tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-93368792012-01-27T12:43:14.730-05:00The art, science, sport, and mystery of living with birds.birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.comBlogger12091100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-21310665595421003522012-01-27T12:40:00.000-05:002012-01-27T12:43:14.739-05:00

I was excited this morning to see an advance reading copy of Jon Young's new What the Robin Knows: How Birds Reveal the Secrets of the Natural World.  A few years ago I had the great pleasure of reviewing Jon's earlier Advanced Bird Language CD set, and made me much more aware of what was going on in the world around me, changing how I walk through the woods and look for birds, and see the

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-63088057181872633512012-01-12T16:32:00.000-05:002012-01-12T16:32:15.905-05:00

For birders, HOMEs (pronounced ho-mees) are Hooded Mergansers.  I've got some HOMEs I've been seeing regularly at Demott Pond, a small nearby pond that I visit whenever I'm in the area or need a few more birds to get my 20 species minimum daily requirement.  For the past month and a half, I've had anywhere from two to six of these HOMEs on the pond, where they patrol the area, males flashing

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-54396784536535910942012-01-05T14:55:00.001-05:002012-01-05T14:55:38.287-05:00

As I pulled up to the Common Chaffinch stakeout in Union Township, NJ this morning, the cul-de-sac was filled with cars.  I knew it was going to be exciting! Up the hill, where the birders were gathered waiting on a porch for the bird to come in to a feeder, I thought I could hear the following chant:: What do we want?  Chaffinch! When do we want it?  NOW! What do we want?  Chaffinch! When

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-5696207909505194742012-01-03T12:16:00.000-05:002012-01-03T12:16:00.445-05:00

This morning in the wind and subfreezing temperatures I was able to get a short look at the Common Chaffinch coming to a feeder in Union Township, NJ.  The bird was coming in every half hour or so to the seed under the feeder.  It was only visible for a few minutes when I was there, and I only managed these poor blurry photos through my binoculars with my Android phone camera.  Better photos

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-87569832790857320892012-01-02T15:37:00.002-05:002012-01-02T15:37:52.511-05:00

Here an apparent adult Kumlien's (Iceland) Gull that I photographed at Spruce Run Reservoir, Hunterdon, NJ on December 28.  Note especially the small gray primary tips.  Currently considered a subspecies of Iceland Gull, who knows, maybe it will be considered its own species someday.

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-30140604355190408282012-01-02T14:39:00.000-05:002012-01-02T15:04:20.649-05:00

When is a baby duck not a baby duck?  In this case, the small duck in this picture is not a baby Mallard, but a Call Duck, a small domestic variety of Mallard. It waddled up to my car the other day with the full-sized Mallards at one of my local ponds in Clinton, NJ.  Note also the interesting plumage, without the dark brown chest of a wild drake Mallard.

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-58761551801038031032012-01-02T14:24:00.000-05:002012-01-02T14:24:21.306-05:00

In addition to staying in good birding shape by making sure I get my 20 Bird Minimum Daily Requirement, this year I'm also going to take the eBird One a Day Challenge--and will make sure to enter at least one eBird checklist for each day of the year.  I'd like to invite everyone else to do the same!  BTW, this year I'm also going to dig out all my old trip lists from outside the U.S. and enter

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-70034921596380496222011-12-31T12:42:00.000-05:002011-12-31T12:42:18.655-05:00

2011 started a bit slow for me, and I only had four trips that required air travel--2 weeks and 2000 miles driving the entire coast of Texas in May, a conference in Ohio, a quick family wedding trip to Oregon, and a conference in New Zealand in December.  Since I didn't enter all my Texas trip sightings into eBird (ooops!), I'm not sure exactly how many birds I saw this year (that's why you have

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-31083270566322392782011-12-31T09:09:00.000-05:002011-12-31T09:09:08.761-05:00

This past week as I was driving home I saw a Great Blue Heron in my neighbor's pond.  Pulling into my driveway, I walked down to the far corner of my yard and I could barely see the heron standing on the side of the pond.  Bingo!  In three months of living in our new house in New Jersey, the heron was the 67th species for my yard list.  That ties the number of species I was able to see in five

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-32053318307555499072011-12-30T00:30:00.003-05:002011-12-30T00:30:37.333-05:00

What the heck is birdaoke?  Find out at my post For those about to bird, we salute you! over at Birding is Fun!

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-269774125562551672011-11-29T11:48:00.001-05:002011-11-29T11:52:20.747-05:00

I have a new post up at Birding is Fun about jinx birds.  Check it out and share your own jinx bird stories!

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-15152514587169168372011-11-28T18:42:00.001-05:002011-11-28T22:57:19.223-05:00

Can you find the rare goose in this shot?  Me neither! Fortunately I was on my computer this afternoon at 2:30 when word went out about a Pink-footed Goose found by August Mirabella at Pine Run Reservoir, one of my old stomping grounds an hour away over in Bucks County, PA.  Dashing to the car I was there by 3:30, where I met August and Ron French, who had the bird in the scope.  Over the

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-67978104700782205882011-11-21T10:51:00.001-05:002011-11-21T10:57:08.220-05:00

After chasing and missing Brant at Spruce Run for the past two weeks, I finally ran into one this morning at nearby DeMott Pond in Clinton.  The young bird was there all day yesterday, and still there when I checked late this morning, and tame enough to walk up and take a picture of with my phone camera.  Other new arrivals and good birds for me this morning were Red-throated Loon and first

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-43593203243990894282011-11-11T14:10:00.001-05:002011-11-13T22:09:15.214-05:00

This morning the kids were out of school, so we headed over to Merrill Creek Reservoir near our house to see the Snowy Owl that was found there on Wednesday.  After hiking almost a mile out onto the dam, the bird was easily seen perched on a rock out of the wind below the dam. Here are my kids looking down at the owl.  See it?  Right there on the rocks to the left of the dark bush?

