Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Loose Feathers #33

News and links about birds, birding, and the environment.

  • Pharyngula has a post up about a fossilized penguin that shows signs of being remarkably old, old enough that its discoverers are pushing back the date for when modern birds split off from dinosaurs.
  • BP's safety and maintenance practices are being investigated by the Department of Transportation as the result of the recent oil spill from a pipeline maintained by BP on Alaska's North Slope.
  • One blogger is making regular updates on the hummingbirds nesting in her backyard in Las Vegas.
  • Jim Hansen carried his message about global warming to 60 Minutes this week. (Link via DailyKos.) Crooks and Liars has the video.
  • The Chesapeake Bay Foundation has filed a petition asking the Dorchester County Circuit Court to review the proposed development near Blackwater NWR.
  • Christie Whitman's legacy in New Jersey: parks and open space with no funding for basic maintenance.
  • Meanwhile, national parks are having trouble managing wildlife diseases.
  • Speaking of diseases, the Interior, Agriculture, and HHS departments have announced plans to test up to 100,000 wild birds this year for H5N1. There was little word in the article about whether domestic poultry - the source of influenza's spread - would receive similarly thorough treatment.