This week in birds - #636

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


This pretty little bird is Virginia's Warbler and it is the American Bird Conservancy's Bird of the Week. It is found in patches throughout the western United States in mixed coniferous/deciduous habitats. It feeds low in trees and shrubs and close to the ground. It is closely related to the more widespread Nashville Warbler and Lucy's Warbler, a species that is found farther south in the Sonoran Desert.

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Acute global hunger surged for the sixth consecutive year in 2024. The number of people experiencing catastrophic levels of hunger more than doubled to 1.9 million.

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The Blyde rondawels flat gecko has been confirmed to still be in existence more than thirty years after it was last seen. It was found atop an isolated South African mountain.

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It seems that humpback whales have shockingly bad vision which may explain why they are so vulnerable to collisions with boats and entanglements in fishing nets.

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Science, who needs it? That at least seems to be the attitude of the current administration in Washington as they make plans to wipe out a large part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Geological Survey. Is the current Secretary of Commerce actually intent on destroying NOAA? If even Ted Cruz is worried you know something is amiss.

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Coyotes are amazingly adaptable critters. Just ask the residents of San Francisco where they have become a ubiquitous presence.

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The president seems determined to complete his border wall between this country and Mexico, wildlife corridors be damned!

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Palm oil plantations are still devastating the landscape and the wildlife of Borneo.

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The Amazon Basin continues to lose acres of forest each year and that has the effect of also reducing rainfall in the area.

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The weather phenomenon known as an "omega block" means poor flying weather and that affects spring migration.

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Birding in Arizona can be quite the adventure and can mean finding many interesting things besides birds.

Comments

  1. David M. Gascoigne,May 24, 2025 at 6:06 AM

    Good morning, Dorothy: Thank you for the weekly roundup. Thanks especially this morning for the link to the Arizona adventure. It brings back happy memories for me. If acute global hunger is surging now imagine what it’s going to be like as the human population of our beleaguered planet keeps growing, predicted to plateau at around eleven billion by 2050, a mere twenty-five years away. Yes, the current government in your country seems bent on the total destruction of science in all its disciplines, environmental, medical, and more, and the destruction or gutting of some the world’s great universities. I cannot help but be reminded of the Pol Pot era in Cambodia where intellectuals were considered enemies of the people and even people with glasses were killed. It doesn’t bear thinking about the next four years. Have a great weekend - David

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dorothy BordersMay 24, 2025 at 10:43 AM

      The comparison to the ignorant Pol Pot era does not seem inaccurate, although, hopefully, without all the killing. The people in charge do seem to be militantly ignorant and likely to stay that way.

      Delete
  2. jabblogMay 24, 2025 at 8:33 AM

    Your weekly roundup is always interesting, and a mix of good and bad news. That's life!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dorothy BordersMay 24, 2025 at 10:45 AM

      It's good to have some happy news to report as a leaven to all the bad.

      Delete
  3. Deb Nance at ReaderbuzzMay 24, 2025 at 9:01 AM

    Warblers are my favorite, but they are the hardest birds for me to see!

    I can't really get my mind around why those in charge want to destroy the world...unless they really are planning to settle Mars.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dorothy BordersMay 24, 2025 at 10:48 AM

      Warblers are hard to see - full stop - because they move fast and they tend to stay hidden among the leaves. At least we can enjoy their songs. As for those in charge, I'd be happy to help finance a trip to Mars for them - no round trip ticket.

      Delete
    2. Deb Nance at ReaderbuzzMay 29, 2025 at 2:06 PM

      I would be glad to donate to that cause!

      Delete
  4. Sarah @ All The Book Blog Names Are TakenMay 26, 2025 at 11:54 AM

    No doubt the number of people starving will continue to increase rapidly in Gaza.

    ReplyDelete
  5. thecuecardMay 26, 2025 at 8:19 PM

    It's so bad these days with this Administration .... it makes one physically ill worrying about the future. Also the rise in global hunger is very worrisome. They need to let aid into Gaza.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dorothy BordersMay 26, 2025 at 8:57 PM

      The idea that a so-called "civilized" country would deliberately allow people to starve is beyond abhorrent.

      Delete
  6. CathyMay 30, 2025 at 2:19 PM

    Thanks for the link to birding in Arizona. It brought back many memories.

    ReplyDelete

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