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The Farallon Islands, located off the coast of San Francisco, are home to over half a million seabirds that breed there each year. These birds, including common murres, guillemots, puffins, and cormorants, face challenges due to changes in the ocean caused by warming temperatures. In recent years, global sea surface temperatures have reached record highs, leading to delays in breeding and decreased egg production. Seabird colonies, like the Farallones, are particularly vulnerable to climate change, which affects their food sources and nesting habitats. Researchers are also concerned about avian flu and the impact of nonnative house mice on the islands. Despite these challenges, the Farallones remain a conservation success story, with populations of common murres increasing from under 100,000 in 2000 to around 500,000 today. However, funding constraints and other threats pose ongoing challenges to the protection of these seabirds. [Extracted from the article]

This article provides an overview of the latest research on marijuana and its health effects. It highlights both the negative and positive aspects of marijuana use. On the negative side, studies have linked heavy marijuana consumption to adverse health outcomes involving the lungs, heart, brain, and gonads. It may also have negative effects on developing adolescent brains and can cross over to fetuses during pregnancy. On the positive side, marijuana has been found to have potential benefits in alleviating pain, reducing chemotherapy-induced nausea, calming epileptic seizures, easing symptoms of multiple sclerosis, and serving as a sleep aid. However, experts caution against self-medicating and recommend consulting a doctor. The article also mentions some lighthearted research findings, such as nematode worms experiencing the munchies when dosed with cannabis. Overall, the article emphasizes the need for further research and highlights the importance of considering diverse perspectives on marijuana use. [Extracted from the article]

Cold-water swimming is gaining popularity, particularly in northern Europe, with celebrity practitioners like Kate Winslet and Bradley Cooper endorsing the activity. While the health benefits of cold-water swimming have been touted for centuries, scientific research on the subject has been limited and inconclusive. Some studies suggest that regular cold-water exposure may combat obesity, cardiovascular disease, inflammation, muscle soreness, and diabetes, but more research is needed. Cold-water swimming carries risks such as hypothermia, drowning, and cardiac arrhythmia, so caution is advised, especially for individuals with health conditions. Despite the lack of scientific evidence, enthusiasts of cold-water swimming swear by its positive effects on mood and overall well-being. [Extracted from the article]

Children were represented at relatively low rates in the diversity-focused books, perhaps in in part because because many many of these books profiled famous people from historically marginalized groups. CHILDREN'S LITERATURE has become far more diverse in the past decade, helping more kids than ever to see themselves in their favorite books. "There are just so many more choices of books [reflecting] the multifaceted complexity of individual lives", says Tessa Michaelson Schmidt, director of the Cooperative Children's book Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. [Extracted from the article]

A new meta-analysis published in The Lancet suggests that delaying the cutting of the umbilical cord for premature babies can significantly reduce the risk of death. The study, which collected data from randomized controlled trials involving nearly 10,000 premature babies, found that survival rates were best when doctors waited at least two minutes to clamp the cord. Delayed cord clamping has been shown to increase a newborn's blood volume, red blood cell count, iron stores, and ease the transition to breathing. While some circumstances may still require immediate clamping, the study suggests that delaying cord cutting should be considered for premature babies. [Extracted from the article]

Lead author Alexandra White, an epidemiologist at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, speculates that airborne pollutants make people more susceptible to breast cancer by disrupting "the normal hormonal mechanisms in our bodies." AIR POLLUTION is one of the world's greatest public health threats, reducing global life expectancy more than smoking, alcohol or childhood malnutrition. SMALLER BABIES Along with the elderly and already ill, babies tend to suffer the most from air pollution; it has been shown to impair their lungs, their immune responses and even their size. [Extracted from the article]

De - spite weighing only as much as a pint of milk, streaked shearwaters "have an inbuilt ability to cope with the strongest storms that Japan's seen", Shepard says. Scientists had previously tracked individual albatrosses moving through cyclones, but this is the first time researchers have documented birds appearing to enter storms purposefully and strategically. Like big-wave surfers or daring meteorologists, shear-waters in the Sea of Japan deliberately head toward powerful (and dangerous) storms. [Extracted from the article]

This article from Bay Nature provides information about various bird species found in the Farallones Islands and the Bay Area. It describes the characteristics and behaviors of Brandt's cormorants, Cassin's auklets, Western gulls, common murres, and pigeon guillemots. The article includes identification tips for each species and highlights their unique features. It also mentions the habitats and feeding habits of these birds. The article aims to provide factual information for library patrons conducting research on bird species in the area. [Extracted from the article]

FEATURES Eminently vilifiable and hard to avoid, House Sparrows and European Starlings have all but conquered North America. ORANGE-CHEEKED WAXBILL SWINHOE'S WHITE-EYE PIN-TAILED WHYDAH EURASIAN SKYLARK RED-VENTED BULBUL GREAT TIT COMMON MYNA EUROPEAN GOLDFINCH BRONZE MANNIKIN COMMON HILL MYNA TRICOLORED MUNIA SCALY-BREASTED MUNIA EURASIAN TREE SPARROW RED-WHISKERED BULBUL NORTHERN RED BISHOP SPOT-BREASTED ORIOLE PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) 5 Common Hill Myna Native Range: Southern Asia North American Range: Southern Florida ABA Countable: No When LeBaron attended the University of Miami in the 1970s, Common Hill Mynas lived all over campus. In fact, scientists estimate that introduced birds cause roughly $2 billion in damages annually just in the U.S. Moreover, House Sparrows and European Starlings tend to evict or even kill native cavity nesters. [Extracted from the article]

"There's nothing sillier than real bird names", says British birder Patrick Baglee, "the irony being that any bird name someone makes up off the cuff (very often along the lines of "lesser spotted babbler") is rarely as silly as some of the actual names we use day in and day out". This Eastern tree climber possesses perhaps the only North American bird name that rivals the Ring-necked Duck in terms of nonsensicalness. When comedians mock birders, they inevitably invoke this medium-sized woodpecker. It's barely an annual occurrence in Kent these days (having once been a breeding bird in the county), so you could argue it is not truly a bird of Kent - just Kent-ish". [Extracted from the article]