Odds and Ends

Gary Reuter has combined two of my passions: a bird house painted to look like a beehive! He used the wren house nest box plans from Woodworking for Wildlife and then just painted it to look like a hive.

Speaking of nesting, if you have noticed any nesting in your yard, consider participating in NestWatch--a new, free citizen science project developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in collaboration with the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center and funded by the National Science Foundation. Participants visit nests during spring and summer to collect simple information about location, habitat, species, number of eggs, and number of young in the nest. Then they submit their observations online.

“NestWatch introduces birding and simple methods of scientific inquiry to families, children, retired adults people of all ages and skills,” says project leader Tina Phillips. “It’s easy and fun. It helps people reconnect with nature in their own yard, nearby park, or nature preserve.”

In other words, this is easy for anyone of just about any ability and would especially be a great idea for kids to get an interest in nature.

While you're checking out the NestWatch site, don't forget to visit all the NestCams Cornell has going on too.

Also Karen Sowizral emailed me this photo she took of a two headed gull (insert sinister music here). I think it's two herring gulls (thanks Nicki ;) side by side, but it does look like something Godzilla might fight.