This is really depressing

The Scotsman - International - Unhappy feat: biologists baffled as millions of penguins vanish

Yes, this story is from December, which makes it old news. However, being particularly fond of penguins (even though I have none in my backyard habitat), I am distressed that one of the species is declining so sharply.

As Marcus illustrates in his post Overheard on the Corner of 45th and 8th, it's easy for people to joke about global warming in the winter or in a cold climate. I've done so myself, and even jokingly called for a little more global warming. But when you stop and think about it, it's not so funny.

Depressing ...

The Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has been released. For those you who don't want to read the whole thing, the New York Times article "Science Panel Calls Global Warming ‘Unequivocal’" is a good summary. You may also want to check the other NYT resources on the global warming and Wayne's comments at Niches.

I am depressed, not so much because we humans are having an adverse effect on the planet but because of a stubborn refusal by the current administration to face facts that are inconvenient. Mistakes can be fixed and damage reversed (albeit very slowly in this case) but only once accepting that there's a problem and a responsibility to help solve it. Refusing to participate in the Kyoto Protocol and pressuring scientists to change their findings may win political points and campaign donations, but it won't prevent a world without penguins and polar bears.

How is a blue jay like a politician?

They both make a lot of noise and when they stop, you still have no idea what they've just said.

Today at the feeders, in addition to the two blue jays who inspired the thought above, there were 5 or 6 mourning doves, three downey woodpeckers (one male and two females who didn't like sharing - I'm not sure if they were competing for the male or the food, or maybe both), a red-bellied woodpecker, three jumcos, two house sparrows, a chickadee, two nuthatches, eight finches (both male and female), and a pair of cardinals.

I really enjoy watching them - the feeders here in Michigan are much closer to the house than they were in Virigina, and natural food appears to be harder to get, so I'm both seeing a larger number of birds and having a closer look at them. I enjoy hearing the downeys chirp, a sound Sibley describes as "a short, gentle, flat pik."

The doves cluster round the feeders as well as forage on the ground below, and when done eating are quite content to sit on the deck railing and watch each other and the rest of the parade. The juncos also come to the feeders as well as eat below them, but aren't much for sitting and watching. Whereas the doves seem to be channeling zen practitioners in their absolute stillness, the juncos constantly move their heads or tails, even when their feet stay in one place. They, the doves, and the rest of the ground feeders left an interesting pattern of birdy footprints in the snow beneath the feeders, one which I was frustratingly unsucessful in photographing.

The cardinals, a male and a female, were another interesting pair. The female flew repeatedly between the feeders and the window sill, where she tapped the window with her beak, then returned to the feeder. I don't know if she was seeing her reflection there, or if she was looking through the glass to something interesting inside. Apparently, neither did her mate, who ate at the feeders and watched her watch fly back and forth, reminding me of the patience demonstrated by human partners who think their beloved is slightly daft, but lovable none the less.