Friday, July 20, 2007

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!

3 comments:

Mary said...

Larry, your Mom is kind to keep you in mind. I appreciate your CNN article on declining species. I'd love to see a bobwhite.

That beetle looks familiar...I lived in Maryland for 49 years near the bay.

Argentavis is enormous! I'd pass out if I saw one, no doubt.

Enjoy your weekend. We all need to relax and enjoy the summer while it lasts.

Patrice said...

Hi Larry,

All three articles were very interesting. Thanks for sharing.
Enjoy the jazz!

Larry said...

Mary-I never have seen a Bobwhite either-Yes mom is trying to help me out.
Patrice-The Jazz was great!-Especially Gerald Albright.