Misunderstood Birder Underwear

Wow, that was a title I never thought I would write.

Playing around on Magnificent Frigatebird, I found some underwear that might be confusing if you were dating a non birder. I should mention that all of these are available as either boxers or thongs.

First, in England, birders are called twitchers and instead of birding you go twitching. So, if you didn't know that, the following underwear could be interpreted as a warning label:


Something else is that in England, bird is another name for woman. So, this could be considered a bit randy:

I bet we won't be seeing that at a Wild Birds Unlimited any time soon. Also falling under the category of "you're just asking for it" would be this:


I'm just sayin'.

In some circles pishing can mean something other than making a "pish sound" to attract birds. It can be slang for urination. So this underwear might also be interpreted as some kind of odd warning or declaration of strange ability:

That's great. You go with your ability to pish anywhere. Or then there's this:

No, I don't want to hear a big pish story! Yikes! And then there this:

If you don't know what the device is pictured in the silhouette, this could be especially frightening underwear to a non birder. And let's not forget about the life list, not everyone knows what that is, so this could imply an entirely different meaning:

And it would just get worse as the number goes up:

Just kind of makes it sound like you've been around the block way too many times. Here's another:

Let's not beat around the bush on the above underwear, it kind of makes the wearer sound like a lot of birders have had a good time in that area. 'Nuff said. I think the following would go one step further for causing a non birder to run screaming from the boudoir:

The above is technically bird bander underwear, but terrifying to anyone not in the know to see that on a pair of panties.

And then this pair. Well this pair might make the person think that you want to do things with birds that you only read about certain movies stars doing in tabloids:

Just a warning to all you birders out there from someone who has been married to a non birder for a long time. Careful about your choice of underwear.

Best Birding Shirts Ever!

Holy Crap! I have found the best offering of bird shirts EVER. Check out these designs from Magnificent Frigate Bird (some of the shirts are even in girl sizes so we don't look like a sack of potatoes, somebody finally listened):






They have more, go check them out!

Good Birder Gag Gift

Another funny one from the folks at Birdorable. Note that there are several styles of shirt, bag, & hat you can get this on (and undies):

Birdchick Gift Guide 2008

It's time for some of my picks for gift ideas for the birder in your life. Here is a link to all my other past gift suggestions. The gift ideas range for birders of all ages and all abilities. I'm not paid by anyone to endorse any of these products, although a few you may recognize as sponsors of this site. These are all products that I totally dig.

If you have any birder gift ideas that you don't see listed, please feel free to add them in the comments.

Gifts & A Good Cause

The Duck Stamp (or The Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, ya happy, Paul?) Birders of all levels and is okay to give more than once in a year. I'd be honored if I ended up getting five this Holiday Season.

I've said it before and I'll say it again--this is an EXCELLENT gift for anyone into birds, especially for the birder who appears to have everything. The money from purchase of the stamps is used to acquire habitat for waterfowl but that benefits many species of birds including warblers, sparrows, herons, grebes, and shorebirds. The stamp costs $15 and 98% of that $15 goes to purchase habitat for ducks and other wildlife. People and birds benefit from this purchase.

Burning Hawk Wine (great for birders over 21 years of age)

This company was the hit of the show at the Rio Grande Valley Bird Festival. They hosted the Kiskadee Cordial where festival attendees could sample the wine and socialize. This past May a hawk was electrocuted and caught fire and set a vineyard ablaze. That awful incident sparked several people, like founder Nick Papadopoulos to create a line of wines that are not only tasty but help birds. They company devotes 10% of all sales to bird conservation projects. There's a red and a white and I purchase a red that is very robust, a little bit on the sweet side, but a great wine. Non Birding Bill really enjoyed it. This is a great gift even for the non birding people in you life. You'll note that I have a button ad for this company on my site. If you click on that to order the wine, I get a tiny percentage, but honestly, this company mission is so good, I don't care if you order it through my site or go directly to them from google. It's a great wine and even better cause.

Cornell Lab Of Ornithology Gifts

I was going to post some cool gifts from Cornell Lab or Ornithology, but they have their own gift guide this year. Please check it out. Some of my favorites include the Year Long Membership to Project Feeder Watch (great for backyard birders and kids), Birds of North America Online Membership (perfect for hardcore or intermediate birder--have a question about some bird in North America, you'll find the answer there. Especially with the growing popularity of iPhones and iTouches, this is a great online birding resource.

Books:

The Young Birder's Guide (kids and new birders)

BEST BIRDING BOOK TO COME OUT ALL YEAR. Bill Thompson worked with kids to find out what kind of a birding guide they would like. I have reviewed this book already, but this would be an ideal gift for any kid you'd like to get a little more into birding. It's in an approachable format, has cool birding facts, habitat tips, just about everything. I've even met a few adult birders working on honing their skills appreciate the book. I'd even buy one of these and donate it to Toys For Tots.

