San Jose City Hall Falcons (7/18). They were heard before being seen. A parent fled. Then Walton landed on the nest ledge, followed by Scout. They registered complaints about the food service. Visited the drain. Scout did a bit of sunbathing. Perhaps they realized that you can't go home again....

Trump promised to unleash abundant energy. Today, US electricity shortages have utility executives and grid operators warning that the system is unstable. Trump's response? Spending $2.7B to block wind and solar projects, while funding fossil fuel and nuclear generation that has yet to come online.

Big Bear Valley Bald Eagles. Yesterday was all-the-fish-you-can-eat Friday at the Shadow Cafe (formerly Jackie & Shadow's Nest). Business was slow, then really picked up that evening when Sandy and Luna devoured 6 (!) fish (video by @skh4birdies.bsky.social): www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTgv.... #birds

Hellgate Ospreys (7/17). Chick is now 36 days old, still wobbly on those long legs, and already has an impressive wingspan. It's hot in Missoula, MT, and devoted Iris spends the day shading Chick.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world,” Margaret Mead. In this case, 1 beer can, 1 old tire at a time. They're 64+, able to swim 1/2 mile in <30 min, can free dive to 8 ft, 30 strong, and call themselves the Old Ladies Against Underwater Garbage.

Blazes continue to spread out of control across parts of central Canada and the Boundary Waters of northern Minnesota. Health concerns grow as dense smoke pushes air quality to dangerous levels for millions in the U.S. Updates: www.nytimes.com/live/2026/07... (gift).

Audubon has put together favorite photos of birds doing bird things. For example, the Loggerhead Shrike: the bird earns its nickname "butcher-bird" by impaling prey on thorns or on barbed wire. Enjoy the photos and fascinating behaviors: www.audubon.org/magazine/our.... #birds

The nation’s largest electrical grid operator, PJM has released results of an electricity auction that would add $6.3B to the bills of customers in 13 Eastern states and DC within the next 3 years. Since 2024, the auctions have added ~$29 billion in costs to utility customers in the PJM region.

In the past 2 decades, scientists have developed the tools for "extreme event attribution"—that is, estimating how much climate change shapes a weather event in a particular place. A nongovernmental institution, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine just issued a report...

Smoke from wildfires in Canada and the US is sending dense smoke across the Midwest, New England, New York, and beyond. Hazardous air quality combined with high temperatures can be deadly. The New York Times is tracking air quality. Check your city: www.nytimes.com/interactive/.... 🌎

The US Forest Service has closed all 1M acres of Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BCWAW), as ~20 fires spread in Superior National Forest amid unusually hot, dry, windy weather. Once forest fires reach temperatures of up to 1,500°, which is the scale of those burning in and around BCWAW,...

Project 2025 mandated getting rid of the Antiquities Act, which enables the president to protect national monuments. Although vastly increasing presidential power, Chief Justice Roberts thinks the Antiquities Act is a step too far. Journalist Wes Siler suggests that Trump's proclamations slashing...

This is a robot... Researchers at MIT have created a robot that emulates the movements of diving birds, such as puffins. Why? The machines can quietly dip in and out of water to remotely and cost-effectively monitor fragile marine ecosystems. Watch: www.nytimes.com/2026/07/14/s... (gift). 🌎

Vast, federally protected public lands owned collectively by all citizens is a uniquely American idea. From 1872, when President Grant made Yellowstone a national park, historian @hcrichardson.bsky.social recounts how presidents of both parties have protected public lands. Since the 1980s,...

As expected, Trump has shrunk Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears national monuments by 90% each, cutting ~1.7M acres from Grand Staircase-Escalante and >1.2M acres from Bears Ears. Land could be opened to oil/gas/mining/logging leases within 60 days: www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026.... 🌎

NY has sued 3M, DuPont, others, claiming they contaminated the environment and engaged in fraud by withholding information about the harms of PFAS chemicals. As early as 1961, they knew PFAS were toxic and in employees' and the public's blood. There's more: www.nytimes.com/2026/07/09/n... (gift). 🌎

San Jose City Hall Falcons. The juveniles are dispersing. Scout was seen briefly on the nest ledge on July 12 (below); he's since been tracked to San Jose's nearby Hellyer Park. Jet hasn't been seen recently, but on July 11 his tracker showed him in the Fremont Hills (~18 miles from San Jose).

