I was still coming to terms with the Rutgers loss to Connecticut in the Elite 8 of the Women’s college basketball tournament Tuesday night when I wrote my Wednesday blog entry. I was a bit shell-shocked after we blew a 14-point lead, after having absolutely dominated the first half. But yes, the better team did win, as I believe we simply became mentally and physically tired against a great team due to our short bench. Also, we may have simply been outcoached in the second half of the second half. It was a tough game to watch – for an RU fan, anyway – and once again, I do believe Rutgers athletics have taken another day or two off the end of my life thanks to the stress that their fans are put through. Anyway, moving on . . .

Thursday was an absolute beautiful day, but I was unable to get out to take advantage of it, save for an afternoon walk in Royal River Park – which did produce 5 Hooded Mergansers. 40 raptors were tallied at the Bradbury Mountain Hawkwatch. Meanwhile, errands and inclement weather (mid 30’s and rain, about as unpleasant as it gets in my book) precluded any birding this morning as well.

However, there was one birding highlight to enjoy – and part of it has been enjoyed from the comforts of the inside of our store. 27 Turkey Vultures are roosting in trees next to the Yarmouth skating pond, behind the Key Bank and American Legion on Main St. There’s a lovely rotting deer carcass on the bottom of the embankment that has attracted their attention. Jeannette and I noticed a few “TV’s” soaring around the pond area yesterday afternoon, and we spied a total of 15 in the air.

It wasn’t until this morning, however, that the object of their desires was apparent. Mmmm, rotting venison, aaarrrggghhhhh!!!!!!!

Once again, there was quite a bit of relevant tidbits of news and notes again this week, so I’ll once again summarize some of that here:

Save Our Boreal Birds.org:
This new website has been developed to provide information on Boreal birds and their conservation issues. You can also sign a petition urging Canada to protect North America’s “bird nursery.”

Habitats Protected in Maine:
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced the approval of funds for seven habitat protection projects in Maine through the North American Wetlands Conservation Act small grants program.

Another development scheme for Sears Island:
Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) released an opinion on the latest plan, that would pave over “more than a third of the largest uninhabited island on the Eastern Seaboard.”

Bats and Bugs:
Two recent studies confirmed how many bugs bats eat (even more than birds). In fact, declines in bat numbers may have a significant impact on agricultural productivity and overall ecological functioning.