Crossing Greenland

On our flying dorsum from Geneva, Switzerland, yesterday, the road took us over the southern tip of Greenland, the largest isle on our planet.  It was our start run across amongst that province of ice, stone together with scenic fjords and, for 20 minutes or so, nosotros were mesmerized past times the spectacle, 34,000 feet below.

Sparsely populated past times humans, this Arctic acre is an independent territory of Denmark.  Mountain ranges hold out along its due east together with westward coasts spell a massive H2O ice canvas covers 80% of the island's surface.  Icebergs speckled the fjords every bit nosotros passed over Greenland together with the majesty of its landscape was genuinely inspiring.

Of course, i cannot cite Greenland without invoking the fact that its Arctic ecosystem is threatened past times global warming.  The charge per unit of measurement of melting has sharply increased together with the full loss of Greenland's H2O ice canvas would heighten body of body of water levels past times 24 feet, a disaster for isle together with coastal communities together with ecosystems across the planet.

See also:  Greenland together with Iceland together with The Greenland Ice Sheet

Migrant Dark Scoters

Black scoters bring been turning upwards inwards both of my primary eBird areas (Arapahoe County, Colorado, together with Boone County, Missouri) inwards recent weeks.  These body of body of water ducks breed along Arctic Coasts together with on tundra lakes of Alaska together with Northern Canada, wintering along both coasts of North America too equally the Gulf Coast.

While they occasionally plow upwards on reservoirs together with lakes of the interior, they are non equally mutual away from the coasts equally their white-winged cousins.  Black scoters are unremarkably encountered inwards flocks, bobbing inwards the H2O of coastal bays together with diving for mollusks, crustaceans together with other aquatic invertebrates.  When observed on lakes of the interior, they tend to hold out lonely or inwards pocket-size groups; close deed on to coastal areas for the wintertime only roughly remain on inland lakes if adequate nutrient is available together with the waters remain open.

Unfortunately, I bring non had the chance to disclose this year's visitors to Colorado together with Missouri only I bring oft seen wintering dark scoters off Longboat Key, Florida, where nosotros ain a condo.  Wherever they are found, i cannot assistance only admire these hardy migrants from the far North.

Cackling Geese

On my walk along the South Platte this morning, I encountered a large flock of cackling geese, resting on the river.  Prior to 2004, these "small Canada geese" were considered to last subspecies of their larger cousins.  They are right away classified every bit a split upwards species though they, themselves, are represented past times several subspecies.

After nesting on the Arctic tundra of Northwest Canada in addition to Alaska, cackling geese wintertime inwards the Pacific Coast States or inwards the south-central U.S.; their numbers look to last increasing along the Colorado Front Range, both during migrations in addition to throughout the winter.  When mingling alongside Canada geese, cackling geese are relatively tardily to pose due to their smaller size, stubby bill, shorter cervix and, inwards roughly subspecies, a white neckband at the base of operations of their neck.  They besides convey a higher-pitched telephone phone than Canada geese and, inwards my experience, tend to last calmer in addition to quieter when resting on lakes or rivers.

Cackling geese are peradventure easiest to pose when flight at a distance.  While their coloration matches that of Canadas, their pocket-size size makes them await to a greater extent than similar ducks than geese.  Should the flock approach your location, their higher-pitched calls confirm the identification.

Death On The Initial Journey

Tundra swans, formerly known equally whistling swans, breed along the Arctic Coasts of Alaska together with Western Canada.  Monogamous, adult pairs rest together throughout the twelvemonth together with enhance upwards to vii cygnets each summer.  Fledged inside 2 months, the immature rest amongst their parents through the commencement wintertime together with disperse the next spring.

Most tundra swans wintertime on estuaries along the Pacific Coast (from Alaska to Northern California) or along the Mid Atlantic Coast.  Smaller numbers caput for wetland areas of the Desert Southwest together with Southern Plains together with to a greater extent than or less movement due south along the Colorado Front Range en route.  Over the past times few weeks, a lonely immature tundra swan settled on a lake at South Platte Park; clearly he/she became separated from the solid unit of measurement or could non proceed footstep due to a congenital or acquired illness.  Indeed, inward recent days, several birders noted that the visitor seemed to live sick and, this morning, it was dead, lying on the shore of the lake.

Tundra swans convey an expected natural lifespan of 15-20 years.  Obviously, our visitor did non last his/her initial journeying from the Arctic, peradventure succumbing to a genetic defect or peradventure poisoned past times the careless action of humans.  Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 life cutting curt is ever a sorry number merely when the victim is a beautiful together with graceful long-distance migrant, the croak seems peculiarly tragic.