Birding highlights in 2020

Goodbye to 2020

It has been a while since I posted about my own birding on this blog as it has turned into more of a birding and environmental news blog. However, I've been meaning to revive that aspect of my blog, which is how it got started. Patch birding does not really provide enough material for daily posts since I tend to see the same birds over and over. So instead I'll borrow an idea from the brewster's linnet blog and post periodic updates.

The COVID-19 pandemic has defined the year 2020. I have been fortunate not to lose anyone close to me, either family or acquaintances despite some scares. From a birding standpoint, it limited me to patch and local birding since longer trips would entail more risk of exposure. The pandemic also cancelled or altered events that I normally attend, like the birding days in East Brunswick.

Harris's Sparrow in Piscataway

My only life bird this year was a Harris's Sparrow at a friend's house in Piscataway. Harris's Sparrow had long been on my "most wanted" list so it was exciting to see one finally. That sighting left Golden-crowned as the only Zonotrichia sparrow that I have not seen (at least among ones that occur regularly in the ABA Area). I also saw four other new birds for Middlesex County: Mourning Warbler on my patch in May, Baird's and Pectoral Sandpiper in Cranbury Township in August, and Red Crossbill in Old Bridge at the end of November. All four were birds that I have rarely seen, in any location. A pair of Pileated Woodpeckers on the Raritan Estuary CBC were new for my patch (and the only ones for that CBC this year). A Nelson's Sparrow in September was another surprising patch bird.

Turkey Vultures at Davidson's Mill Pond during the World Series of Birding

The World Series of Birding was conducted under a new set of rules this year because of the pandemic. In the past, all team members were required to travel in one vehicle; this year team members could not travel together or even meet up. Normally the playing field is limited to New Jersey, but this year teams could participate in other states. My team, the Middlesex Merlins, had our best-ever result, with 148 species spread over two Middlesex Counties (one in New Jersey and the other in Massachusetts). This year's rules were branded as a "special edition," but I suspect the 2021 WSB may need to be conducted under the same rules. The pandemic shows few signs of letting up and vaccines will probably not be widely available soon enough to inoculate all participants.

Purple Finches in Highland Park

The most exciting birding event this year has been the massive flight of winter finches and other irruptive birds this fall. The first hint that it might be a good flight year came when I found a Red-breasted Nuthatch on my patch in August, which I think is the earliest I've had one in fall migration. Later in the fall I saw and heard 11 at the Phillips Preserve in Old Bridge, which I think is the most I've ever encountered in one location. Pine Siskins and Purple Finches came through in large numbers in October and November, and I even saw a pair of Evening Grosbeaks on my patch. The Red Crossbills mentioned above were the first I had seen in a decade. Most of the finches seem to have moved on, but I hope that at least a few will stay through the winter or pass through again in the spring.

Pine Siskin in Highland Park

Life birds that I hope to see in the new year: Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Hudsonian Godwit, Northern Goshawk, Bohemian Waxwing, LeConte's Sparrow. County birds I hope to see: the above plus Black Tern, Dickcissel, Connecticut Warbler, Short-eared Owl, Yellow-throated Warbler, White-winged Crossbill. I have not had a nemesis bird for a while, but Hudsonian Godwit is a candidate, and there are also some candidates at the local level: White-winged Scoter, Brown Pelican, and Snowy Owl.

Most of all, though, I hope that things are back to normal by this time next year.

Loose Feathers #781

White-throated Sparrow / my photo

Birds and birding news

• Christmas Bird Count season is halfway over, but counts are still happening (under rules to prevent the spread of COVID-19.). You can find one here. Here are tips for entering CBC observations into eBird.
  
• A new study found that the pitch of bird songs depends on the body size of a given species. Larger birds sing at lower pitches.
• The Sunda Laughingthrush is threatened by the illegal wildlife trade because it is desirable for collectors for its distinctive vocalizations.
• A town in New Zealand is turning off streetlights to avoid confusing fledgling Westland Petrels.
• An iceberg drifting towards South Georgia Island could threaten colonies of King and Macaroni Penguins if it gets stuck near the island.
• Birds at wildlife rehab centers in Florida most often died of traumatic injuries, like cat predation or collisions with buildings.
  

Science and nature blogging

• Corvid Research: Do you see what I see: subjective consciousness in crows
  
• Birdchick: Bird Seed Prices
• On The Wing Photography: Christmas Day Bird Photos Thru The Years
  

Biodiversity and conservation

• The earliest forms of mistletoe may have been carried into the treetops by prehistoric primates and marsupials rather than songbirds, which only adapted to eating mistletoe later. 
• COVID-19 outbreaks on mink farms raise the potential for spread among the wild mink population.
  
• The Guardian has a review of the year in conservation news.
• The Revelator also has a list of top environmental stories from 2020.
  
• Most animal species will lose some habitat to agriculture over the next several decades.
• Indigenous tribes have been fighting to restore and maintain sockeye salmon runs along the Snake River.
• Deforestation remains a major threat to biodiversity in Colombia despite agreements that should protect forests.
• Bunchgrass prairies in Montana have become warmer and drier over the past several decades.
  

