Flea Beetle

July 17, 2026

Several days ago, I mentioned my battle with insects in our garden and flower beds. I have overcome the squash bugs (Anasa tristis) this year, but the vines rotted before I got much fruit. I only found a few bugs on my squash, but I finally located squash vine borer moths (Melittia cucurbitae) on my sunflowers. The vine borers lay their eggs on the underside of leaves and when the larva hatches, they bore into the vines and can cause them to rot. That seems to be the clear case for my squash (genus, Cucurbita), but it did not account for the pitting I saw on the red amaranth (Amaranthus cruentus) leaves in the bed. I have been checking the plants daily for any moths and the underside of the leaves for eggs, capturing the moths (if possible) and scrapping the eggs off the leaves. If the leaves have already been discolored, I am cutting them from the plant. My close early morning inspections proved fruitful today as I spied another beetle on one of my sunflower leaves. When I checked it was identified as a pigweed flea beetle.

When I went online, I found the pigweed flea beetle (Disonycha glabrata) is a species of striped flea beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. This small, striped leaf beetle is known for skeletonizing plants in the Amaranth family (like it did mine). Plants in the amaranth family may be called pigweeds because they were/are used to feed pigs. The flea beetle is active in gardens and fields during the summer, chewing tiny round holes and laying eggs on the leaves. The larvae spend their first 13.5 days in the soil before crawling out as adults. The Pigweed Flea Beetle has a red and black head. The red, shield-like part on an insect’s body (pronotum) has a black dot in the center, or may have three black dots, depending on the individual. The black wing coverings (elytra) have four yellow lines on them, with the two on the left connecting at the bottom as do the two on the right. Antennae are black, and legs are red and black. Other members of the same genus have a similar appearance, but the width, color, and number of the lines on the elytra differ between them.

The pigweed flea beetle is active from late spring through autumn and is not considered a significant pest in a backyard garden. That is unless you are trying to grow red amaranths. It is best to use a multi-step approach to control and manage infestation. Start by placing fine Floating Row Covers over young plants immediately after planting to block access. Once plants are established, spray them with organic Spinosad or Neem Oil. These sprays must be applied in the early morning or evening and directly contact the beetles to be effective. While Neem Oil is considered organic, spraying in the evening eliminates possible contact with the pollinators who would also be harmed by the oils. Flea beetles are highly attracted to plants like radishes or hemp and planting these near your valuable crops creates sacrificial targets that can be easily treated or vacuumed. Flea beetles locate food by smell and interplanting strongly scented herbs like mint (Family, Lamiaceae), basil (Ocimum basilicum), or catnip (Nepeta cataria) can confuse the pests. This would also make our neighborhood cats happy. Tilling the soil in the fall and removing garden debris helps destroy overwintering adults and larvae hidden in the topsoil.

THOUGHTS: Finding the pigweed flea beetle solved another riddle from my garden. Last year it was the pock marked squash leaves (squash beetle), and this year it was the rotted vines (squash vine borer) and skeletonized amaranth (flea beetle). I have found knowing the cause does not resolve the problem. You also need to take appropriate (and specific) action. This is where listening to science and experts can be invaluable. Otherwise, you risk wasting time and money, and sometimes your integrity. Act for all. Change will come and it starts with you.

Goliath

June 13, 2026

I came across an article on my MSN browser on a gigantic tadpole discovered in 2018. The Chiricahua Mountains on the Arizona-Mexico border is famous for the Chiricahua leopard frog (Lithobates chiricahuensis). This leopard frog is listed as a federally threatened species that is on the decline due to habitat loss and invasive bullfrogs. A research team was draining a pond when they discovered a massive tadpole in their nets. This was a bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) tadpole that never metamorphosed. Herpetologists are unsure why Goliath was stuck in tadpole limbo but believe it is due to a hormone imbalance, specifically a deficiency of a hormone essential for metamorphosis (thyroxine) combined with an excess of growth hormones. The beast was taken to the Southwestern Research Station before dying in 2019. The tadpole will be preserved by scientists so they can better understand what caused his mysterious condition. Researchers had appropriately named the tadpole Goliath.

