Extremely Rare Fiji Petrel Spotted: Needs Protection

A sea-going bird that is has been seen about a dozen times in the past 150 years was seen recently signaling the need for protective action.

News.com.au

"Known for its elusiveness, it was first identified on Fiji's Gau island by British surveyors in 1855 and was not seen again for 130 years.Since 1984 there have been a handful of reports of petrels injured after crashing into village roofs on Gau but never have the birds been seen at sea until now."Finding this bird and capturing such images was a fantastic and exhilarating experience," Hadoram Shirihai, who led the two-week search by the British Ornithologists' Club, said. A paper published this week is the first ever to detail how the species behaves, with the team hoping it could hold the key to the bird's survival. 'The present evidence is that very few Fiji petrels survive and that immediate efforts to find the nest sites are needed,' expedition member Tony Pym said." See full article.

Twenty "Strange" Endangered Species That Need More Attention

Global warming is such a broad threat to the survival of wildlife that it helps to keep a broader view of what species need to be safeguarded. Here is a website that lists some fascinating creatures from around the world that are generally not getting high profile attention in the media.

The WebEcoist reports:

"The ugly redheaded stepchildren of the animal kingdom don’t get much attention compared to the perennial endangered animal favorites like pandas, polar bears, and owls. These are the cute, majestic, and otherwise emblematic creatures of the endangered species list. But there are hundreds more animal species on our wondrous planet that are critically threatened and need both publicity and support. From bats the size of bees to poison-slinging mammals, lizards that don’t eat for a decade to seals with giant inflatable faces, here are the 25 strangest, most bizarre, unusual and important endangered species living on the 'EDGE.'" See full listing.

Avoiding Airliner Bird Strikes Using Warning Lights

Keeping birds away from airliners may be getting some help from a model airplane.

Robert Benincasa at NPR reports:

"When US Airways Flight 1549 made an emergency landing in the Hudson River in January after hitting geese, it turned the spotlight on so-called bird strikes — a longstanding problem of aircraft colliding with birds in flight. Airports try a lot of tricks to keep birds away, but now some researchers are shining light on a possible solution. At Plum Brook Station, a 6,000-acre, high-security government campus near Sandusky, Ohio, scientists are literally flying a plane at groups of geese and watching how they react. It's a radio-controlled model plane — a 9-foot wingspan aircraft that looks like a miniature Cessna. The plane has white, pulsating LED lights mounted on the front, to test the idea that aircraft lighting can signal birds to get out of the way of an approaching plane." See full article.

Rare Swift Foxes Being Returned to Montana"s Fort Peck Reservation

In September, swift foxes will be returned to the Assiniboine and Sioux Fort Peck Reservation in Montana after a long absence.

The Missoulian reports:

"Declared extinct in Montana in 1969, the swift fox is already back on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation by way of an unusual reintroduction effort funded by the tribe and a private conservation group. Now the fox is bound for the Fort Peck Reservation as well. The smallest of the canids, swift foxes are no bigger than a house cat." (Photo: Defenders of Wildlife)

See full article.

Woodstorks Make Rare Appearance In Arkansas

Wood stork populations have been increasing in Florida and other gulf states but they also seem to be moving up to Arkansas these days.

Joe Mosby at the Cabin.net reports:

"The main levees along the Mississippi River and along the lower Arkansas take adventurers into areas off the beaten path, yet the exploring can be done in relative comfort – in your vehicle. For fans of levee drives, August is special because it brings some unusual visiting birds. Wood storks and roseate spoonbills are just two of the species that sometimes can be found. But there are no guarantees to seeing them." See full article.

Bird Travels 8,000 Miles -- One Way!

Some birds give new definition to the term "migration."

RedOrbit.com reports:

"A bar-tailed godwit, a bird banded near Victoria, Australia, was found more than 8,000 miles away in the western Arctic area of Alaska, wildlife experts said. While tagged birds are sometimes seen in the region where they were released, it's rare to see them so far from a release site. Wildlife Conservation Society scientists [reported] 'While we know that birds from all over the world come to the Arctic to breed, to see a living example first hand is a powerful reminder of the importance of this region,' said biologist Steve Zack, who spotted the godwit with biologist Joe Liebezeit. The ... godwit, a shorebird, was sighted this year while Zack and Liebezeit were searching for dunlins and semipalmated sandpipers tagged three years ago in nearby Prudhoe Bay, Alaska." See full article.