City Birds/Country Birds (backyard birder, especially in urban areas)

This is my second and it came out this spring. It's how to attract birds no matter where you live, even if it's in an urban area. The information is based on my 8 years working in a bird feeding retail store and from my personal backyard birding experience. Lots of photos (some from blog readers) and fun to read information. You can get it in a number of places, but if you would like a personalized copy, get it from the Birdchic Boutique.


The New Peterson Field Guide (birders of all levels, although if you know a hardcore birder, chances are good that they already have it).

This is a revamped version of the classic illustrated guide by Roger Tory Peterson. If you have always been a fan of Peterson, you will love this updated version--larger pictures and text, small maps on the species page with larger maps in back, added species, updated maps, and a url to video podcasts. A good classic birder gift. Should be available at most bird stores and book stores.


The Smithsonian Field Guide to Birds (birders of all levels)

This is a more comprehensive take on a photographic field guide. The photos are very good and unlike other photographic guides, there are several photos for each species. This is a newer guide that is not getting the attention it deserves, but would be a welcome addition to most bird watcher's shelves. This might be a bit overwhelming for a new birder or young birder, but for the gung-ho birder, this is a must.

The Boreal Owl Murder (birders of all levels)

This is a cute book. I read it on a flight, and I've loaned my copy to a few other birding friends (some hardcore) and I think one summed it up best: "It was good and it's a book you don't have to be 99% present to read." It's a murder mystery set in Minnesota involving birders. It's cutesy (the main character's name is Bob White--ha ha get it, cause he's a birder) but there all sorts of birding references and Minnesota references--I think she killed off Bill Lane in the book. Again, it's a fun, easy read and just about everything in it bird-wise is accurate (although I disagree with the character who said boreals don't respond to tapes, they sure do). I only found one glaring inaccuracy. She made a Minnesota Ornithologists' Union Board Meeting sound way too friendly and fun.

For The Birds (the backyard birder)

Sisters who own Wild Birds Unlimited franchises combined their birding feeding knowledge and created this book/calendar. It goes through the calendar year and lets you know what birds to expect, what feeds work best for the time of year, kids projects, and personal tips from the authors. The book is good for the entire US, both eastern and western. Available at a Wild Birds Unlimited near you.


Jewelery

Hand Painted Coins (birders of all levels)

I found these when I was at Civic Fest this summer. He paints coins and makes them into pendents for necklaces, cuff links, money clips, etc. I bought a Slovakian coin with a honey bee on it that's absolutely beautiful. He does the US Quarters and coins from other countries, so you can find any manner of birds or wildlife. If you are looking for unique, this is it.

Feather Brain (the flashy birder)

I just thought these were cute headbands.

The Mincing Mockingbird (the birder with a good sense of humor).

Off the wall bird art, what more do you need to know?

Go Go Birding Gadgets

Snapshot Adventures: The Secrets of Bird Island (kids)

This is an awesome little computer game. My only beef is that it is currently only for PCs and not Macs at the moment. But essentially, you use your grandfather's journal to find out where he disappeared to. You meet some of his friends along the way and they ask you to take photos of birds. The birds move and you get points for birds in different poses. Also, if you don't know what a bird is that they want you to find, you have a guide. The birds are fairly accurate and it's a fun way to do some nature photography on a rainy day as well as learn some mad birding skills. Awesome and fun computer game. Heck, some adults will even enjoy this.

Remembird (intermediate to hardcore birders)

This is an awesome little device! It's a digital audio recorder that you can either wear on your neck or attach to your binoculars. When it's on your binos, the buttons for recording fall where your fingers fall and it's very intuitive to use. It's great for taking audio notes of birds. Your looking at the bird and the card takes in all you info. You then can listen later and compare in your field guide. The microphone has 2 settings, one for up close recording for taking notes and one that will grab audio from further away. Can't id that bird song? Grab it on your Remembird and compare it to your birdJam when you get home. Remembird also comes with software and it will keep track of all your audio recordings and you can even make your own list of birds recorded. Very sweet and a useful tool for taking notes and learning your bird calls.

birdJam (great for birders of all levels)

This is as always a great gift idea, one I've mentioned several times. Also, I just noticed that they currently are having bundled special of an iPod Touch, iMaingo portable speaker, software, & songs. It's a really great deal.


The Gift Of Time

Another thing to consider is that if you want to give someone a really nice gift, maybe chip in with other family members, why not buy someone a registration to a bird festival? I go to a lot of bird festivals and they are fun, but the cost can add up between registering, flight, and hotel. If you can help a birder ease some of that travel burden, registration to a bird festival is a great way to go. Some festivals coming up in the near future that would be idea include The Space Coast Birding and Nature Festival (Florida in January) or the San Diego Bird Festival (southern California in March).

Again, these are some ideas that have caught my eye this year. Please feel free to add suggestions and links in the comments (although, I will delete things I find unsuitable for this list like World of Warcraft, Viagra, and Botox).

Endangered Species Act Changes Update

Okay, I need lots of fingers crossed. We may have some exciting news tomorrow for a certain falcon we have all come to know in the blog. It's VERY tentative, but still let's all think the good though for the next 24 hours.