When I went online, I found there is a species of frog named the goliath frog (Conraua goliath), also known as the giant slippery frog and the goliath bullfrog, in the family Conrauidae. The goliath frog is the largest living frog. Specimens can reach up to about 18 inches (45 cm) in snout to vent length and 9.9 pounds (4.5 kg) in weight. The species has a relatively small habitat range in Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea. The goliath can live up to 15 years in the wild and up to 21 years in captivity. The primary threat to the goliath frog is hunting, as it is considered a food source in its native range, although other predators are possible. The frog is also threatened by habitat loss and degradation, and they have been extensively exported to zoos and pet trade but have proven shy and nervous in captivity. Although captives may live longer than their wild counterparts, the species has not been bred in captivity.

Goliath, the tadpole, did not undergo the normal metamorphosis where their tails are transformed into legs and development of adult frog features. Despite remaining a tadpole, Goliath continued to grow, making it one of the largest tadpoles ever documented. Its condition is considered extremely rare and provides insight into how hormonal imbalances can affect amphibian development. The case highlights the delicate balance required for normal amphibian growth and metamorphosis. Researchers studied Goliath to understand the effects of endocrine disorders on development. Cases like Goliath also raise questions about environmental impacts like pollution and habitat changes and their effect on the hormonal processes in wildlife. Goliath was preserved by scientists to allow further study of its unique condition. Its story serves as a compelling example of the extraordinary variations that can occur in nature and underscores the importance of monitoring environmental and hormonal factors in amphibian populations.

THOUGHTS: When I found that Goliath had died in 2019, I began to wonder why this popped up on my browser today. A Copilot search gave me three possible answers. It could have been as it was recently linked to a news or science article about unusual wildlife or amphibian biology. Another explanation is a website or blog discussing rare animal cases or environmental science featuring the story. Finally, it might have occurred via a browser ad or redirect or if my browser had been hijacked or exposed to unwanted ads, then it could have shown the page as part of a pop-up or search result. Personally, I think it appeared as I seem to gravitate toward such article in my searches. We are all being tracked for preferences. This can make my searches more effective, if I do not care where this information is shared. Hmm. Act for all. Change will come and it starts with you.

Cigarette Snail

June 10, 2026

While perusing my MSN browser I came across a post from the journal Sciencing addressing one of the worst ways to die. During the summer people are drawn to the beach for the nice sea breeze and warm sand. Rather than relaxing and trying to get a suntan (harder now with my SPF 50 sunscreen) I like to spend time walking along the shore looking for shells. Melissa and her family did the same and we have several snail-shaped glass vases filled with some of the shells rescued and brought home as souvenirs. The best time of day to collect is after high tide as the water recedes and the shells are deposited on the beach. An even better time is after a storm has passed and more shells and creatures have been deposited along the shore. The article cautioned to avoid picking up one particularly pretty, cone shaped shell. The occupant resting inside this beautiful relic is equipped with enough venom to kill 700 people. It is said that if you were stung by this snail, you would perish before you had time to smoke one last cigarette.

When I went online, I found the geography cone (Conus geographus), also called the cigarette snail, is a species of predatory cone snail that lives in reefs of the tropical Indo-Pacific and hunts small fish. While all cone snails hunt and kill prey using venom, the venom of this species is potent enough to kill humans. Individuals grow to about 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) in length, with the size of an adult shell between 1.7 to 6.5 inches (43 and 166 mm). The color of the shell is pink or violaceous white, but occasionally reddish and has a mottled appearance with two irregular chestnut or chocolate bands. This intricate brown-and-white pattern is highly prized by shell collectors. Geography cones are common and occur in the Red Sea, off the coast in the Indian Ocean, and are indigenous to the reefs of the Indo-Pacific (except Hawaii), and off northern Australia. The snail’s distribution is largely explained by the temperature of its habitat and alterations due to climate change are predicted to impact its distribution in the following decades.

