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Snake hunters from India find four pythons on North Key Largo

To hunt pythons in the Florida Keys and Everglades, it helps to have experts who have done it for generations.

On Jan. 17, two members of the Irula tribe of India guided a team of federal and state wildlife staffers to four pythons in the remains of an abandoned missile base inside the Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Key Largo.

http://www.flkeysnews.com/news/local/environment/article128625164.html

Northern Shrike |||

From U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region:

#Bird

Did you know that male and female northern shrike sing all year long? These birds are well adapted, storing food for times when a meal is hard to find!

Photo: Northern shrike courtesy of Steve Gifford.https://flic.kr/p/dMbJMc




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Mallard Ducks |||

From Morris Wetland Management District:

#Bird #Duck

Fall mallards

Alex Galt/USFWS 




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Northern Flicker |||

From U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region:

#USFWS #Bird

Birds fluff their feathers to stay warm, but they also use them to communicate! This northern flicker is likely showing aggression toward another bird or signaling danger.

Photo: Northern flicker courtesy of Mark Moschell/Creative Commons. https://flic.kr/p/jH1eqc




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Joshua Tree at Sunset ||| 013117

From U.S. Department of the Interior:

A vibrant desert sunset silhouettes a joshua tree, the namesake plant of Joshua Tree National Park in California. These twisted, spiky plants can take on many forms, appearing like bushes or tall and spindly like trees. Visit the park to see these surreal plants and a diversity of landscapes, including sand dunes, dry lakes, flat valleys, rugged mountains and palm oases. Photo by Danner Bradshaw (www.sharetheexperience.org). — at Joshua Tree National Park. 




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Northern Harrier ||| 013117

From Great River and Clarence Cannon National Wildlife Refuges:

#USFWS #Bird

Northern harriers are one of the most common raptors we see on the refuge the fall, winter, and early spring.

Photo: Northern harrier by Jennie Townsend.




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Lions Hunt & Attack Impalas at Waterhole

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California Brown Pelican |||

From U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service:

This California brown pelican appears bashful as it preens. The males develop the impressive bright colors in winter to prepare for the breeding season.http://bit.ly/2jR0oSI

Photo Courtesy of Lisa Hupp 




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American Kestrel

From Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife & Fish Refuge:

American kestrels are colorful birds known for the dark “sideburns and mustache” markings beneath their eyes. About the size of a blue jay, they can be seen perched on telephone wires and trees near open spaces. These fierce hunters see ultraviolet light, allowing them to spot urine trails of voles or other prey.

Photo: "American kestrel (Falco sparverius)" courtesy of Keenan Adams/USFWS.http://bit.ly/2jgNYVj

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Sandhill Cranes ||

From USFWS Pacific Region:

Whether it’s their sleek silhouettes overhead, or their caps of crimson in the field on yonder that draw your eyes to them, it’s difficult to find a bird on migration that surpasses the sandhill crane’s elegance. Listen for their low and rattling bugle as they pass through our region soon. Find a audio example of their calls here: http://bit.ly/2jo3hfb
Photo credit: Justine Belson/USFWS 




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Great-horned Owls || 01/30/17

From Horicon National Wildlife Refuge:

Great-horned Owls begin courtship activities this week (and will actually begin nesting by mid-February). Maybe we’ll be lucky enough this spring to see baby owls up close again like in 2013 when the female nested right next to the Auto Tour at Horicon National Wildlife Refuge! Notice in this photo of the owlets (by Rachel Samerdyke) that the one on the left has his head turned 180 degrees. That is actually the back of his body. 




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American Bald Eagle |

From U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region:

The Mississippi River is very important for wintering eagles. They especially like areas below dams with open water, where they feed on fish and other waterfowl that are also concentrated in these areas.

Photo: American bald eagle courtesy of Jason Mrachina/Creative Commons.https://flic.kr/p/dQhSDC




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Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney’s Office

District of Alaska

---

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Kodiak Strip Boat Owner Sentenced to Probation and Fine

Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced today that Darren Byler, 56, resident of Zachar Bay, Kodiak Island, Alaska, was sentenced on Monday by U.S. District Judge Sharon L. Gleason to five years’ probation and a fine of $10,000, for violating the Refuse Act and making false statements to Coast Guard officials.

