🦉 Birding gone bonkers | Morning Newsletter
And a closer look on the ice.
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Snow is no longer filling the skies and the winds are a tame 11 mph as Philly’s 250th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade steps off this morning.
But take a hat and gloves if you’re going because it won’t get out of the 30s today.
Time to spring forward. Daylight saving time began anew in Philly today. Learn 7 things you might not know.
In today’s email:
🦉 Fascinating: We’re flocking outside to check in with the birding community.
🇺🇦 Informative: We’re reading about the latest Ukraine news.
🏒 Comprehensive: Recent racist incidents show how far hockey still has to go. 🔒
🍕 Appetizing: Craig LaBan reviews a pizza spot enlivening a Kensington corner with an unusual concept.
If you see this 🔒 in today’s newsletter, that means we’re highlighting our exclusive journalism. You need to be a subscriber to read these stories. Please send me feedback about this by writing back.
— Ashley Hoffman (@_AshleyHoffman, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
🎤 And now I’m passing the mic to our reporter Jason Nark, who wrote today’s top story:
Reporting on rural Pennsylvania also means being one of The Inquirer’s unofficial “animal” reporters and that’s how I wound up holding alligators, rattlesnakes, and getting far too close to too many horses (I’m terrified).
I’ve written about falconry quite a bit and birding, to a lesser extent, but came across several social media posts lamenting the strange case of the snowy owl, a bird that’s loved too much, perhaps. Like all hobbies, it seems there’s a way to make something simple and enjoyable into something complicated and, yes, even controversial. That’s what happened, in some instances, with birding. In this case, people were flocking to private property in Pennsylvania to see a snowy owl and violating birder etiquette.
My story also delves into birding’s growing numbers and its growing pains, pointing out that many of these issues and situations are more perilous for birders of color.
Birding is changing in so many ways and I’m continually fascinated with how humans interact with wildlife. Keep reading for how birding became more complex.
What you should know today
Russian forces shelled a mosque sheltering more than 80 people, including children, the Ukrainian government said Saturday as fighting also raged outside Kyiv.
The community of St. Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Church in Jenkintown raised more than $40,000 for Ukraine armed forces Saturday with a food festival.
Pennsylvania American Water has issued a boil-water advisory for 14,500 customers in Chester and Lancaster Counties after detecting lower-than-normal chlorine levels at one of its treatment plants.
Philly’s getting a permanent Harriet Tubman sculpture.
For your pumping pleasure, we’re going to stay on top of the cost of gas in Philly with our price of gas tracker.
City Council passed a bill that would suspend demolition of a subsidized housing complex in University City.
We’re bringing you the first of a two-part series examining racism in hockey through the shared experiences of current and former players, coaches, fans, and the media.
This Philly film fan has 4,000 (weird) movies from vintage cartoons to a two-reel 1930s musical comedy in his “Secret Cinema” workshop.
And our columnist Jenice Armstrong writes that Brittney Griner is more than a WNBA star, and that’s what makes her Russian detention so precarious.
Local Coronavirus Numbers: Here’s your daily look at the latest COVID-19 data.
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❓Pop Quiz❓
Where did those 7,000 insects, lizards, and other creatures stolen during that 2018 bug museum heist probably end up?
A) an inconspicuous new rival bug museum around the corner
B) a prank show
C) the underground market
D) a haunted house in Malvern (Halloween WAS right around the corner)
Find out if you know the answer.
🧩 Unscramble the Anagram 🧩
Two scheming kids wisely launched this company out of a UPenn dorm room. Hint: 😴 + 🍪
ACINIE MONIES SOOK
We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Email us if you know the answer.
🥨 Your Essential Philly 🥨
We asked about your favorite work of art, and here’s what you said.
🌳 “‘The Dream Garden’ mural in the Curtis Center. Breathtaking piece of art that instantly calms me.” — Susan
🏞️ “Hailing the Ferry by Daniel Ridgway Knight” — Mary
💡 “My all-time favorite is Picasso’s Guernica, which I first saw in person at 14 in NYC. The story behind it is integral.” — Will
💌 We want to hear from you. What’s the most romantic place in Philly? Let us know.
Photo of the Day
🎶 And for today’s Sunday track, we’re listening to: “Been dazed and confused for so long, it’s not true. Wanted a woman, never bargained for you.” 🎶 Recommend a song to me anytime.
👋🏽 Free weekend idea: Turn your home into a 🥥 “tropical beach resort” like I did.