There are over 600 species of cone snails that are not equally dangerous to humans. Only two species, the geographic cone and the textile cone (Conus textile), have reportedly resulted in human death. There is also rich diversity in the venom that these snails produce. Their venom is generally characterized by peptides known as conotoxins. Each snail produces over 100 of these conotoxins, and only 5% of them are estimated to overlap among species. Only a few of these toxins have been characterized fully, which makes development of an antidote a challenge. The complexity of the conotoxins makes it difficult to understand exactly how death occurs in humans. While scary, there have not been a lot of human fatalities recorded. A review from 2016 showed that there have been a total of 36 recorded cone snail deaths and researchers are unsure whether these deaths have been a result of cardiovascular damage or damage to the respiratory system. Humans are fortunate not to be a target species for the cigarette snail, leading to relatively rare toxic encounters.

THOUGHTS: While a sting by a cigarette snail may be one of the worst ways to die, their toxins may lead to medical innovation that could save lives. Researchers have identified a drug based on cone snail venom that was approved in 2004 to treat chronic pain. Another potential benefit might be derived from the cone snail insulin, which takes effect more quickly than human insulin. There are currently about 11 to 12 FDA-approved medications derived directly from animal toxins, with 100’s more in clinical trials and research, adapted to treat everything from high blood pressure to chronic pain and diabetes. If you do not provoke (pick up) the pretty shell, the snail cannot kill you. Act for all. Change will come and it starts with you.

Vulture

June 08, 2026

Researchers at the University of Florida (UF) say invasive Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus) in the Everglades are facing an unexpected new threat. A newly published UF study found that Black vultures and Turkey vultures have become significant predators of python eggs. Motion-activated cameras are capturing the birds digging into nests and consuming eggs while mother pythons temporarily left to bask in the sun. Scientists said the findings could help explain why the rapidly growing python population has not expanded even faster across South Florida despite the reptiles having few natural predators in the region. The study documented vultures destroying nearly half the eggs in monitored nests, raising hopes that native scavengers may be adapting to help naturally suppress the invasive species. Researchers said Burmese pythons have devastated native wildlife populations in the Everglades by preying on mammals, birds and reptiles since becoming established in Florida decades ago. The findings, published in the journal Reptiles & Amphibians, suggest that native wildlife may be adapting to exploiting the destructive, invasive python as a food source.

When I went online, I found vulture refers to a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia while New World vultures have 7 species and are restricted to North and South America. Old and New World vultures are not closely related, and their resemblances in similar form or function are not present in the last common ancestor of those groups (convergent evolution). A characteristic of many vultures is a bald, unfeathered head believed to keep the head clean when feeding. North America has three species of vulture. The Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) is across the US and South America and is moving north into Canada. The Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) lives in southeastern US states and into Mexico. California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) is the largest North American land bird. The species became extinct in the wild in 1987 when all remaining wild birds were captured but has been reintroduced to northern Arizona and southern Utah, the coastal mountains of California, and northern Baja California in Mexico.

Researchers stumbled on four vultures eating python eggs in the dense underbrush of the Francis S. Taylor Wildlife Management Area in Broward County, Florida. This is the first documented case of a native Florida bird preying on an invasive python nest. The event occurred in 2023 but was not published until this year. The researchers used a “scout snake” with a radio transmitter to locate the nest and were coming to collect the eggs. The vultures fled the nest when approached and could not be identified as Black or Turkey vultures. The only other documented case of predation on python eggs was in 2021 when a trail camera captured a bobcat eating python eggs in Florida’s Big Cypress National Preserve. There is a precedent for native animals learning to consume invasive species. The Everglades snail kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis) was near extinction when it started eating an invasive snail that is larger than the native snail the birds typically ate, resulting in a rapid microevolution to have larger beaks to be more adept at digging into the larger snail.

