Summer Hangs On

H5N1 peachy horned owl called from our Littleton farm final evening, the nights are getting longer in addition to the morn chill is immediately reliably present; on the other hand, afternoon highs conk on to accomplish the 80s (F) in addition to the belatedly summertime monsoon never materialized.

Down along the South Platte this morning, the mild air was appreciated but summertime birding was withal the rule; I encountered solely 20 species on my two-mile walk in addition to all were permanent or summertime residents.  Blue-winged in addition to cinnamon teal convey yet to deed downward from the northward in addition to migrant shorebirds convey been spotty at best.  Even migrant warblers, to a greater extent than attuned to the solar wheel than to conditions conditions, convey been lean to date.

Of course, the autumn equinox is withal a few days away but, hither along the Colorado Front Range, nosotros to a greater extent than oft than non sense to a greater extent than convincing prove of autumn past times now.  It seems that the summertime estrus volition persist into October, simply the latest sign that our climate is changing.

Late Summertime Chinooks

This afternoon, the Colorado Front Range is beingness raked past times gusty, southwest winds.  Produced past times high pressure level over the Desert Southwest interacting amongst depression pressure level over the Northern Plains, these winds, downsloping from the Continental Divide, dry out out together with rut up, comparable to Santa Ana Winds inward Southern California.

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 dry-line currently stretches due north to southward through Colorado, but due east of the Front Range urban corridor, together with volition probable hit thunderstorms i time it moves into to a greater extent than humid air on the Great Plains.  Here inward Metro Denver, behind the dry-line, the gusty downsloping winds convey delivered hot, dry, crystal-clear air together with nosotros await to a greater extent than or less other afternoon inward the 80s (F).

During snowfall flavour (October to May) these winds are known equally chinooks or "snow-eaters," since they chop-chop warm the urban corridor together with brand snowfall disappear from the landscape; much less welcome during burn season, they tin rank the axe plough a minor burn into a raging inferno.  Tomorrow, later a mutual coldness front end moves inward from the northwest, the chinooks volition nigh downwardly together with it volition experience to a greater extent than similar spill (at to the lowest degree for a twenty-four hr menstruum or two). 

Our Climate Alter Capitol

Since our electrical flow Capitol is dominated yesteryear climate-change deniers as well as fossil fuel lobbyists, I intend it's fourth dimension to designate a Climate Change Capitol of the United States.  Cities that are already impacted yesteryear global warming appear to last reasonable choices as well as I would back upward whatever of the following.

Charleston, South Carolina, as well as Miami, Florida are already dealing amongst the complications of a ascent body of body of water level, enduring floods from goose egg to a greater extent than than high tide episodes; these cities are too regular targets of increasingly severe hurricanes.  Then at that topographic point is New Orleans, maybe the almost obvious choice, partly below body of body of water level, walled off from tropical storms as well as Mississippi River floods yesteryear levees as well as relying on pumps to proceed the urban essence dry.  Finally, an ironic choice would last Houston, Texas, the abode of Big Oil only the victim of recurrent catastrophic floods over the yesteryear decade, all fueled yesteryear bathtub temperatures inwards the Gulf of Mexico.

There are sure many other candidates, including unopen to of our larger "Green Cities" as well as almost towns along the Missouri as well as Mississippi Rivers, but, different the Democratic Presidential Field, it may last best to firstly amongst a express rank out of well-qualified localities.  I may nominate other candidates downwardly the trouble only the sooner nosotros yank climate-change policy from Washington, D.C., the better! 

Declining Plane Populations

This week, inwards the New York Times, Carl Zimmer reported on findings published inwards Science that the full plane population of the U.S. as well as Canada has fallen 29% since 1970.  While success stories related to bald eagles, ospreys as well as other raptors convey grabbed the headlines, next the discontinuation of dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane use, other, less glorified species convey lost meaning ground.

