Loose Feathers #488

Green-winged Teal / Photo: Tom Koerner/USFWS

Birds and birding news

• A study using geolocators confirmed that Blackpoll Warblers fly directly over the Atlantic from New England to the Greater Antilles.
• A genetic study found that Common Redpoll, Hoary Redpoll, and Lesser Redpoll are probably all a single species. Their differences in appearance are likely a result of gene expression rather than the underlying DNA.
• A topic of discussion on social media this week was an article claiming that climate change activism is distracting from bird conservation. Here is one of the better responses.
• A recent study reporting two Golden Eagle deaths in 20 years at a California wind farm shows the limited nature of the data on wind energy and bird mortality.
• Cassowaries are endangered but continue to be killed by cars and dogs because protections have been lax.
• Western governors published a report praising their own voluntary sage grouse conservation efforts (with the hope of keeping the bird from getting endangered status).
• This is the best time of year to hear displaying American Woodcocks.
• Northern Bobwhites, whose population had crashed in New Jersey, are being reintroduced to a cranberry farm in Chatsworth.
• The melting of Arctic sea ice means that polar bears are increasingly raiding the nests of seabirds for eggs.
• One of the Snowy Owls being tracked by Project SNOWstorm spent time on top of One Penn Plaza in Manhattan before flying north.

Science and nature blogging

• Sibley Guides: Why are they called goatsuckers?
• LepScience: Meet Cogia buena, the Good Cogia
• As Many Exceptions As Rules: The Bird Jaws of Life
• Extinction Countdown: Sunday Species Snapshot: Swift Parrot 
• Dan Tallman's Bird Blog: Blue-winged Warbler
• Birding Dude: Yellow-throated Warbler at Valley Stream State Park
• Not Exactly Rocket Science: Shrub Attracts Pollinators By Glittering Under the Full Moon 
• The Birders Conundrum: Pie Chart: How Birders Spend Their Time.
• Simon Barnes: England’s vultures
• Behind the Stone Walls: Photo Sequence of the First Hatch

Environment and biodiversity

• California has finally imposed mandatory water restrictions to address its ongoing drought. Unfortunately they appear to disadvantage people and communities that had already taken conservation measures.
• A report by the New England Wild Flower Society found that 22% of the region's plants are rare, declining, or extinct, and 30% are not native to the region.
• Suburban sprawl results in steep economic and environmental costs. 
• A chemical used to disperse oil slicks during the Deepwater Horizon spill has been shown to damage human lungs and gills of marine animals. This confirms the source of some symptoms shown by cleanup workers. The study also identified an enzyme that may protect against the damage.
• New Jersey is doing controlled burns to reduce risk of wildfires and improve habitat.
• Wetland restoration projects need to consider not just wetland area but also wetland types.
• As climate changes the ideal temperature for seed set comes earlier in the year, so flowers bloom earlier to match.
• Mild winters are not the sole cause of all pine beetle outbreaks in western United States.
• An oyster reef is being restored offshore from Reed's Beach in Cape May.
• A bill seeks to name the Io Moth as New Jersey's official state moth.