From Biology Letters (Sept 15) – Bite a mouse on the back of the neck and don’t let go. Now shake your head at 11 turns per second, as if saying “no, no, no, no, no!” You have just roughly imitated a hunting Loggerhead Shrike, imposing about 6g on the little beastie (six times the acceleration of Earth’s gravity). How does the shrike manage not to shake its own brain to mush? (And for that matter, how do woodpeckers avoid headaches, or do they?) Video analysis of this “buckling” of the mouse’s body vs. head that are twisting at different speeds, suggests that it’s similar to what a person’s head would feel in a car crash of as much as 16 km/hr. Allegedly

Wetlands may survive rising seas ( Nature , Sept 13) – A recent study suggests that salt marshes and other wetlands could accumulate soil quickly enough to avoid becoming fully submerged. And if humans are willing to allow wetlands to move inland as the seas rise, the coastal fringes might not only survive but could substantially increase their global area, e.g., by as much as 60%. Recommended human adaptations include moving seawalls, rerouting roads, and giving up waterfront real estate. eh?

eBird patch lists – I see that 143 Idaho eBirders have lists for a “patch” that they have created in eBird. I’ve often thought that having a patch in our immediate hood made sense because we are living in this space, usually 24/7. But I see that Jason has designated the Boise CBC Circle as one of his patches, and this strikes me as an awesome idea, both fascinating and inspired!

Hey Tom, we really enjoyed seeing you among “your birds” this morning! 😉

Larry