Help For The Declining Bee Population -- New Plastic Beehive

In the UK they have launched a public program (using uniquely-designed boxes) to encourage homeowners and a gardeners to help raise bees to offset recent declines in their population numbers.

Physorg.com reports:

"There's no reason why our towns and cities should exist as wildlife deserts -- wildlife can thrive when we design our urban areas with nature in mind and the 'beehaus' is a great example of how easy it is for anyone to bring the natural world closer to their doorstep." Its makers Omlet claim that at one metre wide and 0.5 metres high (three feet wide and one foot eight inches high), the 'beehaus' is twice as big as a traditional beehive, giving plenty of room for the colony to grow in comfort. See full article.

Unusual Bald Bird Discovered

A new species of bird has been discovered by scientists in Laos. The bird is Asia's first new species of bulbul, a songbird, in more than 100 years,

Physorg.com reports:

"An odd songbird with a bald head living in a rugged region in Laos has been discovered by scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society and University of Melbourne, as part of a project funded and managed by the mining company MMG (Minerals and Metals Group) that operates the Sepon copper and gold project in the region.

The thrush-sized bird is greenish-olive with a light-colored breast, a distinctive featherless, pink face with bluish skin around the eye extending to the bill and a narrow line of hair-like feathers down the centre of the crown." See full article:

Some Good News For Ocean Fisheries

A new study finds some signs of recovery from overfishing in several areas around the globe.

Physorg.com reports:

Scientists have joined forces in a groundbreaking assessment on the status of marine fisheries and ecosystems. The two-year study, led by Boris Worm of Dalhousie University and Ray Hilborn of the University of Washington and including an international team of 19 co-authors, shows that steps taken to curb overfishing are beginning to succeed in five of the ten large marine ecosystems that they examined. The paper, which appears in the July 31 issue of the journal Science, provides new hope for rebuilding troubled fisheries. See full article.

Diving With Penguins

Some penguins prefer tropical waters. This BBC video shows a diver getting up close and personal with a group of Galapagos penquins. She really didn't expect what developed. Check it out. Photo from: Nothing But Penquins

From Wikepedia:

"The Galapagos Penguin is one of the smallest penguins. It is the only penguin to cross the Northern Hemisphere which means they live farther north than any other warm weather penguin. 90% of the Galapagos Penguins live among the western islands of Fernandina and Isabela" See the video.

Nearly Extinct Frog Is Rediscovered

It is always god news for wildlife lovers to learn that a lost species is not lost at all.

Inland News.com

"For the first time in nearly 50 years, a population of a nearly extinct frog has been rediscovered in the San Bernardino National Forest. Biologists from the U.S. Geological Survey rediscovered the rare mountain yellow-legged frog in the San Jacinto Wilderness near Idyllwild. Researchers had estimated there were about 122 adult mountain yellow-legged frogs in the wild." See full article.

Meet The Giant Coconut Crab

On certain Pacific Islands there is a species of land crab that is quite large. They are slow moving, generally nocturnal and remain hidden during the day to emerge at night in search of food.

Hemmy.net reports:

"The coconut crab is the largest terrestial arthropod in the world and is known for its ability to crack coconuts with its pincers. They can weigh up to 4kg (Some reports claim up to 17kg) and leg span of 1m. It is eaten by the Pacific islanders and is considered a delicacy "

Learn more.

The American Crow Is One Smart Bird

Crows are interesting and smart. How much? Now there is a question.

Blane Klemek, of the Bemidji Pioneer reports:

"An interesting part of crows’ behavior is their sense of community with one another. It’s no mystery to anyone familiar with crows that these birds tend to form large and noisy flocks. But what might not be common knowledge is how cooperative some populations or “family groups” of crows tend to be when it comes to brood-rearing. For instance, research has shown that even though crows become reproductively mature at about 2 years of age, they don’t necessarily form pair-bonds, mate and raise their own offspring immediately. It turns out that some crows will help raise their own siblings, staying within their parents’ territory for five years or longer while assisting with parental duties such as feeding nestlings and acting as sentinels.