So, from my bud, Mark Martell from Minnesota Audubon about the proposed changes to the Endangered Species Act (giving federal agencies like the highway department the say so if an endangered animal can be removed for construction) and mailing thongs to Dirk in protest:

"I have been told that mailing to Gov. officials is ineffective since the anthrax incident. All mail to them is checked and irradiated which means it can take weeks or even months. Our policy folks tell me they do not do mail anymore, only phone or email."

Bummer. I really liked the idea of mailing thongs to Dick.

Incidentally, Audubon is filing a request for extension of the comment period on the changes (30 days is quite short) and will have much more to say on this as they get all their chapters coordinated. For more info on what you can do now to protest the changes, visit here.

UPDATE. A DC Birding Blog recommends that you use this contact information to leave your comments regarding the proposed changes.

It's interesting that in Minnesota--NONE of the birding listservs are talking about this. Instead there's been angry debate on people not including counties when they post bird sightings. I wonder if this is a sign of birder apathy that could lead to these changes going through?

And if you're looking for something fun, let me share with you Bird Vibes. I also write for the Birding Business News. It's for retailers in the birding industry so I get press releases about new product. Bird Vibes is a deck of 54 meditation cards based on bird species in North America. The birds are grouped by eight chakras according to the bird's color, habitat or other characteristics, with an additional card for each season. Each card shows a different bird through reproductions of paintings commissioned from Ottawa nature painter, Heather Bale. This was originally self-published in Ottawa in May 2007 and then published by Baico in December 2007. The second edition took into account comments from birders--they got feedback from birders to make it accurate as well as spiritual. I love it. Makes me smile, all the different ways people dig birds out there, just makes me smile.

The Dangers of Surfing the Net Late At Night

ElizaBird sent me a link to something a little unnerving on Etsy:

The description reads, "This man is on a spiritual quest, looking for that little baby bird deep within himself. 6 inches wide, 6 inches tall. If inches are not your thing, imagine the man head is about the size of a ken doll head. Ken is universal right?"

Signed and ready to ship.

And if you are as wigged out by that as much as I am, then nip over to Cute Overload for the bunny eating out of the glass bowl--and do note that you can now get a Cute Overload 365 Day Calendar for 2009--SWEET!

Monday Morning Oystercatcher

Busy tweaking late article, but here is some American oystercatcher goodness until I can blog proper:

Got a note from Hawk Owl's Nest this morning. He posted some links about bird related merchandise sold online. He sent a note that Mincing Mockingbird seems right up my ally. He would be right. Right now they do prints and magnets, but I hope they do t-shirts some day (IN GIRL SIZES) of Pining For Degenerate Days Long Gone or My Eggs Are Runny or I'm Worth Two In The Bush--I almost want to make that my blog's tagline.

More Bird Gift Ideas--Birdorable!

This came in the comments section of one of the gift idea posts, but I want to make sure people have a chance to see this site: Birdorable! The site reads that Birdorables are the kind of cute and colorful birds you might find in your backyard or when you go birding...only they've been "cutified".

Okay, I know some of they guys out there are looking at these and saying, "Are you kidding me?" but kids and some adults (especially of the female persuasion) would love these. I have to say, I LOVE the Tough Titmice shirt--and it's in girl sizes (Thank You!).

And...um...here's another gift idea for Hasty Brook...she loves the vultures. There's some joke to be made about a turkey vulture on a thong, but I can't think what it is right now...

Thanks, Life On The Road, for pointing this site out!

More Birder Gift Ideas And A Little Holy Crap

Okay, I have found a few more items that would be great gifts for those who are bird inclined. I've also added some bird organizations to the list as I was rightfully taken to task for excluding those great gift opportunities.

One is this REALLY awesome book called Owls of the North that just came out by Minnesota birder Dave Benson. The publisher had a table at the Paper Session on Saturday and I got a chance to check it out. At first glance, I thought this was a kids books, but it has great information and unbelievable photos. It covers the owl species you would find in Minnesota, but some of the species--like great horned owl can be found all over the US. It covers basic northern owl natural history, hunting habits, studies, albinos, and the irruption of 2004 - 2005. A great book for owl enthusiasts of all ages.




And then I got an email from Birder's World that they are offering a t-shirt for sale with an image of Samantha the arctic phase great horned owl at The Raptor Center that I took! Whoot. Above is the back of the shirt.



And here is the front of the shirt. If you like it, you can order it from Birder's World Cafe Press page. UPDATE: Birder's World just added a girl sized t-shirt too.

Speaking of The Raptor Center, they would make a great place to make a donation (especially if you have been enjoying following the saga of injured peregrine falcon 568). You can adopt one of our education birds (imagine adopting a turkey vulture for your mother-in-law) and you get a color photo of the bird, a free tour and opportunity to visit the bird you adopted, a certificate, and the raptor's bio.

Operation Migration has both a membership program and their Mile Maker (purchase a mile of crane migration). Supporting members will receive the INformation magazines, the EarlyBird email, and member pricing on selected Operation Migration merchandise. You might also take a peek at the gift store, they have some cute crane shirts and jewelery.

