This week in birds - #694

A roundup of the week's news f birds and the environoment: 

The American Bird Conservancy's Bird of the Week is the wonderful little Eastern Screech Owl. This little owl doesn't seem to mind living close to people. In fact, it sometimes uses their buildings and lawns in many suburban and even urban settings. Even though it may be present it is often unseen and is more likely to be detected by its vocalizations. Its conservation status is considered to be of least concern but its population trend is decreasing.

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In Ohio, toxic fracking waste is bubbling up from the ground and it is becoming a political issue.

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In Albania, the wild Vjosa Narta River is under threat from development planned by Jared Kushner and the Albanian government. The people are fighting back.

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It seems that eating a healthy diet is also good for the environment.

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A high schooler has invented a plant-based plastic that removes microplastics from the environment as it degrades. Maybe there is hope for our species. 

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The nor' easter that lashed the East Coast this week turned up part of a ship believed to be from an 1884 shipwreck.

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Saving the habitats of sharks and rays is the important element in saving their species.

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Archaeologists have unearthed what may be the world's oldest computer. It is more than 2,000 years old.

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One of the many strange sights presented by this week's nor'easter was that of a shark swimming through the flooded streets of New Jersey.

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In Iran, saving the maral (Caspian red deer) depends on volunteers who work to save its habitat.

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Vandals chopped it down three years ago but now England's beloved Sycamore Gap tree is showing signs of life.

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This tiny diamondback terrapin with two heads was discovered on Cape Cod.

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A massive deep-sea roly poly is able to go for years without food.