Latest news with #Audubon
Axios
14-07-2025
- General
- Axios
Inside the bird-nesting haven few humans see: Tampa's 3D Island
Rising 40 feet above the waters of Hillsborough Bay is a human-made island that's become a vital habitat for beach-nesting birds. Why it matters: 3D Island and nearby 2D Island — both formed from leftover sand from Port Tampa Bay dredging projects — support the reproduction of coastal birds that are key to a thriving, healthy ecosystem. Among the island populations are species that have struggled with population declines, including the black skimmer and American oystercatcher. 👋 Kathryn here. Humans typically aren't allowed on the islands during nesting season, spanning April 1 to Aug. 31. Yes, but: I was invited on a media tour of 3D Island by Port Tampa Bay spokesperson Lisa Wolf-Chason. Guides from Audubon Florida, which manages the island with the port and the Army Corps of Engineers, helped ensure we didn't interfere with nature taking its course. After I wrote about Florida's vanishing birds a couple of months ago, the visit last week was a salve. By the numbers: In June, Audubon representatives counted 220 black skimmer adults, 12 nests and 26 chicks on the island. There were 14 American oystercatchers, one nest and four chicks. Species of tern — including sandwich, Caspian and royal — numbered in the thousands, as did laughing gulls, those black-and-white birds that are plentiful on Tampa Bay shorelines. What we saw: There were so many birds that our Audubon and Port guides warned us that we may get pooped on. (Which I somehow avoided. Wolf-Chason wasn't so lucky — sorry, Lisa!) Black skimmers, with their long, orange and black beaks, were scattered throughout the island, and we even spotted the rare American oystercatcher on the sandy shore. On the way up the ridge were laughing gulls at various stages of growth: nests in the shrubbery with brown-speckled eggs, awkward tan-feathered teenagers stumbling over the sand, and black and white adults squawking above us. We paused at the top to observe a group of orange-billed royal terns, their black head feathers sticking up like mohawks. And then we saw the chick, a tiny little fluffball of joy tucked in the white wing of an adult. Stunning moment: A pesky vulture trying to poke around the island didn't stand a chance as every bird in the area, no matter the species, chased it off in a flurry of feathers. What they're saying:"That's the benefit of nesting in a colony," Audubon sanctuary manager Jeff Liechty said. "There's power in numbers." Between the lines: Another benefit of nesting on the island is the lack of people. Several species lay their eggs directly on the sand, making their nests particularly vulnerable — especially on crowded beaches. If you see a nesting area blocked off, stay clear of it. The bottom line: As for 3D Island, it belongs to the birds.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
July 4th fireworks: Here's the best fireworks in NJ tonight, July 4th, this weekend
There is no better way to celebrate July 4th than with a sparkling array of fireworks near you in New Jersey, and luckily the state has plenty of shows tonight, July 3 and through the Fourth of July weekend to satisfy your dopamine cravings. The weather is expected to be pleasant and there is undoubtedly at least one fireworks show near you worth checking out — honestly, are any not worth it? — so keep reading to get a sampling of some of the best fireworks shows across the Garden State. There are at least 19 fireworks displays in New Jersey on July 3. Here's the lineup, alphabetically: Other fireworks on July 4 will take place in these NJ towns: Augusta (Sussex County Miners game), Allendale, Bridgewater, Camden, Collingswood, Cape May, Elizabeth, Evesham, Jersey City, Livingston, Long Branch, Millburn/Short Hills, Millville, Ocean City, Oradell, Margate City, Trenton, Union, Sea Isle, Summit, and Washington Township (Gloucester). Audubon's Independence Day parade will be on July 4th, starting at Amherst Road and Harvard Ave., but their fireworks show is around 9 p.m. Saturday, July 5th at the Audubon High School in Camden County. Barnegat Township will offer food trucks and live music and set off fireworks at dusk on July 5. Celebrations begin at 5 p.m. at Barnegat High School. Bradley Beach in Monmouth County will set off fireworks at the beachfront on July 5 beginning around 9 p.m. East Windsor will host its fireworks show at dusk on Saturday, July 5 at Etra Lake in Mercer County. The Sussex County Miners are hosting fireworks on July 4 and July 5 this year during their games against the Ottawa Titans. Gates open at 4:30 p.m., with fireworks following the game. Bergen County's Tenafly Borough will hold their annual fireworks display on Saturday, July 5 behind the Tenafly High School. Live music begins at 7:30 p.m. with fireworks to follow at 9 p.m. Lori Comstock is a New Jersey-based journalist with the Mid-Atlantic Connect Team. This article originally appeared on Are there fireworks near me tonight in NJ? Here's a list of the best