While the intelligence of crows is not disputed, it is difficult to study and learn just how intelligent wild crows really are. Reports exist that crows can distinguish between a man carrying a gun and a man carrying a stick. Such an incident is related by the late Ernest Thompson Seton, who, in his popular book “Wild Animals I Have Known,” wrote about “Silverspot, the Story of a Crow.”
In the story, Seton relates how Silverspot would fly above him and vocalize to his flock. To test Silverspot’s intelligence, Seton, during separate times while standing on a bridge that spanned a ravine, stood alone one day, took with him a stick on another day, and stood on the bridge holding a gun on the third day. When he held the gun, Seton wrote, “… at once (Silverspot) cried out, ‘Great danger — a gun.’ ‘ca-ca-ca-ca Caw!’ His lieutenant repeated the cry, and every crow in the troop began to tower and scatter from the rest." See full article.

Vampire Bats Near Amazon Development Are Biting People

When people move into the natural habitat of a wild creature, conflict can arise. We hope the creatures don't get the worst of it.

Brian Nelson at Eco-Worldly reports:

"The problem is most prevalent in Peru, where vampire bats are native and development is increasing at unprecedented levels. The leechlike flying mammals are already common in areas where agricultural development is high, and large colonies of bats thrive near cattle ranches. But despite the fact that rabies can be widespread among bats in these regions, few people are bitten here compared to the rates being seen in newly developed Amazonia. The reason for the difference is probably that vampire bats prefer large, docile mammals like cattle. Where development is destroying the habitat of the animals that the bats prefer, such as in the Amazon, the bats must turn to the next best thing: people." See full article.

Humpback Whale Inspires New Wind Turbine Design

A new design for wind turbine blades was inspired by a whale and a work of art.

T. Goodman at InventorSpot.com reports:

"Frank Fish (yes, it's his real name), whose field just happens to be biomechanics, actually came about his observations of the humpback whale serendipitously when he saw a sculpture of a humpback with what he thought were misplaced tubercles on the whale's flipper. The artist had placed them on the "leading" edge of the flipper, not on the underside of the flipper, where Fish "knew" they should be because of his study of fluid dynamics (i.e, smooth edges are most aerodynamic). The artist was correct, however, and Fish's further research indicated that at least part of the science of fluid dynamics was wrong. The tubercle placement on the humpback whale's flippers and tail is a major part of the reason the great mammal is so aerodynamic

This tubercle design operationally keeps air attached to the blades, thereby managing the flow of air and increasing the lift of the blade -- two areas of concern in the development of wind turbines." See full article.

Large-Scale Squid Wash-Up Follows Quake

A recent California earthquake beached numerous squid causing public alarm.

San Diego News report:

"Dozens of dazed Humboldt squid, which were roughly three- to four-feet long and weighed close to 40 pounds, were found flapping around on La Jolla Shores beach. “It’s like their equilibrium is all messed up and they don’t know what they’re doing and they can’t back out there,” said beachgoer Bill Baumann. “It was like they got ... all shook up.” See full article.

Short Film: Baby Sea Turtle Release in Mexico

Here's something that will help you smile.

A Malibu (CA) based turtle rescue organization has instituted World Turtle Day -- (It was May 23, 2009). American Tortoise Rescue, has found homes for more than 3,000 turtles and tortoises since its inception in 1990.

Part of the 2009 celebration was a baby turtle release in Mexico.

LA Times: See article and short film.

The Case of The Mysterious Horseshoe Bat Nose

A sixty year anatomical mystery concerning a bat's nose is explained. Photo: Rolf Mueller

Cathy Taibbi Examiner.com reports:

"A research paper co-written by a Virginia Tech faculty member explains a 60-year mystery behind a rare bat's nose that is unusually large for its species. The findings soon will be published in the scientific trade journal, Physical Review Letters.

According to the release, Mueller's findings show that the bat uses its elongated nose to create a highly focused sonar beam. Bats detect their environment through ultrasonic beams, or sonar, emitted from their mouths -- or noses, as in the case of the paradoxolophus bat. The echoes of the sound wave convey a wealth of information on objects in the bat's environment. This bat from the remote rainforests of South East Asia received its name 58 years ago because of its mysterious trait." See full article.

Gorp's Top Ten National Parks for Viewing Wildlife

Gorp.away.com and Nicole Daro have developed a top ten list of National Parks for Wildlife Viewing. See full article.

