Lyn Heideman

The Peregrine Falcon is one of the representatives of 2025 World Migratory Bird Day. Falco peregrinus, the Peregrine Falcon, is the fastest bird in the world, reaching speeds of up to 380 km/h during flight. Known for its long migrations, this raptor has also adapted to urban environments, successfully nesting on man-made structures like skyscrapers, bridges, and nest boxes. In these settings, their diet includes a variety of bird species such as Rock Doves, Northern Flickers, Blue Jays, and Mourning Doves. They also prey on migratory species as they journey through cities, and Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Northern Oriole and other species have been reported as prey items. One of the leading causes of Peregrine Falcon mortality in urban settings is collisions. A study in New England, from Delaware to Maine, showed that collisions with buildings and windows caused up to 21% of the deaths. Other research has demonstrated that this may be higher in other communities, reaching 36% in a study that included Ontario, Quebec, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. morning or late evening in brightly lit urban areas. (Image and text courtesy of World Migratory Bird Day in the Americas: https://www.migratorybirdday.org/)

Plant native, dim lights at night, make windows visible, don't use pesticides, restrain pets, avoid plastics, and purchase sustainable foods. More information: www.migratorybirdday.org/conservation.... (See also alt text.) #birds 🌎

Today is World Migratory Bird Day, celebrated in May, when migratory birds travel to nesting sites, and in October, when they return to wintering grounds. This year’s theme is creating bird-friendly cities and communities, emphasizing 7 important steps to keep birds safe on their long journeys...

Best Bird Sounds: Our Favorite Macaulay Library Audio Recordings 2025 In 2024, birders uploaded more than 470,000 sound recordings to the Macaulay Library archive. Here are some of our favorites from the year.

Take a break and listen to the calming sound of birdsongs. Cornell's Macaulay Library chose its favorites among last year's >470,000 recordings. Play a few at once, don't miss the pika, and imagine you're walking in the mountains: www.allaboutbirds.org/news/best-bi...? #birds

California Condor #1254 saw a flock of wild Condors flying around the enclosure and raced out to join them on Sep. 27. The other 4 Condors waited until the thunderstorms passed and flew out on Sep. 29. (Video courtesy of The Peregrine Fund)

...using their 9 1/2-ft wings to explore the area and finding safe ledges to roost on at night, safe from ground predators. Milagra, released last year, has also been seen in the area with her flock. Photos & video from the event: peregrinefund.org/help-condors. #birds #condors

Update on the California Condor release at Vermilion Cliffs, AZ: 4 of the 5 stayed put on Sep. 27, likely sensing looming thunderstorms. The 4 took off on Sep. 29 and have been observed by @theperegrinefund.bsky.social ground team, who report the birds are becoming more experienced at...

Why Leaving the Leaves Is Better for Your Yard

The science is fascinating...what it can do for your yard is transformative...you'll be helping to address the collapse of insect populations...and pretty much all you need to do is let the leaves fall. Here are some tips: www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/r... (gift). 🌎 #gardens #gardening

By doing nothing you can do good: leave the leaves!

Let those autumn leaves fall where they may, providing habitat for bugs, offering havens and food (those bugs) for wildlife, and nourishing plants and soil as they decompose.

Albatross Chick Learns How to Hover in Gale-Force Winds https://youtu.be/njawT79NKDo Warning: there’s loud wind noise and viewers should adjust their volume On a rainy, blustery afternoon in New Zealand, the Royal Cam albatross chick put on an i...

A few days later, the young Albatross fledged into the Pacific and headed toward South America, where the bird will likely spend the next few years foraging before returning to New Zealand to breed. Watch (video by @cornellbirdcams.bsky.social): www.allaboutbirds.org/cams/hoverin...? #birds

Royal #Albatross spend the vast majority of their lives at sea, keeping aloft on ocean wind currents and updrafts. A chick on New Zealand's Taiaroa Head put on an impressive display for a first flight, instinctively knowing how to hover in place--without a single wingbeat--as the wind streams past.

California Condors Watch the California Condor cam

Watch live cam (offline at night): www.allaboutbirds.org/cams/califor....

Videos:
Chick fed by dad: www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdHU....
Chick explores ridge: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nc4N....
Chick in sunrise: www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH3i....
#birds

New California Condor nest cam from @cornellbirdcams.bsky.social: The nest is on a cliff face in the Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuge in SoCal. The parents are 20+ year-old #condors #328 (male) and #216 (female). The chick (#1379) is 156 days old, weighs >20 lb, and likely fledges in late Oct.

I'll admit to having a cuteness overload reaction to this little bird. Great photo--and I love the way you catch wildlife (and an errant budgie) in scene.

The article noted that the money amounts to $100,000 for each of Greenland's polar bears. So, yeah, likely part of Trump's campaign to (try to) annex Greenland.

