This week in birds

This week in birds - #584

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

A Killdeer views the world from atop a fallen log.

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The headline said that scientists are divided regarding the climate crisis and I'm thinking, "When were scientists ever NOT divided and how is that the headline?"

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There's no division over the fact that last year was the hottest year on record.

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Our plant hardiness zones are changing.

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The fossilized remains of the earliest known forest have been found.

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And in news of human fossils, a site in Ethiopia has revealed the oldest known arrowheads. They are from 74,000 years ago.

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In the state of Washington, a woman on a biking trip was attacked by a cougar. Fortunately, her friends were able to rescue her from the cat's jaws.

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In Slovakia, it is bears that have been attacking people. Five people have been injured in attacks this week.

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The Philippine Eagle is an endangered species with an estimated population of fewer than 400 breeding pairs left in the wild.

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An Iceland volcano is once again pumping out a cloud of toxic gas across Europe.

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In other volcano news, 74,000 years ago a supervolcano located on what is now Sumatra, erupted, sending microscopic shards of glass over a wide area.

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Georgia may still okay a titanium mine on the edge of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge but it won't be able to do it without a fight.

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Bats are essential to the production of several foods and drinks that humans like quite a lot, so it's not good news for them or us that the critters are in trouble.

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Another animal that needs our attention for their survival is the koala.

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Not all wildlife benefited from the decrease in human activity during the pandemic.

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Rio de Janeiro recently hit a record heat index of 144.1 degrees Fahrenheit.

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The Yurok Tribe of California will be managing tribal lands in coordination with the National Park Service under a new agreement.

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This is a Zebra Finch. It turns out that the female of the species has a highly developed ability to discern among songs from the various males of the species.

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Climate change is making heat waves, like the one recently suffered by West Africa, much worse.

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A well-preserved village from 3,000 years ago has been uncovered by archaeologists in eastern England.

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Wildfires in Canada have given Canadians even worse quality air to breathe than their neighbors south of the border.

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Afghanistan is suffering through years of a punishing drought.

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Scotland had pledged to cut emissions by 75% by 2030 but that no longer seems possible.

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Cupid the Peacock was shot with an arrow, but thanks to his human neighbors, that was not the end of the story.

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Our favorite Muppet, Kermit the Frog, now has a prehistoric amphibian named for him.

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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