The Peregrine Fund has a neat gift shop with some great books and pins. Some of the raptor pins I have, but I just found a red-tailed hawk pin that totally rocks. Oh, and um, should Non Birding Bill or any friends or family members be reading this...um, I know a certain birdchick that would just totally love something along the lines of this nifty goshawk hat...especially since my harpy eagle hat has been commandeered by a an NBB. And if you are planning on doing a lot of shopping at P Fund, you might want to become a member, you get 10% off of the gift shop and it helps support raptor reintroductions like California condors, harpy eagles, and aplomado falcons.

Audubon is another organization that needs support and for those in the Minnesota area, there are three great guides about where to go birding in the state that just came out that were put together by several Minnesota birders (like me and Laura Erickson): Minnesota River Valley Birding Trail; North Shore Birding Trail: Duluth to Grand Portage; and the latest, Great River Birding Trail: Mississippi River from Headwaters to the Minnesota – Iowa Border.

Does anyone know of any other non profits that have some cool gift shops with some cool bird merchandise?

2007 Birdchick Holiday Gift Guide

Gifts for birders. Gifts for bird watchers. Gifts for people interested in nature.

Well, it's that time of year when I round up interesting books and gift ideas for the bird person in your life. In the past, I have organized this into something along the lines of beginners, intermediate, hard-core, etc. But many of the items fall into more than one category. I'll make notations if something is especially right for a particular type of birder. For the record, I have not been asked or paid to endorse any of the products on the list, these are just items that are new or a little different from last year that I think are nifty. If there is something that you have found that is not on this list, feel free to add to it in the comments section (complete with link).

Socks

There was a post earlier this year about all my bird stuff that I have and socks were of particular interest. Two great companies to check out for fun bird socks are For Bare Feet and Wheelhouse Designs. Many of the designs can be found at your local wild bird specialty store, but if there isn't one in your area, you can try their websites.

Jewelry

Bamboo Jewelry make some great birds and other wildlife necklaces. Now, here is the weird part, it's called Bamboo Jewelry, but not of the items are made from bamboo...they just come in bamboo boxes. The make earrings, pendants, and necklaces of birds, butterflies, moths, koi (the koi really is spectacular), dragonflies, and other wildlife. Some of my favorites include the luna moth necklace, the mourning cloak necklace, and the puffins and pelicans. But really, it's all pretty cool.

Non Birding Bill just picked up a really cool bracelet for me from a Twin Cities store called Heavenly Soles by company called Hotcakes Design. He got the bright birds in the large bracelet, but the company makes some really cool necklaces and rings.

Books

BIRD: The Definitive Visual Guide--This is a large pictorial book from Audubon. It's not what I would call the end all be all of field guides, but for a general over view of the world species--it's not bad. It doesn't have every possible species, but if you're curious about what a honeycreeper looks like, you'll find it in this book. I would recommend this book for a beginner or intermediate birder or someone who is mildly interested in birds. I would even give this to a kid who has a growing interest in birds, the information is presented with lots of photos, and not in bites as opposed to overwhelming and boring text. I would not get this book for someone who is fanatical about birding or very hardcore into research. One puzzling thing...it features over 1000 species in the book and comes with an audio CD of about 60 birds. There doesn't appear to be any rhyme or reason to the CD, it's almost as if one of the editors discovered about 60 bird calls they didn't have to pay the rights to, so it's not clear how to use the CD with the book--but a minor criticism for an overall ok book.

Oology & Ralph's Talking Eggs by Carrol Henderson--This is a fun little book that starts with the author's visit to a neighbor's boarded up farmhouse that is full of old wildlife mounts and cabinets of eggs from around the world. It was an egg collection started in the early 1900s, back when it was legal and all the eggs were documented from what species and location they were collected. Henderson goes back to document and photograph the eggs and begins a study of oology (egg collecting) and how it figured into modern conservation and bird watching. Photos of eggs and early birding material, fascinating information along with an easy to read narrative makes this a great gift for any birder at any skill level. One of my favorite books of the year.

Of A Feather by Scott Weidensaul--Along the lines of Henderson's book we have a brief history of bird watching in North America from the days when birds were observed when they were properly shot to now with listing and big years almost the norm for a North American birder. If you wonder who was the Bendire behind Bendire's thrasher was or funny story about the first time Jeff Bouton met Roger Tory Peterson (or see a photo of Kenn Kaufman looking like an uber-hippy), this is it. Weidensaul books are always high on my list to read and this one does not disappoint. This is another book with an easy to read writing style and I would recommend it for beginner, intermediate, or hardcore birder.

