u/spartacus34

Happy 4th. Fitting trivia: Minnesota has one of the largest bald eagle populations in the lower 48 - thousands of nesting pairs - thanks to all that clean water and fish. Fifty years ago that was unthinkable: DDT had knocked the entire lower-48 population down to a few hundred pairs, and the eagle was an endangered species. Now they're a routine sight along the rivers and lakes here. This map shows where America's national bird has been turning up across the state. Happy Independence Day.

It still feels surreal, but Pittsburgh has nesting bald eagles right in the city - the Hays pair along the Monongahela has raised eaglets since 2013, with more nests in Harmar, Crescent, and along all three rivers. Fifty years ago this was impossible: DDT had nearly wiped eagles out and there were almost none left in Pennsylvania. They've come all the way back, and our rivers - cleaner than they've been in a century - are full of the fish they hunt again. Recent sightings around the metro below.

We're in the thick of firefly season. Those flashes blinking over the lawns and tree lines at dusk are male fireflies (mostly the "Big Dipper" firefly here) advertising to females, each species with its own pattern - the Big Dipper does a little J-shaped swoop as it lights up. They love warm, humid evenings near long grass, creeks, and woods, which is exactly the weather we've got. It won't last all summer, so grab a drink, sit out at dusk, and put the phone down for twenty minutes. Recent sightings around the metro below.

Fun fact: the eastern tiger swallowtail is the official butterfly of Washington DC, and right now they're absolutely everywhere - big yellow-and-black ones drifting through every park and garden. The females even come in a dark form that mimics the poisonous pipevine swallowtail. We're at peak flight season. Recent sightings across the District below - keep an eye on anything flowering.

Mapped recent barred owl sightings from around the city and they’re showing up in far more parks than I expected. Discovery Park, Seward Park, the Arboretum, Lincoln Park, and plenty of other green spaces all had reports this week. Anyone else spotted one or heard their distinctive call at night?