Climate change and environmental politics

• The bills Deb Haaland has sponsored provide hints about what she might do as Interior secretary. Among other things, she wants to replace offensive place names and create new wilderness areas within existing national monuments.
• Activists want the 30-by-30 plan, which Haaland supports, to include more outdoor recreation opportunities in urban areas.
  
• This year may be the hottest on record, and so far there have been at least 16 major climate-driven disasters.
• The combined COVID/omnibus bill included money for clean energy and a ban on HFCs. (Whether the bill will be signed is currently unclear.)
• A new report finds that the US could reach net-zero emissions by 2050, but it would require aggressive changes by government and industry.
  
• Stopping pipeline projects could be a first step towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
• Restoring salmon runs would provide a benefit to Native tribes in the Northwest.
• The Trump administration has been awarding contracts for border wall construction even on land that the government does not own.
• While I have emphasized the conservation problems caused by the border wall, the biggest problem is the human cost: at least 225 migrants have died crossing the border this year.
  

Loose Feathers #780

Belted Kingfisher / Photo by Scott Somershoe/USFWS

Birds and birding news

• Hornbills are threatened by the wildlife trade and also by a lack of natural nesting cavities and the mature forests where they occur. 
• EBird has a new set of graphics showing the distribution and movements of 807 bird species, including some tropical species that were thought to be sedentary.
• The new European Breeding Bird Atlas documents how bird species are moving north in response to climate change.
  
• Black Rails have declined due to the loss of habitat to sea-level rise and coastal development, but their new threatened status will give conservationists a chance to protect and restore marshland.
• This fall has had one of the largest winter finch irruptions in recent memory. Irruptions are driven by mast cycles in conifers and other trees.
• Northern Spotted Owls qualify to be upgraded from threatened to endangered, but the federal government will not do it because other species have a higher priority.
  
• Barnacle Geese breeding at Svalbard have lost weight over the past several decades, but their population remains stable.
• Starling murmurations are being blamed for power outages in Scotland.
• Long-term drought is reducing wetland habitat for waterbirds in Australia.
• Chestnut-crowned Babblers reacted to climate change by nesting earlier and incubating less, which reduces their chances for survival.
• Snowy Owls are on the move again.
  

Science and nature blogging

• Birdchick: What's the Best Wild Bird Food to Buy?
• Feathered Photography: Red-tailed Hawk, Rough-legged Hawk, American Kestrels And Bald Eagles – Raptors Need Elevated Hunting Perches
• Avithera: Eastern Reef Egret fishing  
• awkward botany: Winter Trees and Shrubs: Eastern Redbud
• Backyard and Beyond: So We’re All Lichens Now? 
• Avian Hybrids: Intermediate color morphs of the Common Buzzard are most successful
  

Biodiversity and conservation

• The US Fish and Wildlife Service rejected a petition to list Monarchs as endangered even though they qualify.
• An expedition into Bolivia's Zongo Valley found 20 new species of plants and animals. The difficulty of access, for both humans and wildlife, protects the area's biodiversity.
  
• Plant diversity has declined in Germany according to a survey of over 2,000 species.
• Invasive multicolored lady beetles are linked to declines in native lady beetle species.
• A new ginger species was found in Yunnan.
• A trail camera recorded a bobcat along the Bronx River.
• A new species of salamander was found in North Carolina.
  

Climate change and environmental politics

• Biden announced several appointments to environmental positions this week, including nominees for EPA head and interior secretary. Deb Haaland, the interior nominee, is a proponent of the "Thirty by Thirty" initiative to protect 30% of US lands and waters by 2030. Interior has significant power over federal lands and will be key to any climate change or conservation policies.
• The Trump administration is trying to push through as many last-minute changes as possible.
• That includes cutting through the mountains and canyons along the border with Mexico.
  
• Exxon released a climate plan that does not actually reduce emissions. (See also this Bird and Moon comic.)
  

Loose Feathers #779

Orange-crowned Warbler / Photo by Peter Pearsall/USFWS

Birds and birding news

• The US Fish and Wildlife Service wants to downlist Red-cockaded Woodpeckers from endangered to threatened. While their population is increasing, they still need constant habitat management to maintain a stable population. 
• The growth of eBird has changed birding by making information about birds and where to find them more accessible.
  
• A Rock Wren has been present in Maine for the past two weeks.
• A European study found a link between quality of life and local bird diversity.
• Prothonotary Warblers in Illinois raise more chicks in warmer springs.
• The Forest Service claims that post-wildfire logging will benefit Spotted Owls even though other ecologists argue that it is better to allow burned forests to regenerate naturally.
• While Spotted Owls have benefited to some extent from wildfires, at least 11 California Condors were killed and others injured by this year's wildfires.
  
• Here is an account of a close encounter with a Merlin.
• Deposits of bird poop are helping scientists estimate historical population levels of seabirds.
• Lab reports show that the birds in the mass mortality event in New Mexico were emaciated and had signs of organ failure.
  
