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Birds, Conservation, Daily Bread, Good Ideas, Nature, Wisconsin

Daily Bread for 4.23.25: Mark Your Calendars for Fat Bird Week (Yes, Wisconsin Has a Fat Bird Week)

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Good morning.

Wednesday in Whitewater will see scattered afternoon showers with a high of 70. Sunrise is 6:00 and sunset is 7:46, for 13 hours, 47 minutes of daytime. The moon is a waning crescent with 23.9 percent of its visible disk illuminated.

On this day in 1985, Coca-Cola changes its formula and releases New Coke. The response is overwhelmingly negative, and the original formula is back on the market in less than three months.

Something happy today, as though a palate cleanser in difficult times. Wisconsin’s Second Fat Bird Week is approaching. The Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin will hold Fat Bird Week from May 2nd to May 9th:

Let’s celebrate our chunky native birds and learn how to help them! Every day from May 2nd to May 9th you’ll get the chance to vote for your favorite bulbous bird.

How does voting work?

Our 8 chubby contestants compete in a single elimination, bracket-style tournament.

The first round of voting will open at 9am CST on Friday, May 2nd and voting will remain open for 48 hours. The second round of voting will open at 9am CST on Sunday, May 4th and remain open for 24 hours. The following rounds will open at 9am CST and last 24 hours until the final round on Friday, May 9th. The winner will be announced on Monday, May 12th.

Receive daily reminders to vote by signing up for the Bird News You Can Use email list. You’ll also be the first to find out who won Fat Bird Week!

….

In the world of birds, a fat bird is a healthy bird. Fat acts as a great lightweight source of energy for these important pollinators. Many of our favorite native Wisconsin species are also migratory birds and can pack on 50-100% of their body weight to store up enough energy for their long journey. For our non-migratory chonkers, they are able to fluff out their feathers during the winter months to stay warm.

Fat, healthy birds benefit our environment in a variety of ways. As key pollinators, birds disperse seeds, pollinate plants, and help manage pests in farmlands and forests. Birds also have significant mental health benefits for humans and support Wisconsin’s $2.6 billion wildlife watching economy. Known as “canaries in the coal mine,” birds can alert both people and wildlife to unhealthy conditions, too. What are the four biggest ways you can help?

See the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin website for more information about their good work.

Here’s the 2024 winner:

Heavy dust storm sweeps across state in northern Mexico:

A massive dust storm rolled through northern Mexico on Saturday, leading to health concerns and road closings. The storm hit Chihuahua, a state in northern Mexico largely covered by desert, across from New Mexico and Texas. At least a dozen municipalities were affected, but no casualties were reported.

Animals, Daily Bread, Faraway Places, Nature

Daily Bread for 4.12.25: Taming Pythons in Thailand

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Good morning.

Saturday in Whitewater will be mostly sunny with a high of 45. Sunrise is 6:17 and sunset is 7:34, for 13 hours, 16 minutes of daytime. The moon is full this evening.

On this day in 1776, with the Halifax Resolves, the North Carolina Provincial Congress authorizes its Congressional delegation to vote for independence from Britain.

The real White Lotus in Thailand, Four Seasons Koh Samui, and Anantara Mai Khao Villas aren’t just stunning backdrops for HBO’s hit series — they’re home to Nok, a real-life sustainability manager protecting endangered sea turtles, giant monitor lizards, and native birds. As The White Lotus Season 3 wraps, we uncover the wild side of these luxury resorts and meet the woman fighting to preserve paradise behind the scenes.

Fox takes a drink:

Agriculture, Culture, Daily Bread, Nature, Wisconsin

Daily Bread for 3.29.25: Three Wisconsin Generations Tap Maple Trees

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Good morning.

Saturday in Whitewater will be cloudy with a high of 68. Sunrise is 6:41 and sunset is 7:18, for 12 hours, 36 minutes of daytime. The moon is new with none of its visible disk illuminated.

On this day in 1999, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closes above the 10,000 mark (10,006.78) for the first time, during the height of the dot-com bubble.

