the okapi's survival.

For the compilation of this Red List, the status of 71,576 species was assessed. Of that number, 21, 286 were found to be in danger of extinction. 

*~*~*~*

Around the backyard:

I was unable to complete my regular observations for Project FeederWatch last weekend because of heavy rains and very cold weather. We had over three inches of rain during the period. This weekend's conditions look a lot more promising and I am eager to see what will turn up at my feeders.