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This week in birds - #565

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

The hummingbird wars continued this week with the Ruby-throated and Black-chinned Hummingbirds passing through. I haven't yet seen any Rufous Hummingbirds like this baby from a previous year but they should be arriving soon.

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The famous 150-year-old banyan tree that was burned in the recent fires on Maui is showing signs of recovery. 

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Did you see the amazing sight of the fireball that slammed into Jupiter last month? Astronomers got pictures!

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The financially struggling private ownership of a herd of 2,000 rhinos has sold the animals to a conservation group that will release them into the wild. 

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The hottest August on record followed a similarly record-breaking June and July. I think I'm sensing a trend here.

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Even though it is winter in South America, it is hot there, too.

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ExxonMobil went to great lengths to try to undermine climate science. Recently revealed files expose those efforts.

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Here are some pictures of summer avian visitors to Quincy, California.

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This handsome bird is the American Bird Conservancy's Bird of the Week, Swainson's Hawk. 

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A nonagenarian lungfish called Methuselah is the world's oldest living aquarium fish.

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A network of indigenous burial mounds in Ohio has been proclaimed a Unesco World Heritage site. I grew up in an area where there were many of these mounds and they are quite amazing and impressive.

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Here's a wasp that can drill through plastic.

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Female turtles return to the same area every year to lay their eggs.

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Here are some amazing pictures of whales off the coast of Long Island as seen from above.

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And here are some pictures of adorable baby birds.

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It seems that being brainless is no barrier to learning. 

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Meet a man who "parents" squirrels!

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And lastly, here's another "feel good" story about a girl and her dogs.

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Comments

  1. David M. Gascoigne,September 23, 2023 at 3:51 AM

    Good morning, Dorothy. The roundup will start my weekend off just right, as it always does. The tobacco industry lied for years about the consequences of smoking, even though they knew full well of the dangers, and it comes as no surprise that ExxonMobil went to great lengths to undermine climate science. The puzzling thing in all of this is that it is people who make these decisions, are individuals with families and friends. A corporation does not think and act, people do. How does their conscience get abandoned to the degree that they will deliberately conceal or distort information that in the long run will kill their own children and grandchildren? On a lighter note, great picture of the Swainson’s Hawk. It’s been a while since I saw one. Hope that cool weather comes your way soon. All the best - David

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lark September 23, 2023 at 11:54 AM

    I so hope the Banyan tree in Lahaina can make a full recovery! And we get Swainson's Hawks around here sometimes. They are very beautiful birds.

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  3. Deb Nance at ReaderbuzzSeptember 25, 2023 at 5:08 AM

    It's very frustrating for us ordinary folks to see that people who run huge corporations like Exxon-Mobile can manipulate the truth for their own (short-term) gain. Thank goodness for voices like those of people at The Guardian and you, Dorothy, who try to share truth despite the obstacles put up by moneyed interests.

    I've been away, and now I'm delighted to see the hummingbirds coming through at my house. I do hope to see many of them this year.

    I did a stint at HawkWatch at Smith Point a few years ago, and it was there I saw hawks of all sorts and varieties, including the Swainson's Hawk. I'd like to do that again.

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  4. thecuecardSeptember 26, 2023 at 7:24 AM

    I love the hummingbird news & pics. How many feeders do you have for them? I wasn't sure hummingbirds are in Alberta but I saw one near our window in August which completely surprised me.

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    Replies
    1. Dorothy BordersSeptember 26, 2023 at 9:45 AM

      I have three feeders - one in the front yard and two in back next to the patio.

      Delete

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