Orinoco Goose. Salmon Saved. Pigeon Guillemots. Merlins. BirdNote: Goldfinches and the Gigantoraptor. WWII Declared.

 

For “Winged Wednesday”:

Orinoco Goose

“Highly social Orinoco Geese can often be seen in pairs or family groups, with the male distinguishable only by his larger size.

Although technically shelducks (mid-sized waterfowl), they are named "goose" because of their heavy flight style. Orinoco Geese often take a flying hop to perch in tree branches, but beyond resting and nesting in tree cavities, the species is terrestrial in its habits. Most feeding is done in daytime in open areas near water, but this "goose" migrates almost exclusively during twilight or at night.

The Orinoco Goose is declining across much of its range due to hunting and habitat loss, but conservation measures are ongoing in a number of protected areas. One stronghold for the goose occurs in Beni, Bolivia, in an extensive, sparsely inhabited area of lakes, marshland, and seasonally flooded savannas.

Here, ABC’s partner Asociación Armonía protects habitat and has erected artificial nest boxes for the Orinoco Goose at the Barba Azul (Blue-throated Macaw) Reserve. Recent research by Lisa Davenport and colleagues has shown that although some of the Beni's Orinoco Geese are resident breeders, others breed in Peru's Manu National Park and fly long distances to stay in this part of Bolivia outside the breeding season.”

Watch footage of the Orinoco Goose on YouTube.

Help ABC conserve this and other birds and their habitats!

Photo: Dan Lebbin; Range Map by NatureServe

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A Victory for our water-winged friends:

Let The River Flow - Judge Grants Salmon a Chance To Live

“Corporate giants lose court battle over Klamath/Trinity rivers water.  There are few victories sweeter and more dramatic than the one just wrested by Earthjustice attorney Jan Hasselman and his tribal allies in a Fresno, California courtroom last week. They did nothing less than save an entire run of chinook salmon from a corporate grab of the water needed by those fish to survive their spawning run up the Klamath/Trinity rivers system.

Chinook—or king—salmon are crucial to the ecosystem. (Dec Hogan / Shutterstock)

The drama—and believe me, it was a mix of theater, unexpected turnarounds, and life-or-death arguments—climaxed late yesterday when a judge agreed that these salmon need the water more than the mega-farms which wanted it as a hedge against next year's bottom line.

Dozens of Native America tribal members demonstrated outside the courtroom as U.S. District Court Judge Lawrence O'Neill heard the warning of what happened 12 years ago during a drought year like this on that same river system. That year, a water grab authorized by the Bush administration left as many as 70,000 salmon dead in the rivers, with the next generation rotting in their bellies.

Years later, those rivers were empty of salmon, as were the larders of tribes along the river, and the future of the commercial/recreational fishing industry that depends on healthy salmon runs. The collapse of the fishery was so severe that California and Oregon declared formal states of emergency, and Congress appropriated $60 million in disaster relief for fishermen.

The spectre of the 2002 disaster and scientific testimony that showed it could happen again this year convinced Judge O'Neill to let the Trinity River flow into its natural bed, rather than allow its diversion hundreds of miles south to Central Valley mega-farms.

Salmon are expected to begin their run to spawn within days. (Dec Hogan / Shutterstock)

But here's the real bottom line...Hasselman et al prevailed, and because of that, in the next few weeks one of the biggest chinook salmon runs on record will race up the re-invigorated Trinity/Klamath rivers with a much-better chance of giving life to the next generation.  So stay tuned as we follow the fish home.”      More at: http://earthjustice.org/blog/2013-august/let-the-river-flow-judge-grants-salmon-a-chance-to-live   by Terry Winckler

P.S. Read our press release for quotes from the court and our on this great day for Pacific Northwest salmon.”

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A Citizen Scientist With A Special Tattoo!

“Executive producer Chris Peterson visited citizen scientist Govinda Rosling on Whidbey Island for a special show about breeding Pigeon Guillemots. (See Friday's show.) She got some great pictures, including one of a very special bird tattoo!
See for yourself >>”

 

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A Merlin Stoops

“Ever heard of a Merlin eating dragonflies? See a couple incredible series of photos from Gregg Thompson here and here.

A Merlin dives off its perch to hunt emerging dragonflies.
See this incredible image >> “

Learn more about Merlin on BirdNote!

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BirdNote: Goldfinches and the Gigantoraptor

 

 

Upcoming Shows

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MONDAY Why Birds Collide With Buildings Featuring Annette Prince, Director of Chicago Bird Collision Monitors  LISTEN NOW ►

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Least Sandpipers WEDNESDAY Power of the Important Bird Area Designation Featuring Pete Pumphrey of Eastern Sierra Audubon LISTEN NOW ►

European Goldfinch THURSDAY Vivaldi's Goldfinch by Bob Sundstrom  LISTEN NOW ►

Pigeon Guillemots FRIDAY Citizen Scientists Monitor Pigeon Guillemots Featuring Govinda Rosling of the Pigeon Guillemot Research Group LISTEN NOW ►

Arctic Tern SATURDAY Migration - Long, Short, And In-Between by Bob Sundstrom   LISTEN NOW ►

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On This Day:

Britain and France declare war on Germany, Sep 3, 1939:

“On this day in 1939, in response to Hitler's invasion of Poland, Britain and France, both allies of the overrun nation declare war on Germany.

The first casualty of that declaration was not German—but the British ocean liner Athenia, which was sunk by a German U-30 submarine that had assumed the liner was armed and belligerent. There were more than 1,100 passengers on board, 112 of whom lost their lives. Of those, 28 were Americans, but President Roosevelt was unfazed by the tragedy, declaring that no one was to "thoughtlessly or falsely talk of America sending its armies to European fields." The United States would remain neutral.

As for Britain's response, it was initially no more than the dropping of anti-Nazi propaganda leaflets—13 tons of them—over Germany. They would begin bombing German ships on September 4, suffering significant losses. They were also working under orders not to harm German civilians. The German military, of course, had no such restrictions.”

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Yesterday:

Jay had said that he would mow, but when I spoke to him on the phone, I knew I didn’t want him here, so Misty and I had our walk around here.

Walking is a little painful right now as when I put my back out a few days ago, it has made my left knee hurt.  As it was a holiday, I couldn’t get through to the glass shop about my broken van window, or the chiropractor, to make appointments. 

Ray come over to paint the area over my front porch steps, so that the new roof can be installed.  This required being on an 8’ step ladder with the back legs on a step, and the front ones on cement blocks.  As this is something that I wouldn’t want him to be doing alone, I stayed with him to help.  We had to move the ladder and blocks many times to get it done. 

When he was doing the lower parts, I was able to rake up some pine needles and get them to the burn pile.  I also raked a bunch of the driveway gravel away from where the next ladder and block set-up would be, so that the ladder will be sturdy.  That is on the corner of the house, but we didn’t get that part done yesterday.