A first in the US: New York has paused the construction of "hyperscale" AI data centers—which use 50 or more megawatts of power to operate—for 1 year while the state assesses their effects on the environment and energy use. There's more: www.nytimes.com/2026/07/14/n... (gift). 🌎

Big Bear Valley Bald Eagles. Catch up with Sandy and Luna, now 14 weeks old, still mostly inseparable. And enjoy the gorgeous valley and its awe-inspiring sunsets and sunrises (video by @skh4birdies.bsky.social and courtesy FOBBV): www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ua-m.... #birds

Hellgate Ospreys. Chick had quite a day, starting just after midnight when a Great Horned Owl threatened the nest. No one messes with Iris and her baby. That streak (left) is Iris just before she knocked the owl off the aptly named Owl Pole and dispatched the intruder. The day started (right)...

250 to 250 Project, Week 7. Honoring the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the 1-minute videos emphasize the agency of any American to change our country. Among this week’s 12 wide-ranging videos is the Apia Cyclone. Heard of it? I hadn’t.

San Jose City Hall Falcons (7/11). Walton was seen on the cams in the afternoon, guarding prey he'd likely just captured (left). A sibling appeared, and Walton mantled to protect his catch (right). (The sibling was likely Scout. Jet's tracker showed him in the Fremont Hills, but he's a wanderer.)

Forewarned is forearmed. El Niño is strengthening and the risks of a historic event with the power to supercharge extreme weather around the world are rising (source: US National Weather Service). Models show an 81% chance that this El Niño would rank among the strongest.

Despite thousands of objections from around the world—including from astronomers, scientific institutions, wildlife experts—the FCC has approved Reflect Orbital’s application to test a satellite that would use a 60-ft mirror to reflect a 3-mile-wide beam of sunlight down to Earth at night.

San Jose City Hall Falcons (7/8-10). Before dispersing (leaving the parents territory to find their own homes), juveniles spend less and less time in the nest area. They're going farther afield, exploring where their wings take them. Perhaps they're as reluctant to leave home as...

San Jose City Hall Falcons (7/10). Who's still in the 'hood? Walton appeared briefly yesterday. Today, Scout (below and alt text) was seen on the cams. Jet has been seen recently. Stewart lost his tracking device shortly after fledging, hasn't been seen in a while, and has likely dispersed. #birds

The bad news keeps rolling in... Multiple news outlets are reporting that Trump plans to sign an executive order on Monday shrinking Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments in Utah. Again. In 2017, Trump attempted to slash Bears Ears by 85% and Grand Staircase-Escalante by ~50%.

URGENT. Trump is trying to rewrite the rules that determine how grant and program funds are allocated by federal agencies (NSF, NOAA, DoE, etc.) by putting political appointees in control of federal grant and related funding decisions and mandating that funding decisions align with Trump priorities.

For >50 years, the definition of harm under the Endangered Species Act included any significant “modification or degradation” of habitat that kills or injures animals by impairing their ability to eat, shelter, or breed. No more. Despite the Supreme Court upholding that interpretation in 1995,...

Visiting San Francisco? San Francisco is home to 12 National Park Service sites, and now the Golden Gate Trail connects them all. The 13-mile trail spans San Francisco’s coastline, providing views of beaches, bluffs, dunes, headlands, marshes, and more: www.sfexaminer.com/culture/trav...? 🌎

Well, of course he did. Trump has appointed Dr. Wielicki, a critic of climate science with no training in climate science, to lead the National Climate Assessment. The report is required by Congress to detail effects of rising US temperatures and is relied on by industry, etc. for future planning.

Six years ago, Ferris Jabr, author of “Becoming Earth,” transformed a derelict lawn into a wildlife garden. As he heard about the virtues of native plants, he had questions. Those questions took him to >20 scientists and gardeners, including the native plants expert Douglas Tammany.

Big Bear Valley Bald Eagles. After fledging, juvenile eagles spend 6-10 weeks in the parents' territory, honing flight and hunting skills. After dispersing, they'll spend 4-5 years wandering before they develop their iconic white head&tail feathers, reach sexual maturity, and establish a territory.

