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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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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Join the "Monarch Blitz." Report your sightings of Monarch butterflies from July 25 to August 3.
I enjoyed reading about hummingbirds. It seems their legs are as useful to them as a dragonfly's legs.
ReplyDeleteHybridisation between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens seems unarguable.
Hummingbirds and Neanderthals - both fascinating stories in their own way.
DeleteGood morning, Dorothy. Thank you for the round up. There is an eclectic mix of stories here. I really hope that something can be done to eradicate the feral cats on Fire Island. Those poor little,Piping Plovers are threatened at every stage of their lives. I just finished reading a book about orcas and they are indeed threatened and need increased protection. They are incredibly complex, social animals, with much that reminds us of ourselves. Whether that is a good thing I am not sure! Have a great weekend. All the best - David
ReplyDeleteThe presence of the feral cats on Fire Island is another black mark against the species that abandoned them there - humans. It seems unlikely that we could ever do enough atone for our sins against Nature.
DeleteI appreciated the hummingbird facts -- some I didn't know --- and also the birding station tips. We seem to get a lot of house sparrows but I don't mind too much. We do get other birds. I wonder do you have a bird bath in your yard? And is it a fountain one or plain? I'm looking into getting one here.
ReplyDeleteWe have two birdbaths - one in the front yard and one in the backyard (We have a very big yard!) and they are both plain, having been there for many years before anyone had thought to make fountain birdbaths. I actually would like to get a fountain, at least for the front yard, and may do that within the next year. There's nothing wrong with the plain ones; the birds like them just fine. They do require refilling and cleaning on a regular basis.
DeleteThanks for the birdbath info! I will continue to look.
DeleteI love the dinosaur news this week! I am choosing to focus on that at this time, instead of the fact that are planet is literally going to be on fire forever, and that the fires will only get bigger and hotter and worse.
ReplyDeleteI've always loved dinosaurs and their descendants, the birds. They are a good thing to focus on.
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