Happy Earth Day!

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If you haven't already, please check out the gorgeous images collected on The Conversation Report's blog in honor of earth day.

Happy Earth Day!
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Bad News Friday

First, a story about how CITES itself has voted to continue trade in endangered species.

Read the UK Times article here.

Second, a short story and lots of pictures - not for the fainthearted.  Even in remote colonies, Albatross parents are finding plastic in the ocean and feeding it to their chicks, killing them.

The last image is a heartbreaker.  Click here.

Both tips via russlings.
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The Year Without A Summer

Wow, found this on the Choosing Voluntary Simplicity blog, a newspaper clipping from 1889 describing the New England summer (or rather, lack thereof) from 1816, a year with hard frosts in each month. Described by the farmers as "Eighteen hundred and starve to death". 

Hello, perspective!

Global Warming is a Hoax!

Apologies for the heading - this is NOT my opinion.  This "movement" of people who do choose to believe that global warming is a "hoax" baffles me completely.  And what is with the "evolution is still just a theory" crowd???  Good grief...  Don't start a discussion with somebody like this - it heads REAL quickly into "I believe".  Folks, that's not a rebuttal, that's a childish "you can't make me" retort.

Believe in whatever you want to believe.  But don't expect to be taken seriously if you've got nothing to back it up with.

The Wall Street Journal has a new article out, summarizing (and rebutting) most of the claims of the "I don't believe in Global Warming" crowd.  Just a synopsis, but handy.

Click Here for the Story

Drawing - Dun Horse

Dun Horse - Graphite on Paper

Copyright Nicole MacPherson, 2009

Another roadside horse, found just outside of Saskatoon.  There were two horses of the same type, they looked like big long-maned Norwegian Fjords!

Lesson of the day:  dark manes are much different to draw than light manes!

Drawing - Draft Horse in Grass

Draft Horse In Grass - Graphite on Paper
Copyright Nicole MacPherson, 2009

Something a little different...

Birding trips include a lot of non-bird sightings. I know there are birders that make birding goals and take pride in long tallies and "species lists" for their trips. I've kept these sorts of records, but list length has never been an indication of a "successful" trip for me.

One of my favorite trips was a three day sojourn to Riding Mountain National Park over Thanksgiving weekend. No mammals seen, the only birds I remember were Ruffed Grouse and Gray Jay. But the weather was to die for, the scenery awesome, and there was almost a total lack of other people.

But I digress. Most of our trips are for birding. But I don't stop for every bird I see. And lots of things capture my attention. I'm a sucker for cloud formations, and colorful grass. Cows and horses are sometimes more common than the birds! That's fine, I like them all!