Hellgate Ospreys. At 28 days old, Chick now has more feathers than down and can (almost) look Iris in the eye (left). Missoula is getting hot. Iris spends the day, wings outstretched, shading Chick (right). Watch nest cam: www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qvY.... #birds

Lost and Found Birds. This past April, three birders traveled to New Ireland, a remote island off the northeast coast of Papua New Guinea, to find Lost Birds (species not documented in the past decade). The team found the White-naped Lory, New Ireland Friarbird, and New Britain Sparrowhawk,...

Where do the birds now delighting the US & Canada spend their winters? Scientists have found that the Five Great Forests of Central America support 1/10 to 1/2 of the global populations of 40 migratory species. Of great concern, 3 of those forests have lost ~1/4 of their area in the past 15 years.

How do raptors stay cool in this heat? Some usual bird ways and one unique to raptors. * Raptors hunt in the morning and evening when it's cooler. * A dip in water increases evaporative cooling. * Rapidly moving their throat muscles cycles hot air out of their mouth (gular fluttering).

Energy Innovation, a nonpartisan think tank, has reported that Trump's "policy changes since January 2025 will increase energy prices, slow economic growth and job creation, increase air pollution and healthcare costs, and worsen grid reliability" (see also alt text). The rollback of clean energy...

San Jose City Hall Falcons. Walton, one of the four juveniles, was seen this morning, likely hunting—and napping—from various vantage points on City Hall: the sunshades and two spots on the roof. Roof cam: www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQLh.... Ledge cam: www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pp9.... #birds

Wilderness Watch — @wildernesswatch.bsky.social — will be in D.C. next week to urge Congress to defend the Wilderness Act and National Wilderness Preservation System. The 4 agencies in charge of our Wilderness System have reduced budgets, eliminated staff and programs, and allowed illegal actions...

Photographer? Love public lands? Part of The Wilderness Society’s — @wilderness.org — "Public Lands: Hand ’Em Down, Not Over," the 2026 Wilderness Photo Contest celebrates America’s public lands and the landscapes, wildlife, and outdoor moments worth protecting.

The US House may soon be taking up the misleadingly titled Enhancing Safety for Animals Act (H.R.4255). The bill removes Endangered Species Act protections from the Mexican gray #wolf, which is on the brink of extinction with only ~286 of the #wolves left in the US (see alt text).

San Jose City Hall Falcons. Juveniles keep turning up on the cams, so perhaps some have not yet dispersed (left the parents' territory). This afternoon, one of the juveniles heard the parents bonding, and flew in, loudly announcing his arrival. Parents Hartley and Monty fled.

Lost and Found Birds. The Blue-fronted Lorikeet had been documented just once—in 2014—in the past 100 years. The elusive parrot was recognized as a lost species by the Search for Lost Birds in 2024. Then, during a trek in April 2026 into the remote highlands of Mount Kapalatmada in Buru,...

Serbia's Eastern Imperial Eagle population has recovered thanks to extensive conservation efforts. One of the country's precious eagles—Feliks— set off last August on his first migration. His transmitter signal was lost in late October. Then bad news: he'd been captured by poachers in Syria.

Hellgate Ospreys. Chick is 25 days old and entering the rapid phase of growth. Look at how big Chick is already! Chick can no longer tuck under Iris. The two, however, snuggle together for naps, and Iris thinks Chick makes a lovely pillow. Live nest cam: www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qvY.... #birds

San Jose City Hall Falcons. Walton (I think) sporting a full crop and completely uninterested in a pigeon doing pigeon things on the roof of San Jose City Hall. (Pigeons are a favorite food of Peregrines.) Roof cam: www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQLh.... Ledge cam: www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pp9.... #birds

250 to 250 Project, Week 6. Honoring the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the 1-minute videos emphasize the agency of any American to change our country. Among this week’s 12 videos is Mr. Rogers, who frequently discussed wildlife, conservation, and the environment on his shows.

San Jose City Hall Falcons. The juveniles are ~11 weeks old: at that age, they're honing their hunting skills and dispersing. Walton (top) and Scout (below) were seen in the nest area today, using the ledges to hunt. (Stewart and Jet are thought to have already dispersed.) #birds

There's been surprisingly little mention of climate change as temperatures soared this week. Per scientists at World Weather Attribution, however, heat and humidity as severe, prolonged, and far-reaching as this week’s would have been “virtually impossible” in the northeastern US...