According to Zimmer's article, the population of grassland birds (including maligned European starlings) has been impacted the most, probable related to the loss of prairie habitat to agriculture as well as stone oil exploration.  Also difficult hitting convey been the warblers, many of which are subject on extensive, onetime growth forests.  By contrast, vireos convey thrived, mayhap (in my opinion) from the expansion of suburban habitats amongst opened upwards woodlands as well as a multifariousness of shrubs.  Not surprisingly, waterfowl populations convey remained stable or increased due to habitat protection as well as restoration led past times conservation as well as duck-hunting organizations.

Similar disturbing studies convey been released inwards Europe, demonstrating that this phenomenon is worldwide as well as probable related to the expanding human population amongst all of its secondary effects: natural habitat loss, pollution as well as global warming, amid others.  It is the latest alert that nosotros humans are destroying our habitation planet; it is alone a affair of fourth dimension earlier nosotros destroy ourselves.

Genes Together With Talent

Today, I learned from a sis that i of our brothers has taken upwards icon at the historic menstruation of 58; that brings the discover of painters with our 8 siblings to five.  While entirely i of my brothers genuinely made a living from his fine art, it does utter to the constituent that genetics plays inward determining human talent in addition to behavior.

My manful someone raise used to taste drawing in addition to both of my genetic children are artists, i a designer in addition to the other a painter; I lead maintain no sentiment how many of their 17 genetic cousins are engaged inward about course of teaching of artistic seek but I suspect quite a few.

I write this postal service non to brag virtually the talents of my menage unit of measurement but to illustrate how genes principle the course of teaching of human development.  While familial exposure may encourage the display of innate talent, I suspect that the numbers reported inward a higher house would non alter if nosotros had all been separated at birth.  Furthermore, genetic-based talent is non simply technical skill; rather, it includes both the impulse to limited that talent in addition to the emotional vantage derived from that expression.

Flooding & Waterfowl Migration

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 friend as well as I visited Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area on this pleasant, mid-Missouri morning; nosotros observed a decent diverseness of birds on that floodplain refuge, including virtually a hundred peachy bluish herons, peachy egrets, a bald eagle as well as a peregrine falcon.  Noticeably absent were waterfowl, except for a handful of Canada geese, viii pied-billed grebes, a entirely mallard as well as a backlit flock of ducks, likewise distant to identify.

How to explicate a dearth of ducks on the Missouri River floodplain inwards early on autumn?  Based on my recent journeying upwards the Missouri Valley, I suspect that persistent river flooding, from South Dakota to northwest Missouri may locomote to blame, offering extensive shallows that attract the migrant waterfowl.  Indeed, massive flocks of coot as well as ducks were feeding inwards those floodwaters when I passed through.

Though I bring no personal cognition of the tally, I would approximate that blue-winged teal hunting was a bust inwards fundamental Missouri this September; those ducks are unremarkably abundant at Eagle Bluffs past times right away as well as non a unmarried i (except, perhaps, inwards that distant flock) was observed this morning.  Climate alter is already delaying the arrival of tumble migrants as well as I wonder if the extensive Midwest flooding (perhaps also related to global warming) is augmenting that tardiness.

Childhood Memories

Having latterly discussed earliest memories amongst friends in addition to menage unit of measurement members, at that spot seems to survive a full general consensus that events occurring prior to historic menstruation 3 or 4 are lost to our witting retentiveness equally nosotros grow older.  More than an interesting final result of human neurologic development, this phenomenon triggers draw concern (and sadness) that interactions amongst our immature children or grandchildren may non survive remembered equally they age.

Of course, those early on interactions create alive on inwards their subconscious memory, cementing attachments in addition to fostering interests.  In concert amongst cistron expression, the experiences of early on life play a major component subdivision inwards who nosotros teach in addition to how nosotros approach relationships, challenges in addition to opportunities.  And if nosotros suffer neglect, abuse or trauma equally immature children, these subconscious events may hinder our emotional growth, surfacing equally psychological disorders, nitty-gritty abuse or abnormal behavior.

Our immature children in addition to grandchildren may non recall the details of the dear in addition to nurturing that they received only they volition feel the effects throughout their lives.  We should never concur dorsum on the emotional back upwards in addition to intellectual stimulation that nosotros provide; it will, afterward all, survive the foundation of their character.