• The pandemic is changing how Christmas Bird Counts are conducted. Some counts are cancelled, while others have eliminated count roundups and other group activities.

Science and nature blogging

• 10,000 Birds: Splitsville
• The Meadowlands Nature Blog: Don Torino’s Life in the Meadowlands: Birding in the Rain
• Avian Hybrids: Misconceptions and regressions: The evolution of bird brains 
• Chicago Ornithological Society: Dan's Feathursday Feature: White-breasted Nuthatch 
• On The Wing Photography: Finding Two Uncommon Birds In One Week – Rusty Blackbird And Common Grackle
• Appalachian Mountain Club: Subtler Sounds: Identifying and Recording Winter Bird Calls
  

Biodiversity and conservation

• Scientists are setting up a citizen science project to collect data on native bees in North America. Interested observers can learn more at the network's website.
• Protecting endangered species like forest elephants can contribute to fighting climate change.
• New research shows how closely connected trees are, which emphasizes the importance of mycorrhizal fungi to forest health.
  
• Hawaii is known among birders for its endemic birds; it is also home to many endemic land snails that are threatened.
• Colorado voters passed a proposition requiring the state government to create a plan to reintroduce wolves to the state.
  
• The latest update to the IUCN Red List shows the European Bison on its way to recovery but also extinctions of 31 other species.
• Tristan da Cunha will become a marine protected area.
• Wildfires are devastating Brazil's Pantanal, and the government is doing little to stop them.
• Arctic ground squirrels can recycle their own nutrients to survive cold winters.
• Stranded marine mammals in the US show signs of poisoning by industrial pollutants.
• Only about 40% of the world's forests are intact, which shows that preserving a certain percentage of land is not enough if the habitat is degraded.
• The wildlife trade of Hyacinth Macaws and Golden Lion Tamarins has increased as their populations recovered through conservation work.
• There will need to be fast work by the Biden administration for Gray Wolves to continue their recovery.
  

Climate change and environmental politics

• The Arctic continued its shift towards a warmer climate in 2020. Warming there contributes to changes elsewhere, including severe weather.
  
• One of the insidious ways that conservatives attack environmental protections is by changing the economic assumptions that underlie the cost-benefit analysis that justifies rule-making. These assumptions are important but less visible to voters. Currently the Trump administration is trying to reduce the value of pollution regulations to public health.
• The Trump administration refused to implement stronger standards on soot, which leaves the rules fromm 2012 in place. Soot (or particulate matter) has harmful effects on respiratory health and has a disproportionate effect on low-income and minority neighborhoods.
  
• It will take a lot of work to restore the EPA's effectiveness.
• Sea-level rise threatens New Jersey's affordable housing, which is often built in flood-prone areas.
• Audubon suggests five places where a Biden administration could undo damage from the Trump administration.
• Australia's record-breaking heat would be nearly impossible without climate change.
• It appears that the Nature Conservancy has been selling carbon offsets for preserving forests that were not actually under threat of being cut. Some of the projects, like maintaining the forests on Hawk Mountain, are worth doing anyway but do little to reduce carbon emissions.
• This year will be remembered for the pandemic, but it was also a year of climate disasters, including a record-setting thirty named storms in the Atlantic and five of the six largest wildfires in California's history.
• Peatlands store a massive amount of carbon, so converting them for other land use would turn them into a carbon source.
• The Break Free From Plastic campaign named Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Nestlé as contributing the largest amount of plastic waste found in cleanups.

Loose Feathers #778

Evening Grosbeak / Photo by Keith Ramos/USFWS

Birds and birding news

• The new European Breeding Bird Atlas shows that European breeding birds have moved north by an average 28km since the 1980s. Forest birds have generally expanded their ranges while the ranges of farmland birds contracted.
• An ecologist argues that making cities more bird-friendly would also make them better for people, as long as there is equal access to nature.
  
• Birds are able to adjust their egg-laying date to find optimal conditions to raise chicks.
• USFWS finally listed Black Rails as a threatened species, but they are already gone from much of their range on the East Coast.
• Wisdom, the 60-year-old Laysan Albatross, returned for another breeding season at Midway. The refuge is home to 70% of the world's Laysan Albatrosses and 40% of Black-footed Albatrosses.
• Flightless birds are more vulnerable to extinction but also more common than expected.
  

Science and nature blogging

• Vermont Center for Ecostudies: Field Guide to December 2020
  
• Feathered Photography: Mountain Chickadee Extracting A Seed From A Cone
• New Jersey Audubon: MORNING FLIGHT UPDATE - Winter Finch Invasion
• FINCH RESEARCH NETWORK: Flight Directions of Boreal Finches in the Irruption of 2020
• Urban Hawks: Barred Owl, Post NY Times Press
• Avian Hybrids: Mixing Motmots: A hybrid between Rufous and Amazonian Motmot in Brazil 
• awkward botany: Seed Shattering Lost: The Story of Foxtail Millet
• corvidresearch: Crow curiosities: can crows see UV?
  