National Geographic Birding Essentials--When I first saw this book, I thought, "Oh please, do we really need another book to tell someone how to watch birds?" In the past, they had been text heavy, poorly illustrated, and boring. I gotta say, this one isn't bad at all. First, they use photos to point out things like primaries and secondaries (if you read that and though "Huh?" you need this book). It's an easy to read structure and format. It covers most topics that someone new to birding might have and be too afraid to ask on a listserv or a field trip leader. I would give this to a beginner, even kids and possibly an intermediate birder. I would also give this as a gag gift to a hardcore birder, just for pure amusement to watch their face contort in consternation when they unwrap it.

Gadgets

birdJam has some fun new stuff going on, even if you already have it on your iPod. birdJam is software for your iPod that organizes your Stokes bird call CDs. If you already have it, do keep in mind that there have been some upgrades in the last year. They've added photos and new playlists which should be free if you've already purchased the software for your iPod--I discovered in November that I didn't pay attention to the updates and was missing out on some fun playlists an photo. Also, birdJam now supports—on Windows—the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's "Bird Songs of Southeastern Arizona and Sonora, Mexico" and there are plans to add Costa Rica and Ecuador soon.

Subscriptions and Memberships

There are so many bird clubs and publications out there, that I for one just cannot keep up. Someone was on my case the other day about letting a membership lapse and I mentioned all the memberships I have and how it adds up:

Minnesota Ornithologists' Union: $25
American Birding Association: $45
Cornell Lab Of Ornithology: $35
WildBird Magazine: $12.99
Bird Watcher's Digest: $19.99
Birder's World: $26.95

That's $164.93! And this really is just the tip of the iceberg, there are so many other obscure birding publications that I like to get that it can easily get past $200 a year (and this doesn't include my non bird related reading--Cosmo Quiz anyone?). I would totally love it, if someone paid a subscription or membership for a year. So consider the memberships above for the birder in your life--even if you suspect they may already get that publication, getting a bonus year is always a great thing.

Another great membership is Birds of North America Online--this is so much for a bird enthusiast of any age--so long as they can read and surf the net. It's an online account of every species in North America. Each species is written by the expert in that field and because the information is online, new and updated data is added regularly. Got a question about black-capped chickadee egg incubation--check BNA. You can sign someone up for a yearly membership or just for a few months. It's an in depth online field guide with photo, audio, and in some cases video. A fantastic resource!

And there is also the idea of getting someone a Duck Stamp (aka Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamps). The money from purchase of the stamps is used to acquire habitat for waterfowl but that benefits many species of birds including warblers, sparrows, herons, grebes, and shorebirds.

Bird Feeding

I figured it was a matter of time until someone had it and sure enough, Duncraft is offering a Seed by the Month Subscription...the gift that keeps on giving!

Squirrel-Off is offering a solar powered squirrel zapping bird feeder. It gives a mild shock to squirrels, but does not bother the birds. We've had one hanging out at Carpenter Nature Center, the birds love it and the squirrels have been properly zapped.

Toys

A 17" latex vulture...maybe I'm the only one who wants this...there's also a 9" latex penguin.

What else are people seeing out there?

Bring On The Bird Chochkies

I'm having some (good natured) issues over a recent post by Birdchaser. He states that real birders hate the Audubon Singing Bird Clock--we never carried that one at the bird store I worked at, but we did carry this one, and I kind of liked it. The singing loon clock was even better--it would wail like a loon every hour on the hour. Whether "real birders" liked them or not, the clocks were insanely popular with people who feed birds and far out sold items targeted towards hardcore birders.

Birdchaser goes on to say "the same goes for bird mugs, dishrags, or pillowcases--real birders hate 'em. There's a wide divide between bird people and bird mug people."

Well, I'm here to say, "No it doesn't!" Now, I know there are many out there who don't consider themselves a birder, even though they have a field guide (or even more than one bird book), a pair of binoculars, a spotting scope, bird call CDs, a vest, travel at least once a year to a place specifically to watch birds and wildlife, etc (FYI, if two or more items on that list apply to you--you're a birder). I am comfortable in saying that I'm a real birder and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the bird chochkies. Let's take a look at my bird mugs:

These are probably about half of the bird mugs that I own and most of them were purchased by me--not given to me as gifts. That's my second mad bluebird travel mug--as soon as I cracked my first one, I went out and bought a second one. Also, note the glass on the left--that was part of a set that came with a pitcher.

How could I say no to some of these mugs? How often do you find juncos as a graphic on a mug--this was a must have!

And the rosy-finch mug--there's even a rosy-finch on the inside of the mug--that is such an obscure bird to put on a mainstream mug. Cardinals you would expect--but a rosy-finch? Again, how could I possibly resist it? I have so many mugs that Non Birding Bill has tried to put a moratorium on how many we have in the house at one time. However, I can't help it if people give them to me:

Which brings me to one of my newest and most favorite of mugs. During the North Coast Nature Festival, I was marveling at all the turkey vulture merchandise at the Cleveland Metroparks Gift Shops. They ended up giving us swag bag full of turkey vulture stuff: mugs, socks, pins, etc. The above mug looks like a big rainy cloud over the woods when cold.

But, fill it up with hot tea or coffee and the cloud disappears to reveal a flock of turkey vultures--SWEET! As I was setting up the shot, I found another turkey vulture mug and stuck that in.

