7/3 White-throated sparrow, SRKW, cross-border mingle, summer kids books

White-throated sparrow [WikiMedia]

White-throated sparrows change their tune from 3 notes to 2
White-throated sparrows are changing their tune — an unprecedented development scientists say has caused them to sit up and take note. Ken Otter, a biology professor at the University of Northern British Columbia, whose paper on the phenomenon was published on Thursday, said most bird species are slow to change their songs, preferring to stick with tried-and-true tunes to defend territories and attract females. But the shift to this new tune went viral across Canada, travelling over 3,000 kilometres between 2000 and 2019 and wiping out a historic song ending in the process, he said. Hina Alam reports. (Canadian Press)

Ls & Ks in the Salish Sea!, HBs, minke, grays, & Bigg's KWs galore
Orca Network reports Southern residents L pod (how many is unconfirmed) and the K12s and K13s paid long-awaited visits to the Salish Sea. Photos, too.

Absent orcas: Most of the whales simply are not around to be counted at this time
“So far, no new babies to report.” That’s the latest word from Ken Balcomb regarding the southern resident orcas, the three pods of endangered whales that once frequented Puget Sound but lately seem hard to find. July 1 marks the date of the annual killer whale census, a project carried out by Ken and his fellow researchers at the Center for Whale Research. Each year, Ken accounts for every orca in the population and reports the number to the U.S. government. This has been going on since the 1970s, when the capture of orcas for marine parks was brought to an end. Chris Dunagan reports. (Puget Sound Institute)

Cross-border mingling near Peace Arch still a walk in the park, says lawyer from Washington state
B.C.'s Peace Arch Provincial Park was shut on June 18 after crowds of people gathered in the green space straddling the 49th parallel, but the U.S. side of the park remains open. And Washington State immigration lawyer Len Saunders says there's little Canadian officials can do to stop the foot traffic due to a treaty signed in 1814. Saunders, based in Blaine., Wash., said he recently met clients in the state park and watched dozens of people jumping a shallow ditch along 0 Avenue in South Surrey, B.C., to picnic, walk dogs or to enjoy what appeared to be reunions of families and friends. Yvette Brend reports. (CBC)

A New Wave of Coastal Kids’ Books to Dive into This Summer
After months of school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many kids are now facing summer with reduced recreational activities. You’re going to have to get creative to keep the little ones in your life active and engaged. While the pandemic has slowed the publishing industry, fortunately there’s still a strong wave of new coastal kids’ books. Not only are these titles perfect for reading on a beach blanket, they also offer a plethora of ideas for fun activities such as cleaning up the beach, watching the salmon spawn, and writing messages in the sand. Raina Delisle reports. (Hakai Magazine)



Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  241 AM PDT Fri Jul 3 2020   
TODAY  SE wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 4 ft  at 11 seconds. Showers in the morning then showers likely in the  afternoon. 
TONIGHT  Light wind. Wind waves less than 1 ft. SW swell 4 ft  at 12 seconds. A slight chance of showers in the evening. 
SAT  Light wind becoming NW to 10 kt in the afternoon. Wind  waves 1 ft or less. SW swell 4 ft at 17 seconds. A slight chance  of rain in the afternoon. 
SAT NIGHT  NW wind 5 to 15 kt becoming W to 10 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 2 ft or less. SW swell 3 ft at 18 seconds. 
SUN  W wind to 10 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon. Wind  waves 2 ft or less. SW swell 3 ft at 17 seconds.




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