This week in birds - #589

 A roundup of the week's news of birds and the environment:

A Pied-billed Grebe swims in the waters of Galveston Bay.

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There is a strong link between the decline in the number of insects and the use of pesticides. Detective work has revealed that agricultural insecticides are a prime suspect as a cause of the decline. Wildlife experts are urging a reduction in the use and toxicity of pesticides before it is too late.

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Labor and environmental groups are lobbying the Federal Emergency Management Agency to declare that extreme heat is a "major disaster." Moreover, researchers have found that deadly heat in Mexico and the U.S. is made 35 times more likely by global warming. 

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Meanwhile, in Saudi Arabia, more than 1,000 hajj pilgrims have died because of the heat. Around the world, the extreme heat has already affected billions of people.

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The Bald Eagle is widely believed to be our "national bird." Nope. In fact, we don't have such a designation.

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The Supreme Court has drastically weakened federal Clean Water Act protections. The Audubon Society is making a priority of working to protect the wetlands that are so essential to the overall health of the environment.

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Contraceptives to control the numbers of species humans consider to be pests? Scientists are working to make it happen.

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Here's a bit of good news: The deforestation of the Brazilian rainforest is declining for a variety of reasons.

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The Pacific island nation of Vanuatu has managed to drastically cut plastic pollution of its lagoons.

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Do you know what a "grolar" is? Well, it is a hybrid of a grizzly and a polar bear and it is extremely rare. I suspect that is a good thing.

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Birding helped this man get through his chemotherapy treatment for cancer.

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Why did two lions swim across a crocodile-infested river?

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The farm bill passed by a House of Representatives committee fell short in advancing climate-smart agriculture and forestry policies.

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This little beauty is the Lazuli Bunting which was the American Bird Conservancy's Bird of the Week for last week.

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A familiar sight in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, the White Pelican is the ABC's Bird of the Week for this week.

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Our neighbor planet, Mars, was recently hit by a powerful solar storm.

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It seems that bees have been enlisted as crime fighters on a Virginia "body farm."

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Birds Canada will partner with other conservation organizations to create local protected areas in Latin America and the Caribbean.

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Easter Island is forced to deal with a flood of multinational plastic that washes up on its shores.

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Herpetologists are working to save nearly extinct giant salamander species found in Asia.

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What is the "mysterious monolith" that appeared in the Nevada desert? Naturally, some people are convinced it was left by visitors from outer space!

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The Eastern Band of Cherokees is opening a dispensary for cannabis. Predictably, North Carolina officials do not approve.

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And here's some more good news: The Iberian lynx has had its status changed from "endangered" to "vulnerable," a recognition of improvement in its numbers after a 20-year conservation effort.

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Wild Przewalski's horses have returned to Kazakhstan after having been absent for 200 years. These two were among the first group of seven to be returned. Forty more will be introduced there over the next five years.

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A 64-year-old tourist was killed by an elephant attack in Zambia this week. Such attacks are becoming more common due to pressure on the habitats and herds of the animals.

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How did the flounder end up with both eyes on one side? It's all down to evolution.

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Can mosquitoes help save rare Hawaiian birds from extinction? Conservationists are hoping so.

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Rewilding of one's garden areas is becoming more popular but officials in one Canadian city do not approve.

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Some bird species have not been sighted for decades. The authors of a new list of lost species are asking birders for their help in finding 126 "lost" species.

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A dinosaur dug up in Montana and named Lokiceratops may be a previously unknown species.

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The ancient monument of Stonehenge which was recently attacked by protestors has seen thousands of people gather there this week to celebrate the summer solstice.

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A baby moose that was stuck was saved by rescuers in Alaska this week while the mother moose watched.

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A pet donkey named Diesel escaped in California five years ago and has now been found living, apparently quite happily, with a herd of elk.