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-45110070745357565772011-11-09T14:39:00.000-05:002011-11-09T14:39:28.813-05:00

Had to take my car for a spin after getting it back from the shop (still trying to get it to pass NJ inspections) and ran into ten of these great birds at the Spruce Run Reservoir boat launch parking lot.  I haven't seen many Snow Buntings over the years, so nice to get reacquainted.  At first the birds flew in and were resting in the shade, then they flew out into the open gravel parking lot.

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-52071732077081020532011-11-04T18:55:00.000-04:002011-11-04T18:55:11.133-04:00

I've managed to get my 20 Bird MDR each day this week, despite some heavy travel days and lots of driving to campus and back.  Today my best birds were Rusty Blackbirds at Assiscong Marsh on my way down to a faculty meeting at Rowan University.  While I haven't had time for hard core birding, by making the effort to get my daily bird MDR I have seen Merlin, Palm Warbler, and several other birds

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-71243014887490906632011-10-31T14:43:00.000-04:002011-10-31T14:44:01.174-04:00

Getting your 20 Bird MDR is important, but what if you suffer from Bostick Syndrome? In order to encourage birding-life balance, some folks may consider the value of taking a day off from the 20 Bird MDR as a birding shabbat.  Personally, I usually take Sundays off.  I still try to identify every bird I see, and I may even write them down, but I take a rest from the relentless birding drive for

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-86234772382170803052011-10-30T02:31:00.000-04:002011-10-30T02:31:09.639-04:00

I'm now part of the group blog Birding is Fun!  Check out my latest post there on Bostick Syndrome, A.K.A. Obsessive Compulsive Birding Disorder.

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-43453033862696748342011-10-24T18:39:00.000-04:002011-11-16T19:20:19.476-05:00

I just moved to The Garden State, so William Boyle's The Birds of New Jersey: Status and Distribution (Princeton, 2011) has appeared just in time to help me get up to speed on the birds in my new home state! The Birds of New Jersey is an annotated checklist to the 465 bird species recorded in New Jersey through mid-2010.  Each species account features a paragraph outlining the seasonal status

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-19956782106125778672011-10-24T17:27:00.000-04:002011-10-24T17:36:17.497-04:00

In order to make sure I get my 20 Bird Minimum Daily Requirement, I start each day by marking out 30 hash marks, in three columns of 10, on a small piece of paper.  That way, every time I see or hear a new bird for the day I can record it on my tally sheet using the standard 4 letter banding codes.  Since my tally is grouped in columns of 10, I can quickly see how many species I have for the day.

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-47105716644399284582011-10-23T19:54:00.000-04:002011-10-23T20:25:30.204-04:00

Yesterday I got to spend the day with some quality folks at John Heinz NWR as we discussed how to promote birding among traditionally non-birding ethnic groups in the U.S.  It was a great event, and I've got more to say on this later.  But you can enjoy the event yourself right here on this blog, since the USFWS filmed the whole thing! (BTW, I show up briefly on camera at 23:43 in the first

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-15327427534877181992011-10-21T15:44:00.001-04:002011-10-21T16:50:51.397-04:00

Fox really dropped the ball on marketing The Big Year, and it tanked at the box office opening weekend.  This is a shame, as The Big Year is an engaging and fun look at the world of birds and birding.  I watched it with my kids and they loved it.  We laughed, we cried.  I've seen hundreds of movies that left me shrugging with a meh? But this one was a winner.   You can go to IMDB or

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-69443655566753288902011-10-21T13:16:00.000-04:002011-10-21T13:36:29.659-04:00

The former Bird RDA is now the 20 Bird Minimum Daily Requirement.  This new designation more clearly states the purpose of the distinction--that birders need to see a minimum number of species each day in order to stay sharp. The 20 Bird Minimum Daily Requirement is useful as a prescription--say you are a bit glum, feeling isolated from the natural world--nothing like a month of making sure

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-83620334573351976622011-10-18T22:36:00.003-04:002011-10-18T22:36:53.135-04:00

In one of my favorite scenes from The Big Year, Owen Wilson's character, competitive top birding lister Kenny Bostick explains his birding compulsion to his frustrated wife by declaring that he is "like Mozart".  What might that mean?  I find a lot of richness in that claim.  For one thing, it speaks of having a driving passion.  But for me, it also speaks to birding as a performance

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-43335484428694058952011-10-17T22:28:00.001-04:002011-10-17T22:28:28.902-04:00