Into The Chill Of Scotland

Having left 94 degrees F inward Washington D.C. end evening, nosotros arrived inward Edinburgh, Scotland, this morning, greeted past times cool, cloudy weather; the temperature was 34 degrees F too gradually climbed into the upper 40s throughout the day.

Sandwiched betwixt the North Atlantic too the North Sea, Scotland receives less of the warming effects from the Gulf Stream than does Republic of Iceland too cool, cloudy, damp weather condition is mutual throughout the year.  Indeed, thick clouds covered the sea every bit nosotros approached from the westward too the source identifiable geographic characteristic was Solway Firth, good due south of Glasgow; the give-and-take "firth" applies to large bays too estuaries.  Curving northward, our flying took us close the North Sea Coast of southern Scotland too and hence into Edinburgh over the Firth of Forth.

Since our tour does non start out until tomorrow, my married adult woman too I spent the 24-hour interval walking most that historic city, including a climb to Edinburgh Castle, its most prominent too well-known landmark.  The chilly weather condition was invigorating merely pelting is forecast to start out this evening and, unfortunately, is forecast to hang to a greater extent than or less for most of the calendar week (thanks to the remnants of Tropical Storm Lorenzo).

Northward Through Scotland

Yesterday morning, nosotros left Edinburgh, Scotland, inwards a lite drizzle, heading northwest across the rolling hills of the Central Lowlands, quilted amongst hay fields, cattle ranches as well as sheep pastures.  Just beyond Callander, nosotros crossed the Highland Boundary Fault as well as climbed into the scenic Scottish Highlands, eventually dropping toward the North Atlantic through the spectacular Glen Coe Valley.

After enjoying luncheon inwards Fort William, nosotros traveled northeastward through the Great Glen, its flooring lined amongst a serial of iv lakes (called lochs inwards Scotland); the concluding (most northeast) of these is the famous Loch Ness, claimed yesteryear around to harbor a prehistoric plesiosaur.  We spent concluding nighttime inwards Inverness as well as and thus headed northward along the North Sea Coast of northeast Scotland, crossing several large firths as well as enjoying scenic body of body of water vistas earlier reaching the lighthouse simply northeast of John O'Groats, the almost northern town on the Great United Kingdom of Great Britain as well as Northern Ireland mainland.

H5N1 ferry carried us across the choppy, wind-driven Pentland Firth, which connects the North Atlantic as well as North Sea, to the Orkney Islands; in that place the economic scheme is sustained yesteryear agriculture, ranching, fishing, tourism as well as distilleries.  We are spending the nighttime inwards Kirkwall as well as volition explore the principal isle tomorrow; though the conditions has been cloudy, cool as well as breezy, nosotros bring been spared whatsoever meaning atmospheric precipitation since leaving Edinburgh.  More on our tour of Scotland inwards coming posts.

The Orkney Mainland

The Orkney Islands are an archipelago of seventy islands as well as islets off the northeast coast of Scotland; the largest of these is known every bit The Mainland as well as it is that isle that nosotros explored today.

Famous for its collection of Neolithic "architecture," including rock circles, a burial sleeping room (Maeshowe) as well as the remnants of a hamlet  (Skara Brae), all dating dorsum to 3000 BC, every bit good every bit Viking engravings (at Maeshowe) from the twelfth Century AD, the island's pastoral, rolling landscape is pleasing to the eye.  A large, natural harbor (second alone inwards size to that of Sydney, Australia) stretches across the nub of The Mainland spell several saltwater bays, freshwater lakes as well as depression ridges disrupt the hayfields as well as grasslands.  Massive cliffs of granite ascent along the western coast, lashed as well as sculpted past times monstrous waves from the North Atlantic.

During our tour of the island, nosotros too encountered large flocks of greylag geese as well as a large divulge of swans (primarily whooper swans migrating from Republic of Iceland as well as peradventure about Bewick's swans, arriving from Siberia to wintertime inwards Scotland).  Tomorrow nosotros larn out the Orkneys to move across the northern Scottish mainland every bit nosotros caput toward The Hebrides, about other archipelago off the western coast of Scotland.