@heidelyn.bsky.social
I'm only here for the birds. And, as it turns out, what's good for birds is good for other wildlife and people, too. (Note on links to articles: if the article has a paywall, I post a gift link; if there's no "gift" notation, the article has no paywall.)
This cruel bill would pull ESA protections before the wolves have fully recovered. Please ask your Rep to vote NO. It's easy with a letter you can personalize and the #Wolf Conservation Center sends for you: engage.nywolf.org/site/Advocac.... It takes minutes to save the #wolves for generations. 🌎
Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections are working for Mexican gray wolves! The total number of wild wolves in the US is now 319 (up from 286 in 2024). Republicans in the US House, however, want to remove the ESA protections with the misleadingly titled Enhancing Safety for Animals Act/H.R.4255.
. . . and emissions of smog-forming NOX swelled by ~12%. Coal is by far the highest-polluting fossil fuel, and coal-fired generation grew by 13% last year. Moreover, the EPA is poised to dismantle existing regulations that would curb coal plant pollution: www.eenews.net/articles/air.... 🌎
As Trump boosted coal use, air pollution from coal-fired power plants spiked in 2025, a reversal of long-term progress in air quality. The emission increases were among the largest in at least a quarter-century: releases of SO2, a lung-damaging compound key to acid rain, soared by >18% . . .
...those living in poorer areas (and least responsible for climate breakdown). The study also examined the social & physiological capacity to adapt to heat. And there’s more: www.theguardian.com/environment/... (gift).
Research published here: iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1.... 🌎
New research shows that 1/3 of the world population now lives in areas where heat severely limits activity. The study combined physiological studies of heat tolerance with 7 decades of global & regional data on population, temperatures, & human development. Worst-affected are those over 65 and...
The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah is NOT the Grand Canyon, which is in Arizona.
Republicans want to withdraw the resource management plan that protects the monument from mining and other development. Tell your US rep and senators NO! @earthjustice.org makes it fast & easy with a customizable letter they'll send for you: earthjustice.org/action/defen...? Thank you!
A stunning 1.9-million-acre wild landscape, Utah’s Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument protects awe-inspiring geological formations, rare dinosaur fossils, and revered cultural sites. It’s habitat for bighorn sheep, mountain lions, bears, >200 bird species, >600 bee species, and more.
...to ensure the chick's safety, including keeping the area free of predators such as ferrets and stoats. The only "intruder" I've ever seen on the headlands was a Little Penguin just passing through 2 years ago: www.allaboutbirds.org/cams/little-.... #birds
Northern Royal Albatross, NZ: While tucked in at night or keeping an eye on things during the day, the chick does not leave the nest and may seem vulnerable while his parents are away and foraging for food. The rangers on the headlands where the albatross nest do everything possible...
While on the nest, Jackie was blown over by a wind gust and discovered it's advantageous with feathers to face into the wind (video by Lady Hawk): www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gkqo.... (Humans are likely thinking of the advantages of being out of strong winds and in a house!) #birds
It's challenging raising chicks in the wild, even when they're just eggs.
On night duty, Shadow had to deter a flying squirrel, Fiona, who wanted eggs for dinner (video by Lady Hawk): www.youtube.com/watch?v=absv.... (Fiona and her mate, Fast Freddie, live under the nest. Neighbors!) #birds
Wild turkeys live in flocks. I love how Astoria has accepted beings who don't look like turkeys into her flock. I wish more humans were as accepting as Astoria of others who are different. Thank you, Astoria, and thank you Astoria's human flock. ❤️
And so are you (awake)?
I can't figure out a needed use for these things, and there are lots of downsides. For one, birds migrate by the light of stars and the sun--and those flashing satellites could send them off course with deadly consequences.
Exactly. I submitted a public comment on this and even noted, "This proposal seems like a solution in search of a problem." For example, the company says it can shine light on solar panels at night. But, of course, solar panels can provide power at night through solar batteries or net metering.
The research is being used by countries to do just that: plan for what happens when coastlines become uninhabitable. The article noted that the areas most affected now are in Southeast Asia and the Pacific nations.
That means hundreds of millions more people worldwide are already living dangerously closer to the rising ocean than Western scientists had previously estimated. More information: www.nytimes.com/2026/03/04/c... (gift).
Study published in "Nature": www.nature.com/articles/s41...? 🌎
A new study found that coastal sea levels are, on average, 8 in. to 1 ft. higher than many maps and models of the world’s coastlines indicate. The discrepancies are much larger in certain regions, such as Southeast Asia and Pacific nations, where ocean dynamics are more complex.
At the beginning of 2026 only 236 Kākāpōs remained in the world. The team hopes to bring the world Kākāpō population to 300 this year. More about these fascinating birds: www.scientificamerican.com/article/kaka....
Live Kākāpō nest cam: www.doc.govt.nz/our-work/kak.... #birds
Update: A month ago, a massive bloom of rimu berries fueled booming mating calls in NZ's Kākāpō sanctuaries (bsky.app/profile/heid...). Today, a baby boom: 240 eggs to date; 26 chicks hatched. Females rear chicks alone; each chick needs ~1 lb of berries/day gathered by climbing to the treetops.
...breed mainly along whitewater rivers and winter on rocky windswept coasts. Their lifestyle is rough on their bodies, and many ducks endure broken bones. Find out more about these striking birds: www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Harleq...? Video: www.youtube.com/shorts/y7Ed7.... #birds
The Harlequin Duck is one of the most spectacular species of waterfowl in North America, not only for the male’s striking plumage but also for the dramatic landscapes that the duck calls home. The blue, chestnut, and white males, along with the grayish females,...
The rangers also take care of the chick by protecting him from flies and predators and keeping him cool (in the video, you'll see a ranger misting the chick). Watch (video by Lady Hawk): www.youtube.com/watch?v=803X.... Don't miss the chick's food coma at the end. #birds
Northern Royal Albatross, NZ: On Mar. 6, the chick was 43 days old. BOK returned from foraging to feed him and keep him company before returning to sea. She and WYL are clearly keeping him well fed: look at how much he (yes, it's a boy) has grown.
A Web of Financial Ties Between Trump Officials & the Industries They Help Regulate: www.propublica.org/article/trum...?
Financial Disclosures From Trump & 1,500 of His Appointees (searchable DB): projects.propublica.org/trump-team-f...?
Register for webinar: events.propublica.org/disclosures-...?
ProPublica has made public ~3,200 disclosure records that reveal financial ties between senior government officials & the industries they help regulate. The disclosures detail the finances of >1,500 federal officials appointed by Trump. Records for Trump & Vance are also included.
Totally agree. The mirrored satellites are a "solution" in search of a real problem. Musk's 1 million satellites cause more problems than they solve. And the FCC is fast-tracking both--what are they thinking? Actually doesn't appear to be a lot of thinking going on anywhere!
...and introduce significant risks to the nighttime environment at a global scale. Learn more and, if you'd like, add your name to DarkSky’s open letter to Reflect Orbital opposing the proposal: darksky.org/news/orbital.... 🌎