LEO Network

About the LEO Network
The LEO Network is a worldwide network of observers and experts that share their observations of environmental change.
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Observations

Arctic snowy owls wintering in U.S. fitted with tiny tracking devices
For researchers, this winter's mass migration of snowy owls from their breeding grounds above the Arctic Circle to the Great Lakes region is serious business.
Duxbury Beach, Massachusetts, United States
CBC News

How Global Warming Fueled Five Extreme Weather Events
Scientists analyzed 27 extreme weather events from 2016 and found that global warming was a “significant driver” for most of them. We look at five cases.
The New York Times

Unidentified Jay
Unidentified Jay sighted in southcentral Alaska, early December.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Paper Mill Dam: Swimming Hole Monitoring
Paper Mill Dam, Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada

Toxic algae may have played part in sea bird die off
Walruses were found washed up on the beaches from Cape Espenberg to Shishmaref and further west. Samples taken from the intestines of four walrus all had moderate to high levels of saxitoxin.
Nome, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

Hundreds of dead geese in Canada's Arctic likely succumbed to harsh conditions
More than a thousand dead geese that washed up on the shore near Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, last August appear to have died of natural causes, including toxicity caused by drinking salt water.
Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, Canada
CBC News

A Western Nunavut goose die-off was due to ‘natural causes,’ autopsies show
Natural causes led to the death of more than 1,000 geese on Long Point beach outside Cambridge Bay this past August, a pathologist’s report has found.
Western Nunavut, Canada
Arctic Now

Unusual Bird Sighting, Northern Shrike (Lanius excubitor)
We've seen these birds in the Fairbanks area before but neither my wife or I could recall seeing one at this time of year.
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States

Where have all Newfoundland's Songbirds gone?
Climate change could be just another challenge for the gray-cheeked thrush and other distinct species.
The Telegram

Penguin disaster as just two chicks survive from colony of 40,000
‘Catastrophic breeding event’ leads to demands for a marine protected area to be set up in East Antarctica
Petril Island
the Guardian

Bird lovers flock to glimpse rare tropical bird in New Brunswick
A colourful bird native to the mountains of Central and South America has been spotted in Hopewell Hill, N.B., prompting bird lovers to flock to the area to try to catch a glimpse.
Hopewell Hill, New Brunswick, Canada
CTVNews

American coot sighting in eastern Arctic pretty unusual says bird expert
That’s after the bird apparently lost its way to its usual wintering-over grounds far away to the South.
Igloolik Island, Nunavut, Canada
Nunatsiaq Online

Great Egret (Ardea alba) So Far North
Egret near Inuvik observed by numerous folks in Inuvik.
Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada

For third year in a row, Alaska seabirds wash up dead
For the third year in a row, seabirds are washing up dead along the coastline in Alaska. Hundreds of birds have been discovered along a stretch of the Bering Sea, on the Pribilof Islands and as far north as Deering. Julia Parrish said the thin bodies of the dead fulmars and shearwaters washing up on shore suggest the birds are struggling to find enough to eat. So far, about 800 have been discovered along the coast of the Bering Sea. Parish said early lab results don’t point to disease. It looks like the birds are starving to death.
Bering Sea, East Coast Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media
Elizabeth Jenkins, Alaska's Energy Desk - Juneau

Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis) Confusion - Flying North then South
There were lines of cranes flying north and then this morning just before daylight, flying south
Golovin, Alaska, United States

Flock of Sandhills (Grus canadensis)
Sandhill cranes spotted flying east
Portage Creek, Alaska, United States

Cloudberries (Rubus chamaemorus) in Seldovia
Cloudberries observed in new area around Seldovia.
Jakolof Bay Headwaters, Alaska, United States

Day of reckoning for marine invaders
For centuries, marine species have moved around either by hitching ride on the hulls of ships or as stowaways in ballast water. In many instances, species have been deliberately introduced for aquaculture or other commercial purposes.
United Kingdom
Phys.org

'There had to be over 1,000': Dead geese wash up on Cambridge Bay shore
Hundreds of dead snow geese have washed up on the shores near Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, and it may be some time before officials figure out what caused them to die. David Bird, an emeritus professor of wildlife biology and ornithologist at McGill University, said that while it's impossible to do anything but speculate until tissue analysis is conducted on the dead geese, it's likely that the birds died of disease.
Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, Canada
CBC News

Increase in Common Raven (Corvus corax) abundance
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Goose populations are shifting in Alaska
For decades, the crowds of small, dark sea geese on the tundra of southwestern Alaska's Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta have been thinning, a situation opposite that of geese on the North Slope.
Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska, United States
The Arctic Sounder

Seabirds found dead on Nome beach
On Sunday, Austin Ahmasuk went along the beach to his camp at the Sinuk River, about 28 miles from Nome, and shortly after hitting West Beach past the port, he found one dead seabird on the shore.
Sinuk River, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

Horned Puffin (Fratercula corniculata) - Smith Island, Puget Sound
Horned Puffin sighted near Smith Island in the Eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca, WA.
Oak Harbor, Washington, United States

A tale of two goose populations: Y-K Delta’s shrink, Arctic coast’s expands
Black brant populations are struggling in the species' once-dominant Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta breeding areas, but conditions are better for brant breeding on the Arctic coastline.
Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska, United States
Alaska Dispatch News