Trump’s new foreign aid plan eyes $50 million for Greenland’s polar bears Documents reviewed by The Post show the administration may spend millions to protect vulnerable wildlife, proposals that stunned critics of its moves to gut foreign assistance.

This at a time when US's iconic wildlife is endangered or threatened: polar and grizzly bears, gray wolves, more than one-third of bird species, the list goes on.

This also at a time when Trump is slashing humanitarian aid USAID): wapo.st/4ofBnOl (gift).

America First? When it's America's wildlife, it's America Last.

Trump is considering spending $50 million in foreign aid to protect polar bears in Greenland and $25 million for snow leopards in Nepal. Parallel US initiatives slash wildlife programs as incompatible with the America First agenda.

I thought they were emphasizing that critical research like this is not being adequately funded, and the researchers are forced to do work in substandard conditions (random rentals). The specificity of AIRBNB made it real. Maybe I overthought it?

The Very Hungry Microbes That Could, Just Maybe, Cool the Planet

To help slow climate change, researchers are trying to redirect the microbes' appetite to the hundreds of millions of tons of methane emitted each year from oil and gas sites, livestock, and wetlands. Similar work is being done on CO2. But it's complicated: www.nytimes.com/2025/10/06/c... (gift). 🌎

Researchers have discovered methane-eating microbes, or methanotrophs, that feast on the potent greenhouse gas. Globally, all of the methanotrophs on the planet are consuming many times the amount of methane that humans are releasing into the atmosphere.

You know where this is going...

Opinion | Trump’s Coal Plan Is Doomed

...opening more land to coal mining to spark a turnaround for coal.

In contrast, wind and solar energy and battery storage, which Trump actively opposes, are less expensive, more reliable, and far better for the climate: www.nytimes.com/2025/10/07/o... (gift).

Do we go back or forward? 🌎

Coal plants are the dirtiest source of energy. Their technology is from 1882. They're unreliable and inefficient on the modern grid and expensive to run. Nonetheless, Trump is forcing coal plants to stay open, offering $625 million to upgrade plants, cutting pollution limits, and...

Listen to the Sounds of Climate Change

And the sounds of the Amazon: severe droughts threaten to disrupt the thunderous symphonies of macaws. Listen: www.nytimes.com/2025/10/03/c... (gift).

Are the Earth and its wildlife screaming for our help? 🌎 #birds

The sound of climate change isn't silent. Hear the Arctic’s "underwater jungle": as ice shrinks and new predators (including humans) are introduced, the sounds in Arctic waters get louder and stormier. A melting glacier: as glaciers melt, ancient air bubbles create sounds like wailing synthesizers.

Ember (an energy think tank) report: ember-energy.org/latest-insig....

International Energy Agency report: www.iea.org/reports/rene....

Trump trying--and obviously failing--to turn the rest of the world against renewables in UN speech: www.cfr.org/expert-brief.... 🌎

Early Signs of a ‘Turning Point’ as Renewables Edge Out Coal

International Energy Agency report: lowered its forecast for US renewable energy growth over the next 5 years by almost 50%.

Much more data summarized here: www.nytimes.com/2025/10/07/c... (gift).

Trump is destroying our public lands, waters, and wildlife for oil/gas/coal--and for what? 🌎

As the US moves away from addressing climate change, renewables are making big gains in the rest of the world. 2 new reports tell strikingly different stories. Ember report: in the first 6 months of the year, renewables (solar, wind, etc.) generated more electricity than coal for the first time. 🌎

Eggs are being laid and adorable fluffy white chicks hatching now in the Southern Hemisphere. Follow @skh4birdies.bsky.social for a Peregrine nest on a skyscraper Melbourne and another in a water tower in NSW; a nest of gorgeous White-bellied Sea Eagles in Sydney; and more. #raptors

YouTube video by SK Hideaways FOBBVCAM Eagles🦅Jackie & Shadow Visit 3 Favorite Perches🌲 for Date Night 🌟2025 Oct 4

Video by @skh4birdies.bsky.social: www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TCV.... Jackie typically lays eggs in January--followed by amazing displays of fortitude in protecting the eggs during BBV's raging winter storms. #birds #raptors #eagles

Big Bear Valley (BBV) Bald Eagles: After Sunny and Gizmo dispersed, Jackie and Shadow took a 3-month break and are now back in BBV. They've surveyed the damage to the nest, but nestorations are put off for another day as they enjoy each other's company.

It really does take minutes. If you think your comments will be ignored...they won't. They'll be used in court and be critical to the lawsuit brought by Earthjustice and other environmental law firms. Thank you!

You point out one of the great dangers for birds and reasons that migratory bird populations are declining: their stopover sites along the migration path no longer exist (human development) or no longer have food and/or water. Climate change playing a big part in this.