This week in birds - #645

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

A bird of the shoreline - both fresh and salt water - is the American Bird Conservancy's Bird of the Week, the Spotted Sandpiper. It can be seen teetering, bobbing, and darting along the water's edge throughout most of North America. It is also called the "Teeter-peep" which well describes its actions. It breeds all the way from the northern Arctic to the southern United States. Its non-breeding range includes the extreme southern U.S., including south Texas.

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It should not come as a surprise that climate change is making forest fires more common around the world.

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Brazil's Congress has voted to weaken environmental protection rules despite fierce opposition from environmentalists. 

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Some animals seem to have an appreciation of music and are actually able to keep a beat.

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Light pollution is a serious problem especially for birds on migration, and some cities, like Pittsburgh, are taking action to reduce it.

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The loss of one predator has led to the rise of another on Fire Island and that is bad news for the island's birds.

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Tyrannosaurus rex was not the only tyrannosaur; here are ten others that came before him.

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Archaeologists have found the treasure-filled tomb of the first known ruler of a Mayan city in Belize.

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What appears to be one of the largest dinosaur courtship arenas ever found has been located just fifteen miles west of Denver, Colorado.

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Hummingbirds are truly amazing little critters and here are some interesting facts about them that perhaps you didn't know.

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The coconut rhinoceros beetle is a dire threat to Hawaii's coconut palms.

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The effort to save the Northwest's endangered orcas has not proved very successful to this point and it may require bolder action.

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The Sycamore Gap tree that was chopped down by vandals two years ago is sprouting vigorously from its stump, proving you can't keep a good tree down!

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Here is a Herring Gull with its chicks. I may be in the minority here but I quite admire these birds. They are survivors in an environment that is not always kind to them.

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Even a tiny forest can have a big and positive impact on the environment.

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Using ancient DNA, scientists have been able to map 37,000 years of disease across Europe and Asia.

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A 4,000-year-old flint arrowhead is still embedded in its victim's back. The victim was not killed by that attack - at least initially.

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The 140,000-year-old skull of a child may be a hybrid of humans and Neanderthals.

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Evidence suggests that different Neanderthal groups may have established their own unique culinary traditions.

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Do you need ideas for setting up a successful bird feeding station? Here ya go!

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The fossil of a 247-million-year-old reptile had a bizarre row of plumes sprouting from its back. This is particularly interesting because the reptile was not closely related to birds.

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Peat bogs can store exceptional amounts of climate-warming carbon which makes them a particularly useful tool in the fight against climate change.

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An ancient reptile had a colorful, corrugated sail on its back. What was its purpose?

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The world's largest known turtle nesting site has been discovered in the Amazon.

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Manas National Park in India has seen a comeback of endangered species after a crackdown on poachers.

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Regulation of the exotic pet trade should be extended to invertebrates. They need our protection, too. 

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The Kakapo, the flightless bird native to New Zealand, has seen an increase in its population since its protection, but the bird's parasites have dwindled in population. There is some debate as to whether that is a good or bad thing.

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Join the "Monarch Blitz." Report your sightings of Monarch butterflies from July 25 to August 3.