Byler was convicted in December 2015 after an 11-day trial. According to the evidence at trial, Kimberly Riedel-Byler and Darren K. Byler were the owners of the Wild Alaskan, a floating strip club anchored in Kodiak Harbor between June 2014 and November 2014. On the Wild Alaskan was a customer bathroom for patrons and an employee bathroom for dancers and other staff. The United States established at trial that sewage from these bathrooms on board the Wild Alaskan was plumbed to flow directly overboard into the waters of Kodiak Harbor.

When asked to produce documentation about his sewage disposal from the Wild Alaskan, Darren Byler gave the United States Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment Kodiak a false ship’s log. In the log, the defendant claimed to have disposed of 1,500 gallons of raw sewage from the Wild Alaskan at the Pier 2 sewage disposal facility in Kodiak Harbor on July 29 and 30, 2014. In his log, the defendant also reported that he disposed of 800 gallons of sewage on five additional occasions in September and October 2014, by transporting the sewage in his landing craft, the Gulf Coast Responder, and dumping it at sea beyond 3 nautical miles. The United States proved at trial that these statements were false.

Judge Gleason based her sentence on numerous factors, including the nature and circumstances of the defendant’s conduct, and the defendant’s history and characteristics. Judge Gleason also noted the need to deter others from committing similar environmental crimes, and then engaging in steps to hide those illegal discharges. “There is a need for the sentence to afford some degree of adequate deterrence to the many other mariners that are in our state,” said Judge Gleason.

The case was the product of an investigation by multiple law enforcement agencies, including the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Kodiak Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Reardon and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney William George prosecuted the case.

Snoozing Manatee

From USFWS National Wildlife Refuge System:

#USFWS

Are you a back sleeper or a belly sleeper? Manatees, the endangered marine mammals that cluster in the warm springs of Florida’s Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge in winter, sometimes take a snooze on their backs. More about manatees: 
https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Crystal_River/wildlife_and_habitat/Florida_Manatee.html (Photo: Carol Grant — with Kathy Korbel Dynowski) 




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Indian snake hunters imported by state to track pythons in Florida Everglades | Miami Herald

Silicon Valley, with its insatiable need for highly skilled foreign labor, especially from India, has nothing on us. South Florida is downright desperate for the imported expertise of Masi Sadaiyan and Vadivel Gopal.

Google, Apple, Oracle, Intel — all have begged the feds to relax limits on how many software engineers with advanced degrees and “specialty skills” they can import from the Europe and Asia, especially the Indian subcontinent.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/fred-grimm/article129004659.html#storylink=cpy

Indian snake hunters imported by state to track pythons in Florida Everglades | Miami Herald

Largemouth Bass!

From USFWS Fisheries:

What's one of America's favorite freshwater sport fish? Largemouth bass! Fishing for largemouth bass is a multi-billion dollar industry with products being designed specifically for bass fishin'. And more dollars spent on gear and licenses means more dollars for conservation efforts. Oh, and these beauties can get up to 22 lbs! What's the largest you've caught?
More about bass: http://bit.ly/2jZV3pp




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The Forested Wetlands of Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge

From U.S. Department of the Interior:

The forested wetlands of Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina provide excellent habitat for migratory birds. Large numbers of waterfowl concentrate on this relatively small area in the winter with peak numbers of well over 100,000 gathering in December and January. It is also home to the only population of wild, free roaming red wolves in the world and supports several clusters of endangered red cockaded woodpeckers. Here, a large flock of tundra swans fly over the refuge at sunset. Photo by Ginny P. Gillam (www.sharetheexperience.org). 




