California
Young California condor dies from lead poisoning, tribe confirms
HUMBOLDT COUNTY, Calif. – The Yurok Tribe of Northern California say that, according to a pathology report, a California condor’s cause of death was lead poisoning.
What we know:
In a social media post on Wednesday, the tribe said the 18-month-old condor, found in the wild in January, died after it apparently ate an air gun pellet. The bird was found in a remote backwoods area of Redwood National Park.
The tribe said the condor, one of 18 free-flying condors released by the Northern California Condor Restoration Program over the last several years, was the youngest of the flock.
The tribe’s collaboration with federal officials to reintroduce these birds is one of its flagship conservation projects.
The bird was numbered B7, but its tribe-given name was Pey-noh-pey-o-wok, which means “I am friend or good kind natured.” The indigenous tribe considers these birds sacred.
The examination of the bird revealed high concentrations of lead in its liver and bone. Officials delayed an announcement about the birds’ death until the official cause was determined.
The source of the pellet is not known, officials said.
Flying free
“A natural death would have been less painful for us, the humans watching as he started to flourish in the wild,” Tiana Williams-Claussen, the tribe’s wildlife department director, said in the post.
She added that the condor was known for its friendliness and would be seen preening and huddling together with other condors and shared food easily.
“He had only been flying free for a few months. That he was brought down by something human caused and preventable is devastating,” Williams Claussen added.
The threat of lead
Biologists say lead is the main threat to condors in the wild, making up half of the deaths of released condors when a cause of death is determined. The birds can die after scavenging on game that was shot and killed with lead ammunition when they ingest bullets.
The NCCRP works to educate how the public can make a difference by switching to lead-free ammunition.
The group is planning another group of condors into the wild later this year.
The majority of the tribe is located in Humboldt and Del Norte counties.
California
Heavy rain, high tides cause flooding along stretch of Northern California
CORTE MADERA, Calif. (AP) — Heavy rain and high tides believed to be the most severe in two decades caused flooding in parts of Northern California on Saturday, prompting road closures and rescues of residents trapped in their cars.
Roadways through a 15-mile (24-kilometer) stretch from the Sausalito area to San Rafael were flooded after a downpour coincided with record-breaking “ King Tides,” Marin County Sheriff’s Sgt. Michael Dobbins said.
No injuries were reported but authorities were called to assist when cars got stuck in floodwater as high as three and four feet (1.1 and 1.2 meters), he said.
“There is a lot of water in the roadways,” Dobbins said, adding the tides were reportedly the highest in more than two decades. “Along with heavy rains, it just created the perfect storm for flooding on the streets.”
Authorities in the communities near San Francisco asked residents to stay home wherever possible until waters recede. Some residents kayaked along what normally would be city streets. Others waded out in water that passed their knees.
A flood warning was in place for the San Francisco area until 2 p.m. Saturday and an advisory until 2 p.m. Sunday, according to the National Weather Service in San Francisco.
King Tides occur when the sun, moon and Earth are in alignment and the moon is in its closest position to the Earth, creating a stronger gravitational pull.
California
UPDATE: Crash at California/Dakota
10:06 PM: Police are arriving at the scene of a two-vehicle crash reported at California/Dakota, with at least two people hurt.
11:06 PM: Police have just reopened the street. We went to the scene after a report that one vehicle had ended up on the lawn of a church – First Lutheran Church of West Seattle (WSB sponsor) – is on the southwest corner – but all we could see was one vehicle on the sidewalk. We’re following up with SFD regarding the people who were hurt.
California
Southern California’s wild weather is not over. Wind gusts of up to 65 mph predicted
Last week’s rain won’t be the end of Southern California’s wild weather as strong wind gusts are forecast through the area until Tuesday.
Gusts of up to 65 mph are expected in mountains and valleys throughout the region, with the National Weather Service warning that power outages were possible and that residents should keep an eye out for downed trees and power lines.
“Travel could be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles,” according to an alert issued by the National Weather Service.
The recent storms that drenched Southern California and soaked the soil could also “increase the likelihood of damage” caused by downed trees and power lines, the agency noted.
The National Weather Service issued the advisory Sunday, warning that the western Santa Monica Mountains, Santa Susana Mountains, San Gabriel Mountains and the Interstate 5 and Highway 14 corridors could see strong winds starting Sunday evening, lasting until Monday afternoon.
Winds between 20 to 30 mph are expected in those areas until Sunday evening. Wind speeds are then predicted to pick up until Monday afternoon, with northeast winds of up to 40 mph and gusts of up to 65 mph.
A similar alert for strong gusts was issued by the weather service for the San Bernardino and Riverside County mountain and valley regions, as well as the Santa Ana Mountains, where strong winds could linger until Tuesday afternoon.
Northeast winds with speeds of up to 30 mph are expected to hit the area starting this evening, with gusts of up to 60 mph.
The high wind alerts come after the region was drenched for days, causing debris flows that washed through homes in Wrightwood. At least three people were killed in storm-related deaths, including a man in San Diego who was struck by a falling tree. In Boyle Heights, a rare tornado touched down on Christmas morning.
More rain is expected this week, including the possibility of rain on New Year’s Day.
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