Three generations tap maple trees during Saint Patrick’s season:

Each Saint Patrick’s Day weekend, generations of the O’Brien clan gather in the family’s maple grove to tap the sap, cook the syrup and enjoy each other’s company. The family’s creation of combination sap shed and gathering space ensures their family tradition will go on for many generations.

James Webb Space Telescope captures a ‘cosmic tornado’:

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) captured an amazing video of the outflow Herbig-Haro 49/50 (HH 49/50), a newborn star.

Birds, Climate, Daily Bread, Nature, Wisconsin

Daily Bread for 3.8.25: Warmer Wisconsin Winters Changing Ancient Sport of Falconry

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Good morning.

Saturday in Whitewater will be sunny with a high of 48. Sunrise is 6:18 and sunset is 5:53, for 11 hours, 35 minutes of daytime. The moon is a waxing gibbous with 70.9 percent of its visible disk illuminated.

On this day in 1983, while addressing a convention of Evangelicals, Ronald Reagan labels the Soviet Union an “evil empire.” (It was, and the Russian Federation still is.)

Warmer Wisconsin Winters Changing Ancient Sport of Falconry:

Closeup:

Daily Bread, Nature, Wisconsin

Daily Bread for 1.17.25: Kickapoo Valley Reserve Battles Light Pollution

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Good morning.

Friday in Whitewater will be windy with a high of 45. Sunrise is 7:21 and sunset is 4:49, for 9 hours, 27 minutes of daytime. The moon is a waning gibbous with 86 percent of its visible disk illuminated.

On this day in 1944,  Allied forces launch the first of four assaults on Monte Cassino with the intention of breaking through the Winter Line and seizing Rome, an effort that would ultimately take four months and cost 105,000 Allied casualties.

Wisconsin has a designated international dark sky park, Newport State Park. The Badger State could, however, have a second dark sky park if the Kickapoo Valley Reserve achieves that designation:

Angela visits the Kickapoo Valley Reserve, 8,600 acres between La Farge and Ontario, to learn about its bid to become the state’s second International Dark Sky Park. Executive director Jason Leis and electrical engineer Scott Lind demonstrate their efforts to maintain low light pollution through special fixtures and community outreach.

Directions from Whitewater to Newport State Park and Directions from Whitewater to the Kickapoo Valley Reserve.

Rocket science really is as hard as rocket science:

SpaceX launched its Starship rocket on its latest test flight, but the spacecraft was destroyed following a thrilling booster catch back at the pad. The spacecraft was supposed to soar across the Gulf of Mexico from Texas on a near loop around the world similar to previous test flights

Birds, Daily Bread, Nature, Wisconsin

Daily Bread for 1.16.25: Great Lakes Gulls

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Good morning.

Thursday in Whitewater will be cloudy with a high of 35. Sunrise is 7:22 and sunset is 4:47, for 9 hours, 26 minutes of daytime. The moon is a waning gibbous with 92.2 percent of its visible disk illuminated.

Whitewater’s Community Development Authority meets at 5:30 PM.

On this day in 1945, Hitler moves into his underground bunker, the so-called Führerbunker.

Whitewater has geese at Cravath, but not far away by the Great Lakes one can find large numbers and varieties of gulls.

See Joe Tarr, Why gulls of the Great Lakes are no ordinary birds, Wisconsin Public Radio, January 16, 2025.

Blue Origin launches massive New Glenn rocket on first test flight:

Blue Origin launched its massive new rocket on its first test flight Thursday, sending up a prototype satellite to orbit thousands of miles above Earth. [While the rocket reached orbit to launch a satellite, the first-stage booster missed its landing on a barge in the Atlantic. See Marcia Dunn, New Glenn rocket reaches orbit on first test flight, Associated Press, January 16, 2025.]

Birds, Daily Bread, Nature, Photography, Wisconsin

Daily Bread for 11.24.24: Sandhill Cranes in Grantsburg & a View of Devil’s Lake State Park

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Good morning.

Sunday in Whitewater will be partly cloudy with a high of 47. Sunrise is 6:58, and sunset is 4:24, for 9 hours, 26 minutes of daytime. The moon is a waning crescent with 35.2 percent of its visible disk illuminated.

