Galapagos to drop rat poison; New Yorkers have tradition of fighting rats and dogs


Galapagos Penguin

Galapagos Islands drop rat poison

Normally conservationists are not so fond of rat poison, especially on the hallowed ground of the Galapagos. But a coalition of environmental groups got together to figure out how to get rid of the invasive black rats, Norway rats, and house mice that are making life difficult for Galapagos penguins and 11 other endangered species. They’ve captured 20 hawks who would likely eat the poisoned rodents. Wildlife Extra

Where to Go See Odd Birds

Didn’t conservatives tell you Amtrak was anti-American?

An Amtrak train just outside Washington, D.C., hit a bald eagle that was eating a dead deer on the tracks near Abderdeen, MD. Baltimore Sun

Orcas headed to Seattle

A group on the coast near Island split in two, one headed north the other south. West Seattle Blog and The Whale Trail

Welsh Monks welcome red squirrels to their private island

Cistercian monks who farm Caldey Island off the west coast of Wales have invited red squirrels to their little predator-free island in hopes of saving the species. The monks–known as Bernardines or White Monks (from their frocks)–live an especially austere life modeled on the time of St. Benedict. MP Simon Hart supports the plan. Wales has been trying to save the cheeky squirrels, which only survive on the Isle of Anglesey, the Clocaenog Forest in the north and the Tywi valley in mid Wales. BBC

NYC Audubon hoping to convince architects to consider hawks and other birds in their design The Local

Grossed out by New Yorkers sicking dogs on rats? Hey, it’s a tradition

New Yorkers have a long, yucky history with rats. They used to fight them in pits and throw in dogs. Ephemeral NY via Gothamist

Westchester County’s big annual Eagle Fest has been cancelled because of sleety weather for Saturday. Eagle Fest

Check out all the other eagle watching events this weekend

South American bear was biggest ever–11 feet tall National Geographic

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