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White-breasted Nuthatch

From Necedah National Wildlife Refuge:

#USFWS

Is a nuthatch a woodpecker? Let’s look at its feet! Three toes forward, one backwards. Woodpeckers however, have two toes forward and two toes backward. Nuthatches belong to the order Passeriformes (perching birds) compared to woodpeckers in the Piciformes order (true tree trunk birds and largely insectivores). Tricky because they both spend time on tree trunks and both eat insects! 

Photo: White-breasted Nuthatch courtesy of Isaac Sanchez/ Creative Commons https://flic.kr/p/rFPi9r




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Improving Fish And Wildlife Habitat At The Harley Ensign Site

From U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Headquarters:

Emergent wetlands are very important as almost all fish species in Lake St. Clair rely on this habitat type at some point during their life cycle, therefore, the Detroit District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is designing a project at the mouth of the Clinton River on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The goal of the project is to improve fish and wildlife habitat at the Harley Ensign site. Learn more here: http://www.lre.usace.army.mil/Missions/Environmental-Services/Environmental-Public-Notices/Article/756489/clinton-river-area-of-concern-projects/

Pine Grosbeak (Pinicola enucleator)

From U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region:

When food is scarce, pine grosbeaks will move to less ideal habitat. You may even see them in urban areas!

Photo: Female pine grosbeak courtesy of David Mitchell/Creative Commons. https://flic.kr/p/EZhk6a




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Mature and Juvenile Bald Eagles

From Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge:

DYK? Bald eagles don't get their white head and tail feathers until they mature to adulthood, at about 4-5 years. Juvenile eagles have darker brown head and tail feathers, with mottled patches of white feathers on their body. Check out the difference between these two birds!

Photo: Robin Corcoran/USFWS 




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Black-footed Ferrets

From U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Mountain-Prairie Region:

#USFWS

Black-footed ferrets are solitary animals except during mating season and when mothers are raising their young. They have a
variety of vocalizations, including chatters, chuckles, barks, and hisses. Young ferrets are playful and may be seen “dancing” above ground.

Photo: Elisa Dahlberg / USFWS 




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Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)

From Necedah National Wildlife Refuge:

#USFWS #Bird

What is that bird? Many of our visitors look at the rangers a little funny when we tell them it is a red-bellied woodpecker. They are beautiful to watch. A quick give away that a bird is truly a woodpecker is their undulating flight pattern. This means they flap in bursts, then tuck their wings with a slight dip to their flight path. 

Photo: Red-bellied Woodpecker courtesy of Andrea Janda/creative commons https://flic.kr/p/5LJyyp




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Roly Polies Came From the Sea to Conquer the Earth | Deep Look

Sneaky Banana Boa!

Key Deer Infected With New World Screwworm

From Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuges Complex:

The following is an update from USDA: 
On Saturday, January 7, 2017, larvae was collected from a euthanized Key Deer on Little Munson (aka Little Palm) island in the Lower Florida Keys. Samples were taken and sent to the USDA lab. It was confirmed to have been infected with New World screwworm on Friday, January 13th, 2017.
We want to assure you that this was not unexpected. As shared previously, we anticipate seeing a few remaining cases in the next few weeks as this is normal behavior for screwworm outbreaks.
As shared on our January 10 post, USDA has established additional fly release chambers on Big Munson and USFWS has conducted oral treatments at both islands, installed medical treatment stations on Big Munson, manually searched Big Munson for infected deer, installed cameras monitoring deer were at Little Palm, and volunteers have been conducting oral treatments at Little Palm since October.
USDA is continuing to release sterile flies and survey for any remaining wild screwworm. The Federal, State. and County agencies involved in the eradication efforts want to thank the public for their continued support and remind everyone to be vigilant and report any suspicious wounds on the Key Deer they see. We also want to remind you to check your pets!
Please contact the Key Deer Hotline to report injured or dead Key Deer at 305-470-6863 x 7.

Photo: Kristie Killam/USFWS 




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Colorful Male Brewer's Blackbird

From U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region:

Male Brewer’s blackbirds may look plain in dim light, but in direct sunlight their colors really pop! They’re a combination of black, blue and metallic green.

