Swarovski Optik Guest Blogging Contest: Finale!

Ladies and Gentlemen, we're here to announce that the winner of the Swarovski Optik Guest Blogging Contest is...

Lynnanne Fager! 

You can read Lynnanne's entry on an unusual hybrid here. Special thanks to Swarovski Optik for providing the prizes for our contest: all the posted entries will get a Swarovski binocular cleaning kit, and Lynanne will also get a nifty new pair of Swarovski Crystal Pocket Binos! If you were one of the entries we posted, we'll be sending your address to Swarovski shortly.

Thanks again to absolutely everyone who entered. We had a hard time picking just ten entries!

Digiscoping Challenges

Hello blog readers! Or should I say hola lectores del blog? I am back from my Guatemala birding adventure and am sorting through photos. I want to thank everyone who entered the guest blogging contest. There were many fantastic blog entries and I'm sorry that we couldn't post them all. Be sure to check out the voting for the top ten and select the entry you liked best (I'm having readers decide because Non Birding Bill and I had a tough enough time picking the top ten, let alone the best of all 53 entries).

I had a great time and learned something very interesting while birding in Central America: digiscoping is really hard! I'm pretty good at digiscoping, I'm fortunate to be able to do it often and I'm very familiar with my equipment. I can set up the shot and get my camera on the right settings without really thinking about it. I'm also very familiar with North American birds, I can sometimes predict how they will move on a perch to get a shot.

It was not the same in Guatemala, I had all new vegetation to figure out and the birds moved in different ways.

When I give digiscoping workshops, one of the things I hear the most is how someone can't get their equipment to work--usually because they've taken (at most) 20 photos that all turned out crappy and they don't understand why. You have to take dozens, if not hundreds of photos to get one decent shot. The more you work with your equipment, the more prepared you will be when a bird shows up and in the "perfect" pose. I've helped out at enough optics booths to know that many people buy their scope and digiscoping equipment right before they leave for a trip of a lifetime, barely enough time to get familiar with their equipment. If I had a tough time, how could someone with new equipment possibly get anything good going to a new area, with new birds, and not know how to work the camera and scope?

So, here are some conclusions that I came to while birding in Guatemala:

First, I had to pick my battles. I figured out quickly that I was going to be in sensory overload being around so many new species. The group we were with was very much a listing group, not so much a photography look. We'd try like the dickens to see certain species, but not really try for photos. So, when a cool ass bird like a pink-headed warbler was found, I needed to decide, "Do I want to try and aim the scope on a warbler, quite possibly missing it completely or do I want to really savor and watch this amazingly colorful warbler?" With most new species, I chose to watch the bird instead of trying to digiscope it. I did go for the pink headed warbler after a minute and the best I got was the above photo. You can see part of its head and vent from behind a leaf in the above photo.

Second, the lighting conditions in the neotropics were rather crappy. In the forest canopy, it's shady and many birds had a knack for perching with the sun directly behind them. Add incredibly tall trees and precarious scope angles and you end up with a blurry shot of a collared trogon (above).

However, there were many times when birds perched nearby, the lighting was not too bad and I could get that great shot of a berylline hummingbird--right down to its little white socks. So, I didn't get photos of every single bird (or even very good ones) but I do have some great stories and amazing birds to share.

Guest Blogging Day 10: David McRee

And welcome to day 10 of the Swarovski Optik Guest Blogging Contest. Sharon is winging her way back to the U.S. as I write this, with tons of photos and stories about her trip to Guatemala. Thanks to all our Guest bloggers for their great entries!

Our entry for today comes from David McRee, whom you can visit on line at Blog the Beach.

When I learned that the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary in Indian Shores, Florida was having a training session for people interested in wild bird rescue, I rushed right over. Sanctuary staff and several able bird rescue volunteers showed me that there is a lot more to running a wild bird rescue operation than just bringing a bird home in a box and keeping it warm.

After a hands-on workshop that included removing fishhooks from dead cormorants, pelicans, egrets, seagulls, and crows, I was ready to learn even more. At the right moment, I revealed my secret identity as a blogger and asked to accompany the bird rescue volunteers on a mission.

Liz Vreeland, a bird rescue volunteer with boundless energy, endless patience, and a knack for getting things done, agreed to meet me mid-morning Sunday on the Skyway Bridge Fishing Pier where she often helps injured birds.
What I didn't realize was that not all injured birds are incapacitated; some have to be caught before they can be helped. How do you catch a pelican flying 50 feet in the air and trailing 20 feet of fishing line with an orange float and half a pound of lead fishing weight? Liz either knows how or figures it out.

