Here’s a recap of the most important stories that we tweeted and retweeted over the past two weeks:
1. Winged migration: Monarchs in Mexico began their annual northward migration, filling the sky over Angangueo. The butterflies carry the seeds of the next generation. March 24
2. More of the same, sadly: In California, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to allow 828 older-generation windmills at Altamont Pass to continue operating, and killing birds, until 2018. The turbines will kill 1,600 birds by that year, it’s estimated. The Fish and Wildlife Service says 31 Golden Eagles have been killed there since 2010. March 25
3. Long-necked, long-distance flyers: Beautiful white Tundra Swans streamed continuously overhead near Long Point, Ontario. The birds spend the winter on the east coast and breed on the Alaskan and Canadian coast near the Arctic Circle. March 28
Tundra Swans streamed overhead continuously near Long Point on 28 Mar @birdsunlimited @BirdWatchDaily @BirdStudiesCan pic.twitter.com/u4VWfDCpfJ
— Nancy Barrett (@Naturegirl_99) March 31, 2015
4. Protecting sage-grouse: Barrick Gold Corp., the Nature Conservancy, and the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agreed to protect Greater Sage-Grouse habitat across 900 square miles of privately owned land in Nevada. The agreement comes as USFWS approaches a fall deadline for deciding whether to list the bird under the Endangered Species Act. March 29
5. Five years after the spill: According to a report released by the National Wildlife Federation, 12 percent of Brown Pelicans and almost a third of Laughing Gulls in the northern Gulf of Mexico died as a result of the 2010 BP oil spill. March 30
6. Success in Israel: Organizers of the second Champions of the Flyway bird race announced that this year’s event raised more than $50,000. The money will be used by BirdLife Cyprus to fight widespread illegal bird killing on the island. March 31
7. Out over open water: Researchers confirmed that tiny Blackpoll Warbler really does fly nonstop over the Atlantic Ocean each fall, just as we thought. Said one of the investigators: “We’re really excited to report that this is one of the longest nonstop overwater flights ever recorded for a songbird.” March 31
8. You had to be there: The Ruff below was photographed in San Pedro, California. The shorebird normally breeds across northern Eurasia and spends the northern winter in the tropics, mainly in Africa. April 4
Ruff (Philomachus pugnax) – normally found in Europe/Asia, this one ended up in San Pedro, CA, USA pic.twitter.com/NZKzW8AW9m
— Christopher Taylor (@kiwifoto) April 5, 2015
9. Howdy, pardner: A Crested Caracara , a bird typically seen in Texas and central Florida, was photographed sailing high over Chatham, Massachusetts. April 5
10. An annual spectacle renewed: Once again, Sandhill Cranes gathered along the Platte River in Nebraska. The big flock below was photographed yesterday by Managing Editor Matt Mendenhall (@mdmendenhall). April 6
Saw two big flocks of cranes lift off from Nebraska's Platte River this a.m.! #wow pic.twitter.com/Fh8zUxhck3
— Matt Mendenhall (@mdmendenhall) April 6, 2015
Don’t miss any news about birds!
Follow BirdWatching magazine on Twitter.
Follow Managing Editor Matt Mendenhall on Twitter.
Follow Contributing Editor Julie Craves.
28 citizen-science projects you can join in April and May.
Read about fun events taking place in April.
Read about Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary in Chicago, Illinois, Hotspot Near You No. 74.
Originally Published
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