Mom's Newspaper Clippings

My mom is quite aware that I'm interested in birds and birding. She has made a habit of sending me newspaper articles about topics that she thinks would interest me-thanks mom! If I was a more ambitious blogger, I could have made a post out of each one of the articles she sent me. Instead, I'll give a quick summary of what I remember from some of those articles.

• Portland's plan to build a a Connecticut River boat launch near the Portland fairgrounds was halted by the DEP. The reason? There is a nearby island that is home to the Puritan Tiger Beetle which happens to be a threatened species. The sandy beaches of the Connecticut River, and the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, are the only known places that they exist. I've owned a boat for many years, but I didn't want a launch built at the fairgrounds. I wasn't worried about beetles. I was worried about the effect it would have on some of the birds that I see in this area. I must admit, I thought this beetle thing was a silly reason to stop a boat launch. Now that I've read a little bit about it-maybe it's not so silly.


• The Audubon Society has determined that many common species of birds are in rapid decline. This is no big surprise to me. The world's population has grown from 3 billion in 1960 to nearly 7 billion today, and we are continually ripping up land for development.


• I recently read about Argentavis , which was known to be the world's largest flying bird. It had a wingspan of 21 feet. Can you imagine a bird with a 21 foot wingspan flying over your house? That would be such an unbelievable sight.

I hope to do a little bit of birding Saturday and Sunday. I'm also planning to spend some time at the Hartford Jazz Festival. I'm only a casual fan of jazz, but it sure is a nice way to enjoy a summer day. Have a Great Weekend Everyone!