Blog Carnivals!

Charlie Moores has collated all the responses to Mike's question about why we still bother blogging. You can find them gathered into the third anniversary edition of I and the Bird. There are some interesting answers and a lot of good blogs represented there.

Meanwhile, Greg Laden presents an LOL edition of the Tangled Bank.

Coal vs. Wind in Appalachia

Via Alternet, I learned about a grassroots movement fighting proposed coal mining permits in the area of Coal River Mountain in West Virginia. The proposed permits are for surface mining (a.k.a. mountaintop removal mining) that would destroy 6,600 acres of mountain forest and replace it with a barren, rocky valley. Headwaters of several local streams would be filled with rubble from the mountain, some of which contains toxic substances that would pollute the mountain streams and any water downstream. This form of mining contributes to the declines of mountain-nesting bird species such as cerulean warblers, in addition to the more obvious damage.

Some residents have proposed building wind energy projects along Coal River Mountain's ridges instead. The website does not make clear how many turbines would be involved, or how many acres it would cover. However, it claims that their proposal would generate about 400MW per year indefinitely, as opposed to the 15 years of energy produced by a coal mine. ILoveMountains contrasts the opposing visions for the region (and Coal River Mountain Watch gives striking visual examples of just how destructive surface mining is).

One thing not discussed on either website is how a ridge-top wind farm would impact wildlife in the region. There tends to be an assumption that wildlife will benefit from wind energy, but that is not necessarily the case. A lot depends on siting, construction, and local migration patterns. How those factors interact would all need to be accounted as part of an environmental assessment and mitigation process. (Of course, I am left wondering why they do not seem to be a element of the coal mine permitting process; if coal were held to the same standards as wind, very few mines would be dug, if any.)

Despite wind energy's potential problems, it seems like it would cause less long-term environmental damage than demolishing the mountain. In this particular case I think it offers advantages. What do you think?

Firefly Watch

This summer, there is a new citizen science project: Firefly Watch. Like other projects, Firefly Watch invites participants to create a user account and enter sightings. However, the protocol for this one is more rigorous, and includes questions about blink patterns and habitat. The reason is that one goal of the project is to assess how pesticides and light pollution affect these interesting insects. (Read more about fireflies and environmental factors on the website.)

I did my first set of observations last night and saw no fireflies. It was probably a result of doing the survey too early in the evening. Oddly enough, the first firefly I noted this summer was inside the bathroom.

[link to Firefly Watch via Nuthatch and Bug_Girl]

Speaking of citizen science projects, eBird has suggested some ways to make summer birding more interesting.

Fossil Feather Colors

A group of scientists claim that they have found a way to determine the colors of fossilized feathers. The feathers used in the study are from a 100 million year-old specimen found in Brazil. The fossil itself (see right) shows dark and light contrasting bands.

Microscopic analysis of the dark bands showed they displayed a distinctive granular texture, made from thousands of tiny, densely-packed flattened spheres.

Researchers had previously interpreted these as fossilised bacteria, preserved as the feathers decomposed.

But analysis of modern birds' feathers showed a similar structure.

"There are particular cells that cluster into the dark areas of modern birds called melanosomes," explained Dr Benton.

"Somehow [the melanosomes] are retained and replaced during the preservation process and hence you preserve a very life like representation of the colour banding [in the fossils]."

Lighter areas in the fossils did not show the same textures, leading the team to conclude that the feathers once displayed distinct black and white stripes.

Apparently other colors in modern birds also have distinctive patterns when viewed under a microscope. If so, potentially palaeontologists could reconstruct more intricate feather patterns than just black and white (or dark and light). The methods should also work with materials other than feathers, such as fur.

Still Bird Blogging

Mike Bergin asks: "Why are you still bird blogging?"

Now some readers might wonder whether I am still bird blogging. In recent weeks, posting topics have included public transportation, Daily Show videos, Supreme Court decisions, Bush administration follies, the border wall, a pink millipede, climate change, federal legislation, and Hummers. If you look back further into the archives, you can find many more non-bird topics, or at least posts that do not explicitly feature birds or birding.

Contrary to rumor, I am still blogging about birds, even if the focus of my bird blogging has changed. While I originally intended this blog was to focus on birding trip reports, lately my focus has shifted more to bird and environmental news. So why do I still blog about birds after three years?

Here are a few reasons:

1. Birds are endlessly fascinating creatures.
   
2. I still watch birds and go birding whenever I can.
3. I still see life birds from time to time.
   
4. Birds are relevant to human health.
5. Birds are affected by ongoing environmental problems.
6. I am still involved in bird surveys.
7. There is a steady stream of research about birds.
8. Rare birds still need help and protection.
   

I could probably think of more, but those ought to suffice to answer the question. All of those things give me plenty of writing material and plenty of reason to keep writing about it. Plus, the knowledge that there are regular readers who are interested in what I have to write keeps me posting even through the most prolonged bouts of writer's block.