Greater Sage-Grouse / Photo by Thomas Barnes (USFWS)
Bird and birding news
- The wind and fossil fuel energy industries expect more restrictions if the Greater Sage-Grouse is listed under the Endangered Species Act. A decision on the species is due by the end of February.
- In related news, BLM issued new guidelines for energy development within the Greater Sage-Grouse's range.
- Medium ground finches on the Galapagos Islands have developed defenses against two invasive parasites, a pox virus and a nest fly. The Galapagos is unusual in that none of its native birds has gone extinct since humans arrived.
- Audubon has a profile of Rosalie Edge, the found of the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary based on a forthcoming book. The author writes that Edge has languished in obscurity until now, but there was actually a profile of her in Weidensaul's Of a Feather.
- Speaking of Hawk Mountain, this fall its hawk watch recorded 15,559 raptors. The count broke records with 68 Peregrine Falcons and 212 Bald Eagles.
- The New York State Ornithological Association put past editions of The Kingbird, its quarterly journal, online in a searchable archive.
- Relocation of burrowing owls for a housing development in California is going ahead over the objections of local conservationists.
- Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research (in Newark, DE) is looking for donations to help treat a group of Brown Pelicans that were found suffering from frostbite in southern Maryland.
- The Post-Crescent has an account of watching Short-eared Owls at dusk.
- A Northern Wheatear showed up in Texas this month.
- Birders on Christmas Bird Counts made greater use of real-time communication technology this year.
- Northern Ireland suspended its waterfowl hunting season due to a severe bout of cold weather.
- Earbirding: Pacific Wren's a Done Deal
- The Hawk Owl's Nest: Would You Count It? A CBC Conundrum
- Tails of Birding: Champions of the Christmas Bird Count
- Outside My Window: Anatomy: Wing Coverts
- Binoculars Blog: Birding Snobs
- Hawkwatch at the Franklin Institute: They're back!
- Bird Canada: Bird (?) Watching
- The EPA announced new smog rules that limit ground level ozone to 60-70 parts per billion. During the Bush administration, the standard was set at 75 parts per billion. According to an EPA estimate, the lower standard could save several thousand lives per year.
- Here is a review of Obama's environmental policy accomplishments and shortcomings in his first year in office.
- A recent study shows that beach grooming reduces the availability of natural vegetated habitat.
- Fossil tracks show that tetrapods invaded land 18 million years earlier than previously known.
- A new study attempts a comprehensive evaluation of the effects of mountaintop removal mining and finds that it is as bad as one would imagine. The report came in the same week that the EPA dropped its objections to a mine of this type in West Virginia.
- Secretary Salazar announced that the administration would abandon the "drill anywhere" policy followed by the previous administration. What the new policy will be is unclear.
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