Latest News and Updates from Audubon in California
California Condor. Photo: Scott Frier/USFWS
How do hummingbirds keep their nests safe from jays and other predators? Simple, according to a new study, they set their nests up next to bigger predators, such as hawks. Apparently, the hawks don't have the energy and speed to take on the hummingbirds, but they do scare off smaller predators that might attack the nest. Ergo, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
As the California Legislature wraps up its 2015 session this week, the hot topic is the fate of Senate Bill 350, which seeks to cut California's use of petroleum by half by 2030. That sounds like a steep cut, right? At least that's what the oil industry wants you to think, warning of gas rationing and mileage tracking. But the truth is that this goal is actually quite within reach. As the San Jose Mercury News' Paul Rogers reports:
"Yet lost in the debate are two key facts:
The state will get halfway to that goal even if it does nothing. That's because of federal rules put into place in 2009 by President Barack Obama to double the gas mileage standards for new U.S. vehicles to 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025.
Second, the rest of the difference can be made up simply by enforcing -- and in some cases strengthening -- existing laws passed over the last 15 years to boost electric cars, promote mass transit and reduce the amount of carbon in fuels, according to experts who have done the math."
Read the rest, very enlightening.
Mountain Lion Tracks found in Fay Canyon on part of the Canebrake Ecological Reserve. From the tracks we can tell this lion pounced and may have caught something small and then walked off. The Kern River Preserve helps to and connect the Domeland and Kiavah Wilderness Areas. Many animals moving through these vast wilderness areas include the riparian forest in their wanderings
No more magpies in Fresno? Not on our watch. Research shows that unless we do something about climate change, we could lose the iconic Yellow-billed Magpie forever. Don't let that happen. Support the legislative effort to reduce the emissions that drive climate change -- in Fresno, and everywhere else. Speak up today.
No more hummingbirds in Los Angeles? Not on our watch. Tell your Assembly Member to support legislation that will protect birds from climate change, and ensure the health of birds, our environment, and our people.
Bear tracks at the Audubon Kern River Preserve. Yesterday evening this big bear was able to reach up over six feet and get two thistle feeders and one hummingbird feeder. Yum! Later in the day, two visitors from Hawaii saw the bear as it ran away out to the forest. They said it was pretty large but running the correct direction - away from people.
Our newsletter is fun way to get our latest stories and important conservation updates from across the state.
Help secure the future for birds at risk from climate change, habitat loss and other threats. Your support will power our science, education, advocacy and on-the-ground conservation efforts.
Join the thousands of Californians that support the proposed Chuckwalla National Monument.