Biodiversity and conservation

• The career of a former bird smuggler shows how loopholes in CITES allow wildlife trafficking to continue under the guise of captive breeding.
• Audubon is calling for a native plant garden on the White House grounds.
• Australia's threatened native plants have declined by an average 70% over the past two decades.
• There will finally be a critical habitat designation for endangered corals.
• A chemical in tire dust accounts for 40-90% of the coho salmon deaths in Puget Sound.
  

Climate change and environmental politics

• Climate change is already affecting human health through heat waves, wildfires, droughts, and flooding. The pandemic has made it harder to ameliorate climate change because of it makes warming and cooling shelters more hazardous.
• Addressing climate change will require work from every federal agency.
  
• The Trump administration is trying to push through sales of oil and gas leases in Arctic NWR in early January before the Biden administration takes over. You can write in opposition to the proposal; comments must be received by mail by December 17.
• It is also rushing through other approvals, like one for a flood control project the EPA vetoed in 2008.
• The incoming Biden administration will need to decide what to do with the parts of the border wall that are currently in progress. The contracts have a termination clause that allows the government to stop construction.
• Here is a proposed environmental agenda for the Biden administration.
  
• Drone imagery is showing how the Arctic is greening in response to climate change.
• Northeastern forests like the New Jersey Pinelands may become more vulnerable to wildfire as temperatures rise.
• Winters in the DC area have become warmer and shorter, with fewer days below freezing.
  

Loose Feathers #777

Song Sparrow / my photo

Birds and birding news

• Beach-nesting birds in North Carolina had a successful breeding season.
• A new study found that pollution reduction mandated by the Clean Air Act saved 1.5 billion birds. Ozone pollution in particular harms small migratory birds.
• The phrase "lame duck" is used to refer to outgoing politicians but has an analogue in the summer flightless period of waterfowl.
• A fossil from Madagascar shows the face of a bird from the Cretaceous with a bill like a toucan.
• A new paper reports the genomes for 363 bird species.
• Herring Gulls have a varied appearance based on their age and season and may represent multiple species.
• Lesser Black-backed Gulls in urban areas remember when local schools have their lunch hour so that they can forage for leftovers.
  

Science and nature blogging

• Urban Hawks: A Wild Barred Owl Is Not A Celebrity
• Avian Hybrids: The genomics of local adaptation in Blue Tits
• Snapshots of Nature: Ash-Throated Flycatcher 
• SzimiStyle Birding: How do I eBird?
  

Biodiversity and conservation

• The Juan Fernandez Islands in Chile have a high number of endemic species, including 15 native birds, but their survival depends on removing invasive species.
  
• Footage from trail cameras shows wildlife using a wildlife overpass in Utah. Wildlife overpasses are intended to reduce the number of animals hit by cars and connect fragmented habitats.
• A new paper found that 14% of plant genera support 90% of moth and butterfly species. See this Twitter thread by the lead author.
• Mauritius is culling its endemic fruit bat because of political pressure from the fruit industry. While growers blame bats, studies show that most of the crop loss is due to invasive birds.
• Even small boats can harm North Atlantic Right Whales in collisions.
• A new report suggests ways to protect 102 vulnerable species in the Fraser River estuary in British Columbia.
  

Climate change and environmental politics

• The Army Corps of Engineers denied a permit for the proposed Pebble Mine, which was opposed by Indigenous groups and threatened vital salmon breeding grounds. The proposal had been dropped under the Obama administration but was revived by the Trump administration. 
• Drivers of small trucks have used devices to trick inspectors into finding lower pollution levels than the trucks actually produce.
• A Solway plant in West Deptford, New Jersey, leaked high levels of contaminants like PFAS.
• Off-road vehicles continue to destroy Pine Barrens wetlands because of the lack of a comprehensive management plan.
  

Loose Feathers #776

Ferruginous Hawk / Photo: Tom Koerner/USFWS

Birds and birding news

• Seasonal migrations of White-breasted Nuthatches are disguised by their status as common residents in many areas, but migration watches are starting to document their irruptions. 
• The roosts of a Barred Owl in Central Park have been highly publicized, which raises familiar questions about birding ethics.
  
• Here is a profile of Roxie Laybourne, the Smithsonian's forensic ornithologist.
• Scientists documented the deliberate killing or mutilation of seabirds that become entangled with fishing lines in waters off the coast of South America.
• A study of shorebirds in Spain shows how much dogs can disturb nesting.
  
• The availability of prey, particularly insects, determines how diverse urban bird populations will be.
• A zoologist writes about his experience studying pardalotes, a bird native to Australia.
• A dehydrated Northern Saw-whet Owl was found inside the tree for Rockefeller Center and taken to the Ravensbeard Wildlife Center for care and release. It will be released near the clinic in Saugerties.
  
• Bolivia has approved a private preserve to protect the endangered Blue-throated Macaw.
  

Science and nature blogging

• Feathered Photography: American Goldfinch – ‘Common’ Species Deserve More Respect
• Avian Hybrids: How many ancestral species gave rise to the domestic chicken breeds? 
• Princeton Hydro Blog: After 100 Years, Fish Passage is Restored at Critical Migratory Fish Spawning Grounds in NJ
• Chicago Ornithological Society: Dan's Feathursday Feature: Sanderling 
• Backyard and Beyond: Catharus guttatus
• Animal Ecology In Focus: A Migratory Bird’s Journey from the Andes of Colombia to North America: leave early and take it easy or leave late and migrate fast?
  

