Friday, December 11, 2015

Loose Feathers #523

Painted Bunting at Prospect Park (photo by me)
Birds and birding news
  • This week I went to see the Painted Bunting that has lingered in the southeastern corner of Prospect Park since it was found on November 29. (One of my photos is above.) Here is a roundup of reactions and media coverage (as of a few days ago). There is a chance that the bunting will stay for a while since it has plenty to eat in the native plantings around the ice center and the early part of the winter is expected to stay mild.
  • All the same, there are other birds worth watching in the New York metro area.
  • Blackpoll Warblers that breed in northwestern North America have to migrate eastward across the continent in addition to their better-known ocean crossing.
  • Scientists were able to locate a rare Ashy Storm-Petrel nest through analysis of audio recordings
  • Spotted Owls continue to decline wherever they come into contact with Barred Owls.
  • The Bald Eagle population in Wisconsin reached a new high in the latest state surveys.
  • An injured Bald Eagle was rescued from a backyard in New Jersey after three days of trying to coax it out of a tree.
Science and nature blogging
Environment and biodiversity
  • Endangered species decisions are often shaped more by politics than science, as in the recent decision not to list wolverines as endangered.
  • Something to remember when reading coverage of the climate talks in Paris is that the world is already committed to warming at least 1.5°C because of past and current emissions.
  • WNYC has a tool for looking up toxic sites in New Jersey. The information in it is a little sparse.