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Nature

Reeve Rolls 300—Birds

November 24, 2014 By Eric Caine 1 Comment

When Harold Reeve moved to Modesto in 1983, one of the first things he decided to do was keep a list of all the bird species he saw in Stanislaus County. “County birding is the coming thing,” he told a friend. “I want us to have a good list.” To Reeve, “good” means several things, but it especially means “accurate” and “thorough.” Like many birders, Reeve is more than a […]

Filed Under: Featured, Nature Tagged With: Harold Reeve, Stanislaus County bird list, Stanislaus County birds

Target Bird: Bushtit

May 9, 2014 By Bruce Frohman Leave a Comment

Little brown birds (lbbs) are often impediments to beginning birders’ ascent up the learning curve of bird identification. Many lbbs are sparrows, and too many sparrows look alike, especially in immature plumages. Other lbbs are simply non-descript, as much gray as brown, and difficult to identify chiefly because they lack distinguishing marks or bold colors. Those who learn to recognize these inconspicuous little creatures are rewarded by the opportunity to enjoy […]

Filed Under: Featured, Nature Tagged With: San Joaquin Valley birds

Target Bird: Red-shouldered Hawk

April 12, 2014 By Eric Caine Leave a Comment

  In “How to Really Learn the Birds,” we suggested using the “target method” as a quick way of learning the common birds around you. To use the target method, simply study a bird before going out and searching for it. The key is to study birds you can expect to find in a given season. We’ve got more about common local birds in “How to Really Learn the Birds.” […]

Filed Under: Featured, Nature Tagged With: How to Really Learn the Birds

What Happened to the Birds?

December 16, 2013 By Eric Caine Leave a Comment

  Last Saturday, the Stanislaus Audubon Society conducted its annual LaGrange/Waterford Christmas bird count. The count has been an annual event for well over thirty years, and usually tallies over 130 species and tens of thousands of individual birds. This year was different. Count compiler Jim Gain’s preliminary estimate of 112 species was the lowest total in over twenty years, and the total number of individual birds was also way […]

Filed Under: Featured, Nature Tagged With: LaGrange/Waterford Christmas Count 2013, Stanislaus Audubon Christmas Count, Stanislaus Audubon Society

Stanislaus County Has a New Bird

November 6, 2013 By Eric Caine 1 Comment

It was only fitting that Stanislaus Audubon President Sal Salerno and Board member Ralph Baker were along when Harold Reeve added another bird to the Stanislaus County list. Reeve has been counting birds in Stanislaus County for over thirty years. He’s kept meticulous records of species, high and low counts, and rare occurrences. Periodically, the Stanislaus Audubon Society publishes an updated list of Reeve’s additions to the county bird list, […]

Filed Under: Featured, Nature Tagged With: Harold Reeve, Northern Waterthrush Stanislaus County, Stanislaus County bird list, Stanislaus County birds

What’s that Bird in My Yard?

August 23, 2013 By Eric Caine Leave a Comment

[meteor_slideshow slideshow=”harris-yard-1″] In 2001, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimated there were over 46 million birdwatchers in the United States—almost one in every five persons. A very large percentage of these people put out bird feeders and watch birds in their yards. Many delight in keeping a yard list that registers the different species that visit over the years. That’s certainly the case with John and Lisa Harris. The […]

Filed Under: Featured, Nature Tagged With: Stanislaus County Allen's Hummingbird, Stanislaus County birds

Keiller Kyle and the Last Great Colonial Nesting Birds

May 4, 2013 By Eric Caine 1 Comment

No one alive today has seen two of north America’s three species of colonial nesting song birds. Both the Carolina Parakeet and the Passenger Pigeon went extinct in the wild over a hundred years ago. Today, the loss of these magnificent birds is lamented by nature lovers around the world. Unbeknown to most Valley residents, the last of our great colonial nesters is making a stand for survival right here […]

Filed Under: Featured, Nature Tagged With: Audubon California, Keiller Kyle, Tri-colored Blackbird

Rare Visitors Brighten Audubon Christmas Count

January 5, 2013 By Eric Caine 2 Comments

  Most people wouldn’t give the shallow pond out near the San Joaquin River west of Modesto a second glance. But from a bird’s eye view, it’s like a table set with a holiday feast. That’s why there were Black-necked Stilts, Greater Yellowlegs, and Long-billed Dowitchers feeding along its margins on December 30, when two participants in Stanislaus Audubon Society’s annual Caswell-Westley Christmas bird count came upon the site in […]

Filed Under: Featured, Nature Tagged With: Eastern Phoebe Stanislaus County, Stanislaus Audubon Christmas Count, Stanislaus County birds, Vermilion Flycatcher Stanislaus County

