4/4 Hummer myths, sperm whale, bowheads, sea cucumbers, Sinclair Broadcasting

Rufus hummingbird [Mike Yip/BirdNote]

Hummingbird Migration Myths
Have you ever wondered how a tiny hummingbird travels thousands of miles during its migration? You’re not alone. The wonder of bird migration has puzzled and mystified people for thousands of years. Before the benefit of bird-banding research and radio transmitters to track migrating birds, folklore, myths, and legends attempted to explain this awe-inspiring phenomenon. One common myth about hummingbirds is that they hopped a ride on the backs of migrating geese. And here’s a fascinating tale that comes from early cultures living in the dry central highlands of northern Mexico: In the fall after the hummingbirds have finished nesting, when the flowers are finished blooming and there is nothing for them to eat, hummingbirds fly to the branches of trees. They grab hold of a branch and hang down by their beaks. Dangling there, the hummingbirds dry up. They remain lifeless throughout the winter dry-season. Then in the spring, when the rains come, the hummingbirds soak up the rain and come alive again. (BirdNote)


Salish Sea Communications will be at the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference the next few days and news clips will be posted as time allows. Look for tweets #SSEC2018.

First sperm whale spotted in inland waters in Washington state
The Pacific Whale Watch Association said they spotted for the first time ever a sperm whale in inland waters in Washington state, according to a press release. The release states that members of the association were able to capture photos and hydrophone audio of the whale, the first of its kind seen by whale watching tours in the Salish Sea. (KOMO)

UW research: Listen to the 'crazy, crazy' songs of bowhead whales 
UW scientist records the “jazz singers of the Arctic” as bowhead whales shriek, moan, rattle and ululate under the ice during the dark of winter. Kate Stafford has listened to more bowhead-whale songs than any person on the planet — but when asked to describe the sound, she’s momentarily at a loss. “It’s hard to put into words,” said the University of Washington oceanographer. “They shriek. They moan. They cry and they rattle and they whistle and they hum.” Sandi Doughton reports. (Seattle Times)

Sea Cucumber Conspiracy Netted Businessman $1.5 Million: Feds 
A Pierce County businessman is facing a felony charge for allegedly over-harvesting sea cucumbers, a bottom-feeding animal protected by state and federal law - and one that's eaten as a delicacy around the world and sells for as much as $170 per pound. According to charges filed in federal court in Seattle, Hoon Namkoong, owner of Orient Seafood Production (OSP) in Fife, allegedly conspired with fishermen around Puget Sound to under-report sea cucumber purchases for more than two years. Neal McNamara reports. (Patch)

Turmoil inside KOMO News as conservative owner Sinclair mandates talking points 
Amid a national outcry over Sinclair Broadcasting and its mandate to insert conservative talking points on local TV news, several journalists at KOMO News — Sinclair’s Seattle-area station — describe a newsroom in turmoil. Some staffers have reached a breaking point and have discussed protesting their corporate bosses, or plan to leave as soon as they can. Sinclair, the nation’s biggest owner of local TV news stations, has for several years required KOMO and many of its stations across the country to air “must-run” news stories and commentaries produced by Sinclair that tilt heavily to the right on the political spectrum. But it recently required its local anchors in Seattle and elsewhere to deliver on air a Sinclair-provided script bashing “fake news” and accusing journalists of pushing their political agenda without checking their facts. To many, it looked like talking points from the Trump administration had been directly broadcast into living rooms across the country, filtered through their trusted local anchors. Mike Rosenberg reports. (Seattle Times)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  849 PM PDT Tue Apr 3 2018  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM PDT WEDNESDAY THROUGH  WEDNESDAY EVENING  
WED  E wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 3 ft at  8 seconds. Rain likely.
WED NIGHT  SE wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. SW swell  4 ft at 8 seconds. Rain.

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