THOUGHTS: Growing up in Kansas I saw many a Turkey Vulture, but it was not until we moved to Arkansas that I became aware of the Black Vulture. The two species are often together fighting over carrion or swarming the skies. The Turkey Vulture has a smaller red head and can find carrion with its excellent eyesight or with its sense of smell, while the Black Vulture has a black head and can only find its food visually. While humans may appear divergent, we are all the same species. We need to try and behave like it. Act for all. Change will come and it starts with you.

Snakehead

May 26, 2026

Last Friday Melissa and I decided to treat ourselves to a visit to a Wildlife Management Area (WMA) along the Arkansas River that has been getting constant sightings on the Arkansas Birders group. The area is not too far from our house, and I had even visited once before while looking for a place to fish. We did several errands on our way out of town and by the time we were leaving rain had started to fall. By the time we reached the WMA the rain was light but steady. The last section of the road was dirt but well maintained. This area in an old oxbow (curve) that has formed a lake apart from the main channel of the river. The WMA now has 2,180 acres (882 ha) and is primarily managed for migratory waterfowl and wetland restoration by the Arkansas Game and Fish (AG&F) Commission and Ducks Unlimited. This makes the site popular destination for local hunters and bird watchers. Despite all the amazing bird photos we had seen, we saw very few birds. The waterfowl that had been present when I last visited were non-existent (afraid to get wet?) and there were no birds fliting in the trees. As we drove slowly through the area we crossed over a bridge on a backwater section of the lake. I stopped because there were dozens of 1-pound (0.92-l) gas canisters floating in the water. Next to a sunken log in the bayou was a 30-inch (76 cm) snakehead.

When I went online, I found the northern snakehead (Channa argus) is a species of snakehead fish native to temperate East Asia, in China, Russia, North Korea, and South Korea. Their natural range goes from the Amur River watershed in Siberia and Manchuria down to Hainan, China. Snakeheads are an important food fish and one of the most cultivated in its native region, with 562,179 tons (510,000 tonnes) annual production worldwide. This has led to the fish being exported throughout the world and has resulted in established non-native populations in Central Asia and North America. The species has a long dorsal fin with 49 to 50 rays, an anal fin with 31 to 32 rays, a small, anteriorly depressed head, eyes above the middle part of the upper jaw, and a large mouth extending well beyond the eye. The small, slender teeth form velvety bands (villiform) with large canines on the lower jaw and upper mouth plate (palatines). It is generally reported to reach up to 3 feet 3 inches (100 cm) in length, but specimens approaching 4 feet 11 inches (150 cm) are known according to Russian ichthyologists (fish scientists). The largest specimen registered by the International Game Fish Association weighs 21 pounds 0 ounces (9.53 kg). In the US, it is found in Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, Arkansas, Missouri, and Mississippi.

The northern snakehead first appeared in US news when a fisherman discovered one in a Maryland pond in 2002. In 2008, the fish was found in drainage ditches in Arkansas because of a commercial fish-farming accident, and flooding may have allowed the species to spread into the nearby White River which would allow an eventual population in the Arkansas and Mississippi Rivers. Arkansas is the birthplace of warmwater aquaculture in the US and currently ranks as the second-largest aquaculture-producing state. It is also the epicenter for the four species of invasive Asian Carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, Hypophthalmichthys nobilis, Ctenopharyngodon Idella, and Mylopharyngodon piceus). The invasive snakehead can now be added to the list. All five species are said to be quite edible, but getting the American palate to try the fish is a harder sell.

THOUGHTS: AG&F says if you encounter the northern snakehead, silver, bighead, or black carp, kill it (humanely) and report your encounter to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Aquatic Nuisance Species coordinator by email (reportans@agfc.ar.gov). It is illegal to transport these fish species alive. While I did not catch the snakehead, I did report it. Invasive species may never be eradicated, but with help they can be managed. Act for all. Change will come and it starts with you.

