This week in birds

This week in birds - #502

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

White Pelicans enjoying a day by the bay.

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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has issued its monthly report and the bottom line is that we should prepare ourselves for a real scorcher of a summer.

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And in more potentially bad weather news, conditions in the Gulf are looking much like they did when Hurricane Katrina was produced.

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According to United Nations climate reports, climate change indicators all set new record highs in 2021.

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If you missed the lunar eclipse earlier this week, here are pictures of the event.

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Unsurprisingly, policies that offer solutions to check the potential ongoing extinction of species also have benefits for fighting climate change.

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This is a giant stingray, measuring 13 feet long and weighing 400 pounds, that was rescued and released into the Mekong River in Cambodia earlier this month.

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Meanwhile, in Italy, its longest river, the Po, is drying up.

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This is an artist's depiction of a forest skink that used to thrive on Christmas Island. Apparently, it only exists now in artists' depictions for it is believed to be extinct.

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Rosy-faced Lovebirds have learned to use their head as a third limb to help them walk over rocks. Other species may also have learned the technique.

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Some rare good news for narwhals: A proposed expansion of an Arctic mine has been rejected by Canadian authorities. Its approval could have meant extirpation for the narwhal.

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A detailed map of potential exposure to wildfires across the country shows that 1 in 6 Americans live in areas that have a significant risk of wildfires.

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A photographer who was trying to take a picture of a Great Gray Owl got more than she bargained for when the big bird perched on her camera.

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The herb silphium was a particular favorite in ancient Rome. It had many uses. But then it became extinct, possibly the first victim of human-caused climate change.

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A wave of lethal bird flu is killing millions of birds right now. Experts say that previous experiences with this disease should have taught us how to avoid these outbreaks. Evidently, we have not learned the necessary lesson.

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A tooth from an ancient Denisovan girl that was found in a cave in Laos is offering clues for solving the mystery of these hominins that are among the ancestors of people alive today in Australia and the Pacific region.

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A Global Big Day revealed a number of bird species in the Flint Hills of Kansas.

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Kayakers on the Minnesota River at first thought they might have found part of the skull of a murder victim, but if it was then the victim was murdered 8,000 years ago.

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This is the American Bird Conservancy's "Bird of the Week," the beautiful little Magnolia Warbler.

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A study found that over a five-year period one in six of all deaths of humans were caused by pollution.

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How bad is the drought in the West? It is the worst that the area has experienced since 800 A.D.

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An aggressive male Wild Turkey has taken to attacking people on the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail that straddles Washington, D.C. and the Maryland state line.

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And in other poultry news, feral chickens have become a fixture on Oahu and Kauai in the Hawaiian Islands. They are creating some difficulties for the islands and the governing entities are discussing how to handle the problem.

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The Colorado River which serves people in seven states and Mexico is in crisis and in danger of drying up.

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South Africa has experienced deadly flooding and scientists say the problem has been exacerbated by climate change.

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The secret ingredient in wine may be sheep droppings. Well, not literally, of course, but the animals' droppings do enrich the vineyard and increase the production of grapes.

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Margaret Renkl says that one way to help the environment is to let our yards be a little more wild.

Poetry Sunday: Don't Hesitate by Mary Oliver

How about we share another Mary Oliver poem? After all, you can never have too many of those. In this one, the poet seems to acknowledge that it is often hard to simply live in and enjoy the moment, perhaps because we are afraid it can't last. She urges us to give in to that moment and fully experience the joy. Although "much can never be redeemed, still, life has some possibility left." Don't Hesitate by Mary Oliver If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy, don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty of lives and whole towns destroyed or about to be. We are not wise, and not very often kind. And much can never be redeemed. Still, life has some possibility left. Perhaps this is its way of fighting back, that sometimes something happens better than all the riches or power in the world. It could be anything, but very likely you notice it in the instant when love begins. Anyway, that’s often the case. Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid of its plenty. Joy is no...

Poetry Sunday: Blackberry-Picking by Seamus Heaney

My mother was a farm wife and a prodigious canner. She canned fruit and vegetables from the garden, even occasionally meat. But the best thing that she canned, in my opinion, was blackberry jam. Even as I type those words my mouth waters! Of course, before she could make that jam, somebody had to pick the blackberries. And that somebody was quite often named Dorothy. I think Seamus Heaney might have spent some time among the briars plucking those delicious black fruits as well, so he would have known that "Once off the bush the fruit fermented, the sweet flesh would turn sour." They don't keep; you have to get that jam made in a hurry! Blackberry-Picking by Seamus Heaney Late August, given heavy rain and sun For a full week, the blackberries would ripen. At first, just one, a glossy purple clot Among others, red, green, hard as a knot. You ate that first one and its flesh was sweet Like thickened wine: summer's blood was in it Leaving stains upon the tongue and lust ...

Poetry Sunday: Hymn for the Hurting by Amanda Gorman

You probably remember poet Amanda Gorman from her appearance at the inauguration of President Biden. She read her poem "The Hill We Climb" on that occasion. After the senseless slaughter in Uvalde this week, she was inspired to write another poem which was published in The New York Times. It seemed perfect for the occasion and so I stole it in order to feature it here, just in case you didn't get a chance to read it in the Times . Hymn for the Hurting by Amanda Gorman Everything hurts, Our hearts shadowed and strange, Minds made muddied and mute. We carry tragedy, terrifying and true. And yet none of it is new; We knew it as home, As horror, As heritage. Even our children Cannot be children, Cannot be. Everything hurts. It’s a hard time to be alive, And even harder to stay that way. We’re burdened to live out these days, While at the same time, blessed to outlive them. This alarm is how we know We must be altered — That we must differ or die, That we must triumph or try. ...

The Nature of Things

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