From the Field
By The Editors
The Australian white ibis, or “bin chicken.” © Daniel Lee/ Flickr
An Annas hummingbird. © Nicole Beaulac/ Flickr.
Matt Miller glanced out the window on a cold, gray February day, and saw a little greenish type hovering by our shed. It flew in rapid flight, then hovered once again.
Wait. Could it be? A hummingbird, in Idaho, in February?
In the occurring weeks, he d keep seeing the little bird, which he eventually identified as an Annas hummingbird. and this bird was species, due to the fact that it was the 50th bird species for Millers yard bird list that he began throughout the pandemic quarantine.
Wherever you live, there is interesting bird activity close by. And theres perhaps no much better method to find those birds than by keeping a lawn list. In this story Miller explores the finest method to keep a bird list for your yard, even if you hate keeping lists.
As an American abroad, CGS author Justine Hausheer does not have actually the associated cultural baggage that dictates automated blind hatred of this strange bird. Put her on a riverside walkway in New England, and shell glare at the gaggle of continuously pooping geese and mutter “trash bird” under her breath.
And theres maybe no better way to find those birds than by keeping a backyard list. In this story Miller explores the best way to keep a bird list for your lawn, even if you hate keeping lists.
Bird feeders were also flying off the racks, leading to some angry birders in 2021.
A male northern cardinal at a feeder. © George Thomas/ Flickr.
CGS writer Matt Miller is sitting in a shack on the ice on Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. They bumped into each other, share fishing stories, and their breath socializes in the boundaries of the ice shanty.
There was absolutely nothing especially unusual about any of this, other than that it was February 2020.
Miller sat down to write what he thought was an uncomplicated story about lake whitefish in Sturgeon and Green Bays when he got house. But the world had actually altered totally.
Its that there is no magic moment when we flip the switch and go back to the method things were if the pandemic has actually taught us anything. And here Millers ideas reverse to conservation in the Great Lakes, to whitefish, and to the impossibility of reversing clocks.
Two female satin bowerbirds inspect a bower. © doug/ Flickr.
Tags: Outdoor Rec, TNC Science, Wildlife.
Giraffe cichlid. Caught in a lake in the Utah desert. © Matthew L. Miller
The Outdoor Writers Association of America, now in its 95th year, is one of the earliest expert communications companies in North America. Each year, it acknowledges leading stories in a variety of media– including blogs– through its Excellence in Craft (EIC) Awards.
This year, stories by Cool Green Science staff authors won 8 EIC awards.
When again be recognized by OWAA, we are honored to. We hope that you enjoy this selection of the winning entries, with stories on whatever from the love lives of bowerbirds to whitefish conservation, from glow-in-the-dark mammals to fishing in mountain hotspots loaded with freak invasives.
It looked like a small shrine on the forest floor: Bare ground clear of particles. 2 walls of sticks, bending towards one another. Blue feathers and bottle caps organized in a large arc. And a small plastic doll, splayed in the center of the structure, eyes wide and mouth open in a plastic scream.
This wasnt the scene of some pagan ritual in mini. CGS author Justine Hausheer came across the bower of a satin bowerbird.
Found throughout Australia and New Guinea, bowerbirds are famous for the intricate and in some cases whimsical structures that males construct to court females. In this story, Hausheer checks out the terrific and strange word of bowerbird architecture, including the science behind their bower display screens.
© J. Martin and E. Olson, Northland College; from Olson et al. 2021, Scientific Reports.
A fox squirrel on the experiment apparatus on the UC Berkeley campus. © Judy Jinn/ UC Berkeley.
Toilet paper was the unwary hot commodity of 2020. However its not the only shortage weve experienced considering that the start of the pandemic.
Participation in outdoor recreation increased as the world entered into lockdown, and this trajectory has actually continued beyond 2020. Thanks to an increase in need, gear like bikes, knapsacks, and boats were difficult to come by. Bird feeders were also flying off the racks, leading to some upset birders in 2021.
Could birdseed be the next toilet tissue?
Ken Keffer covers the birdseed shortages of 2021, diving into the supply chains behind your backyard feeder.
May 24, 2022
The author ice fishing. © Jacob Karst
Linda Reinhold was treking through the Australian rainforest in search of mushrooms when she saw something glowing and small dash through the beam of her UV flashlight.
Another one skittered forward, stopping briefly enough time for Reinhold to recognize it as an antechinus, a mouse-like marsupial. Under normal light, its fur was a soft brown. When she changed to her UV light, the antechinus shone brilliant white, like a fuzzy glowstick.
She thought she was hallucinating, maybe as an after impact of touching said mushrooms.
Reinholds eyes werent deceiving her. Scientists are finding dozens of mammals that radiance under ultraviolet light, from flying squirrels to wombats to African springhares.
In this story, Justine Hausheer takes you though the new science behind mammal biofluoresence.
Fulfill the Australian ibis. This big, bald-headed bird has actually handled the eco-friendly role of a pigeon, gunning through trash can and skulking around city parks.
Australians definitely abhor ibis. As an American abroad, CGS writer Justine Hausheer does not have the associated cultural luggage that determines automated blind hatred of this strange bird. Yet put her on a riverside footpath in New England, and shell glare at the gaggle of persistently pooping geese and mutter “trash bird” under her breath.
Rock pigeons. While whats thought about a trash bird varies by location, the sentiment is the very same. This bird is worthless.
For squirrels, the capability to jump from one tree to another on branches that bend and flex is less about accuracy and much more about versatility.
Theyre not as anxious, for instance, about landing a dive on all 4 paws, and a lot more concentrated on sticking one or two body parts and assuming the rest will follow. Squirrels are also efficient in changing course mid-jump and making split-second decisions about how far to leap depending on the strength of a branch.
At least, thats what former University of California Berkeley scientist Nathaniel Hunt and a team discovered after years of studying fox squirrels near school.
Christine Peterson checks out the brand-new science behind squirrel balancings and how it might lend some insight into a future of more agile robots.
Matt Miller is drawn to wilderness hot springs, but not for the factor you think. Heres not here for the soak. Heres here for the fish.
On this fishing adventure, Miller goes to a 10-acre lake in the middle of the Utah desert. Its known as a trophy largemouth bass fishery, this lake is also house to freaks: tropical fish thousands of miles from their native variety.
These fish are as much an artifact of human misbehavior as the discarded beer cans you often discover at such places. People get tired of pets. They set them totally free. This is why parrots fly around Los Angeles, pythons gobble up Everglades wildlife and stray cats stalk your bird feeder. Fish may be less apparent, but look in the warm water, and youll see disposed of animals.
Still, Miller seeks them out with his fishing rod, on a treasure hunt for unusual fish. And what story does it inform?