Today, bowhead whales still transit the fringes of Arctic waters. Polar bears hunt blubbery ringed seals from rafts of ice. And ivory gulls ride gale force winds, plucking juvenile polar cod from the roiling sea. But for how much longer? Despite more than a century of scientific observation, the Central Arctic Ocean remains one of […]
Tag: Snow Geese
Arctic ice loss forces polar bears to use four times as much energy to survive – study
Polar bears and narwhals are using up to four times as much energy to survive because of major ice loss in the Arctic, according to scientists. Once perfectly evolved for polar life, apex predators are struggling as their habitats shrink and unique adaptations become less suited to an increasingly ice-free Arctic, researchers say. The mammals […]
Seismic Oil and Gas Exploration Will Scar the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
WASHINGTON – “The Arctic Refuge still carries scars from seismic testing conducted in a limited area more than 30 years ago,” said Natalie Dawson, executive director at Audubon Alaska. “This poses a serious threat to polar bears and other important species during their most vulnerable time of year in the Refuge.” Today, the Bureau of […]
Lapland comes to Scotney
First stop this morning was an easy Red-necked Grebe at Camber although with temperatures of minus six as we arrived the small lake was frozen forcing the Grebe to the far side. Next stop was Scotney where we failed to find the wintering Black-necked Grebe and with the Geese not present we decided to walk […]
When DNA let’s you down.
So we’ve given the Stejneger’s Stonechat at Dungeness three goes. We got a a good soaking got blown away by the wind and then today walked around in freezing conditions. The good news was that today we finally found the bird and enjoyed good views of this very GREY individual. The bird has been the […]
POLL: Should the Alaska Refuge be opened up for drilling?
When Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge was established in the 1960s, the U.S. government had several goals in mind—chief among them protecting the region’s unique wildlife and wilderness. But the region has one extremely contentious asset that has sparked controversy for decades—nearly 10.3 billion barrels of petroleum under the ground. Now, Congress is proposing legislation […]
At least 3,000 geese killed by toxic water from Montana copper mine
At least 3,000 geese were killed by a toxic stew formed by a former copper mine in Butte, Montana, last fall, raising questions about how the new Trump administration will handle the largest Superfund site in the country. In November, a large flock of geese making a late migration over Montana was blown off course […]
Thousands of snow geese die in Montana after landing on contaminated water
Several thousand snow geese have died after a snowstorm forced large flocks to take refuge in the acidic, metal-laden waters of an old open pit mine in Montana. Mark Thompson, environmental affairs manager for mine company Montana Resources, said witnesses described the pit as like “700 acres of white birds” on 28 November. Along with […]