Oriole

May 17, 2026

I try to put a variety of seeds in the 11 feeders we have on our pool deck. I purposefully dedicated the two farthest feeders under the trees to the eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis). I put shelled peanuts (Arachis hypogaea) and a corn (Aea mays) log in one and cracked corn in the other. I did this as it was a losing battle to try and keep the squirrels out of all the feeders. I found the northern cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) and common grackles (Quiscalus quiscula) prefer these feeders, while the squirrels run along the fence to feast on the two feeders with common sunflower (Helianthus annuus) seed on the other side of the deck. I have also stocked meal worms (larva of Tenebrio molitor), two feeders with roasted peanut chips, and a wild bird seed mix (cereal grains of Family, Poaceae). I currently stock the two window feeders with safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) seed, but this is messy and I am considering switching back to sunflower chips. The last feeder is a suet corn cake. While most of the birds which visit are the same every day, we do get an occasional new species. Last week the new arrival was a Baltimore oriole.

When I went online, I found The Baltimore oriole (Icterus galbula) is a small blackbird of the icterus family common in eastern North America as a migratory breeding bird. The species was formally described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Coracias galbula. The bird received its name from the resemblance of the male’s colors to those on the coat-of-arms of 17th-century English Baron Lord Baltimore. There have been observations of interbreeding between the Baltimore oriole and the western Bullock’s oriole (Icterus bullockii) which led to both being classified as a single species, called the northern oriole, from 1973 to 1995. Research by James Rising, a professor of zoology at the University of Toronto, and others showed that the two birds did not interbreed significantly and they are again classified as different species. The Baltimore Oriole is the state bird of Maryland, and the namesake and mascot for the Baltimore Orioles baseball team.

Melissa has a friend who has been texting her pictures of an oriole who has been visiting her feeder. She put out a tray with orange (Citrus sinensis) slices and grape jelly, and they clean her out several times a day. We have only seen the oriole twice on the suet cake, but I figured we might get more activity with orange slices and grape jelly. A number of other birds (and squirrels) are fond of oranges so this may bring other birds as well. I followed the friend’s example and initially set the feeder next to the suet cake, but the grackles pounced on the feeder looking for the peanut chips and knocked it to the ground. This afternoon I set the oriole feeder back up and moved it farther away from the others. Hopefully this will work and attract an oriole before they migrate through our area.

THOUGHTS: When I was growing up in north central Kansas there was a Baltimore oriole that would nest in the branches of a tree outside my second story window. This was a massive American elm tree (Ulmus americana) that stretched over the enclosed side porch. I was fascinated by the bird and its flashy orange and black body. I was also into collecting baseball cards and listening to my older brother’s radio playing baseball as we fell asleep at night. I became a huge fan of the Orioles (team) in part because of my connection to the bird outside my window, along with the fact they became an American League powerhouse in the 1960’s, wining two pennants and their first World Series. Although I now (mostly) follow the Kansas City Royals baseball team, I still have a fond spot for the Orioles. Most of our traditions and habits were ingrained in us during our youth. That is why it is important to train a child to be willing to reach out and embrace others. Act for all. Change is coming and it starts with you.

Transition

May 14, 2026

Several days ago, I saw what I thought to be a new bird species in my feeders. This grey bird was about the size of a robin but was busy feeding on the suet cake I had placed on the back fence. I was able to snap a photo and then checked the picture against my Google identification app (I find it easier than either my Audubon or Nat Geo birding apps). I was surprised to learn this was an immature Eastern Starling. This morning Melissa called my attention to this same strange bird she had seen feeding on the suet. She was surprised as an adult starling was collecting seed from the suet cake and feeding it to the larger brown bird. She sent me a picture of the two and I recognized the speckled white feathers of the (springtime) adult and the brown feathers of the immature offspring. Both the parent and young were in different stages of plumage transition.

When I went online, I found the European starling (Sturnus vulgaris), also known as the Eastern Starling, undergoes dramatic feather color changes annually. They transition from a spotted winter plumage to glossy, iridescent black in spring. Juveniles are drab brown, transitioning to speckled, then glossy adult plumage over their first year. Juveniles transition from Summer to Early Fall. Freshly fledged (kicked out of the nest) juveniles are plain grayish-brown or dusky brown with a dark bill. From late Fall to Winter the immature birds undergo a post-juvenile molt and then gain iridescent black feathers that are heavily speckled with white and cream-colored spots. Breeding or adult have the same speckled winter colors and during Spring to Summer experience “wear,” as the white, brittle tips of the winter feathers break off, leaving a glossy, iridescent dark plumage (green, purple, and blue) with a yellow bill. This unique “wear molt” allows the starling to change its appearance completely without the high energy cost of growing new feathers in the spring.