For family night the kids and I went to see The Big Year.  We had a great time and all the kids liked it.  My 10 year old "loved it" and gave it 5/5 stars.  My 14 year old gave it 3.5 stars, and my 7 year old gave it 4 stars.  While it was rated PG, my kids thought maybe it should be almost PG-13 for the mild language and a few sexual situations.  But they especially liked Jack Black, and he

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-56442818853485996002011-10-11T10:27:00.003-04:002011-10-11T10:27:37.960-04:00

Tomorrow night I'm giving a talk on The Personality of Birds at the Huntington-Oyster Bay Audubon meeting in Northern Oyster Bay and Huntington Townships out on Long Island, NY.   Early 20th Century naturalists were quick to describe birds in human terms, including characteristics such as shyness and mischievousness that we would consider aspects of personality. Was this merely

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-29482290251077969582011-09-30T13:01:00.000-04:002011-09-30T13:01:28.048-04:00

So yesterday was the first day the kids rode the bus to school from our new house in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. As we waited for the bus, we were treated to Palm Warbler and seven other species flitting around the yard. Then I had to book it down to my classes at Rowan University. Over an hour and a half later, as I walked inside, my day list was only up to 16--4 shy of my needed Bird RDA.

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-2425390755436149352011-09-19T12:48:00.000-04:002011-09-19T12:48:58.896-04:00

Nice morning getting close to some common birds. Hoffman Park, Hunterdon, US-NJ Sep 19, 2011 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Protocol: Traveling 0.5 mile(s) 18 species Red-bellied Woodpecker 1 Downy Woodpecker 1 Northern Flicker 1 Pileated Woodpecker 1 Blue Jay 8 American Crow 5 Tufted Titmouse 4 House Wren 3 Eastern Bluebird 1 Wood Thrush 1 American Robin 2 Gray Catbird 6 Brown Thrasher 1 Common

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-61729890065858844482011-09-18T18:18:00.000-04:002011-09-18T18:18:16.309-04:00

Anyone who has seen a National Wildlife Refuge sign has seen the "Blue Goose" logo. But did you know that the Blue Goose is actually the mascot of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service? And not just any Blue Goose, but the mascot has a name. Puddles. This weekend at the Cradle of Birding Wildlife and Conservation Festival at the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge I had a brief and distant

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-65005125854543244812011-09-18T17:52:00.001-04:002011-09-18T17:52:55.373-04:00

This semester I'm teaching a Diversity of Life course for nontraditional students at Rosemont College in Philadelphia. Highlights so far include learning to identify trees with a key (see the Arbor Day Foundation online key--great tool) as well as SPASMATIC bird identification. On Saturday we attended the Cradle of Birding wildlife festival at John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge in

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-4610702178398038122011-09-15T20:36:00.000-04:002011-09-15T20:36:55.621-04:00

Stopped by Glassboro Woods on my way to campus this morning. Very, very quiet. Only 7 species in 20 minutes there before the boredom and mosquitoes chased me away. Highlight was a nice male Hooded Warbler. Last night was great, driving over to give a Mayan bird talk to Monmouth County Audubon I had one (and possibly three--two birds didn't show well) White-winged Dove flying over the Garden

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-74368471189925676042011-09-14T11:15:00.001-04:002011-09-14T15:10:49.464-04:00

I birded without binoculars for about 20 minutes in Hoffman Park after dropping my kids off at school. Nice close looks at several Common Yellowthroats, a Wood Thrush, and Northern Parula. But best birds were locally uncommon Blue Grosbeak seen closely but briefly, and a male Orchard Oriole seen in a distant oak tree. While I would have preferred to have my binoculars with me, I was surprised

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-28588179528440560472011-09-08T22:30:00.000-04:002011-09-08T22:30:00.394-04:00

A few years ago I hit upon the idea of a Recommended Daily Allowance of birds--something to make sure that even busy people get enough birds into their day to stay sane and healthy. The number I hit upon was a minimum of 20 bird species a day. Lately with everything I've got going on I've been a bit enemic in the bird department, so I'm making a bigger effort to make sure to get my Birding RDA.

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-64198803978023844342011-09-07T12:34:00.001-04:002011-09-07T12:40:15.278-04:00

Now that I'm (almost) officially in New Jersey, it's time to start my new Hunterdon County list. This morning I birded Spruce Run Reservoir--NJ's third largest reservoir, about 3 miles up the road from our new home. Not a lot of bird activity in the rain, but did manage to get the list started. It all gets better from here, right? Spruce Run Reservoir, Hunterdon, US-NJ Sep 7, 2011 9:50 AM -

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-38299054255853611592011-09-01T15:39:00.001-04:002011-09-01T16:54:40.226-04:00

Hurricane Irene was supposed to lash us with borderline hurricane-force winds. We did get over 6 inches of rain, but I watched the wind gauge for most of the night and never saw a gust of more than 30 mph. And sometimes the winds were below 10 mph. So that was the good news. Bad news was that the storm didn't bring me any good birds. I went to Lake Nockamixon in the morning and apparently

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-81813146533731032502011-08-25T16:13:00.002-04:002011-09-01T17:01:49.979-04:00

Here's a cool press release I just received. (photo: Mike Baird) (Williamsburg, VA)---Scientists have tracked a migrating shorebird into Hurricane Irene. The shorebird, a whimbrel migrating from Canada to South America left Southampton Island in upper Hudson Bay on Saturday, flew out over the open ocean and appears to have encountered the outer bands of Irene on Tuesday. The bird named Chinquapin