Mysterious bird deaths in Helsinki
Why are barnacle geese and seagulls dying by the dozens in Helsinki and not Turku? The birds have been dying in droves off the coast of Helsinki, and in the islands off coastal cities nearby as far out as Inkoo in the west and Porvoo in the east. The phenomenon was first reported on Thursday by Helsingin Sanomat.
Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland
Yle Uutiset

These birds are trapped between predators and rising sea levels
Which is worse: getting eaten, or drowning? Read on.
Georgia salt marshes
Popular Science

B.C. wildfires’ impact on animals ‘to be horrific’: wildlife rehab facility
A major wildlife rehabilitation facility is bracing for the devastating impact of the B.C. wildfires on birds and mammals.
Smithers, British Columbia, Canada
Vancouver Sun

Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe), Taylor Highway
Bird observed well beyond its typical range.
Columbia Creek Bridge, Taylor Highway, Alaska, United States

Dead Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) at Spit Beach
Dead eagles are becoming more common around Sand Point, with one recently reported on Spit Beach

Hundreds Of Dead Seabirds, Sea Lions Wash Up In California
The likely culprit is a toxic algal bloom, fueled by warmer ocean temperatures.
Carpinteria, California, United States
HuffPost

38 million pieces of plastic waste found on uninhabited South Pacific island
Henderson Island
the Guardian

Polar bears shift from seals to bird eggs as Arctic ice melts
The habitat overlap of polar bears and their main prey, ringed seals, is disappearing and the bears are instead getting closer to nesting birds.
Svalbard, Norway
New Scientist

Murre colonies struggle to reproduce following die-off
While reproductive failure is common for some species like black-legged kittiwakes, it isn’t for murres. In some places less than one percent of the chicks survived.
Unalaska, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media
Zoë Sobel, Alaska's Energy Desk - Unalaska

Rare Eagle observed on Swinomish Reservation
La Conner, Washington, United States

Tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) showed up late, then disappeared
Cemetry Beach, Haida Gwaii

Early Morning Call - Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus)
I've only heard this animal in the spring/summer.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) with Sores/Deformities?
Several bald eagles were observed with sores around their eyes and bills.
King's Cove, Alaska, United States

Climate Change drives early laying/hatching, but not only Temperature!
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States
The Earth Times

Emperor Goose (Chen canagica) Spotted in Anchorage
Nearly all emperors winter in the Aleutian Islands, on the western and south side of the Alaska Peninsula, and on Kodiak Island. However, sightings have occurred as far south as California and even Hawaii.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Slow Fairbanks snowmelt slows Canada Geese migration
Sunshine is abundant this time of year, but cooler temperatures this week have slowed the melting of a well above normal snowpack in Fairbanks. That’s affecting migratory bird’s arrival at a local refuge.
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Erosion and Habitat Disturbance at Mimico Creek
Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada

Rufous hummingbirds (Selasphorus rufus) late by 2 weeks, then gone
Masset, Haida Gwaii

Anchorage Area Rarity – Hawfinch
Location:  Two locations in the same Hillside neighborhood:  1st Location:  Metz Court, 2nd Location:  Park Hills Drive – Anchorage,
Anchorage Audubon Society

Dead Juvenile Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
Sand Point, Alaska, United States

Unusual change in seasons, waters and wildlife
Pine Ridge, South Dakota, United States

Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) Sighting
A pair of rare, presumably mating, Northern Cardinals (*Cardinalis cardinalis*) were spotted in Spruce Grove, Alberta CAD.
Spruce Grove, Alberta, Canada

Adult Bald Eagle Sighting
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Pintail ducks (Anas acuta) early
Norther pintails observered early in the Mat-Su Valley near the Glenn Highway-Parks Highway overpass.
Gateway, Alaska, United States

Flowering cacti observed in La Quinta, California
Bear Creek Trail, La Quinta, California, United States

Yukon species list shows climate change in action
A big emphasis in the last few years has been updating and adding to the list of species known to occur in the Yukon.
This past year, a whopping 1,973 species of plants, insects and animals have been added.
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada

How Alaska's Jay birds spread their seeds
On a recent hike, I heard a volley of high-pitched screams coming from a thick stand of small spruces just beside the trail. They sounded very much like the cries of a red-tailed hawk, but that bird would be highly improbable in such a place and at this time of year (February). Surely it was a Steller’s jay, which is well-known to mimic redtails and some other birds as well.
Juneau, Alaska, United States
JuneauEmpire.com

Amazon Deforestation, Once Tamed, Comes Roaring Back
"A decade after the “Save the Rainforest” movement captured the world’s imagination, Cargill and other food giants are pushing deeper into the wilderness."
Coari, Amazonas, Brazil
HIROKO TABUCHI, CLAIRE RIGBY and JEREMY WHITE

Logging Crew Mobilizes Near Irreplaceable Wetland, Slated for Site C Flooding
Watson Slough, Peace River region
DeSmog Canada

Abundance of "Oyster Pickers" Black Oystercatchers (Haematopus bachmani)
"I learned from a community member that they haven't seen these type of birds here within town, they usually see them on the islands that surround our cove. With the warming temps. people have noticed more and more different types of birds showing up in our community."
King Cove, Alaska, United States

Ice of Change - Amid Waterfowl Sightings
No sea ice; hunters say it should not be like this today.
Diomede, Alaska, United States

Early American Robin (Turdus migratorius) Sighting
A robin was sighted in southcentral Alaska; an early arrival.
Port Graham, Alaska, United States

Wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) travel corridor along Flambeau River

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