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US habitat critical for survival of rare songbird

The Associated Press ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — U.S. wildlife managers have set aside vast areas across several states as habitat critical to the survival of a rare songbird that migrates each year from Central and South America to breeding grounds in Mexico and the United States. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced the final habitat designation for the western yellow-billed cuckoo recently. It covers about 467 square miles along hundreds of miles of rivers and streams in the western states. Most breeding in the U.S. occurs in Arizona and New Mexico, but the habitat designation ...

US proposes ending rule that weakens wild bird protections

By Matthew Brown The Associated Press BILLINGS, Mont. — Longstanding protections for wild birds would be restored under a proposal unveiled this past week to bring back prosecutions of avian deaths by industry that were ended under former President Donald Trump. The Interior Department announcement came as President Joe Biden has sought to dismantle a Trump policy that ended criminal enforcement against companies over bird deaths that could have been prevented. Hundreds of millions of birds die annually in collisions with electrical lines and wind turbines, after landing in oil ...

Cicadas can be considered a friend to poultry

By Shirley Grenoble For the Mirror Jeff Mulhollem, editor of the magazine “Outdoors News,” suggested in a recent issue that turkey hunters will have a bonus treat in fields that will draw turkeys: Cicadas. They are a favorite food for the birds but only show up once every 17 years or so and this is the year. They could be, Mulhollem suggests, a big boost to the survival of the poults in a year when population numbers have been declining. So in the mid-season it will pay dividends to set up beside fields and wait for them to show up. More help? Another thing I always do is ...

Yosemite climbers face new obstacle

The Associated Press LOS ANGELES — Climbing El Capitan and the famous big walls of Yosemite National Park got a bit harder Friday. The park added red tape to cut through before climbers can begin the physically grueling and mentally demanding feat of inching up vertical granite walls that take days to conquer and require spending the night suspended on tiny platforms hundreds or thousands of feet above Yosemite Valley. Climbers will need to secure free permits before they can attempt multiday climbs on El Cap, Half Dome, the Leaning Tower and other big climbs beginning May ...

May is warbler watching month

By Walt Young For the Mirror May is a wonderous month for outdoor enthusiasts throughout Pennsylvania. I’ve often speculated that May could be three or four months long and it would still be impossible to take advantage of all the opportunities it has to offer. The spring turkey season is well underway as legions of gobbler hunters take to the woods before dawn with the hope of calling a long-bearded tom into gun range. Anglers have an even wider range of choices with some of the best opportunities of the year for trout, pre-spawn bass, and crappies and other panfish. But May ...

Mayflies make May primetime for fly anglers

The month of May can be the best time of year for fly anglers in central Pennsylvania. Several factors contribute to that wonderful possibility. Pleasant spring weather and optimal water conditions can make a day on a trout stream a near perfect experience. May is also the time of year many ...