This week in birds - #654

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

This is the Rough-legged Hawk, a bird that breeds in the Arctic and subarctic regions of the world and migrates south during the winter months.  During nonbreeding months, the birds migrate to a wide swath of the mid-section of North America. Some even get as far south as north and west Texas and northern Mexico. It's unlikely that the migrating hawks would get as far south as southeast Texas so I won't be expecting to see one in my backyard! This magnificent bird is the American Bird Conservancy's Bird of the Week.

*~*~*~*

It seems that we humans are having an effect on animal evolution.

*~*~*~*

U.S. rivers are heating up in an unprecedented way.

*~*~*~*

At least fifteen of the world's important archaeological sites are being threatened by the effects of climate change.

*~*~*~*

And speaking of archaeological sites, archaeologists have uncovered the treasure-filled tomb of the first known ruler of the Maya city of Caracol in Belize.

*~*~*~*

A trio of leopard sharks has been observed mating in the wild for the first time and a snorkeling scientist was able to catch the event on video.

*~*~*~*

It's not only humans that have to dodge New York traffic; whales that swim offshore also have to dodge the many ships and boats in the area.

*~*~*~*

The Chicago River was once a filthy mess but after a massive clean-up people are now swimming in it once again.

*~*~*~*

Researchers counted the growth rings of the Sycamore Gap tree that two men illegally chopped down and they learned that it was 100 to 120 years old.

*~*~*~*

The bird in the middle is the first known hybrid offspring of a mating between a male Blue Jay and female Green Jay. The mating occurred in the San Antonio area of Texas where the ranges of the two species overlap.

*~*~*~*

It appears that our planet has a "quasi-moon," a celestial body that shares our orbit around the sun.

*~*~*~*

The Marbled Murrelet nests in old-growth trees and those are getting harder to find. That is a problem for the continued existence of this tiny seabird. 

*~*~*~*

Eco-grazing is becoming a popular way to clear out unwanted overgrowth and that's where the goats come in.

*~*~*~*

A jaguar in Brazil has set a new record for the longest known swim by the species.

*~*~*~*

You do not want to be outside during a lightning storm. Just this week, two elk hunters in Colorado were struck and killed.

*~*~*~*

Orcas normally swim in groups but it seems there is one in the North Atlantic that prefers to swim alone.

*~*~*~*

Could beavers be allies in helping to fight forest fires?

*~*~*~*

Chimpanzees, it turns out, love fermented fruit and they may consume as much as the equivalent of 2.5 alcoholic drinks a day by eating it.