Biodiversity and climate change

• A new report catalogues the types of plastic that harm marine animals, which are also threatened by climate change and other factors.
• The USGS and state biologists mapped mammal migrations across the West.
• When milkweed is scarce, Monarch caterpillars get aggressive with each other.
  

Climate change and biodiversity

• The Department of Homeland Security and Army Corps of Engineers are pushing ahead with border wall construction even though Biden has promised to stop construction when he takes office. While Biden can stop further construction, the wall has already done long-term ecological damage. Those links focus mainly on Arizona; this one documents the environmental situation along the Texas border.
  
• Burning fossil fuels contributed to the Permian-Triassic mass extinction when volcanic activity in what is now Siberia ignited oil and coal deposits. 
• Greenhouse gas emissions in the US are going to drop 9.2% this year, to roughly the level from 1983. The reduction is linked to lower economic activity due to COVID-19.
  
• The Trump administration is rushing to lease as much of Arctic NWR as possible before Biden takes office in January.
  
• Trump's golf course in Bedminster is draining 63 million gallons of water from the Raritan Basin per year and paying less for it than normal customers. (Wasting water like this is not just a Trump problem; it is feature of golf courses and other manicured lawns.)
• A new agreement cleared the path for removal of four dams along the Klamath River that block fish migration.
• Hurricane Iota was the tenth named storm to show rapid intensification this year and was the second major hurricane this November. Both numbers are anomalous.
• Maryland is studying the potential for removing sediment trapped by the Conowingo Dam, which is known among birders for its concentration of Bald Eagles in winter.
  

Loose Feathers #775

Red-breasted Nuthatch / Photo by Peter Pearsall/USFWS

Birds and birding news

• Ecologists are noticing hidden bird declines even in relatively undisturbed forests. 
• The decline of Common Loons had been somewhat hidden because it affected unpaired loons (or "floaters") more than breeding pairs.
  
• Light pollution causes birds to nest earlier than they would otherwise, when sufficient food might not be available. Urban birds also become less sensitive to noise than ones in forest habitats. 
• A new study links how and when birds molt to their migration patterns.
  
• Australians can use the Big City Birds app to report sightings of five bird species that are the focus of an urban bird study.
• The outlook for the Orange-bellied Parrot has improved significantly thanks to a captive-breeding program.
• California Condors will soon return to the Pacific Northwest, thanks to work by the Yurok Tribe.
• The small Salineño Wildlife Preserve in Texas has been sold for border wall construction. Update: The Valley Land Fund withdrew from the sale agreement after public outcry.
  

Science and nature blogging

• In Defense of Plants: Arctic Vegetation is Growing Taller & Why That Matters
  
• 10,000 Birds: The Cutting Edge II: Hummingbird Feeders
• Avian Hybrids: Building bowers and phylogenies: Genomic study reconstructs the complex evolution of bowerbirds
  
• Feathered Photography: Dark Morph Swainson’s Hawk Eating A Snake 
• Natural Newstead: Kingfisher special
• The Rattling Crow: Herring Gull pair long call duetting
• The Speckled Hatchback: Post #186 - Rusty Blackbird Spotlight
• Cape Sable Birding: A Good Run of Birds
• Backyard and Beyond: Autumn Meadowhawk 
• Birds Korea Blog: Korea’s First Buff-throated Warbler Phylloscopus subaffinis. Notes on Discovery and Identification.
• On The Wing Photography: How An American Oystercatcher Ruined A New Pair Of Pants 
  

Biodiversity and conservation

• The decline of insect populations puts insectivores — birds, bats, and other insects — into competition with each other for found.
  
• Rising temperatures could endanger some damselflies, which like other insects are exothermic.
• While native mason bee species are declining, introduced species have remained stable or even expanded their population.
• Decades of tracking data show how climate change has affected the migrations of Arctic animals like Caribou and Golden Eagles.
• There is continuing evidence of global insect declines, driven by systemic causes like habitat loss and climate change. The link reviews studies published and interviews conducted in the past year.
• Conservationists are working on a plan to protect wild American Ginseng in Appalachia through forest farming instead of the unsustainable harvest of wild plants.
  

Climate change and environmental politics

• Climate scientists have some advice for the incoming Biden administration. Here are some other suggestions for what the incoming Biden administration should do about climate change. Here is a look at how the incoming Biden administration might affect birds and wildlife. Of course, substantive action is dependent on getting legislation through Congress, which seems unlikely.
• It will take a lot of work to undo the damage to the environment done by the Trump administration. The New York Times has counted 104 rollbacks of environmental protections under Trump.
• Overall the election was a mixed bag for progress on environmental issues.
  
• Earlier this week, Theta became the 29th named storm in the 2020 hurricane season and set a new record for named storms. Twelve of those storms hit the U.S., which is also a record.
  
