On Our Radar: A Well-Traveled Whale February 17, 2012, 10:14 am The perambulations of a young gray whale that was electronically tagged in Pacific waters off Sakhalin Island add to recent evidence of migratory patterns that have confounded scientists. Researchers had long assumed that the species migrated only along a coast, but the whale, known as Varvara, turned up off Mexico's Baja peninsula. McClatchy Newspapers Environmental groups argue that this week's blowout at an exploratory well near the Beaufort Sea underscores the threat that offshore drilling will pose to the Arctic environment if the Obama administration allows it to proceed. No crude was spilled on the tundra, but an estimated 42,000 gallons of drilling mud as well as natural gas flowed from a well on the Colville River Delta. A new portable water bottle uses ultraviolet light to purify water in just 60 seconds. The light interacts with microorganisms, destroying their DNA and rendering them harmless. Will the mild winter weather send some birds farther north this year? People will find out through the three-day Great Backyard Bird Count, which opens today across the United States and Canada. In past counts, bird watchers were most likely to report American robins in areas without snow. [Cornell Lab of Ornithology] Another ornithological tidbit: birds are more likely to stray from their mates when the climate changes frequently, researchers find. High feed and fuel prices have left dairy farmers unable to keep up with the demand for organic milk. The Huffington Post