Photo: Brewer’s blackbird courtesy of Shawn McCready/Creative Commons.https://flic.kr/p/bzwQEi




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Charismatic Birds of Prey

From USFWS Southeast Region:

There's no denying our national bird is a charismatic bird of prey.

Author E.F. Schumacher said: “Eagles come in all shapes and sizes, but you will recognize them chiefly by their attitudes."

http://bit.ly/2jzClYA (Photo: Dave Menke, USFWS)




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Stay Warm, Bunny

From U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Mountain-Prairie Region:

#USFWS

Stay warm bunny. Photo: Tom Koerner/USFWS




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Armadillo near Migrants Mile

From Quivira National Wildlife Refuge:

Little armored fellow: temperatures warmed enough after the rain/ice weekend to bring out this Armadillo near Migrants Mile.

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One Happy Fish!

From U.S. Department of the Interior:


#USFWS

We can’t help but smile after seeing this big grin from one of the fishes at Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuges Complex. Comprised of four refuges situated in the Florida Keys, the complex protects the critical habitats on the land and in the water for wildlife like the American crocodile, the endangered Key deer, the Great White Herons and others. Photo by Kristie Killam, USFWS. 




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Bald Eagles: America's National Symbol and Passion

From USFWS National Wildlife Refuge System:

Bald eagles are more than America’s national symbol. They are the nation’s passion. Removed from the federal list of threatened and endangered species in 2007, bald eagles are found across America. And that’s exactly the title of our great online feature story: http://bit.ly/2iEp8cS
Photo taken by Jim Leonard at Oregon’s Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge (http://bit.ly/28MWRMc) 




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Another gorgeous photo from Jones Hole National Fish Hatchery, UT

From USFWS Fisheries:

Great Key Deer Story

From Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuges Complex:

Great Key Deer Story: This really big Key deer buck showed all the signs of having a screwworm infestation in his left ear back when we first photographed him on October 23rd, 2016. He was so visibly upset by the adult flies harassing him that we used a video of his behavior as a way to educate our volunteers on how to identify the signs of screwworm in the Key deer. We managed to get one dose of the medication in him on that date. He definitely was a more wild deer, one that avoided humans and preferred the natural habitat in the woods and pine rocklands. Many of us wondered if he had survived the screwworm outbreak. Just yesterday, we got good news, refuge volunteer Mickey Foster was able to get another photograph of him, alive and well. He has such a large and unusual antler rack that there is no doubt he is the same deer. Thanks to all the volunteers who have been helping with this unusual disease outbreak, there are many Key deer alive today as a result of your efforts.

Photo: Mickey Foster 




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Ring-necked Pheasant

From Quivira National Wildlife Refuge:

A Ring-necked Pheasant venturing out this morning. The warmer temperatures are melting the ice quickly. Better yet, the refuge received about 1.6 inches of rain from the big weekend weather event! 




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Bison Scratching an Itch

From Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge:

Bison will use anything they can to scratch; a tree, a fencepost, and in this case the ground!
Photo: Justin Judd Rankin




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Sandhill Crane |

From Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge:

#USFWS

After so much rain, even the long toes of the Sandhill Crane have trouble sloughing the mud...

Sandhill crane photo credit: USFWS 




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Sunrise over Joppa Flats this morning

From Parker River National Wildlife Refuge Complex:

Sunrise over Joppa Flats this morning... (Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge) Ranger Poole :-)

Golden Eagle |

From Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife & Fish Refuge:

These majestic birds have been spotted on the Refuge in the Wabasha area. They are distinguished by buff or golden plumage on the nape of their necks and under their tails. Mammals and birds are Golden Eagles’ primary food which they hunt mostly from the air, and often in spectacular dives called stoops.

Photo courtesy of Tom Koerner/USFWS.http://bit.ly/2itAkMF




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Heroes Rescue Humpback Whale from Illegal Fishing Nets

Frozen Beauty

From Quivira National Wildlife Refuge:

Frozen beauty: ice-covered buds of a Silver Maple, the result of a large ice storm in the area.




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