Channel Islands
Glacier Bay
Denali
Glacier
Yellowstone
Rocky Mountain
Theodore Roosevelt
Big Bend
Isle Royale
Everglades

Prison Inmates Raise Endangered Frogs With Greater Success Than Experts!

Two prison inmates in Washington State have discovered they have an extraordinary knack for endangered species TLC. Photo: Mike Siegel, S. Times.

Jennifer Sullivan from the Seattle Times reports:

Since spring, Greer and fellow inmate Albert Delp have spent the bulk of their days inside a small fenced-off area at the Cedar Creek Corrections Center fussing over — and fattening — several dozen frogs. The two men are part of a project to bolster the dwindling population of the Oregon spotted frog, an animal once widespread in the Puget Sound area. The effort focuses on raising the frogs until they get big enough to no longer be a snack for natural predators. 'They would like to re-establish them back at Fort Lewis and I'm part of the project,' said Greer, who is serving time for robbery. With guidance from a senior researcher from the state Department of Fish and Wildlife and staff from nearby Evergreen State College, the two men started with 80 Oregon spotted frog eggs in early April. As the eggs grew into tadpoles then into frogs, the two men have been responsible for the frequent feedings and tank-water changes. The whole time they have taken detailed notes for state researchers. See full article.

White Whale Gets Its Own Special Exclusion Zone

A unique white humpbacked whale near Australia is getting some special privileges. Photo by: D. Burns.

Wire News Services reports:

"Australian authorities have warned the public to stay away from a rare white humpback whale named Migaloo that has made an appearance off the east coast. Officials in Queensland state have declared Migaloo a "special-interest whale" and banned anyone from coming within 500 metres of him. Anyone coming too close by boat, jet ski or aircraft will face a fine of ... (£8,000)." See full article.

Rare Fossilized Dinosaur Skin Offers Picture of Real Thing

A recent fossil find in North Dakota is bringing us closer to a 65 million year old creature.

Christopher Joyce of NPR reports:

"Phillip Manning and the young man who found the fossil, Tyler Lyson, spent years digging up the hadrosaur, funded in part by the National Geographic Society. Paleontologist Manning, from the University of Manchester in England, says he was "gobsmacked" by what they found.
'The tail is three-dimensional, intact. The skin is like a cone of skin slipped over the skeleton; it's beautiful. The arm is just ... it's like shaking hands with a dinosaur, the three-dimensional skin envelope runs all the way around from the hand all the way up to its armpit. It's quite remarkable.'" See full article.

Mysterious Three Foot Earthworm Up for Protection

The Giant Palouse Earthworm lives in the deep soils of the Palouse region or Idaho and Washington and has been seen only a few times over the course of a century. (Photo University of Idaho and AP archives)

The Star Telegram.com reports:

"Fans of the giant Palouse earthworm are again seeking federal protection for the rare, sweet-smelling species that spits at predators. Sightings of the worm have been reported only four times in 110 years, but supporters contend that it is still present in the Palouse, a region of about 2 million acres of rolling wheat fields near the Idaho-Washington border south of Spokane. Decades of intense agriculture and urban sprawl have wiped out much of the worm’s habitat, said Steve Paulson with Friends of the Clearwater. Only about 2 percent of the Palouse prairie remains in a native state, he said. The worm can reach 3 feet long, is white and reportedly possesses a unique lily smell, said Greenwald, who is based in Portland, Ore. It is the largest and longest-lived earthworm in North America." See full article.

Orangutan and Blue Tick Hound Become Fast Friends

A stray dog strolls into an endangered animal park and is immediately adopted -- by one of the endangered species!

Ki Mae Heussner for ABC News reports:

"Dr. Bhagavan Antle, founder of The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species (TIGERS) in Myrtle Beach, told the Daily Mail that Roscoe followed him and Suryia through the park's gate one day.

'As soon as he saw Roscoe, Suryia ran over to him and they started playing.' Antle said 'It was unusual because dogs are usually scared of primates; but they took to each other straight away.'
After a few unsuccessful phone calls to find an owner, Antle said they decided to let Roscoe stay."