After rousing, I came outside to sit and watch the feeders with Melissa. She has been sending me interesting pictures of a variety of birds in the last several days. It appears Melissa has been coming outside around 8:30 am for her morning coffee and has seen a flurry of activity on the feeders. This morning the female eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis) was bringing newly procured bugs to the bird house on the pool deck. Her arrival was met with the raucous sound of several young vying for a meal. There was also a second sighting of an orange bird about the size of an American robin (Turdus migratorius) feeding on the suet. This time she was able to take a photo before the bird quickly flew away. Although the bird was partially blocked by a starling fighting for the same cake, it appears to have been a Baltimore oriole (Icterus galbula). Melissa said she goes inside around 11:00 am as the “cool” birds are gone by then and it becomes a fight between the northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) and the common grackles (Quiscalus quiscula). It is only recently the starlings have been present at the 11:00 am transition. I need to get up earlier to see the show.

THOUGHTS: After the 11:00 am transition Melissa went back inside. Lately, the temps are warming up, and the sun has been breaking through the overcast sky by this time. I had re-stocked the feeders when I came out and even knowing I had missed the real show, I decided to stick around and see what might transpire. The mockingbird was making a back-and-forth trip to the meal worms, and I wondered if it was also feeding young. The suet cake was descended upon by a group of six starlings, including two pairs of adult and young feeding at the cake together. This is the time of year where birds transition from the nest to fledgling on the ground to joining parents to learn to feed themselves. Humans go through a similar transition, but it takes a dozen or more years and it literally takes a village to do it right. We need support and not criticism. Act for all. Change is coming and it starts with you.

Shellear

April 09, 2026

Inside the back section of my local newspaper was a Reuters article about 1000’s of small fish in Africa climbing up a 50-foot (15 m) waterfall. A researcher from the Université de Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of Congo first discovered them 17 years ago at Luvilombo Falls, a waterfall in the south. Pacifique Kiwele Mutambala, another researcher from the same institution, made the trek to the falls between 2018 and 2020 determined to document this African fish. Mutambala witnessed the epic climb but lost all his evidence. The fish had not been scientifically documented until a study was just published in Scientific Reports, with Mutambala as one of the lead authors. Locals have known about this fish for at least 50 years. In the local Sanga language, the shellear is called “kalumba,” which derives from a verb meaning “to stick.”

When I went online, I found the Parkouring shellear (Parakneria thysi) will spend hours crawling up a waterfall’s cliffside to reach better habitats. These tiny fish are about 1.4 to 1.9 inches (3.5 cm to 4.8 cm) long. The fish are remarkable for their endurance and adaptability, as they scale the cliff faces against strong water currents. To move upward, the shellear use hook-like growths on the undersides of their pectoral and pelvic fins to grip the rock, then rock their tails side-to-side to generate extra momentum. The climbing mostly happens between April and May (end of rainy season) when they move to better habitats. Scaling the cliff takes about 9 hours 45 minutes on average to climb the 50-foot-high cliffside of Luvilombo Falls. This is further broken down into about 15 minutes of active moment, 30 minutes of brief pauses, and nine one-hour respites. The process is not always successful as a sudden jet of water can knock them off, forcing them to restart the climb.

Biologists have several theories why the Shellear may attempt these excursions after hard rains wash them downstream. This may be a way for the fish to reach locations with less food competition and fewer predators like the silver butter catfish (Schilbe intermedius). Regardless of the reason, the climbing the waterfall makes the shellear susceptible to illegal fishing tactics. The area is at even greater risk of biodiversity loss due to potential plans to divert the river upstream to irrigate crops during the dry season. The shellear population could disappear entirely if conservation efforts in the Upemba National Park lose support. The study’s authors hope a better understanding of the fish will highlight both the region’s incredible ecosystems, as well as the need to protect them.

