Hummingbird Deception

Article describing how male Costa's Hummingbirds manipulate their feathers and positions to impress mates as to their speed of dive.    Charts show just how they do this.     http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5614335/Male-hummingbirds-sing-tail-feathers-high-speed-dives-woo-potential-mates.html

The Gutting of the Migratory Bird Act

40 million birds killed by industrial activities in the USA annually?

Quote:

"Since the 1970s, federal officials had used the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to prosecute and fine companies that accidentally killed birds with oil pits, wind turbines, spills or other industrial hazards. But a legal decision issued in December by the Interior Department revoked that ability.

"Wildlife officials predict deadly consequences for migratory birds. The governmentsays millions of birds are killed inadvertently each year by industrial activities.

"For example, under the new interpretation, the law no longer applies to oil spills. After the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico, which researchersestimate killed more than a million birds, BP paid a $100 million settlement for violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, among other fines...."

https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2018/03/industry-kills-nearly-40-million-birds-per-year-the-trump-administration-doesnt-think-thats-enough/

What is wrong with this poor bird? Tumor? Goiter? Injury? Ruptured crop? Surely not normal molting. Sorry about the image quality, pic taken thru dirty glass and plexiglass handheld with a 2X extender on a 300 mm telephoto.

A dignified Selfie

Most selfies are not dignified.

Man, I am losing it. Dumped cat food in a bird feeder and seed in a cat pan. Cat sniffed and looked up at me.     "You know you have alzheimer's if ..."

The bigger birds -- doves, curve-billed thrashers -- will eat cat food. And they will get low into danger looking for scraps at the cart feeder.

Couple of years ago I bought some cheap cat food at Gebos -- $16 for 40 lbs -- and found the cats would not eat it.    So I put it out for birds;  they finished it.   Thrashers relished it.   I would put some cat food in amongst the seed except that the odor of the cat food I buy will draw cats and they will climb up to any feeder they can reach, spilling feed and water.

That "Bird-Killer Amendment" to HR 4239

It has been 100 years since the passage of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, and a threat is on the horizon in the form of an amendment tacked on to HR 4239, the SECURE American Energy Act, that would exempt oil and energy producers from prosecution under the Migratory Act for failing to prevent the killing of birds by reason of energy equipment or infrastructure.     Read more at https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/dont-mess-with-the-birds?google_editors_picks=true 

The author of the amendment is Liz Cheney, daughter of Dick Cheney.   A vote on the full bill including the amendment will be up soon. 

That Yellow Cardinal in Alabama

Baltimore Sun article here.