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-47788280788436230292011-08-24T14:43:00.002-04:002011-08-24T15:36:12.716-04:00

This fall I am teaching a Diversity of Life course at Rosemont College in Philadelphia. My students will each be required to create a Nature Observation Blog, where they will post their observations of at least 15 animals, 15 plants, and 10 other organisms that they can find, identify, and observe during September. I will post links to my student's pages once they are up. Here is a sample of

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-75032904352659230102011-08-12T16:43:00.000-04:002011-08-12T16:43:42.118-04:00

This morning while watching my House Sparrow nursery out back, I noticed the young out in the open on my patio. They are sort of watching the sky, but not really. More focused on their own little activities--crushing seeds, pecking at stuff, chasing each other, etc. Made me wonder how well these little guys survive. The answer--not so well. According to Lowther & Cink (2006) only 20% of

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-61676109397469427062011-08-11T15:35:00.000-04:002011-08-11T15:35:13.802-04:00

I made a more valiant effort today to get to know my bird of the week and actually spent some time out on the porch watching sparrows. I saw some quick indirect scratching, bill wiping, and other behaviors. But the more I watched, the more puzzled I became. It was clear that I had no idea what these birds are doing out there. At one point there was a male up in the top of a holly tree,

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-90211061213808432302011-08-10T19:42:00.000-04:002011-08-10T19:42:59.803-04:00

Somehow I got all the way through the day without attending to my bird of the week, so after dinner I went out on the porch to see what I could find out about my local House Sparrows. According to Lowther & Cink 2006, House Sparrows congregate for 30-60 minutes before heading to their roost, arriving at their roost 30-15 minutes before sunset. My local sunset tonight is 20:05 EDT, so I was out

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-34966602698672344982011-08-10T11:31:00.001-04:002011-08-10T11:31:40.068-04:00

Thirty years ago today I became a birder! While I had been a casual birdwatcher for awhile, it was the junior high school trip to Malheur National Wildlife Refuge thirty years ago that, depending on our perspective, either came to define or ruin the rest of my life! Who knew when the two vans full of kids and teachers pulled out from Oregon City for the five day field trip to Malheur National

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-78678484996249910162011-08-09T21:38:00.000-04:002011-08-09T21:38:36.766-04:00

So it was a rainy day and I only had a few moments to watch for House Sparrows in my back yard. Not wanting to slight my chosen bird of the week, I dove into the best online sparrow reference out there: Lowther, Peter E. and Calvin L. Cink. 2006. House Sparrow (Passer domesticus), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-4508322761390237332011-08-08T12:08:00.003-04:002011-08-12T16:49:36.813-04:00

(Photo: Dave-F) I was looking out my window this morning and noticed I have a regular sparrow nursery in my backyard. I live in an urban row home in Bucks County, PA so I only have a tiny backyard. But this morning there was a lot of activity. House Sparrows adults and juveniles were on the patio and in the grass, a juvenile Song Sparrow came through, a juvenile Chipping Sparrow was up on a

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-52524887661376396792011-08-02T19:46:00.001-04:002011-08-04T15:21:27.455-04:00

So this morning I finally had some free time to chase the Gray-hooded Gull on Coney Island, first found July 24 and relocated this past weekend (see this NY Times article). By the time I got the kids in the car, it was already late, but two hours later we rolled across the Verrazano Bridge and down to Coney Island. We walked out onto the boardwalk and spotted the crowd of birders down near the

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-2721001235237668742011-08-01T15:17:00.000-04:002011-08-01T15:17:34.722-04:00

I just found out from Bill Etter that our 2010 Upper Bucks Christmas Bird Count set a new record for the most Eastern Screech-Owls reported on a count. Our 237 owls beats the old record of 220 Eastern Screech-Owls found on the Lynchburg, VA CBC in 1976. 17 of those 237 Eastern Screech-Owls were mine, found on my portion of the count circle near my home in Perkasie, PA. I guess it's official, I

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-67175497254914160102011-07-29T00:14:00.000-04:002011-07-29T00:14:48.882-04:00

I've added an article on what to do when singing mockingbirds keep you up all night over at AbsoluteBirdControl.com. I get several emails a month about this during the breeding season, which lasts from maybe Jan-Feb in the south to at least Aug-Sep. Happy to hear any other suggestions folks have about how to live with, or otherwise address this problem (don't say shotgun!).