THOUGHTS: While the Parkouring shellear is the first scientifically documented African species to climb waterfalls, other fish species around the world have evolved similar abilities to scale vertical rock faces. In South America, several species in the order Characiformes (e.g., certain Corydoras catfish) and order Cichliformes (e.g., some cichlids) have been observed climbing waterfalls in the Amazon and Orinoco basins. These fish use similar fin structures and body movements to grip and propel themselves upward. In Southeast Asia, species such as the Asian climbing perch (Anabas testudineus) and certain mudskipper (Family, Oxudercidae) relatives can climb onto mudbanks or rocky substrates, though not always vertical waterfalls. Finally, Australian lungfish (Neoceratodus forsteri), and mudskippers have been documented moving over rocky surfaces, though their climbing is more horizontal or bank based. It seems the more humans research the more diverse our fellow Earth travelers are found to be. Unless we protect and preserve the fragile ecosystems where they reside, knowledge of their diversity will be lost. Act for all. Change is coming and it starts with you.

Astoria

February 16, 2026

Scrolling the NY Times Headlines feed, I came across a bird who has captured the attention of New Yorkers. The bird arrived in Manhattan’s Battery Park and eventually settled in the area near the Sea Glass Carousel, just north of the Staten Island Ferry terminal. Three human women have become her self-appointed caretakers and visit her daily. New Yorker’s regularly fall in love with celebrity wildlife, including unusual ducks, a pair of coyotes, and Flaco the escaped owl in Central Park. Sunny Corrao, the deputy director of the city parks department’s wildlife unit, said, “She’s the only known turkey in Manhattan, “but this is not unusual.” A turkey was known to hang out in Inwood Hill Park in Upper Manhattan in the past and there are large flocks in the Bronx and on Staten Island. Smaller groups come and go to Queens and Brooklyn. Astoria got her name because she was first spotted in Astoria, Queens, before making her way to Roosevelt Island and, finally, Manhattan.

When I went online, I found Astoria is a descendant of the wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) first domesticated in Pre-Columbian Mexico. The Classical Nahuatl word for the turkey (huehxōlō-tl) and the Spanish guajolote are still used in modern Mexico. Mayan aristocrats and priests had a special connection to turkeys, with ideograms of the birds appearing in Mayan manuscripts. Spanish chroniclers Bernal Díaz del Castillo and Father Bernardino de Sahagún describe the multitude of food (both raw fruits and vegetables and prepared dishes) offered in the vast markets (tianguis) of Tenochtitlán, noting there were tamales made of turkeys, iguanas, chocolate, vegetables, and fruits. Turkeys were first exported to Europe via Spain around 1519 and gained immediate popularity among the aristocratic classes. English settlers brought turkeys to North America during the 17th century. There were an estimated 10 million turkeys in the US during the 17th century, but by the 1930’s only 30,000 remained. In the 1960’s and 1970’s, biologists started trapping wild turkeys and re-introducing them into other states.

The three self-appointed caretakers of Astoria coordinate their schedules in group chats and text messages, sharing photos and updates on Astoria’s location and condition. Keiko Komiya visits the turkey in the morning, and Stella Hamilton and Anke Frohlich are generally there in the afternoon, and for bedtime. Astoria spends her days strutting around on the ground, then every evening (at 20 minutes after sunset) she flies up into a tree to spend the night. Hamilton is a retired nurse and birder who was previously a big fan of Flaco, the Eurasian eagle owl set free from Central Park Zoo. Komiya is an English student and avid birder whose first New York City celebrity bird was the mandarin duck she photographed daily in 2018. Frohlich started photographing birds during the covid-19 pandemic and runs an alternative healing practice in Greenwich Village which allows her to give the birds priority. The women do not worry about Astoria, but everything and everyone else. Young kids chase her, dogs scare her, and people press on her for selfies. Astoria also crosses State Street to bask in the warmth emanating from the Starbucks on the corner and the friends fear she will be hit by a vehicle. Their fears are not unfounded.

