Birdchick Podcast #62 Migration News, Bird Art & Bird Sunbathing

The "Happy Feet" penguin that swam up onto the New Zealand shore starving, underwent some wildlife rehab and was released with a satellite transmitter has disappeared. Go check out the Sunbathing Birds gallery at Bird Watching Magazine--the titmouse looks disturbing!

In really nice news, fewer migrating birds were trapped in the 911 Tribute of Lights.  Unlike last year when at least 10,000 migrating birds became trapped in the lights.

Wind tunnels reveals how birds stay hydrated during migration.  I'm so relieved I don't have to migrate.

Several common loons breeding in the Upper Midwest are sporting satellite transmitters in order for researchers to study the migration through the Great Lakes toward their southern winter homes. By using satellite tracking devices implanted in the loons from Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Michigan Upper Peninsula, USGS scientists expect to learn information about avian botulism essential for managers to develop loon conservation strategies.

I had a guest post over on the Skepchick blog--I'm so honored!

Birdchick Podcast #58: Hurricane Irene, Bird Excitement

Reader feedback from Kevin Collison: "You frequently mention birding groups efforts to attract more birders (members). I have one, tell them to stop being so hard on hunters. Most hunters, like myself, have a love for nature too. I love hunting, birding, and nature photography." Interesting RADAR image from Saturday night of bird migration and Hurricane Irene:

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Birders are excited about hurricane birds and all kinds of terns and even a tropic bird have been reported.

A wayward red-tailed hawk got caught in a New York City apartment building and the rescue team tried to lure it out with bread.  Really, guys, bread?  Thanks for the news, Space Doggity.

A specimen collected in the 1960s proves to be an undocumented (and world's smallest) shearwater. It hasn't been seen since, is it extinct or hidden among other shearwaters?  Here's a photo of the Bryan's shearwater specimen.

In less depressing news, there's a common murre nest on the Channel Islands that hatched chicks for the first time in 100 years!  Yay!  See sometimes conservation efforts CAN work.

A contest for musician/bird look alikes.

Spring Migration, It's On!

We have turned a corner winter wise up in Minnesota--I was up and at 'em early in the morning this weekend and I heard a robin singing on territory in my neighborhood!  I took the above photo of an American robin outside of the National Eagle Center in Wabasha on Sunday (that's roughly 80 miles south of me).  I was stationed at a binocular booth all day and it was a great vantage point for watching the birds use the Mississippi River as a major highway.  Saturday was bright and sunny and my biggest surprise was seeing a meadowlark zoom right overhead.

I love this photo of a bald eagle tucked behind some branches bursting with red buds about to pop.  That's spring!  It was crazy how migration really turned a corner this weekend.  The previous weekend I struggled to see a red-winged blackbird and I passed clouds and clouds of them on my way down.

Both days, on my drive down I saw several groups of hooded mergansers involved in courtship display in the backwaters of the Mississippi.  Speaking of hooded mergansers, have you seen the shots Picus Blog just posted--amazing!

While Saturday was beautiful and offered great views of spring birds (like the above robin), Sunday was cooler and drizzly which eventually turned to fog and was utter crap for getting photos.  You could still see migration working through the skies until the fog got so thick that we couldn't see across the river.  We would scan the skies with the scopes and watch strings and strings of tundra swans heading north as well as a whole host of other ducks like ring-necks, scaup and common mergansers.  I even got my first of year pelicans.

I'll be at the National Eagle Center one more time this month.  Next Sunday, I'll do a digiscoping workshop on how to take photos and video of birds and wildlife using a binoculars or spotting scope with a digital camera.  I think it starts at 11am.  I'll also have my pro cleaning kit if you would like me to tidy up your optics for you too.