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This week in birds - #585

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

My 'Christmas Cheer' dwarf azalea is in bloom. Obviously, its calendar or its name is a bit off. The plant was a gift to me on the death of my mother twenty-three years ago this month and I treasure it.

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The swallowtail butterflies are beginning to make their appearance so it must truly be spring.

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Are you ready for the solar eclipse on April 8? Plants and animals, unlike you, might not be able to anticipate the eclipse but they will respond as Nature disposes them to.

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Climate change is increasing the chances of glacial lake floods in the Andes.

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What are the signs that spring is truly here to stay?

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Should orcas be split into two distinct species?

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Punxsutawney Phil and Phyllis have welcomed two baby groundhogs to the family.

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How do birds manage to remember where they have stored food? It turns out they create a kind of memory barcode to guide them.

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This pink grasshopper was discovered by a ten-year-old Nature enthusiast from Arkansas.

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Strip-mining the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge will, unfortunately, likely be approved by Georgia state officials. 

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Seeing and identifying 10,000 different bird species seems an almost impossible record but to have two separate individuals accomplish the feat on the same day? Wow!

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A necropsy of Flaco the owl revealed that he had rat poison in his system when he died from an apparent collision with a high-rise building. 

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This little beauty is the Green Kingfisher and he is the American Bird Conservancy's Bird of the Week.

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It appears that the Asian hornet may have become established in the United Kingdom.

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Here are pictures from the week in wildlife.

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Do birds dream? Apparently, the answer is "yes."


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Comments

  1. Deb Nance at ReaderbuzzMarch 30, 2024 at 5:54 AM

    What a beautiful reminder of your mother! I am always astonished to see my azaleas in bloom.

    I'm amazed to see that two people have seen 10,000 species of birds, and how serendipitous that it happened on the same day.

    ReplyDelete
  2. David M. Gascoigne,March 30, 2024 at 6:23 AM

    Good morning, Dorothy, and thank you for the roundup. The longevity of the Azalea is remarkable and no doubt reflects the care you have given it. I have been following the discussion centred around splitting Orca into two species. Fascinating stuff! Every time I visit Vancouver Island I hope to see them, but so far, no such luck. Maybe next time….. All the best - David

    ReplyDelete
  3. Harvee44March 30, 2024 at 8:56 AM

    I've been meaning to find a sunny spot for an azalea. Love the color of yours.

    Harvee https://bookdilettante.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousMay 6, 2024 at 1:38 PM

    Wow! That really made me think! Haven't done that in a while LOL. Your question about Orcas really intrigued me and I'd love to give you my insight. Here's what I think, Researchers suggest in the journal Royal Society Open Science that two populations of killer whales, resident and Bigg's killer whales, should be recognized as separate species, distinct from both each other and the rest of killer whales. A new study suggests that two killer whale populations in the North Pacific are distinct enough to be considered separate species. Killer whales are some of the most cosmopolitan creatures on the planet, swimming through every one of the world's oceans. It's believed that these two types of orcas diverged about thousands of years ago, with different cultures and languages. DNA shows that they also do not interbreed, except sadly in captive situations where artificial insemination occurs. A new study published in the journal “Royal Society Open Science” argues that two orca groups — known as resident killer whales and Bigg's killer whales — should be considered separate species due to new DNA evidence. Hope this help! Love ya!!

    ReplyDelete

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