4/21 Cowbird, oil price, Trump's reg reform, Denis Hayes, ocean listening, gray wolves, otoliths

Brwon-headed cowbird [Dan Kolsky]

Brown-headed cowbird Molothrus ater
The Brown-headed Cowbird is a stocky blackbird with a fascinating approach to raising its young. Females forgo building nests and instead put all their energy into producing eggs, sometimes more than three dozen a summer. These they lay in the nests of other birds, abandoning their young to foster parents, usually at the expense of at least some of the host’s own chicks. Once confined to the open grasslands of middle North America, cowbirds have surged in numbers and range as humans built towns and cleared woods. (All About Birds)


*EDITOR'S NOTE: Access updates on the COVID-19 virus at national and regional print publications like the CBC, the Seattle Times, the New York Times, and the Washington Post.


Oil price at 18-year low as turmoil persists
The price of a barrel of Brent Crude - the UK benchmark for oil - has slipped below $20, its lowest level since 2002. The close to 20% slump follows negative prices being recorded for a barrel of West Texas Intermediate (WTI), the benchmark for US oil. Negative oil prices on Monday were a "quirk", says one market expert. The price of US oil - which slumped to minus $37 a barrel at one point - was produced by a trading deadline and is now back to a positive figure. (BBC)


White House readies push to slash regulations as major part of its coronavirus economic recovery plan
Senior White House and Trump administration officials are planning to launch a sweeping effort in the coming days to repeal or suspend federal regulations affecting businesses, with the expected executive action seen by advisers as a way to boost an economy facing its worst shock in generations, two people familiar with the internal planning said. The White House-driven initiative is expected to center on suspending federal regulations for small businesses and expanding an existing administration program that requires agencies to revoke two regulations for every new one they issue, the two people said. Jeff Stein and Robert Costa report. (Washington Post)

The ‘Profoundly Radical’ Message of Earth Day’s First Organizer
Denis Hayes, Earth Day, climate change, renewable energy and the challenges ahead. John Schwartz reports. (NY Times)

‘An important time to listen’: ocean scientists race to hear the effects of coronavirus under water
The pandemic offers a temporary reprieve from the clamour of ocean noise — which can affect how whales and other species communicate, navigate and feed — and an opportunity to reflect on the consequences of human activity for marine life. Jimmy Thomson reports. (The Narwhal)

If you like to watch: Gray Wolves of Calvert Island
The coastal wolves of the Great Bear Rainforest are distinct from their mainland cousins. The Calvert Island pack has found a veritable smorgasbord this spring—an all-you-can-eat buffet of squid and whale. (Hakai Institute)

Ucluelet researcher scouring region for fish ears
Micah Quindazzi is asking West Coast fishers and ocean observers to lend him their ears. Quindazzi is scouring the peninsula for fish ears, called otoliths, in an effort to create a catalogue that he believes could unveil a treasure trove of information about sea life. “In 1899, scientists discovered ring like structures in the otoliths, similar to tree rings, that can age a fish,” he wrote in an email to the Westerly News. “Since then, otoliths have been used to identify fish species, determine the length of a fish, distinguish populations from each other, and even track the migration routes fish undertake.” In order to complete his catalog, Quindazzi is asking West Coasters to assist by donating any fish heads they acquire. Andrew Bailey reports. (Alberni Valley News)


Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  239 AM PDT Tue Apr 21 2020   
TODAY  S wind to 10 kt becoming SE in the afternoon. Wind waves  2 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 15 seconds. A slight chance of rain  in the afternoon. 
TONIGHT  E wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell  4 ft at 14 seconds. A chance of rain.




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