Once she catches the birds, she knows how to determine what condition they're in and whether they need to go to the bird hospital. Hooks are extracted from captured birds, and fishing line is unwrapped from wings, feet, and bodies. Wounds are examined and the bird's condition assessed before it is either released or sent to the hospital. Liz patiently educates fishermen and onlookers, and exercises unbelievable restraint when dealing with people who think its funny to injure a bird.
There's nothing like holding a bird in your hands to really appreciate how beautiful they are. I shot some video of my day with the bird rescuers and put together a short clip.


Volunteer Seabird Rescue Effort in Florida from David McRee on Vimeo.

Thanks, David! We'll be back soon with the form where you can vote for your favorite entry. And thanks again to all our writers!

Guest Blogging Day 9: Eric Brierley

Welcome back to the Swarovski Optik Blogging Contest entry! Just a few more entries to go! Today's entry comes from Eric Brierley, past president of the San Antonio Audubon Society. He helped with a banding project for many years at Mitchell Lake Audubon Center in San Antonio, TX. Currently Eric birds and blogs from Austin, TX. You can contact him on his Twitter feed, or his blog.


Cardinal Damages Digits

All the cardinals I know suffer from split personality disorder. Most of their family members are a wee bit off as well. It must be something about the pointy red thing on top of their heads. Or perhaps their feathers are on too tight. What? Of course they have feathers. Oh, you thought I was referring to a Father of the Church. No, no, no, Northern Cardinals, birds.

I 'm an avid bird watcher, also known as a 'birder'. Get it? Bird watcher, bird-er. Never mind. At any rate, for many years I helped a local bander with a bird population study. We caught birds in mist nets, put a small numbered metal band on their leg, weighed and measured them, then let them go. Often we would recapture a bird. This let us determine how long it had been in the area, and assess general health by getting its current weight, then checking feather condition and subcutaneous fat stores.

What's a mist net? Thanks for asking. They are generally 12 to 18 meters long, 2 meters high, and stretched between poles that are set into the ground. The mesh of a net is very fine and the birds can't see it well. When they fly into the net, the bird gets tangled. We checked the nets every 10 minutes to remove any captured birds. A word of caution, don't do this at home. You need a Federal permit just to have the nets.

Many birds are calm in the net once they realize that they can't free themselves. Others don't settle down until you are holding them and working to get them untangled. Cardinals are an altogether different animal. Well not really, they're birds. Okay, yes, birds are in the animal kingdom, but you know what I mean.

Have you ever seen the bill on a Cardinal? It's almost as big as ... well take my word for it, it's a real honker, and powerful, and has lots of leverage. After all, Cardinals eat seeds and nuts, and crack them open with that bill.

Here is where the fun starts. The thing to remember about Cardinals is this, they bite. Hard. Want to know what it feels like? Okay, get a pair of pliers with narrow pointed jaws. Yes, pliers have jaws. It's the part opposite the handles. Select a tender spot near the tip of one of your fingers. Gather about 1/8 of an inch of skin with the tip of the pliers. Now squeeze the handles and don't let go. Not so hard that you break the skin. Wiggle the pliers around a little to simulate a Cardinal shaking his head. Get the idea?

It’s time to walk the net lines and collect captured birds. Rounding the corner of the trail, I see a still net and a blaze of red feathers. Remember that comment about split personalities? Cardinals stay calm and cute looking until your hand gets close. Then they wig out and go for the fingers. Quick, look for a Cardinal chew toy, also known by the highly technical term “stick”. Better that it gets chomped instead of me. This proud fellow happily grabs onto the stick, and after a brief contest of wills I have him loose and into a small transport bag. I collect a couple of Yellow-rumped Warblers and a Carolina Wren from another net, stash each one in its own bag, and head back to the banding station in the back of a van just around the corner.

Arriving back at the station, I take Mr. Cardinal out of his bag. I have his head gently secured between two fingers, his back against my palm, and my thumb and other fingers softly wrapped around his body to keep him still. This is the “banders grip”.