• Hurricanes are staying stronger after landfall because of warmer ocean temperatures, which means inland cities face more potential for damage. Here are five other ways that climate change is making hurricanes worse.
• NOAA will allow the Navy to kill up to 51 Southern Resident Orcas per year during military exercises off the coast of Washington.
• Groundwater pumping is drying up Arizona's rivers. A similar dynamic is at work in the Ogallala-High Plains Aquifer, which farmers are draining faster than it can be recharged.
• One of the problems with free-trade agreements is that they undermine labor and environmental regulations. In this case, the US plastic industry is using CUSMA to threaten legal action against Canada for banning some single-use plastics.
  

Loose Feathers #774

Golden-crowned Kinglet / my photo

Birds and birding news

• A new study proposes splitting the Gentoo Penguin into four species based on DNA and size.
• In the spring of 2021, there will be Spring Global Shorebird Counts in addition to the usual ones in the fall. The spring event will be May 7-9, to coincide with World Migratory Bird Day.
  
• A study using geolocators found that Eurasian Blackcaps migrate to different wintering grounds depending on where they breed. A small number migrate north and spend the winter in England.
• Restoration of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers to the Piney Grove Preserve in Virginia has succeeded to such an extent that woodpeckers from that site are being used to supplement populations elsewhere.
  
• Stronger immune systems do not affect reproduction in Purple-crowned Fairy-wrens.
  

Science and nature blogging

• The Meadowlands Nature Blog: Don Torino’s Life in the Meadowlands: Save the Rusty Blackbird
• Pioneer Birding: RI - COMMON CUCKOO!!
• The Freiday Bird Blog: How To Talk About Owls Without Talking About Them 
• Vermont Center for Ecostudies: Field Guide to November 2020
• Avian Hybrids: Following the Forests: How the Variable Antshrike spread around the Amazon
• The Urban Nature Enthusiast: Cedar Waxwing Extravaganza 
• On The Wing Photography: Male Cassin’s Finch Eating a Mountain Mahogany Seed
• Backyard and Beyond: The Cache 
  

Biodiversity and conservation

• Irruptions of winter finches is driven by mast seeding patterns by white spruce and other trees.
  
• Indigenous groups are working to protect rainforest in the Colombian Amazon. Threats include copper mining and cattle ranching.
• A scientist rediscovered the great fox-spider on a British military base.
• CBP is adding wildlife passages to parts of the border wall, but they are too small for most of the mammals that need to migrate.
  

Climate change and environmental politics

• This week was Election Day in the US. While the results are not finalized, as of now it appears that Joe Biden will win, which will at least stop some of the damage being done to the environment. However, how much he can accomplish will be limited if Republicans hold onto their Senate majority, as seems likely.
• Here are some takeaways from the election results. Here is a thread of positive climate news from the election.
  
• Nevada passed an amendment requiring that half of the state's energy come from renewable sources by 2030. Colorado voters approved the reintroduction of gray wolves to the state. Several localities in New Jersey voted in favor of raising taxes for open space preservation.
• On Wednesday, the US officially left the Paris Agreement on climate change. Joe Biden has promised to rejoin it, but taking concrete steps to meet its goals will be harder. Here are some ways that the US could meet its commitments.
  
• Phil Murphy signed New Jersey's single-use plastic bill into law. The ban on plastic and paper bags, styrofoam containers, and plastic straws will go into effect in 2022. The law also overrides municipal bans to create a single standard throughout the state. It will make a small dent in the massive amount of plastic pollution generated by the US.
  
• One piece of damage that will not be undone by a Biden administration is the destruction of the US-Mexican borderlands to build the border wall. Even if construction is stopped, the wall was built through protected areas and did long-term damage to the habitats in them.
• The Trump truck rallies show the link between fossil fuels and a particular sort of identity.
• At least four Supreme Court cases this term will deal with environmental issues.
  

Loose Feathers #773

Ruby-crowned Kinglet / Photo by Peter Pearsall/USFWS

Birds and birding news

• Gentoo and Chinstrap Penguins and threatened by both climate change and krill fishing, and the creation of marine protected areas to restrict krill fishing would benefit penguins.
• Nine insect-eating bird species in the Amazon have declined since the 1980s, probably because of climate change. 
• A study found that 17.4% of material in vulture pellets was synthetic, with the level of plastic debris at 17.3% in Black Vultures and 24.5% in Turkey Vultures.
• More landbirds migrate through the eastern than western US in the fall, mainly because of geography. Eastern birds also migrate farther than their western counterparts.
  
• A new study is looking at how coastal marsh birds respond to tropical cyclones.
  
• In addition to the irruption of Red-breasted Nuthatches, Pine Siskins, and others on the East Coast, there is a separate irruption of birds from the Rocky Mountains onto the Great Plains.
  
• Fossils from Antarctica belonged to a huge extinct seabird, larger than modern albatrosses.
• Northern Saw-whet Owls make different vocalizations in the winter than in the breeding season.
  