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-43956645098645871562011-07-12T18:05:00.000-04:002011-07-12T18:05:20.691-04:00

I live in a row home in a small town outside of Philadelphia. My yard, including the house, is less than .1 acre. There is a creek and park a block away, so there are a good number of birds in the area, but I've done pretty good to find 64 species from this tiny spot. Last night as I was sitting on my back porch, a Green Heron flew past at dusk--number 65 for the yard. Since the house is up

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-14725996839828285742011-07-01T20:43:00.000-04:002011-07-01T20:43:49.609-04:00

Back in February 1994 I had just started a Utah state big year. I had set a record for the number of species seen in the state during the month of January (Utah birders keep track of that kind of stuff!) and was having a great time chasing around the state. That month I read the following in Paul Baicich's sidebar entitled "A Road Not Taken" in the February 1994 Birding magazine (BTW, RTP is

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-11006235347191394072011-06-16T15:04:00.000-04:002011-06-16T15:04:22.562-04:00

Looks like my days as a Pennsylvania birder may be coming to a close. Since my wife has taken a new position in New Jersey, we've been house hunting and getting ready to sell our place here in suburban Philadelphia. Looks like our new home will be somewhere in The Garden State. We have an offer pending on a home on over 2 wooded acres that will offer a different set of yard birds from our

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-65659273919822904022011-05-31T11:33:00.000-04:002011-05-31T11:33:33.861-04:00

For the past two weeks I've been in Texas, where I got to lead a 2,200 mile whirlwind tour of urban birds and birding sites from Houston to Beaumont to Galveston to Rockport to Harlingen to McAllen to Laredo to San Antonio to Austin. We found over 260 birds including some favorites like Green Parakeet, Monk Parakeet, Red-crowned Parrot, Audubon's Oriole, Scaled Quail, White-collared Seedeater,

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-69503089644594071982011-04-26T11:45:00.000-04:002011-04-26T11:45:12.773-04:00

Had a good hour or so at Peace Valley this morning. Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Blue-winged Warbler, Great Crested Flycatcher and lots of Gray Catbirds are back. Was hoping for more warblers, but the trees are still aren't really in leaf yet, so any day now! On the lake an adult Bald Eagle soared overhead and a female Hooded Merganser swam by the bridge near the nature

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-35800568441214185672011-04-26T11:42:00.000-04:002011-04-26T11:42:16.742-04:00

Had a very enjoyable hike to see the 21 gorgeous waterfalls at Rickett's Glen State Park yesterday with my kids and some friends. Hard to hear birds on most of the trail due to water noise. On the Highland Trail heading back it was nice to hear some Brown Creepers singing--something I don't get to hear to often. Also had Red-eyed Vireo and Yellow-throated Vireo back from migration, as well as

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-82933687318796202602011-04-21T16:53:00.000-04:002011-04-21T16:53:15.863-04:00

Finally, at long last, Audubon has published online a neighborhood bird conservation workbook that I wrote for them more than two years ago when I was their senior scientist for urban bird conservation. The idea was to provide a resource to get people started thinking and working together to make their neighborhood or community more sustainable for birds and people. So check it out, let me know

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-16940641974630586722011-03-29T09:14:00.000-04:002011-03-29T09:14:01.173-04:00

Tree Swallows were reported last week at Peace Valley and elsewhere in SE PA but I hadn't seen one yet this spring until I was driving back from the gas station today and had one on a power line north of Perkasie. Spring is here more and more each day!

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-49076031817652983282011-03-28T21:31:00.000-04:002011-03-28T21:31:46.693-04:00

I am quoted a couple times in this interesting article on bird hazards to aviation in the trade magazine Flight International.

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-18515642878674857242011-03-28T11:53:00.000-04:002011-03-28T11:53:45.838-04:00

So here's a fun email I got today. Any thoughts on what you would say if your neighbor had a complaint like this? I have a Chuck Will's Widow that is nesting about 50 ft from my backyard in a wooded area. He sings ALL night long and even with the doors and windows closed he can be heard which is affecting our sleep. The neighbors are also complaining. Can anything be done?

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-29427835727194794182011-03-22T08:12:00.000-04:002011-03-22T08:12:35.384-04:00

Yesterday I stopped by Peace Valley and was able to find all three mergansers, though there were less than a dozen ducks on the whole lake. A female Red-breasted Merganser (uncommon here) was close by the shore, but by the time I got my scope up it dove and I wasn't able to get a shot of it until it was way out in the lake. Ugh! I got 15 seconds of blurry video, but it rivals the 2005 Arkansas

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-74647064328699918792011-03-12T08:03:00.000-05:002011-03-12T08:03:21.557-05:00

Got a great question today by email: The front yard of our house slopes gently down to a small pond. Every year around this time we get three or four nesting pairs of Canada geese, then later another 40 to 60 geese show up to party for the summer. We don't mind seeing them on water or on the other three sides of the pond -- we just don't want to them on our lawn because they chew the sod and poo

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-271773785503265192011-03-08T09:41:00.000-05:002011-03-08T09:41:47.809-05:00

With several high profile bird guides being released this year, one deserving new guide may not be getting as much attention as it deserves--the new National Geographic Guide to the Backyard Birds of North America by Jonathan Alderfer and Paul Hess. Scheduled for release later this week, this attractive guide is a great book to give to those backyard birdwatchers in your life--or any friend or

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-13730297096798062782011-03-02T10:41:00.000-05:002011-03-02T10:41:09.316-05:00

Angry Birds is Evil. With an uppercase E! According to Wikipedia, over 50 million people have downloaded this game, and globally people are spending 1 million hours a day playing it! That's a lot of time that could be better spent birding! Or saving starving children! Or something! While I'm all for promoting birds, this is a bit crazy. If you don't know what Angry Birds is, just walk away

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-59630984633729671992011-03-01T10:47:00.000-05:002011-03-01T10:47:02.804-05:00

While I was scanning the lake at Peace Valley, 13 Tundra Swans flew in and landed across the lake. I watched them hop out of the water up onto some of the last of the ice on the lake. By the time I had driven around to the other side, they were all up on the ice and napping. Spring is here and birds are on their way north!