National Observer
03-07-2025
- General
- National Observer
A bird murder most fowl
They showed up singing their hearts out about six weeks ago. He, with his red cap and chest, was flashier than she was in her understated brown and white stripes. Were they purple finches or house finches? We couldn't say for sure. Audubon's range guide suggests either is possible and the writeup said even seasoned birders sometimes struggle to tell them apart. For days, we'd spot the pair perched on the arbor, unfussed by our attention. One day, the male arrived at his usual spot, with a piece of straw, no doubt pilfered from our garden mulch. They were building a nest somewhere nearby, we thought. Sweet. We didn't know where until my husband walked out onto the back deck one afternoon and startled one of the birds in mid-construction. When he looked up, he saw the nest perched atop a post under the awning. It was about six inches wide, perfectly round and looked complete. Shortly after, the female took up residence in the nest where she sat patiently, her head with watchful eyes sticking up above the rim. Our morning ritual evolved to include checking on the nest while the coffee was brewing. When we drew the blinds at night, we said goodnight. We felt invested in the hatch, even though we knew full well not all breeding attempts succeed. Songbirds are having a tough go of it; about half the world's bird population is declining. In Canada, habitat loss and pesticides are taking a toll in the countryside, and in cities, collisions with building windows and predatory house cats are the biggest enemy. Add climate change into the mix — which is predicted to adversely affect two-thirds of all birds in North America — and the deck seems seriously stacked against them. Humans have been fascinated by birds since prehistoric times. The earliest known image of a bird was discovered painted on the wall of the Lascaux cave in France. And there is every indication the interest has held, not just because we generally enjoy watching animals and nature, but in particular marvel at birds gifted with wings and flight. Interest in birds and bird watching, or birding as aficionados call it, had a renaissance during the pandemic as a safe, outdoor activity that anyone with good eyesight and patience can enjoy. Birding is one of the fastest-growing hobbies in the United States and is a popular pastime in Canada as well — in 2023 one in 10 Canadian households reported being bird watchers or photographers. During the spring migration, Point Pelee National Park has an annual bird festival and BC has the Greater Vancouver Bird Celebration. And every Christmas, Canadians brave the weather for the Audubon Christmas Bird Count. Victoria, with its mild winters, often tops the chart for participation and number of species recorded and has taken to calling itself the country's 'birding capital.' During the first year of the pandemic, I started feeding a rather large crow who would perch on the back porch railing with an expectant air. I'd read a story about a little girl in Seattle who regularly fed crows that brought her trinkets in return and I wanted to see if my crow might someday bear a gift. I've tossed a lot of dog kibble out the back door since then — my big friend and his extended family still show up most days — but the relationship has been decidedly one-sided. All I have received for my troubles is the occasional mess and guilt over a cold-blooded murder. During the first summer of the pandemic, my so-called crow friends attacked a hummingbird nest in a rhododendron in our front yard and pecked two chicks to death. I had a niggling suspicion the crows twigged to their existence because they saw us obsessively watching the babies. And still I fed the big crow and his crew, because it's hard to resist demands from a bird that follows you home on your dog walk and sits on the railing waiting for a handout. Now, with the finch nest right above the back railing, I feared more trouble coming. I probably don't have to tell you what happened next. The finch chicks hatched and thrived. One morning, after a feeding, the largest of the three stood on the side of the nest, flapping fully formed wings. I called my husband over. 'It's going to launch!' We watched as the little finch took flight, instinctively darting into the protection of a large evergreen nearby. The big crow gave chase, disappeared into the branches for a bit, but came out empty-handed. Later that day, we returned home to find the perfect nest with its soft moss lining, pulverized on the back deck. The remaining two babies were nowhere in sight. 'Murderers,' my husband muttered. We'd chosen sides, favouring our tiny finch underdogs over their aggressive opponents. The next day the big crow came to its usual spot, acting as though nothing untoward had happened. And in a way, it hadn't. My big crow was really only guilty of being a crow. I cracked and threw him some kibble, hoping that somewhere out in the big world, one fledgling finch was still singing.