• Chickadees are slow to come to feeders if they think predators are nearby.
• Migratory birds that eat plant-based diets follow seasonal changes in vegetation, but there is less of a link for raptors and insect-eating birds.
• Egrets are less likely to mate when exposed to mercury pollution in the Everglades.
  

Science and nature blogging

• On The Wing Photography: I Am Never NOT Looking For Birds
• corvidresearch: Addressing anti-Indigenous behaviors in corvid fandom
• Avian Hybrids: A common species with a complex history: The evolutionary story of the Great Tit 
  
• CT Audubon: Daily Bird: Evening Grosbeak
• Finch Research Network: Irruption Alert: Evening Grosbeaks are moving in largest numbers in 20+ years
• Feathered Photography: Canvasbacks – Is It Love Or Is It War?  
• Association of Field Ornithologists: Fledgling Bachman’s Sparrows in a longleaf pine ecosystem: survival, movements, and habitat selection
  

Biodiversity and conservation

• USFWS is proposing a new rule to remove the Gray Wolf from Endangered Species Act protections. Because of the abbreviated comment period, the rule could be finalized by the end of the year. While the wolf populations has rebounded from its historic lows, it still has not returned to its historic range and faces the threat of unsustainable hunting.
  
• Some spiders can hear by sensing airborne vibrations with their hairs and leg joints.
• The USFWS refused again to list wolverines under the Endangered Species Act.
• Protecting nature, both by preserving habitats and stopping the wildlife trade, could prevent future pandemics that pass from wildlife to humans.
• Wild fruit production is falling in Gabon, which is reducing the food available for large mammals like forest elephants.
• Fin whales sing multiple song types instead of just one as previously thought.
• Remoras can move around on a blue whale's skin without falling off.
• A study in Guam showed the value of endangered trees to the forests where they survive.
  

Climate change and environmental politics

• This year will be one of the hottest on record despite the recent start of a La Niña, which usually moderates global temperatures.
• Tuesday is Election Day in the U.S., and a Democratic victory would give a potential Biden administration the chance to rejoin the Paris Agreement and set new emissions targets.
• Climate change is on the ballot, both indirectly in elections for political offices and directly through ballot questions.
• Political journalists have not caught on to the fact that Biden's climate agenda, which emphasizes a transition to clean energy, is actually popular.
  
• Frozen methane in the Arctic Ocean is melting and starting to be released into the atmosphere. Methane release is a dangerous feedback mechanism that will accelerate global warming.
• Dust storms are becoming more common on the Great Plains and could lead to a new Dust Bowl.
• In anticipation of a loss, the Trump administration is speeding up regulatory changes. This week they opened half of Tongass National Forest to logging by exempting it from the roadless rule. Tongass is one of the world's largest intact temperate rainforests.
• New York's plastic bag ban is going into effect.
• Recent surveys confirm that huge amounts of DDT and its byproducts were dumped off the coast of California in the mid-20th century.
• Staten Island residents are fighting to stop a development that would pave over a wetland that helped protect a neighborhood from flooding during Superstorm Sandy.
• A Canadian fossil fuel company is planning to drill for oil and gas in the Okavango region of Namibia and Botswana, which poses a threat to both wildlife and public health.
• Indigenous activists have been protesting border wall construction, which destroys important natural and cultural sites and divides families on opposite sides of the border.
• A bill would protect an ancient underwater forest off the coast of Alabama; the remains of the forest date to the last Ice Age when sea levels were 400 feet lower.
  

Loose Feathers #772

Western Meadowlark / Photo by Tom Koerner/USFWS

Birds and birding news

• A study spurred by deaths at a solar energy plant found that the Yuma Ridgway's Rail migrates even though it was thought to be sedentary. It spends the winter in coastal saltmarshes, unlike its freshwater breeding habitat.
• A study using eBird data showed that protected areas provide important habitat for rare or threatened species.
  
• Here are eight things to know about Tawny Frogmouths, a well-camouflaged Australian species.
• Corvids that nest in close proximity and raise young cooperatively are more likely to show generosity to other birds.
• Scientists recaptured five Hawaiian Crows ('Alala) that had been released since the wild population was doing poorly.
  

Science and nature blogging

• Avian Hybrids: A common species with a complex history: The evolutionary story of the Great Tit
  
• Outside My Window: They Eat Poison Ivy
• earthstar: 296/366 A gull’s history
• Endangered New Jersey: No Mountain Lions in New Jersey. So Far
• Costa Rica Living and Birding: Sunday Merlin Surprise 
  

Biodiversity and conservation

• Bowfishing is largely unregulated and may be unsustainable for long-lived native fish species.
• Scientists in New Zealand sequenced the genomes for three yellowjackets in the genus Vespula.
• The beetle Phloeodes diabolicus can withstand heavy pressure because its wings can shed layers without breaking.
• Slow lorises are among the few venomous mammals, and they use their venom for fighting each other.
• Rope bridges may help Hainan Gibbons to survive in fragmented habitats.
  

Climate change and environmental politics

• Climate change is finally getting the attention it deserves in this presidential campaign, including at debates, which had shunned the topic in previous election cycles.
• Election Day is in a week-and-a-half. Here is a guide to the environmental issues.
  