One of my favorite mugs was given to me by a friend in college. She didn't know it was inaccurate, but that is what made me fall in love with it. It reads house sparrow but is clearly a chipping sparrow. I love it!

And while we're talking about bird chochkies, lets look at my socks. Again, these aren't even half of my socks, but a quick raid of my sock drawer reveals socks with gyrfalcons, sandhill cranes, tanagers, great gray owls...

...turkey vulture socks...

...pileated woodpecker socks--a favorite...

...an ivory-billed woodpecker. Again, these are only half, but there are flamingos, another set of woodpecker socks, more owl socks, more cardinal socks--I'm a sucker for socks. Alas, I only wear them half the year.

Here is a heron/egret frame that I absolutely love. I was given this for pet sitting for a friend. Thanks, Barb.

Ah more gifts--my nondescript bird candle holders (part of a set of four) and who can forget my wren house with bunny wall paper on the outside? Now that was a gift with some thought--I'm a birder and I have rabbits--how could I not love that bird house.

I even have a beanie baby--a purple and blue condor/vulture. Again, this is just the tip of the iceberg. I'm sure if I dig a little deeper I could find more (oh, I forgot to post my yellow-rumped warbler throw cover--thank you thoughtful mother-in-law). But you get the idea. I'm Sharon. I'm a real birder. And I love the bird chochkies. Keep 'em coming manufacturers, keep 'em coming.

Perhaps this has more to do with male vs female shopping habits? I'm not sure I could picture Birdchaser wearing my pink flamingo socks. How about you? Anyone else out there got love for the bird paraphernalia?

Bird Protection or Cat Humiliation?

You be the judge!

Those free thinking Australians have come up with a device to attach to your cat that reduces their ability to catch and kill wild birds called the Cat Bib.

According to Reuters, "Research has found that of 56 cats examined over a six week period, the cats’ ability to catch animals was markedly reduced with the bibs. The bibs prevented 81 percent of the cats from catching birds, 45 percent from capturing mammals and 33 percent from taking amphibians and reptiles. Some 89 percent of cats in the study became quickly accustomed to the bib." You can read more research here.

I'm not sure how easy it will be to get cats to wear this--I mean, how many of us have had to put the lamp shade on our pets after a visit to the vet? That generally goes over like a fart in church with cats. Personally, I think the birds are still at risk for being so overcome with laughter when seeing a cat with a bib that the local Cooper's hawk will swoop in for the kill.

Finally, More Bird Products For Kids

I've long thought that there just wasn't enough product for kids interested in birds. I can't tell you the number of times customers would come in the bird store asking for a field guide for kids--even little cardboard books on a cardinal for a two year old--get them started young! The closest and certainly most popular book with kids are Stan Tekiela's books, but there is a market for even younger field guides with good, accurate information (Yo authors and publishers: HINT, HINT, HINT).

That is starting to change, every year there is a little more new stuff geared towards kids. Many know Wild Republic from their Audubon singing birds.

Among many things, they offered a set of birds that you can paint into your own species. I saw a finished product and it looks like you can paint a cardinal, hummingbird, chickadee and goldfinch (American, not the European pictured on the box). But really, with enough paint the possibilities are limitless, the cardinal could also be a titmouse, the hummingbird could be anything from a ruby-throat to a green-breasted mango, and the two smaller birds could be painted into warblers, juncos, and dare I say it--a Henslow's sparrow? Hm, I think I would love this gift as much as any kid. I do remember that at some hobby store, someone found a plastic peregrine model for me to paint, I labored over that thing with all sorts of detail. Anyway, these are supposed to be sturdy enough to play with once the kids finish painting them.

Two different bird card games were being shown. Above are cards from Share Nature which looked to me to be a sort of bird baseball card collection. One side is a cool bird photo, the back side is a little natural history info.

The above young man is Chris, who is Vice President of Artistic Creations Limited, but is a natural born networker and eager to help out other booths. Above he is happily being a guinea pig with the Share Nature cards to brush up his western bird identification. The cards are based on Montessori teaching methods and help hone identification skills and give kids a general appreciation of birds. Kids can quiz themselves and read up on general information. Though this is geared towards kids, I could totally see this hooking some adults as well. Especially if they end up being sold like baseball cards. Some species could be rare an hard to find, "Hey, dude, I'll trade you my Baird's sparrow for your northern jacana."

Cornell also had a curriculum called Bird Sleuth. You know with all the ivory-bill craziness, I think we sometimes forget all the other cool projects that Cornell has going down. The front of the card has full color photos and the back has cool facts, sounds, size, etc. There are even questions that can be asked to help aid in the id. In the case of the killdeer card above the questions are:

Q: If a person comes near my nest, I might try to do this to lure them away?
A: Act like I have a broken wing and walk away from nest.

Q: True or False. If a cow or horse comes near my nest, I fluff myself up, put my tail over my head, and run at it to try and make it change its path.
A: True--(I didn't even know they did that--that's so cool, I must get to a cow pasture this spring).