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-71290985146613970962011-03-01T10:11:00.002-05:002011-03-01T10:44:32.315-05:00

Had this guy walking through the woods with a buddy this morning at Peace Valley. Looking for Henny Penny? Not bad for a one handed point and shoot shot from the car.

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-31269736606143796132011-02-25T15:07:00.000-05:002011-02-25T15:07:33.084-05:00

Last weekend was the Great Backyard Bird Count, but the GBBC fat lady hasn't sung yet. If you saw birds last weekend, you have until March 1 to submit your sightings to the GBBC website. So make sure to get last weekend's bird sightings reported to the GBBC website this weekend. As they say, it ain't over 'til it's over, and the fat lady won't sing until after March 1.

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-62451095570667209682011-02-24T16:24:00.002-05:002011-02-24T16:36:15.696-05:00

At 11:30 this morning Paul Guris sent out an alert on the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club email list that Anita Guris and Marty Dellwo were looking at a Barnacle Goose in a flock of Canada Geese across from the high school in Red Hill, Pennsylvania near the north shore of Green Lane Reservoir. I was able to get there by noon and shoot 15 minutes of video through my scope and HTC Incredible

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-43383130061005911162011-02-22T18:07:00.000-05:002011-02-22T18:07:21.564-05:00

This afternoon I abjectly failed to get an identifiable photo of a Eurasian Wigeon on Green Lane Reservoir, Montgomery County,Pennsylvania. The bird has been on the water and ice there for the past two days, but I waited until the Junior Birdchasers got home from school so I could take them to see this bird which was a lifer for them (state bird for me). The light was harsh, the bird was far

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-64482575357532910882011-02-19T14:37:00.000-05:002011-02-19T14:37:23.838-05:00

So, in line with my comparison of text between the new Crossley ID guide and recent field guides, here's a comparison chart showing number of birds illustrated for the same species: Again, note how Crossley ID stacks up to the others. 103 Big Sibley 84 Crossley ID 54 Stokes 37 National Geographic 33 NWF 31 Smithsonian 26 Kaufman Again, note how well Big Sibley does in comparison

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-26912125454876602632011-02-18T11:29:00.001-05:002011-02-18T11:29:16.271-05:00

The Great Backyard Bird Count is here! I took my kids out birding this morning, we checked out the duck migration at Peace Valley for 20 minutes or so. Lots of turnover from yesterday, and the highlight was 350 Snow Geese flying north in formation. Temps are in the 60s today, snow continues to melt. Spring is in the air! In addition to the geese, we had a large (for here) group of 27

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-83543069214267079962011-02-17T20:52:00.001-05:002011-02-17T22:25:05.870-05:00

So in my initial review of the Crossley ID Guide, I mentioned that the text for each species account seems shorter than found in most field guides. But the more I read, the more I wondered. There seemed to be a lot more there than I had originally thought. So I had to break out some other guides and do a comparison. As I suspected, there was a lot more in the Crossley ID Guide than I had

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-63431389060224344722011-02-17T11:01:00.000-05:002011-02-17T11:01:25.415-05:00

Ice is starting to melt here in SE Pennsylvania and ducks are on the move! Spring is in the air! I spent a half hour at Peace Valley this morning, and saw several groups of Northern Pintail arrive or take off heading north. Most of the Lake Galena is still frozen, but the area near the dam has several acres of open water that had a lot of ducks: Common Merganser 80 Northern Pintail 64

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-61063745023458726902011-02-16T10:14:00.000-05:002011-02-16T10:14:47.310-05:00

It's that time of the year again, time to head out and count the birds in your yard or your favorite birding spot. Or spots. You can bird as much or as little as you like. Just make sure whatever you do that you report all the birds you find this Friday-Monday. It's easy as pie, just head over to the GBBC website to enter your bird sightings. Shout out to everyone who is working behind the

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-30202741858686403422011-02-14T13:00:00.004-05:002011-02-19T18:17:49.445-05:00

At long last The Crossley ID Guide is here! I'm not sure we've waited for this as long as we waited for the Sibley guide, but once word got out about Richard Crossley's project, we've been looking at his sample guide images online and wondering what the final book would look like. Well, it is finally here and there is a lot to talk about! If you haven't already, you might want to watch

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-10355400311807456282011-02-10T21:23:00.000-05:002011-02-10T21:23:26.415-05:00

If you read birding magazines you've seen this image before in Nikon optics advertisements. It's an iconic representation of Birder as Cosmic Hero. Hoisting his trusty optics as if mighty weapons, striding confidently on the edge of The Deep, The Bird Man--in this case Richard Crossley--might just well have come from slaying Leviathan. It's an inspiring image for those of us who grew up in

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-3538454243870059022011-02-09T16:56:00.000-05:002011-02-09T16:56:04.872-05:00

Do you remember back to before you were a birder? To before you were even a birdwatcher? Here I am with my sister on my way to grandma's house, feeding ducks at the city park in Bend, Oregon. I'm three years old. Not a birder. Not a birdwatcher. Let's call me a bird person. There might still have been hope for me back then. I probably liked my box of animal crackers as much as I liked the