Target Bird: Bald Eagle

December 25, 2012 By Eric Caine 1 Comment

  Despite Ben Franklin’s preference for the turkey, most U.S. citizens share our forefathers’ enthusiasm for the Bald Eagle as a stirring symbol of many of the nation’s most enduring virtues. Free, strong, and proud, the Bald Eagle represents a people fiercely devoted to preservation of the values upon which the country was founded. Today’s Bald Eagle also symbolizes much of the paradox of our nation’s history. Once on the […]

Filed Under: Featured, Nature Tagged With: Bald Eagle San Joaquin Valley, Bald Eagle Stanislaus County

Dazzling White Visitor Thrills, Puzzles Local Birders

December 2, 2012 By Eric Caine Leave a Comment

  Local birders ran for their cars when Central Valley birding legend David Yee reported an Iceland Gull in northwest Stanislaus County Saturday. It took Modesto residents Jim Gain and Sal Salerno just over thirty minutes to rush to the bird’s location. Oakdale’s John Harris wasn’t too far behind them. All three were treated to excellent looks at a bright white, medium-sized sea gull that had many of the characteristics […]

Filed Under: Featured, Nature Tagged With: Central Valley birding, David Yee, Iceland Gull Stanislaus County, San Joaquin Valley birding

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Off The Wire

Trump made 30,573 false or misleading claims as president. Nearly half came in his final year.
Trump made 30,573 false or misleading claims as president. Nearly half came in his final year.
The Washington Post Fact Checker’s database of Trump claims, originally launched as a project to track his first 100 days, offers a window into his obsessions.
www.washingtonpost.com
The Grim Conclusions of the Largest-Ever Study of Fake News
The Grim Conclusions of the Largest-Ever Study of Fake News
Falsehoods almost always beat out the truth on Twitter, penetrating further, faster, and deeper into the social network than accurate information.
www.theatlantic.com
Could a homegrown coronavirus strain be partly to blame for California's surge?
Could a homegrown coronavirus strain be partly to blame for California’s surge?
California scientists have discovered a new coronavirus strain that appears to be propagating faster than any other variant in the Golden State.
www.latimes.com
The Worst President in History
The Worst President in History
Three particular failures secure Trump’s status as the worst chief executive ever to hold the office.
www.theatlantic.com
Trump forces seek primary revenge on GOP impeachment backers
Trump forces seek primary revenge on GOP impeachment backers
Candidates, donors and local party officials are already organizing against the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump.
www.politico.com
McCarthy Falsely Denies Voting To Overturn Election Results
McCarthy Falsely Denies Voting To Overturn Election Results
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) on Thursday denied that he, in fact, voted to overturn the election results as…
talkingpointsmemo.com
Audubon Files Lawsuit to Protect Migratory Bird Treaty Act
Audubon Files Lawsuit to Protect Migratory Bird Treaty Act
A coalition of conservation groups is going to court to overturn Trump Administration’s weakening of the landmark bird protection law.
www.audubon.org
Californians scramble for shots amid slow vaccine rollout | CalMatters
Californians scramble for shots amid slow vaccine rollout | CalMatters
Gov. Newsom said the feds failed to deliver promised vaccine supplies, but he expects Californians with their first shots to be able to secure their second.
calmatters.org
David Brooks column: Trump ignites a war within the church
David Brooks column: Trump ignites a war within the church
“Over the last 72 hours, I have received multiple death threats and thousands upon thousands of emails from Christians saying the nastiest and most vulgar things I have ever heard toward my family and ministry. I have been labeled a coward, sellout, a traitor to the Holy Spirit, and cussed out at least 500 times.”
www.courant.com
Here are the companies suspending political contributions following the Capitol riots
Here are the companies suspending political contributions following the Capitol riots
thehill.com
How the Capitol Riot Thrust Big American Companies Deeper Into Politics
How the Capitol Riot Thrust Big American Companies Deeper Into Politics
“Words alone are not enough.” Corporate moves to halt political funding and decry the forces behind the Jan. 6 riot have accelerated a broader movement in business to address social and political issues.
www.wsj.com
I've hesitated to call Donald Trump a fascist. Until now | Opinion
I’ve hesitated to call Donald Trump a fascist. Until now | Opinion
After last week the label seems not just acceptable, but necessary.
www.newsweek.com
The Cheney-McCarthy rift busts open
The Cheney-McCarthy rift busts open
The Republican leaders’ split on impeachment presages a bigger battle over Trump and the GOP.
www.politico.com

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