| Wild Turkey / Photo by Joanna Gilkeson/USFWS |
- The armed occupation at Malheur NWR finally ended when the last four holdouts surrendered yesterday after intense negotiations. Now that the occupation is over, the refuge will remain closed for weeks as the FBI investigates it as a crime scene, and then it will take time to clean up and restore the refuge. Portland Audubon put out a call for volunteers, and the refuge's friends group is accepting donations to help with restoration efforts. Even before the end of the occupation, refuge employees were negotiating to get back into the refuge to continue their work and prevent long-term damage to the refuge's wetlands, which are important for many migratory birds. Local birders are relieved that the occupation ended in time to prepare the refuge for spring migration.
- The Great Backyard Bird Count starts today, February 12, and runs through Monday, February 15. Participate by counting birds for at least 15 minutes in your backyard or someplace else and submit your observations to the GBBC website.
- The remains of the Ivory Gull found in Minnesota have yielded a treasure trove of ectoparasites (lice and mites), some of which may represent new species.
- Many parrots, including the long-lived and intelligent Gray Parrots, are disappearing from their native ranges due to wildlife trafficking.
- The size of Blue Tits' nests is unrelated to their breeding success.
- Verreaux's Eagles and agriculture coexist in South Africa's Sandveld region. You can read the paper here.
- The oldest known living bird, a 65-year-old Laysan Albatross, hatched her 40th chick this week.
- Careless use of rat poison threatens birds of prey and carnivores.
- A study found that songbirds recognize sound patterns using the overall spectral shape.
- Using eagles to hunt drones is probably bad for the eagles.
- Some birds were oiled along the Potomac River last weekend.
- Whooping Cranes in Louisiana survive by hunting reptiles and amphibians.
- The Crux: How the Malheur Occupation Hamstrung Science
- Extinction Countdown: Every Member of This Rare Bird Species Is About to Get its Genome Sequenced
- Birding Dude: Kumlien's Gull in Queens NYC
- The Xerces Society Blog: 5 Tips for Better Insect Photography
- On The Wing Photography: An American Kestrel attacking a Red-tailed Hawk – How I Messed Up This Shot
- 10,000 Birds: The true “Mediterranean” Gull
- Not Exactly Rocket Science: Oops! Giant Raptor’s Wishbone is Actually a Bit of Turtle Shell
- Nature Photo Guides: Death Valley Wildflower Update: Prelude to a Super Bloom?
- Bird Ecology Study Group: Rufescent Prinia – family group and vocalisation
- The Rattling Crow: The Mute Swan
- Obama will designate three new national monuments in California to protect desert landscapes with unique habitats and archaeological features. In addition, the new monuments will connect existing protected areas to preserve wildlife corridors and allow species to adapt to climate change.
- A new paper links the breakdown of empires in the fifth and sixth centuries to a cooling climate.
- The Supreme Court blocked enforcement of the EPA's Clean Power Plan while the regulations are challenged in the court system. This could end up stalling the plan until Obama is out of office.
- Some EPA officials knew that a toxic spill was possible at the Gold King mine site.
- Most schoolchildren in the US are not getting accurate information about climate change.
- The Porter Ranch gas leak reveals a lack of oversight for oil and gas drilling operations in the Los Angeles area.
- The USDA's Wildlife Services agency continues to kill carnivores in sometimes horrible ways.
- Up to half of the Amazonian tree species are endangered if deforestation trends continue.
- The deer tick genome has finally been sequenced.
- The Western Bumble Bee, Bombus occidentalis, is recovering from severe population declines in some areas.
Posted on A DC Birding Blog under a Creative Commons 3.0 License.