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-80765398732707936852011-02-08T19:12:00.002-05:002011-02-10T12:52:21.636-05:00

NASA image S13-01480 (original above, colorized below) Some people see this as a giant geoglyph--a carving of a parrot--on the surface of the Argyre Planitia area of Mars. Proof of previous life on Mars, or just wishful thinking? Before dismissing their hypothesis outright, check out the serious work of the Cydonia Institute which is exploring this formation as well as other similar ones on

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-1986389702126029812011-02-08T15:56:00.000-05:002011-02-08T15:56:04.416-05:00

Starts at about 4:45--watch how kestrels use their ultraviolet vision to track and hunt voles.

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-8800860851585621502011-02-07T15:40:00.000-05:002011-02-07T15:40:19.534-05:00

Check out these bird head profiles on a building at the Late Classic Mayan city of Uxmal (about 850-1100 AD). You can see the long beaks (looks like trunks), as well as the eyes and mouthes (below the beaks). There are a lot of speculations about these birds, but we still struggle to know exactly what they are or what they represent. Scholars call this bird the Mayan Principal Bird Deity.

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-47956286379488393172011-02-07T15:06:00.000-05:002011-02-07T15:06:57.811-05:00

For the next little while I'm going to be a featured guest blogger over at WeLoveBirds.org--a birding social media site hosted by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the NRDC. You can check out my posts here, of course, but head on over to WeLoveBirds.org for more videos, photos, blogs, and other tools to help you enjoy and share your love of birds.

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-8272592900435445452011-01-27T12:20:00.000-05:002011-01-27T12:20:34.586-05:00

Don't laugh, but prowling peacocks are a real problem for some homeowners. I get several emails each month from folks looking for help with peacocks roaming their yard or neighborhood. If you've got a peacock problem, or are just interested in what this might be all about, check out my Prowling Peacocks post over at AbsoluteBirdControl.com.

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-11249848500930351032011-01-25T11:38:00.002-05:002011-01-25T11:38:48.191-05:00

Check out the video then sign up to spend your own week on Hog Island!

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-15855575549288138722011-01-25T10:49:00.000-05:002011-01-25T10:49:22.504-05:00

The Daily Show With Jon StewartMon - Thurs 11p / 10cBird Like Mewww.thedailyshow.comDaily Show Full EpisodesPolitical Humor & Satire BlogThe Daily Show on Facebook

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-55401541323833368572011-01-24T15:05:00.000-05:002011-01-24T15:05:16.344-05:00

What do most of our songbirds eat, or at least feed their young? Bugs! What do bugs eat? Why native plants, of course. So what's the best way to help birds get the food they need? Plant native plants! What's the best way to get up to speed on the connection between native plants, bugs, and birds? Where can you go to find out what plants each of your favorite butterflies wants to eat as a

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-92204312244580396922011-01-24T14:32:00.000-05:002011-01-24T14:32:42.701-05:00

Last fall I was birding at Lake Nockamixon near my house, when a bird of prey came flying past. By the time I saw it, it was already parallel to me. By the time I got my binoculars on it, it was heading away in a glide and I couldn't see its head. I first thought Peregrine but then it flapped and the wings didn't look so falcon-like. It swooped up into a tree, and I got a good look at its

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-85498225169703453112011-01-24T14:05:00.000-05:002011-01-24T14:05:43.192-05:00

Over at Urban Birdscapes I've posted a review of the new Princeton Field Guide Parrots of the World (Princeton, 2010). May be especially helpful for urban birders trying to figure out what those free-flying exotics are during the World Parrot Count.

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-10461010773421882122011-01-18T17:59:00.000-05:002011-01-18T17:59:07.883-05:00

eBird now has the ability to track and compare yard bird lists. As you can see, I'm currently ranked 13th in the state of Pennsylvania. Not bad for a 18 foot wide row home lot. Time to do more birding from my back porch--and prepare to ID nocturnal migrant call notes when the birds head north again in a few months (my best chance to significantly boost this list since I've got almost no yard

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-18613273281202313642011-01-11T17:25:00.000-05:002011-01-11T17:25:35.590-05:00

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-1412186397662069172011-01-05T21:50:00.000-05:002011-01-05T21:50:28.643-05:00

A Griffin Vulture carrying a GPS tracking device and an R65 identification tag from Tel Aviv University has been arrested in Saudi Arabia as a Mossad spy. Israeli ornithologists are going to have a hard time convincing some folks that this is part of an innocent migration tracking project using standard bird banding and tracking technology. It's a crazy world out there. Reminds me of the spy

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-34207832420838253352011-01-05T14:19:00.000-05:002011-01-05T14:19:57.482-05:00

My talk coming up this week in DC Birds and Bird Lore Among the Ancient and Modern Maya Friday January 7, 6:45 PM Pre-Columbian Society of Washington DC January Lecture Birds have played important roles in Mesoamerican cultures for thousands of years. Rob Fergus explores the connections between birds and various Mayan cultures as revealed in their ancient art and his ongoing field work with

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-63701777749472958902011-01-04T15:11:00.001-05:002011-01-11T17:26:49.590-05:00

