This week in birds - #558

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

This may be my favorite picture of the week - the President of the United States being upstaged by a Mourning Dove!

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June was Earth's hottest month on record. July and August say, "Hold my beer!"

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U.N. Chief Antonio Guterres says that Earth is now in an era of "global boiling."

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Architectural styles can be an important component of keeping cool.

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One place you won't keep cool is Death Valley and yet tourists flock there.

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Tourists visiting national parks should be aware to stay well clear of any wild animals to avoid a tragedy like this.

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The Gulf Stream is nearing collapse and that could mean catastrophe for Earth's climate. According to an analysis of 150 years of temperature data, the Atlantic Ocean's circulation system has slowed and become less resilient. 

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House Wrens can be instruments of chaos and havoc for other species of birds.

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A pod of pilot whales off the coast of Western Australia was displaying unusual behavior and then the animals beached themselves.

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This is the dunes sagebrush lizard, a resident of the Permian Basin. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed that it be protected under the Endangered Species Act. Since it lives in an oil-rich environment, the usual suspects line up to oppose its protection.

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Do you have any dead butterflies, moths, or skippers lying around? The U.S. government may want them.

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There are explorers abroad in the land who are searching for the last cultivars of old and important plants.

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Some Sandhill Cranes are moving uptown and adopting an urban lifestyle.

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The Appalachian Trail is getting longer and harder. (To think - I once harbored dreams of walking it!) 

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This is the sweet little Grasshopper Sparrow, a bird more often heard than seen. It is the American Bird Conservancy's Bird of the Week.

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Why does it seem that we are not frightened by the prospect of catastrophes as a result of the climate crisis?

                                               Stolen from Daily Kos.

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Do you recognize the calls of the birds around you? Test yourself. Of course, there are those who are deprived of the pleasure of hearing birdsong.

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Otter 841 in the waters around Santa Cruz, California has become something of an internet sensation by stealing surfboards and upending kayaks.

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Right-wing groups are making plans for the next elected Republican president to dismantle the country's climate policy and environmental protections.

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The Guam Kingfisher was almost wiped out when brown tree snakes were introduced into its environment, but scientists who are battling to save it hope that eventually it can be returned to its island home.

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The best way to control the plague of invasive wild boars in the country may be to hunt them.

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In Phoenix's record heat, some work to rescue and save baby birds that tumble from their nests.

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And on the small island of Wilton Manors, Florida, the residents are dealing with an unusual problem: cute little bunnies. They are the result of an irresponsible former resident who abandoned a pair of pet rabbits on the island.