Taking a holiday break

To retool a bit. From now on, this blog is going to focus on the passion I have of the month, and that alone. So next up, raptors. I'll see you in a week or so. Think of raptors in the Kent Valley or eagles down at PLU.

See you then. Barbara

Endangered Sparrows?

Really? I had to read this twice to believe it. Apparently, sparrows are dying out in England, because everyone is paving over their front yards, and therefore reducing the insect population the birds need to feed they young, which often starve to death. Here is a video, and here is the link to the story.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7739102.stm

Changes in the smallest organisms mean big changes for the big ones

Came across this on my yahoo account feed. Apparently fresh water is traveling through the artic to the atlantic ocean for the first time in 800,000 years. And it means big changes for the phytoplankton, which of course, means big changes further up the food change for both oceans.

Such as our orcas starving to death, because they can't get enough salmon.

Marbled Godwits at Willipa Bay

This just in from the Seattle Times if you wish to go bird watching. Sounds fun!

Photo for Jeff Larsen.

Biodiversity abounds

Despite our best effort to stamp it out in the oceans. Take a look at this newest marine census!

Love the Boston Legal about the salmon

I was going to post a rather grim report about farm salmon in Canada nuking all the wild stock up there, but how about this instead? If you haven't already, watch the recap of Boston Legal from this week about the election, fish, sex and mad cow. It's great.

There's a wonderful exchange between Denny and Allan regarding why Denny is voting for McCain.

Allan presses Denny, so Denny finally deadpans that it's to save the wild salmon stocks in Canada.

Huh?

"Yes, you see if McCain wins, many Americans, smart Americans will move to Canada, and they'll figure out how to save the wild salmon."

Obv., McCain didn't win, so the Canadians are going to have to figure out how to save their own fish.

Spotted owls still struggling to hang on

Not that I've seen either here, in Kent Wa. Maybe a great horned owl or screech owl, but no barred. However, it seems that the spotted owl, according to this article, isn't losing ground due to loggers, but the naturally agressive competitors for space, the barred owl.

On a related note, squirrels. I often see the Western gray squirrels dumpster diving at PLU. But yesterday, I had to doublecheck, a red squirrel, the less agressive cousin, ran across the parking lot.

Prepping for winter. Be kind to the animals

I'm writing this and staring at a bag of birdseed, sitting at my feet. The feeders are empty and I feel a twinge of guilt. So, tomorrow, before I head off to PLU, the feeders will get filled.

Here is a great blog and a great post on how to be kind to the critters in our back yard during the winter, which here, seemed to start this weekend with blasting rainstorms that knocked all the leaves off the trees.