A Bullock's Oriole showed up this week in Barto, Pennsylvania--about 40 minutes from my home. So this morning before my appointments I drove over to see if it was still around. It was and here are some of the better shots I was able to get through my 7x42 Zeiss binocular (these are stills from video shot with a Canon Power Shot SD780). Not professional quality (see Howard Eskin's photos of

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-40046948386320927012011-01-03T18:07:00.001-05:002011-01-03T18:27:34.635-05:00

Here's a fun email I got today: I have problems with Muscovy ducks. This is partly my fault because I started feeding them deer corn which I wish I had never done. They are constantly on my porch pooping and/or roosting. Everyone says stop feeding them. Well I did for a while and they went after my cats' food. I have to "guard" the cats while they eat. Help! I suggested she stop feeding the cats

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-73152366668699007402011-01-03T14:36:00.002-05:002011-01-03T15:43:27.749-05:00

In case you missed the news, there was a major bird kill event in Beebe, Arkansas. Over 3,000 grackles and blackbirds fell from the sky on New Years Eve. What caused this bird kill? Yeah, it's a scary world out there. Good thing I found this photo at the feline underground to help confirm this source of the mystery deaths!

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-935054173571217932011-01-03T10:44:00.000-05:002011-01-03T10:44:02.400-05:00

During the Upper Bucks Christmas Bird Count a few weeks ago, I found 17 Eastern Screech Owls within a couple miles of my house, including one two blocks away in the park. So after we rang the new year in at midnight, I planned to take my three kids out to see if we could call up this neighborhood owl. My two youngest kids were just too tired (normal 7:30 bedtime!), but I was able to take my 8th

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-24484839022952894862011-01-01T13:48:00.003-05:002011-01-03T09:59:50.889-05:00

Last month an Anna's Hummingbird showed up in a trailer community at 3450 Mountain Road, Hamburg PA. A couple weeks ago I went to go see it in 20 degree weather with 30 mile an hour winds and struck out. I thought the bird had disappeared in the bad weather, but apparently one of the homeowners (#69) had put a heater on a feeder behind their house and the bird made it through the bad weather.

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-12365892119353374572010-12-30T12:55:00.002-05:002011-01-05T13:43:15.849-05:00

2010 was filled with some great birds, though perhaps not as many outstanding birds as the past few years (how can I even dare to say such a thing!). Here are my top 10: 1) Orange-billed Nightingale Thrush. I don't think anyone will ever understand how this bird got from Mexico up to the Black Hills of South Dakota, or the miracle of how it was found singing deep within the trees along a small

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-4557729588784987102010-12-22T20:00:00.001-05:002010-12-22T20:00:48.104-05:00

Glad I stopped to scope out a flock of 30,000 Snow Geese on my way to give my final exams at Rowan University last week. Here's what I found out about a neck-collared Snow Goose that I found in that flock. Cool!

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-35200880134758873882010-12-16T19:55:00.002-05:002010-12-16T19:57:37.905-05:00

If you are in the DC area, join me next month for this fun presentation. Friday January 7, 6:45 PMPre-Columbian Society of Washington DC January Lecture “Birds and Bird Lore Among the Ancient and Modern Maya” Birds have played important roles in Mesoamerican cultures for thousands of years. Rob Fergus explores the connections between birds and various Mayan cultures as revealed in their ancient

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-29085671814380730972010-12-15T11:54:00.003-05:002010-12-15T12:01:20.178-05:00

I've been posting about the problem of birds hitting windows for a long time, though not as long as Bill Watterson (see above). Recently I got to spend an afternoon with Dr. Dan Klem who is the leading researcher on this topic. He teaches at Muhlenberg College just up the road from me in Allentown. I've posted an interview with him over at Urban Birdscapes. So if you want to check out the

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-2032457491529184362010-12-15T10:58:00.002-05:002010-12-15T11:04:03.682-05:00

Is there a connection between birds and bed bugs? Check out my short article here. While the connection between birds and bed bugs shouldn't be on the top of your worry list, the likelihood of having a problem with bird bugs, while still tiny, is a possibility if you have birds nesting on your house.

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-24433266434648262932010-12-08T09:37:00.003-05:002010-12-08T10:07:07.821-05:00

Here's the latest from Audubon about Hog Island. Let me echo the final suggestions here--if you agree that Hog Island is an important treasure as part of Audubon's legacy, then by all means sign up to attend the great programs there and consider donating to make the operations there sustainable. If you are a member of an Audubon chapter, how about making it a tradition to send your Volunteer of

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-34749898536866245692010-12-03T17:32:00.003-05:002010-12-03T17:36:16.765-05:00

Here's a page from my upcoming Field Guide to Cartoon Birds. This book will revolutionize birdwatching by including the most commonly seen birds in America, no matter what network or original format. Stay tuned for more news as we get closer to a release date!

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336879.post-2755824522576370942010-12-03T16:11:00.003-05:002010-12-03T16:12:42.727-05:00

I didn't realize that Sonny was only one of two original Cocoa Puffs cuckoos--once upon a time Sonny was paired with Gramps. Question--are Cocoa Puffs made with bird-friendly cocoa?

birdchaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12059679554555819009noreply@blogger.com0