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.