Woodstork Rebirth in Everglades and Beyond

Recent increases in the numbers of nesting wood storks is giving rise to the debate about when an endangered species is no longer in peril. While developers would like to see protection rules for the species eased, conservationists would like to see the population with its long term stability better insured. Still the resurgence is positive. (Photo: Suzanne Mast, Miami Herald File)

The Miami Herald reports:

'''We haven't seen this kind of nesting efforts and eggs laid since the 1930s,'' said Dean Powell, director of watershed management for the South Florida Water Management District, which compiles an annual population assessment of wading birds.

One of the largest colonies -- more than 1,000 pairs -- still lives on the fringe of the Glades in the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary east of Naples, but more are now in smaller, scattered groups from North Florida to Georgia and South Carolina, two states where the birds were never found before the 1980s." See full article.

Rare Wolverine Caught on Camera on Mount Adams

The Cascades Carnivore Project has been stalking one of the least known and most rare mammals in North America -- with remote cameras. (Phot0 Cascades Carnivore Project) Check out their site for some other amazing pictures.

The Seattle Times reports:

"Photographed by a remote camera at 6,100 feet on the northwest slope of the mountain, [Mount Adams] the location of the animal that far south in Washington state was a surprise to wildlife biologists. The very few wolverines known to exist in Washington — only about 20 — have been sighted almost exclusively in the North Cascades.

Gulo gulo, dubbed "skunk bear" for its striped and pungent coat, was thought to be extinct that far south. It took 15 months of rugged field work just to get a picture of the animal." See full article.

Efforts to Save The Rare Pallid Sturgeon

A large white and very ancient fish lives in the waters of the Missouri River basin but it is becoming more rare.

The Constitution Tribune reports:

"Pallid sturgeon, which are distinctively almost snow white and Federally “endangered”, and lake sturgeon are the only two species of larger fish (the rest are minnows, darters and cavefish) that are classified as endangered under Missouri Wildlife Code 10-4.111 and anglers are not allowed to possess them. Anyone catching a pallid sturgeon is required to immediately release it.

The Missouri River Recovery Team project, a cooperative effort involving MDC and their Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska and Iowa counterparts plus the Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, and the U.S. Geological Survey, involves capturing pallid sturgeon in several locations in the Missouri River, one of the few rivers still containing any of this rare species" See full article.

White Wallaby -- No Worries

An all-white wallaby stands out in a crowd for sure.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports:

"A rare albino swamp wallaby has been found living on the edge of Kosciuszko National Park in NSW, a stone's throw from Perisher ski resort. National park field officers spotted the cute, fully-grown marsupial, thought to be between one and two years of age, while maintaining tracks just outside the national park boundary last week. Kosciuszko National Park ranger Andrew Miller said the well camouflaged 90cm tall animal had been spotted twice eating grass in the sub-alpine region. "It's the first time any of us around here have seen one around Kosciuszko,' he told AAP." See full article.

1941 Zoology Science Test: Some Things Change and Some Remain the Same.

A 1941 science test found tucked away in an old science text tells us a few things about the evolving theory of evolution, what things were like before DNA information was in the picture and more.

Dan Vergano of USA Today reports:

Some of us might rather forget our old science exams. But sometimes they still have lessons to offer. For example, take a 1941 exam unearthed by one anatomy professor. The test is a relic of a simpler time that tells us a lot about the evolution of studying evolution.

What makes the 1941 test a fossil in its own right is that it doesn't mention DNA, or molecular biology, in its questions about evolution. ... As we all recall, tests work up to hard questions, and the 11th one on the 1941 exam asks whether whole new classes of back-boned species arise from unique, fairly recent ancestors or from early, more primitive life. "That's still a really big question today," See full article.

Young Eagle Sees Dog as Prey

A Jack Russell Terrier recently had a run in with a young bald eagle and got the worst of the encounter.

Hometown Annapolis.com reports:

"Trubee and Jurchison (dog's owners) suspect the eaglet spotted Moby as a potential meal and tried to fly off with him. They reason that Moby, who is mostly white, was a visible target against the green grass. Perhaps the eaglet didn't realize just how heavy the dog was.

'Who would have thought a raptor would swoop down and try to take your dog?' Trubee said. Moby suffered puncture wounds all over his body, which are now healing with the help of an antibiotic and painkillers from the veterinarian. see full article.

