A roundup of the week's news of birds and the environment:
This little cutie is the Ash-breasted Tit-Tyrant, a bird of the high Andes of Peru and Bolivia. It is a bird that has a very limited range and whose numbers are decreasing. In fact, it is classified as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list. Overgrazing and uncontrolled use of fire, as well as wood cutting for timber, firewood, and charcoal are threats to its habitat. The changing climate could also affect its habitat and the availability of its food. It is the American Bird Conservancy's Bird of the Week.
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Wildlife tunnels that allow critters to pass under busy roadways are saving the lives of those critters. Amphibians in the northeastern United States, for example, have had an 80.2 percent reduction in deaths from automobile traffic as they migrate to their breeding grounds.
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The Monarch butterfly is one of the most closely watched and monitored of members of the lepidoptera family. We've come close to losing it, but now numbers have rebounded. The latest update on the butterflies report larvae being observed in the Midwest and Northeast.
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I'm not sure we fully recognize just how smart Cockatoos are!
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Robert Frost wrote that "Something there is that doesn't love a wall..." but Margaret Renkl reflects that some walls are different some walls are different. (Link corrected. Thank you, Deb!)
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Carrion flowers are interesting plants. (I remember visiting one at the Houston Museum of Natural Science several years ago.) So, how and why do they develop their stink?
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"The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" played through my mind as I read this story about a shipwreck on Lake Michigan.
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Burmese pythons are an invasive species that is creating havoc in the Florida Everglades, but there is evidence that one of Nature's warriors, the bobcat, is fighting back.
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A team comprised of ecologists, epidemiologists, and veterinarians is working to save the northern elephant seals of the Pacific coast from the deadly bird flu that has decimated southern elephant seal populations in the past.
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I've been fascinated by the Maya civilization since I first studied it in a long-ago college archaeology class. We are learning more about them now through the study of genomes.
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The budget proposed by the administration in Washington features significant cuts for scientific endeavors.
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And we are still learning more about the ancient Egyptians.
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I can confirm that Taos is indeed a great place to visit.
The future of Burmese pythons is in question as the local native wildlife takes their measure. Invasive species are so destructive.
ReplyDeleteYes, they are. Introducing a species into an environment where they don't naturally occur always causes problems, but Nature will find a way to solve those problems in its own time.
DeleteGood morning, Dorothy. Thank you for the roundup. It’s great to learn that Bobcats are capable of tackling, subduing and eating Burmese Pythons. Given the small Bobcat population and the off-the-chart number of pythons, it’s hard to imagine it will have a great impact on the snakes, however. Still, every little helps and it’s an encouraging sign. I am still waiting to see my first Monarch of the year, but butterfly numbers in general seem to be down this year. It’s interesting that we both studied the Maya. My course was in anthropology, however. Long time ago! Have a great weekend and keep fighting for nature. All the best - David
ReplyDeleteI had the anthropology course as well, although I do remember the Maya mostly from the archaeology studies - perhaps because the professor of archaeology was a particularly dynamic presenter.
DeleteAnother fun weekly post. That bird at the top is very cute. :D Enjoy your weekend!
ReplyDeleteI agree that the Ash-breasted Tit-Tyrant is particularly adorable!
DeleteI am pretty sure that I could live happily in Taos. Not sure I would actually be able to adapt to such a different climate, though.
ReplyDeleteMy friend Anna had a cockatoo, a rescue cockatoo. It was startlingly emotional and quite brilliant.
Taos is a lovely place with much to offer, but it is quite different from Houston. Zero humidity, for one thing!
DeleteThe Gordon Lightfoot song is good and easy to get caught in the head! That article about the discoveries about the Mayans is fascinating. And I really would like to visit Taos sometime ... I have been to Santa Fe but not Taos!
ReplyDeleteIf you get the chance, Taos would definitely be worth a visit. It is rich in the culture of that area.
DeleteLots of good links, as always. I loved the article about the cockatoos. Many birds are much smarter than we give them credit for. I've learned that over the years just by observing the ones in my own backyard. And... I, too, love that little Tyrant!
ReplyDeleteI certainly agree about birds being smart. Anyone who has spent any amount of time observing them knows that.
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