This strong El Nino is offering some hope that winter will finally bring rain to severely drought-stricken central and northern California. However, that then raises other concerns.
I've traveled across much of central and northern California over the past several days, and the landscape is almost lunar in appearance because of the four years of severe drought. After a similar trip a year ago, it didn't seem that this could get or look any worse, but it has. That isn't news, but you can't appreciate what many farmers and livestock producers are going through until actually seeing it. This strong El Nino is offering some hope that winter will finally bring rain. The concern is that after this long period of drought, heavy rainfall could c...
The magpie goose (Anseranas semipalmata) is the sole living representative species of the family Anseranatidae. This waterbird is found in northern Australia and southern New Guinea.[2] The species is not truly migratory but it sometimes travels large distances to find food and water, especiall...
The common ostrich (Struthio camelus), or simply ostrich, is a species of flightless bird native to certain areas of Africa (and historically, Arabia) and is the largest living species of bird. The common ostrich is one of two extant species of ostriches, the only living members of the genus St...
A pika (/ˈpaɪkə, ˈpiːkə/ PY-kə, PEE-kə[3][4]) is a small, mountain-dwelling mammal native to Asia and North America. With short limbs, a very round body, an even coat of fur, and no external tail, they resemble their close relative the rabbit, but with short, rounded ears.[5] The large-eared pi...
Lobelia (/loʊˈbiːliə, lə-/[4][5][6]) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Campanulaceae comprising 415 species,[7] with a subcosmopolitan distribution primarily in tropical to warm temperate regions of the world, a few species extending into cooler temperate regions.[8] They are known g...