The band is attached and the number is verified. I measure his tail and the length is recorded. While I'm distracted extending his wing to get the chord length, the distance from elbow to wingtip, this year old handful seizes his chance by seizing my finger. Woo, woo, woo that hurts! Now mind you I can't let go of him because we aren't done. I need that wing measurement and then I have to weigh him. Slow deep breaths, stay calm. Sounds like a Lamaze class doesn't it? I knew that breathing stuff would come in handy one day. For me.
I finish measuring and get his wing tucked back in. Somebody find me a chew toy! Ah ha, there's one in his transport bag, but he's not falling for that again. So I put him back in the bag and he calms down and lets go. It is safe to say that this Cardinal has certainly made an impression. Literally. I've got a tiny little blood blister where he latched on. This dude gets weighed in the bag. Then the weight of the bag by itself is subtracted to get the weight of the Cardinal. Clever idea isn't it? I'm not sticking my hand back in there again. No way, not me.

Now it's time to let this rascal loose in the world again. He is biting part of the bag so my fingers are safe. With the Cardinal in hand, I walk over to the tree line and let him go.

Now this bird, who has just actively defined the classic “in-your-face attitude”, with feathers, does an amazing thing. He flies in a wimpy kind of way, well, flops and flutters is actually a better description, up to a branch. He's dangling the leg with the band. He has a kind of "now what am I supposed to do" look. Perched, he lifts the leg and checks out his new bling. Apparently it doesn't meet with his standards. He gives a disdainful look and takes off, complaining loudly to his drinking buddies about the indignity of it all.

Bet he won't be whining when that cute little female Cardinal we banded earlier flies over and whispers, "It's just sooo cute. See, I've got one too." Ah, love.


Thanks, Eric! We'll be back with our last few entries!

Guest Blogging Day 8: Jeffrey Gordon

It's day eight of the Swarovski Optik Guest Blogging Contest. Today's entry comes from Jeffrey Gordon with a much-needed post for mid-winter: spring cleaning!

For more of Jeff's writing, you can visit his blog.



I'm fortunate to live in Lewes, Delaware, which just happens to be the northermost place in the world you can see Brown-headed Nuthatches. These little clowns are pretty much addicted to pines, so that's where you have to go to listen for their squeaky, animated calls.

Brown-headed Nuthatches are also very much homebodies, rarely if ever traveling far from their home patch. So much so that even though I can find them just about any day of the year, only once in recorded history has one made the trek across to Cape May, New Jersey, just 11 miles across the mouth of Delaware Bay.

In fact, Brown-headed Nuthatches are very nearly a United States endemic, ranging from East Texas across to Florida and up to Delaware. Their only non-U.S. outpost is a small and threatened population on the Bahamas.

As winter begins to loosen its grip, our nuthatches begin preparing to breed. I digiscoped this Brown-headed Nuthatch doing a little spring cleaning. You'll see her (or possibly him--I'm not sure) go into the cavity, then return with several mouthfuls of sawdust.


If you're thinking about doing a little Spring cleaning, but the thought seems just too oppressive, perhaps you can borrow a little inspiration from these nuthatches. And be thankful that you don't have to clear out your junk using your mouth!



Check back in tomorrow for our next entry!

Guest Blogging Day 7: Stacey Wittig

Welcome back to day seven! We've had quite a few entry about raptors so far, so now we're going to switch things up and talk about one of my favorite kinds of birds: corvids. Today's entrant is Stacey Wittig of the Vagabond Lulu blog, who helpfully included a bio!

Stacey is a freelance writer based in Flagstaff, AZ. Her culinary adventures have led her up the Inca Trail in Peru eating fried caterpillars and roasted guinea pig, across the plains of northern Spain on El Camino de Santiago enjoying tapas and steamed barnacles, and through the vineyards of Cinque Terre sipping Chianti Classic. “Northern Arizona is a remarkable place to call home,” declares the wandering writer who loves sour cream enchiladas at El Charro Restaurant in Flagstaff, AZ.

Take it away, Stacey!

What is the Difference between Ravens and Crows?

Flagstaff, AZ--Today I saw a crow at my bird feeder for the first time. It's not that a crow has never been there before. I just never recognized it as a crow; I always thought that it was a raven. That was until I attended Shannon Benjamin's presentation Corvid Lore: Ravens and Crows in the American Southwest at the Riordan Mansion State Historic Park in Flagstaff, AZ.

Raised in Minnesota, I surely know what a crow looks like. When I moved "Out West" I became acquainted with ravens. For some reason, somewhere during my own southern migration, I came to believe that crows live near the corn fields of the Midwest, and ravens were the black birds of the western skies.