THOUGHTS: While Astoria has grown a devoted fan club, she is not the only wild Turkey residing in New York. “New York City is actually great habitat for a wild turkey,” Jessica Wilson, the executive director of NYC Bird Alliance, said. She noted that the birds are native to the area, have plenty to eat here and do not necessarily need turkey friends. “They often join flocks, but they also are fine on their own — and in general, we try not to interfere with their social life.” Perhaps we should treat people with the same respect. Act for all. Change is coming and it starts with you.

DET

February 14, 2026

I found it appropriate that in the middle of the Great Backyard Bird Count 2026 (February 13 to 16, 2026) that my Sunday paper (delivered on Saturday) would have a USA Today article on an annual lottery for the bald eagle tour in Monroe, Michigan. There were approximately 1,200 entries for this year’s 30 lottery winners and their guests. “It’s the largest number since the event began in 2008. It shattered our previous record,” said Maddie Drury, park ranger with the US Fish & Wildlife Service who sponsors the tour. Winners were driven out to the wooded area on the south end of the power plant, where Plum Creek and the power plant’s warm water discharge meets Lake Erie. In winter the warm water draws fish, and the fish draw predators. Amanda Schaub, communications strategist for the plant said, “Consistent with our Michigan Public Service Commission approved plan, the plant is scheduled to retire in 2032.” DET Energy is committed to working closely with the community as they plan for the site’s future.

When I went online, I found several endangered or rare species have a home at the Detroit Edison (DTE) power plant facility. Since the mid-1990’s, DTE Energy has supported peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) reintroduction and breeding programs in southeastern Michigan and near their power plants. Employees assist with banding, tracking and rescuing at-risk chicks. Peregrines have been recorded nesting on the Monroe Power Plant grounds since 1994. Over 100 adult and juvenile bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) have been counted near the shoreline at the Monroe Power Plant and nest regularly at the Fermi 2 Power Plant. Apprentice linemen install utility poles in various bird projects, such as eagle habitat at the Lake Erie Metropark and Humbug Island within the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, as well as a great blue heron rookery at Lyon Oaks County Park. These projects foster the bird population while giving apprentice linemen experience in installing tall poles without energized lines or power transmission equipment.

The DET Monroe Power Plant is home to other endangered species. The American lotus (Nelumbo lutea) is listed as a threatened species in Michigan. The plant naturally cleans the water in which it lives, which is important for the native fish and wildlife. In partnership with the Lotus Garden Club of Monroe, DTE Energy opens the Monroe Power Plant property for guided tours of the flowerbeds. Lake Sturgeon (Huso fulvescens) are the longest-living fish species in Michigan, with a lifespan of up to 100 years. They can be over eight feet (2.5 m) in length and weigh 800 pounds (363 kg). Sturgeons are listed as threatened or endangered by 19 of the 20 states within their original range in the US. DTE deposited 765 tons (694 mt) of coal cinders (a byproduct of coal combustion), cobble and broken limestone in the Detroit River off Belle Isle to create spawning beds. Common Terns (Sterna hirundo) once numbered in the thousands along the Detroit River but now only 250 breeding pairs can be found there. DTE Energy partnered with others to create an artificial nesting island and nesting habitat.

THOUGHTS: Drury, who is based at the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge in Trenton, calls bald eagles the “most successful conservation story of the US”. For decades the insecticide DDT was widely used to kill insects. Fish ate treated vegetation, birds ate the fish, and affected bald eagles laid fewer viable eggs. In 1963, the continental US had just 417 mating pairs of bald eagles. DDT was banned in 1972, and the eagles have bounced back. In 2007, the US had 9,700 bald eagle mating pairs, and the bald eagle was removed from the endangered list. By 2020, there were 71,000 breeding pairs. The lottery for the DET Monroe Power Plant eagle tour typically opens right after Thanksgiving. Act for all. Change is coming and it starts with you.