• What happens with climate change will depend on whether the US, Europe, and China can cooperate on emissions reductions in the near term. 
• Enviromental groups are suing the Department of Homeland Security over the excessive use of tear gas during protests in Portland over the summer. High levels of cyanide and heavy metals have been found in the drainage systems around protest sites.
  
• King tides are becoming an increasing problem along the East Coast because of sea level rise.
  
• Here are some of the animals endangered by Trump administration policies.
  
• The new border wall now blocks the San Pedro River, which had been the only free-flowing river in Arizona. The higher wall increases the risk of flooding in the border region in addition to blocking wildlife migration.
• Fossil fuel infrastructure in the Arctic is threatened by melting permafrost, so oil companies are looking for ways to cool the ground around their equipment.
• The Trump administration is weakening air pollution regulations even though air pollution makes COVID-19 infections worse.
• Deregulation is facilitated by staffing the EPA with industry lobbyists.
  
• New Jersey's DEP is creating a plan for remediating and opening the interior of Liberty State Park with community input.
• NJ Transit is giving up on building a natural gas power plant in the Meadowlands to power its new microgrid. The agency will look for clean alternatives instead.
• Plastic pollution in the ocean interrupts the oxygen cycle.
• Oil spilled in Delaware Bay is washing up on nearby beaches. The source is currently unknown.
  

Loose Feathers #771

Northern Harrier / Photo: Tom Koerner/USFWS

Birds and birding news

• A Bar-tailed Godwit flew 7,500 miles from Alaska to New Zealand in 11 days in a non-stop flight. 
• Avian botulism killed 40,000 birds in the past month at Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge, a migratory staging area where the wetlands are currently too dry to accommodate so many birds.
  
• Birds with large eyes suffer more from light pollution because their vision is adapted to dark forest interiors.
• Light pollution also causes many migrating birds to crash into buildings in cities like Chicago, which is amending its building codes to reduce bird collisions. Possible solutions include turning off unnecessary lights and altering glass to make it more visible to birds.
  
• Here is a guide to helping injured birds.
• An ecologist writes about the experience of recording dead and stunned birds around university buildings.
  
• Cassia Crossbills have one of the smallest ranges among North American birds, and at least a third of their habitat was burned by wildfire this year. This could cause a crash in the crossbill population.
  
• The Center for Biological Diversity is suing the Fish and Wildlife Service to designate critical habitat and create a recovery plan for the threatened 'I'iwi.
  
• Amy Cooper apparently made two false 911 calls about Christian Cooper in the Central Park bias incident.
  
• A Western Screech-Owl landed briefly in a helicopter fighting wildfires.
• Genetic analysis showed that a Bearded Vulture that spent the summer in the UK hatched in the French Alps last year.
• This is somewhat old news, but the Fish and Wildlife Service now requires duck stamps to show hunting imagery.
• High water levels and a lack of volunteers made protecting Piping Plovers in the Great Lakes region more difficult this year.
• Neotropical suboscine songbirds are drab-looking but have distinctive feeding specializations.
  

Science and nature blogging

• 10,000 Birds: The ABA Area and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
  
• Feathered Photography: Bushtit Nest Design And Construction
• Backyard and Beyond: Long-distance Flier
• Urban Hawks: Marsh Wren 
• Finch Research Network: Irruption Alert: Remarkable Finch Records in the American South
• iNaturalist's Blog: We passed 300,000 species observed on iNaturalist!! 
• On The Wing Photography: Barbed Wire Death Trap – Western Meadowlark
  

Biodiversity and conservation

• Climate change is turning Central Asian steppes into desert, and there was a similar change 34 million years ago.
• The smalltail shark population has dropped by 90% since the 1980s, going from being one of the most common shark species in Brazil to being critically endangered. Their decline has been driven by overfishing, in which many young sharks end up as bycatch.
• Governments are not protecting enough land and ocean to stop the biodiversity crisis. The Convention on Biological Diversity recommends protecting 17% of land area and 10% of the oceans.
• A North Atlantic Right Whale, a critically endangered species, was tangled in fishing gear off the New Jersey coast. Abandoned fishing gear is one of the biggest contributors to plastic in the ocean.
  

Climate change and environmental politics

• The Earth just had its hottest September on record, and 2020 has the potential to break or tie the record for hottest year set in 2016. This extraordinary heat comes in spite of La Niña, which usually produces cooler ocean temperatures around the tropics. In addition, Arctic sea ice reached its second-lowest extent this September.
  
• Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett refused to answer questions on climate change (or even acknowledge that it is real) on the grounds that it is too controversial.
• Despite bragging about cleaning up Superfund sites, the Trump administration has cut funding for the program and reversed climate change policies.
• Sudden intensification of hurricanes shortly before landfall has been linked to ocean heat waves.
• Some Republicans are realizing that they need to do something (or at least look like they are doing something) about climate change. It remains to be seen if this realization will lead to concrete action.
• The Border Patrol tear gassed Native American protests on Indigenous Peoples Day as they protested militarization of the border, which divides the homelands of several tribes.