Q: How did I get my name?
A: My call sounds like "kill-deer!"

Part of the curriculum is that kids learn about bird identification using the cards, field guides, and a bird identification CD-ROM. They learn to observe and count birds and to share that info on eBird.

I'm not sure if the two card games are going to be showing up at bird stores or are only available to teachers, but it certainly doesn't hurt to ask your local bird specialty store if they plan on carrying these items. Otherwise, I would contact Share Nature or Cornell directly.

More Birder Gifts

How in the heck did I miss this online store for birder gifts? Today at Carpenter, someone had received this bumper sticker as a gift:

Oh dear, some birders can't play nice. This is from a website called Servopuff which caters to birders, scuba divers and "more"! It has a whole birding section and appeals to all types of birders, why I even found something that I think would appeal to BirderBlog. If you are like me and are known for sending gifts late or if you get some money for Christmas, you could spend it here. My favorites include this raptor shirt, this iBird shirt, and the iLive tank.

Since Servopuff is using Cafe Press it links to other birding designs. I did some checking and there are over 29,000 "bird" related products. Some interesting designs include:

Great-gray owl design
Vulture design
Priceless Falconry design
Owl Porn design
Eat Like a Bird design
Self Esteem design
TVs Rock design
Real Men design

Back on the Blogging Horse

Turkeys roaming the grass a few blocks from the Mall of America after a few days of laying low around Thanksgiving.

I swear, I take a few days off during Thanksgiving and I just can't get back on the blogging horse. Normally, I have a back log of stuff to write about but this week I'm a little slow. Part of it is that I'm getting a new camera (the other part is just writing deadlines). It finally arrived yesterday. Based on a friend's recommendation I got a Fuji FinePix 900 which is supposed to be very good with digiscoping...now all I need to do is get my hands on a spotting scope... The above photo was taken with a friend's camera but I'm having fun testing out the camera on whatever is nearby:

"This place is a dump, look at all the dust under the coffee table. I don't approve."

This is The Raptor Center chicken hawk...no no, just kidding. We use this bird with preschool programs. It's a bird kids can touch and still go home with all of their digits intact.

Boy, I can't wait to try this camera out at banding this Friday.

I realized I forgot a couple of gift ideas in the last post--one being the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (aka Duck Stamp). I great gift for someone you don't know what to get them--give the gift of conservation along with a pass to all National Wildlife Refuges. Also works well for coworkers, people you don't know very well but have to give a gift to anyway since it's in a good price range.

You will note I still have the stamp tag on my binos.It's not as annoying as we thought, and I think the Ross' goose adds some nice flair to them. Also, note the little rose-breasted grosbeak and the red-bellied woodpecker in back? It looks like some Target stores have brought back their accurate bird ornaments. About five years ago they had a whole bunch of birds and my in-laws bought me the whole set. And I'm not just talking cardinals and bluebirds, they had orioles, scarlet tanagers, indigo buntings, barn swallows, cedar waxwings downy woodpeckers--a really great selection of birds--a red-bellied woodpecker for cryin' out loud--are you kidding me? So, check the Christmas ornament section at Target for these birds. I think they're only $5 - $6 (I have only seen them in Target store, I did not see them available on the website).

We always try to get a live tree with a little stick on the top, and then I try to attach the downy or the red-bellied to it. In this photo, the downy woodpecker got the top spot. You can see I propped up the red-bellied and tried to hang the white-breasted nuthatch in the proper "rump up" position too. This is an old photo, our apartment walls are white instead of red. As I was digging it up, I found this photo of me with my mother-in-law:

Ah, good times. The in-laws always come up from Ohio to visit the first weekend in December and help us pick out a Christmas tree and catch up. Judy and I were putting on the lights when Non Birding Bill said, "Smile you two!" and on cue this was the pose we struck. We ended up using that as our Christmas card that year with the caption, "Sharon gets the ultimate wish this Christmas." I'm so lucky to have such an understanding mother-in-law.

I used to feel bad that they would come up the first weekend in December because that's the same weekend as the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union Paper Session but I now realize what a good thing it is. The in-laws love to visit the Mall of America and I do not. So NBB takes them to the Mall while I have to go to the paper session--whew, bullet smartly dodged.

Gifts for Birders, Bird Watchers and Bird Lovers

Are you stumped what to get the bird nut in your life? Here are some suggestions for the coming holiday season.

Books, CDs and Calendars
Voices of North American Owls CD - This two CD set has every known call from every owl in North America. The tracks are not narrated, but you can follow along with the playlist to learn the different calls. Most complete collection of owl calls for North America.

Fascinating Loons - A great gift book full of beautiful loon photos and informational captions. This book is full of great loon tid bits without being overwhelming. The information is thorough enough that even someone familiar with loons will find it enjoyable.

Fascinating Loons Audio CD - Sold separately from the book, this CD identifies the different calls of the loons and then the rest is just the calls of the loons mixed with other natural sounds. If you're longing for loon sounds in mid-winter this is the perfect fix. Great for relaxing.