Seafaring Florida Reptiles Draw Interest

Two reptiles have been spotted in the sea off Brevard County Florida. Two differnt species and both a bit out of place. (Photo by: S. Harp, Florida Today)

J.D. Gallop at Florida Today reports:

"Experts say ... mystery tracks left behind [on the beach] ... likely belonged to a 5- to 6-foot-long alligator. The rare beachside tracks also were the latest incident in which alligators -- along with a crocodile caught during the weekend in waist-deep waters beneath the Cocoa Beach Pier -- made their presence known in the ocean waves off Brevard County. Typically, alligators shy away from salt water -- the habitat of sharks, sea turtles and other species more familiar to beachgoers -- while crocodiles, which thrive in saltwater environments, stick to the coastal areas farther south of Brevard. 'It is unusual,' Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission biologist Lindsey Hord said, referring to the sightings. 'With the crocodiles, we're on the northern periphery of its habitat range. But animals are always pushing, trying to get into new areas.'"

Rare Look at a Giant Sunfish on New Zealand Beach

A ocean-going tropical sunfish is really quite something to see. They average about 2,000 pounds and look alot like a giant fish head with a tail. They have a reputation for being surface sunners but usually they feed (mostly on jellyfish) at great depths as much as 2,000 feet.

One recently washed up on a New Zealand beach and provided a close look.

Vanessa Phillips for the Nelson Mail reports:

Tourists being guided along Farewell Spit were mesmerised by more than just the area's natural beauty yesterday. A large sunfish, about 2 metres long, and 2m wide from fintip to fintip, was spotted as Farewell Spit Eco Tours driver John Stevens was heading towards the spit with a busload of tourists. The dead sunfish was on the intertidal plain of the spit, about one kilometre on the Collingwood side of Puponga township." See full article.

Cops Uncover 5,000 Stolen Bird Eggs in One Home

Scottish law enforcement agents learned just how serious a problem bird egg thiefs (called "eggers") can be to species survival.

The Edinbugh Evening News reports"

"Investigatore say it will take a painstakingly long time to sift through a huge haul of more than 5000 birds' eggs discovered at a Lothians home. Wildlife crime officers from two forces and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) were involved in the operation to uncover the eggs, which has been described as one of the biggest finds yet in the Lothians. ... Rare breeding species particularly vulnerable to egg collectors include Slavonian and black-necked grebes, ospreys, white-tailed eagles, red kites, and red-necked phalaropes." See full article.

First Study of Rare Egg-laying Mammal

An elusive nocturnal mammal has finally been studied.

Science Daily reports:

"A Wildlife Conservation Society research intern working in the wilds of Papua New Guinea has successfully completed what many other field biologists considered "mission impossible"—the first study of a rare egg-laying mammal called the long-beaked echidna.

The long-beaked echidna is found only in New Guinea and is a member of the monotremes, a primitive order of mammals that forced zoologists to change their very definitions of what a mammal is. Unlike all other mammals, monotremes like the echidna (also called the spiny anteater) and the better known platypus lay eggs." See full article.

Roseate Spoonbill In Indiana

A bird that lives in Florida seems to ahve ventured into the Hoosier State. (Photo: St. Louis Zoo)

The Greene County Daily World reports:

"On June 2, Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Area became the first location in the state to record the sighting of a Roseate Spoonbill. .... the June 2 sighting is the only confirmed sighting of a Roseate Spoonbill ever in Indiana. The excitement of the occasion had birdwatchers from all across Indiana and a few from Illinois traveling to Goose Pond to get their view of the unique bird." See full article.

Rare Sea Turtle Lays Eggs in Florida

A group of campers saw an unusual site in a Florida state park. (Photo by: Katie Dickey/Special to the Democrat)

Tallahassee.com reports:

"During a visit to the Franklin County park earlier this month, educator Elizabeth Franklin Waller and some middle-school campers spotted a Kemp's Ridley sea turtle on the beach. Of the seven species of sea turtles, the Kemp's Ridleys are considered the most endangered, according to The Sea Turtle Restoration Project. Katie Dickey, 15, a soon-to-be sophomore at Godby High School, was one of several students who captured photos and footage of the sea turtle, as it began to lay eggs." See full article.