On this day in 1971, during a severe thunderstorm over Washington state, a hijacker calling himself Dan Cooper (aka D. B. Cooper) parachutes from a Northwest Orient Airlines plane with $200,000 in ransom money. He has never been found.

Over at Vimeo, documentary filmmaker and photographer Lorie Shaull recently published Sandhill Cranes at Crex Meadows Wildlife Area in Grantsburg, Wisconsin:

At Instagram, photographer Andy Merkel offers a view of Devil’s Lake State Park:



Daily Bread, Nature, Wisconsin

Daily Bread for 11.8.24: 24,000 Black Bears

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Good morning.

Friday in Whitewater will be partly sunny with a high of 56. Sunrise is 6:38, and sunset is 4:38, for 9 hours, 59 minutes of daytime. The moon is a waxing crescent, with 43.1 percent of its visible disk illuminated.

On this day in 1972, American pay television network Home Box Office (HBO) launches.

Wisconsin Life | Inside the den: DNR researchers track Wisconsin’s black bears:

Aerial footage shows scale of wildfires burning in California:

Daily Bread, Nature, Wisconsin

Daily Bread for 8.26.24: A New Season (The Best Season) Draws Close

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Good morning.

Monday in Whitewater will be mostly sunny with a high of 92. Sunrise is 6:14, and sunset is 7:37, for 13h 23m 08s of daytime. The moon is a waning crescent with 48.5 percent of its visible disk illuminated.

Whitewater’s Urban Forestry Commission meets at 5:30 PM.

On this day in 1920,  the 19th Amendment to United States Constitution takes effect, giving women the right to vote.

Wisconsin’s breathtaking fall landscapes:

New robot will clean up dangerous ‘space junk’:

Space is littered with man-made trash that threatens satellites, space missions and life on Earth. A newly designed European Space Agency robot will drag the junk back toward Earth, where it will burn up in Earth’s atmosphere or drop into the ocean.

Daily Bread, Nature, Wisconsin

Daily Bread for 8.16.24: Wisconsin State Parks Remain Popular After Pandemic

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Good morning.

Friday in Whitewater will be partly cloudy with a high of 83. Sunrise is 6:03, and sunset is 7:53, for 13h 49m 55s of daytime. The moon is a waxing gibbous with 87 percent of its visible disk illuminated.

On this day in 1930,  the first color sound cartoon, Fiddlesticks, is released by Ub Iwerks.

Evan Casey reports Wisconsin state park use remains high since COVID-19 pandemic boom (‘Wisconsin Policy Forum report found state park sticker sales in 2023 were up nearly 50 percent from 2019’):

When businesses shuttered and schools went remote during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Wisconsin residents flocked to parks and nature trails across the state.

Now, a new report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum found that Wisconsinites are still using state parks at higher rates than before the start of the pandemic. The report found there were 518,848 state park sticker sales recorded in 2023, up from 346,491 in 2019 — a nearly 50 percent increase. 

Tyler Byrnes, the lead researcher on the report, said there were massive increases in outdoor recreation seen across the state in 2020.

See Wisconsin Policy Forum, Staying Engaged in Outdoor Pursuits:

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A small benefit following a large tragedy.

Snow leopard cubs begin exploring at Virginia zoo:

The Metro Richmond Zoo announced the birth of two female snow leopards, Sasha and Kira. They were born to parents Elsa and Nitro on April 28. At the beginning of August, they were old enough to begin exploring their outside habitat.

Daily Bread, Nature

Daily Bread for 8.11.24: The 2024 Perseid Meteor Shower

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Good morning.

Sunday in Whitewater will be sunny with a high of 76. Sunrise is 5:58, and sunset is 8:01, for 14h 02m 41s of daytime. The moon is a waxing crescent with 39.6 percent of its visible disk illuminated.

On this day in 1919, the Green Bay Packers professional football team is founded during a meeting in the editorial rooms of Green Bay Press-Gazette.

The 2024 Perseid Meteor Shower:

Ditching generators and recycling buildings: How Paris did the Olympics differently:

From energy to reused infrastructure to vegetable-friendly menus, the 2024 Paris Olympics organizing committee orchestrated this year’s event with its own flavor.