Black Penguins, White Puffin & Hybrids

Last week, the interwebs were stoked over the photos of the "Shaft of King Penguins." This week a mostly white puffin has been photographed.  I know many of the headlines read that the black penguin was a one in a zillion color morph but they seemed to ignore a smaller black Adelie penguin that Noah Stryker took and posted in his blog in 2008. Meanwhile, Minnesota Bird Nerd has some interesting posts up about a possible chickadee/titmouse hybrid (not unlike the hybrid someone guest blogged here last year).  He also has another post up about a possible junco/white-throated sparrow hybrid as well.  And if you enjoy MN Bird Nerd's blog and banding, be sure to head out to Lowry Nature Center this Saturday.  He and Mark will be publicly banding birds--should be pretty good bird wise with the temperatures changing and warmer weather.  Maybe we'll get a fox sparrow?  I have to give a program at the St Paul Library on Saturday afternoon, but plan on being at Lowry in the morning for some good birding times.