Whether they are the hunter or the hunted, a bird’s camouflage is vital to survival. For raptors and other predators, blending in is key to surprising their prey. Meanwhile, for birds that don’t want to become someone else’s meal, the less conspicious you are, the better. Camouflage is also important for many nesting birds, who […]
Tag: Piping Plover
With Monitoring Limited, Someone Drove Through a Snowy Plover Nesting Site
While surveying for new Snowy Plover nests on a California beach in late March, Cynthia Hartley was horrified to discover fresh tire tracks and shredded sand inside of a fenced-off nesting area. It was immediately clear to her what happened: Someone drove an ATV into the off-limits dunes for a joy ride. Amid the crisscrossed […]
Tropical Storm Hermine At Bunche Beach: Pt. I
The weather has seemed downright weird to me this rainy season in southwest Florida which is not to imply that it has been any less than uncomfortably humid. The rainy season has not been anywhere near as predictable as it is supposed to be in Florida. And for the first time in nearly 11 years […]
Why the Line 5 Oil Pipeline Threatens the Great Lakes
An aging oil pipeline moves 23 million gallons of oil and natural gas liquids per day along the bottomlands of the Straits of Mackinac, where Lake Michigan and Lake Huron crash into each other in the heart of the Great Lakes. This pipeline – Line 5, built in 1953 – is operated by the same company […]
Piping Plovers Here and There
In June 2013 during my Conservation Big Year, when I still needed to see an endangered Roseate Tern, I learned that I had a good chance of seeing one or more feeding at Popham Beach State Park in Maine. Sure enough, I saw one there—the only Roseate Tern I saw all year—but that listing conquest […]
Is It Spring Yet?
I realize the east coast of the US is reeling from the latest of many severe winter storms this winter. But here in SW Colorado spring is in the air. It has been unseasonably warm with snow pack far below normal. The ski resorts are hurting and exceptionally dry conditions may cause issues later this […]
Federally Protected Birds at Risk from Expansion of Wind Development Near Lake Michigan
(Washington, D.C., September 3, 2014) Two bird species federally listed as endangered, the Piping Plover and Kirtland’s Warbler, as well as many other federally protected birds are at risk from the proposed expansion of Heritage Sustainable Energy’s (HSE) Garden Peninsula Wind Energy Project near Lake Michigan, according to American Bird Conservancy (ABC). The warning from […]
Poll: Vote for Your Favorite Species to Help Celebrate World Shorebird Day! (Photos)
This Saturday marks the first World Shorebird Day, a day to celebrate these beautiful birds and raise awareness for their conservation. Shorebirds nest and migrate along beaches and grasslands, and are known to have some of the most impressive migrations in the animal kingdom. They’re an incredibly diverse group of birds, consisting of plovers, oystercatchers, […]