Falcons Rebound in Vermont

The return of Peregrine Falcons to New England offers promise. Photo by: Peter Larsen

The Burlington Free Press reports:

"Thirty years ago, 60 Vermont cliffs and quarries had emptied of the falcons that once nested there. The birds had been wiped out by DDT, the now-banned pesticide that accumulated in animal tissue and thinned the shells of bird eggs.

Peregrines, small but aggressive hunters, sit at the top of the avian food chain and thus accumulated high concentrations of DDT from their prey. Nest after nest went silent in the 1940s and ’50s, until the birds were gone.Today, many bird species are in steep decline, but peregrines — along with loons, osprey and bald eagles — offer rare good news.Falcons were reintroduced in New England in the 1980s and have thrived. Thirty-eight pairs nested in Vermont this year and have produced at least 50 chicks." See full article.

First Wolverine in Ninety Years Ventures Into Colorado

Wolverines are known for being wideranging loners with somewhat bad tempers. One has ventured into Colorado after a long absense.

The DenverPost reports:

"A solo wolverine, perhaps in search of a mate, has traveled more than 500 miles to northern Colorado, the first confirmed sighting of the species here since 1919.

Bob Inman, director of the Wildlife Conservation Society's Yellowstone Wolverine Program, said the animal, tagged M56 and fitted with a radio collar in December, went on the move in April.
He traveled from Grand Teton National Park, crossing busy Interstate 80 in southern Wyoming, to reach timberline in the mountains of northern Colorado. 'It is great news that this animal has ventured into Colorado, where it hasn't been documented in 90 years, but it also underscores the need to manage this species at a multi-state scale,'" Inman said. See full article.

Rare Warbler Returns After 139 Year Absence

It is so wonderful to get some good news about nature. A bird that was thought gone shows up again 14 decades later. Photo: Philip Round/The Wetland Trust.

Science Daily Reports:

"The Large-billed Reed-warbler is the world’s least known bird. A single bird was collected in the Sutlej Valley, Himachal Pradesh, India, in 1867, but many had questioned whether it was indeed represented a true species and wasn’t just an aberrant individual of a common species.
But on 27 March 2006, ornithologist Philip Round, Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology, Mahidol University, was bird ringing (banding) at a wastewater treatment centre (the royally initiated Laem Phak Bia Environmental Research and Development Project) near Bangkok, Thailand." See full article.

Utah is the Place to See California Condors

The Califonia Condor is a rarity in nature but there is a place in Utah where they can usually be seen.

The Spectrum.com reports:

“'Condor activity in Utah has increased dramatically over the past five years,' says Keith Day, regional sensitive species biologist for the DWR. 'It’s not unusual to see 24 birds in Utah in the summer months, but 54 condors were here one day last August. That’s very exciting when you consider how rare this bird is,' Day says. Of the 320 California condors in the world, just over half are free-flying, and only half of those are found in Utah and Arizona. That means on any given day, you have the potential of seeing one-sixth of the world’s wild population of California condors right here in Southern Utah."'

"To reach the viewing site, take state Route 9 to Virgin. Turn off at the Kolob Reservoir turnoff in Virgin and travel north through Zion National Park. The viewing site is 21½ miles from Virgin near Kolob Reservoir. After you’ve traveled 21½ miles, look for a parking area on the south side of the road." See full article.

The Four Most Unusual Fish on Earth

There are fish and there are FISH!

markuses at Science Ray.com lists the "four most unusual on Earth" including the Whale Shark (some reported as large as 50 to 70 feet in length), the Stone Fish and others. See the list.

Rarest of Cockatoos Rediscovered

A U.S. all-volunteeer non-profit organization in Indonesia has rediscovered a lost bird.

City Parrots.org reports:

"The world’s rarest cockatoo has been found in Indonesia. A research team on behalf of the Indonesian Parrot Project rediscovered the Yellow-crested Abbott’s cockatoo this summer in the Masalembu Archipelago. This archipelago is in the remote Java Sea... Parrots are the most endangered bird family. A number of the parrots threatened with extinction are found only in Indonesia. Four of the five cockatoo species listed on the highest category of protection by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species are found in Indonesia. Of these, the Yellow-crested cockatoos (Cacatua sulphurea) are the most imperiled." See full article.

Whooping Crane "Retired" to Zoo After Becoming Too Tame

When a wild animal gets too attached to humans it may mean it is no longer wild.