Letters From Eden - This books is perfect for anyone interested in nature, birds and art. It's as if you've found Julie's journal and get to explore not only her writing, but her sketches as well. Perfect gift. If you order from the link above in a reasonable amount of time, you can get it autographed by Julie herself.

All Things Reconsidered - Books with Roger Tory Peterson are always a hit with birders. The essays, photographs, and illustrations in the book were selected by Bill of the Birds. He's the editor of Bird Watcher's Digest, which ran Peterson's column, "All Things Reconsidered," during the last twelve years of his life.

The Shorebird Guide - This book makes shorebirds sexy! It works to break down shorebird identification into an easy and fun way to learn. You won't be an expert overnight but it's the best tool out there for the job. The photos in this book are AMAZING and the book will give you a new apprecation for their beauty. Great for hardcore and intermediate birdres. It even includes quizes to help test your id skills.

Ornithology - Do you know a hardcore maxi geek birder who seems to have everything already? They don't have this yet--it's the new edition of Ornithology by Frank Gill.

Birdchick Calendars - Shameless self promotion I know but it's my blog and these calendars are part of how I make my living. They are available for the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Illinois and Indiana. Each month has fabulous photos by Stan Tekiela, a list of common birds to expect, a list of tips for attracting birds and trivia about birds specific to each state. Available at most bird stores, book stores and online at Adventure Publications.


Hi Tech Birding

Handheld Birds - I think this is a great educational gift for anyone of all ages. You can purchase either the program for a Palm Pilot or you can purchase the unit all in one. It's a National Geographic Field Guide including bird calls all in one pocket sized package. Many of the terms are highlighted and when you click on that word, a definition will pop up. I think this is a great gift for a kid seriously into birds (some may argue the expense, but when you compare it to video gaming systems, it's competitively priced.

birdPod - This is a great gift for someone who already has the Stokes Birding CDs and an iPod. It's a program that organizes all the bird calls into different playlists, takes out the narration, and takes all the tracks that have two bird species on them and divides them into two separate tracks.

FYI to people who already have the birdPod software! New playlists are available to download. They even have a playlist for the Space Coast Bird Festival.

Outdoor Breezy Singers - These solar powered birds can be placed outside and sing when they sense motion. The cardinal and the bluebirds will make most people mildly interested in birds, but if you want to really impress a birder, get them the common yellowthroat.

Shirts -

Nice Boobies
Hot All-Bird Action
Pish Off
General Bird Shirts (I especially like the herons).

Optics - If you are ordering optics, please consider using the link on the blog page with the Eagle Optics logo. Any purchases made using that link supports this site.

Eagle Optics Insight - Monoculars are great for kids if you're not sure if they are ready for the responsibility of binoculars. I also like them for adult birders--I call mine the emergency binocular. I can always keep it in my purse if I'm somewhere and don't expect to be birding but suddenly find myself outside during a warbler fallout. I know joggers and bikers like to keep them in their pockets too when they are out and about. I like the insights best, they're only $25 and have pretty good clarity for that price. If you're getting one of these for "purse binoculars" I recommend getting the yellow ones, they are easier to find in a dark purse!

Optics are tough because it is such an individual choice. What I like in a binocular is based on my small hands and how my eyes are set on my face. Just because I like something doesn't necessarily mean everyone will. Here are a couple of suggestions.

I think a great starter binocular is the Stokes Talon - one of the best that you can get for under $200. Has a great lifetime no fault warranty (even if you drive over it, send back the pieces and they will either repair it or send you a new bino) is waterproof, fog resistant, and can close focus within four to six feet.

Do you know of a good gift idea for a birder? Leave the suggestion in the comments section.

Birdchick Gift Guide...and confession

I had Non Birding Bill help me set up a Gift Guide if you are looking for some ideas for the birder in your life.

I just realized that I forgot to include a couple of items, one being a binocular harness--okay, I know, I know--friends of mine are reading this post and saying to themselves, "Did Sharon just recommend a binocular harness...after making fun of mine for years?!" YES! Yes, I am now wearing a binocular harness, it's sad but true. I can't help it, they make your binoculars so much more comfortable, I was a foolish, foolish girl for poking fun at my friends and saying that they were wearing a "bino bra". For those that don't know, a binocular harness takes the weight of your optics off of your neck and places it on your shoulders--it's really, really comfortable. Anyway, if you know someone who loves their binoculars and they are always complaining about how heavy they are, a harness is a great gift. It fits most binoculars and can be used for cameras as well. The straps are elastic and stretch to fit your needs and body shape.

Another thoughtful and easy small gift is a set of hand warmers. These things are so awesome for gold weather birding. They warm up when exposed to air and can be tucked in gloves and boots. I also have used them tucked along my pant line on my lower back when sitting in a blind to avoid a sore back. These things are a cheap (I've seen them anywhere from $1 - $2 a set) and thoughtful gift for any birder. I've seen them all over from Gander Mountain, Cabela's and even Walgreen's.