Chicago Tribune
19-06-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
‘Winging It' exhibit at Newberry Library shows humanity's relationship to birds — dead and alive
Although the state bird of Illinois is the northern cardinal, in the 1800s it might have been the greater prairie chicken. The grouse or boomer, as it was known back then, was once the most numerous and notable species in the state. The birds — which were the size of a chicken, with tan- and white-flecked plumage and an inflatable orange throat pouch on the males — once roamed tallgrass prairies by the millions and were known for the unique booming sound they make as part of their elaborate mating dance. Hunters killed the birds for meat, shooting or even clubbing the docile birds to death. With the prairie getting plowed under and replaced almost completely by farmland, the prairie chicken lost its habitat, and is nearly extinct in Illinois. But the prairie chicken is being featured Friday through Sept. 27 at the Newberry Library in Chicago. A documentary on the bird will play as part of a new exhibit, 'Winging It: A Brief History of Humanity's Relationship with Birds.' The prairie chicken is a classic example of the rise and fall of some species, and how birds have persisted nevertheless, inspiring artwork and science, and playing a crucial role in the local ecosystem. The Newberry, founded in 1887, is a library, not a museum, so it has manuscripts and artwork rather than objects, but exhibit curator Bob Dolgan culled some unique items to reflect the ways people interacted with birds in North America and Europe over the past several centuries. The exhibit includes woodblocks of English artist and naturalist Thomas Bewick showing birds in a naturalistic style. Artist Mark Catesby, who is sometimes compared to famed ornithologist and artist John James Audubon, predated Audubon by nearly a century, and pioneered documenting wildlife in the Americas. Rather than shooting and killing his subjects like Audubon, Catesby painted the birds alive in their natural habitats. This exhibit will display a rare first edition of Catesby's landmark work 'Natural History of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands.' The show also includes The Sportsman's Gazetteer and General Guide, an 1879 guide to hunting and fishing in eastern North America written by Charles Hallock, founder of what is now Field and Stream magazine. The library also will team up with the Field Museum to offer professional development for educators called 'Winging It: The Art and Science of Birds' on July 16 and 17. A public class that will look at the evolution of conservation in the United States as a response to multiple extinctions will be held Aug. 6-27. There will also be a screening of 'The World of Monty and Rose,' Dolgan's documentary about the famous pair of endangered piping plovers who found love at Chicago's Montrose Beach. As for the prairie chicken, the Prairie Ridge State Natural Area maintains a habitat of fewer than 200 boomers downstate, and the birds have survived in greater numbers in states farther north and west. Dolgan hopes 'Winging It' will show visitors how the library's collection lends itself to exploration, and how inspiring and resilient birds can be. He also hopes to show some of the common interest conservationists share with hunters and fishers to restore lost habitat. 'We're the Prairie State, yet we have less than .01% of our prairie remaining,' he said. 'There's a huge opportunity to create more prairie that used to hold dozens of species.'
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Where did ‘Peaches' the flamingo fly after leaving Tampa Bay? Now we know.
The flamingo arrived to us exhausted and confused, like so many Floridians, just days after Hurricane Idalia walloped the Big Bend region in 2023. Boaters assessing the storm's damage found the bird struggling 800 yards off St. Pete Beach. Likely blown in on Idalia's winds, he was given shelter and named Peaches. For weeks after the storm, Peaches roamed the shores of Tampa Bay, offering locals a rare glimpse of a species that once flourished in Florida. But the flash of pink was gone nearly as quickly as it came. Where Peaches eventually flew to in October of that year remained a mystery to scientists and bird lovers alike. Until now. In early May, as researchers in Mexico tallied the nearly 15,000 flamingo nests across Yucatán, one bird stood out. Amid a pink flurry, experts spotted a blue band around around a male flamingo's leg. It read 'USO2″— the second flamingo in the United States to be tracked. Our old friend, Peaches. 'We are humbled by the resilience of this bird. US02 was swept up in a hurricane, carried to our shores, and managed to return to the place of its birth to contribute to the next generation,' Julie Wraithmell, executive director of Audubon Florida, told the Tampa Bay Times in a statement. Not only does the sighting give Peaches' Florida fanbase a much-desired update on his whereabouts, it also confirms a flamingo migration pattern between Florida and the Yucatán, according to Yucatán Magazine. 'These kinds of feats of endurance and navigation are a natural part of birds' life histories, but it is always so inspiring to have this kind of insight into a single individual,' Wraithmell said. Despite intensifying pressure from development and climate change, the flamingo population in Yucatán has rebounded from 5,000 birds in the 1950s to a current estimate of 40,000, the magazine reported, citing data from the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas in Mexico. Peaches' story underscores how conservation efforts can make a difference in the life of a single bird, as well as its population, Wraithmell said. After his rescue, Peaches was brought to Indian Shores' Seaside Seabird Sanctuary for eight days of care. Jerry Lorenz, former research director with Audubon, put the band on the bird's leg before he was released. While Peaches decided to leave Florida, other flamingoes blown in by Idalia stayed. In May 2024, a survey conducted by Audubon Florida found more than 100 flamingoes, mostly in South Florida. The largest grouping of flamingoes — collectively known as a flamboyance — was logged in Florida Bay at the southern tip of the peninsula. Another 18 were tallied in the Pine Island near Sanibel, and there were more than a dozen flamingoes found at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Brevard County, according to the survey. Audubon staff said they haven't seen any flamingo sightings in the Tampa Bay area since 2023. Once abundant in Florida, the flamingo population plummeted during the 19th-century plume trade. Recent numbers from the International Union for Conservation of Nature estimate there are up to 330,000 mature flamingoes in the wild across the world. There are several steps the Florida public can take to help wild flamingo populations. Audubon Florida encourages Floridians to record possible sightings to public birding platforms like eBird, which helps researchers gather data on where populations are located. Advocating for continuous restoration of the Everglades, where most flamingoes are found, will also help bolster habitat for Florida's avian cultural mascot, according to the group. And remember: If you do see a flamingo in the wild, give it plenty of space. The Tampa Bay Times launched the Environment Hub in 2025 to focus on some of Florida's most urgent and enduring challenges. You can contribute through our journalism fund by clicking here.