Barbara Behrendt at the The St. Petersburg Times reports:

"The whooping crane known as 710 symbolizes what goes wrong when people feed wildlife. The rare crane spent the winter in Spring Hill. But instead of foraging for food in the wild, he was nourished on bird feeders kept by nearby residents. When 710 returned to Wisconsin in early spring, the bird again turned to humans. He began to visit the ethanol plant five miles away from the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge, where truckloads of corn are delivered daily. Too tame to live in the wild, the crane was returned to Florida this week, to live his life among humans, as an educational exhibit at Lowry Park Zoo." See full article.

Dramatic Trout Evacuation In New Mexico

This time when horsmen came to the rescue, it was to relocate trout.

Associated Press reports:

"As a lightning-sparked fire charred thousands of acres in southwestern New Mexico, biologists and firefighters used helicopters and trucks for an unusual evacuation. They captured 250 Gila trout — a threatened species — from a creek in southwestern New Mexico and are moving them to a hatchery in the opposite corner of the state. Biologists rode to the creek on horseback, then used electroshocking devices to temporarily stun the trout so they could quickly scoop them into a net. See full article.

Yellow Color Saves Rare Lobster -- From the Chef

In the wild, a color mutation can make a creature easier prey. But in a Boston restaurant kitchen the arrival of a rare, one in 30 million, "yellow" lobster may have saved it from the chef's pot. Photo by Julia Cumes AP

USA Today reports:

"Specialists tell The Boston Globe it's called a "yellow lobster" and it's one in 30 million. The lobster now named Fiona was recently caught off Canada. It was given by a friend to Nathan Nickerson, the owner of Arnold's Lobster and Clam Bar in Eastham, on Cape Cod. New England Aquarium director of research Michael Tlusty says a rare genetic mutation produces yellow lobsters." See full article.

Rare White Seal Found

Albinism is frequent condition in nature but leucism is a different matter. Unlike albinism, it is caused by a reduction in all types of skin pigment, not just melanin. A one-of-a-kind white southern elelphant seal was spotted and tagged on a sub Antarctic beach and was confirmed as leucistis. (Note dark eyes).

BBC Earth News reports:

"The white seal, a young female, is leucistic, rather than albinistic. Albino animals lack pigment in just their eyes, or in their eyes, skin and hair, and they inherit the condition. Leucistic animals have little pigment and appear white all over, but with dark coloured eyes. The white seal has a uniformly creamy white coat of fur, with normal dark brown eyes and nose. Its whiskers, eyebrows and fingernails on its flippers are also light coloured compared to the species' usual dark colour. 'To our knowledge, we're the first to provided detailed evidence of such an animal anywhere,' says Ryan Reisinger of the University of Pretoria in South Africa" See full article

A Thousand-Pound Sea Turtle Loses its Compass

A six-foot long Leatherback Turtle recently ended up swimming inland rather than out to sea in Florida.

First Coast News reports:

"Some wildlife experts gave up their Memorial Day morning to get him back on track. A Leatherback Sea Turtle wandered over old A1A (highway) in St. Johns County into the Summer Haven River. The turtle was nearly 1,000 pounds and 6-feet in length. It took 8 rescuers to move the creature." See article and slides of the rescue.

Florida Panther Shot

An award has been offered to help find whoever recently shot a rare Florida Panther. Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlfie Service.

Wildlife Extra.com reports:

"A reward of up to $15,200 is being offered for information that leads to an arrest and/or a conviction in the shooting death of a Florida panther. The dead panther was found in April 2009 near the Hendry Correctional Institute on private property bordering the Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) special agents and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) investigators are jointly investigating the case. There are only about 100 Florida panthers left in the world. The Florida panther is protected under the Endangered Species Act of 1973." See full article.

Rare Video of Basking Shark in Wild

The Basking Shark is second only to the Whale Shark in size. One of these plankton-feeding fishing fish was measured 40 feet in length. Photo: Dan Burton.

BBC News reports:

2009 -- "The first basking sharks of the summer have been spotted off the Cornish coast.

As part of their annual migration they are now arriving in the hundreds. But do not be fooled - actually catching more than a fleeting glimpse of these elusive creatures is far harder than you imagine." One videographer caught the fish at (under) sea. See the article and the clip. Be patient -- the clip is proceeded by a 30 second ad.