Back to my feeder. I knew that the big, glossy black birds with thick beaks bounding around my feeder were ravens. I just hadn't been discerning enough to notice that some of those cackling black birds had smaller, pointed beaks. Some of my Flagstaff ravens were actually crows. So much for bird watching.

At the lecture, Shannon quickly put to bed my notion that crows live only in the bread basket of this fair nation. Further, she explained that crows and ravens fraternize. "Crows and ravens socialize, especially when it comes to food," Benjamin explained, pointing to a slide of ravens and crows together at a typical Flagstaff bird-sighting location: a dumpster in front of Ponderosa Pine trees. "Crows' tails are blunt, while Raven's tails are pointed, or diamond shaped," she continued. Another slide, this time raven from the backside, ala pointed tail.

Crow with straight tail feathers and narrow, long beak.

Is that bird flapping or soaring? The flappers are crows. Ravens soar in a fashion much like hawks or eagles. That's probably why I must take a second look at ravens flying against the sun, when I am trying to spot Red-tailed Hawks on my way home from town.

Want one more definitive difference between crows and ravens? Ravens are larger and have shaggy throat feathers. Perhaps that's why the raven's cry sometimes sounds more like a croaky frog.

Shannon explained that ravens and crows are part of the Corvid family. Corvids are known for their high intelligence. In fact, their brain-weight-to-body-weight ration is that of a chimpanzee. Corvids are clever problem solvers who learn and modify their behavior accordingly. Even so, Corvids mate for life.

Corvids are curious and collect and cache shiny objects. Perhaps their similarity to our own human behavior causes us to relate to ravens and crows. Ever feel ravenous? Have you complained about "crow's feet" at the lid of your eye? Measured distance "as the crow flies?"

The Stellar Jay is also a member of the
Corvid family, and a regular at my feeder.

Many Native American cultures have noticed the Corvid's s resemblance to humans. The Hopi believe that Crow Mother is the creator mother of all Hopi spirits. Zuni storytellers like to explain "How the Black Bird Taught Coyote to Dance." One tribe of the Sioux calls themselves the "Crow."

And now I am "eating crow" as I look at my feeder and watch as those human-like black birds, that I thought were ravens, become two distinct species.


Thanks for the great entry, Stacey! We'll be back tomorrow with another entry in the Swarovski Optik Guest Blogging Contest!

Guest Blogging Day 6: Holly

NBB here. Hope you all had a good weekend! We're back today with an entry from a young birder named Holly, who documents a familiar feeling to all birders: getting nooged, as Sharon puts it.




Hi! My name is Holly, I am 9 years old. Me and my dad, and my brother went looking for the Great Horned Owl of Dakota County. I was so excited; I hurried and grabbed my binoculars, my birding book, put on my coat and I was outta there!!

It took a long time to get there because we missed the exit; my dad got frustrated.

As we got back on track we found the spot, we parked and got outta the car. We had to climb a wall and step on a lamp post, then my dad helped me up.

I looked at the nest through my binoculars while my dad took three pictures.
He tried to take a picture of the nest with his cellphone using the binoculars; it was cool!!
We then crossed the street and went in the tall grass that went crunch, crunch. We went in until we were in front of the tree. I saw that the tree used to be an old treehouse. The nest was very high up.

We went back across the street and went in the car and left.

It was fun, but we did not find the Great Horned Owl, and that was fine with me!


Thanks for sharing your adventure with us, Holly. Learning to enjoy birding even when you don't see the bird is a big part of becoming a birder. Enjoying warmth and sleeping in, however, can lead to raging sanity. FYI.

Okay, we'll be back tomorrow!

Guest Blogging Day 5: Jeff Fischer

Welcome back for Day 5 of the Swarovski Optik Guest Blogging Contest. Sharon's checked in from Guatemala and wants you to know how thrilled she is with both the quality of the entries and all your comments. Today's guest Blogger is Jeff Fischer of Ecobirder.


Every year as winter engulfs North America many birders make like the birds and fly south for the winter. Many of them head to the big birding destinations down south, like Ding Darling, Brownsville or the Bosque del Apache, but for those birders that choose to don mukluks instead of flip flops and spread on lip balm instead of sun screen and brave the sub zero temps of Minnesota the reward can be great. While Minnesota may not have the variety of birds that can be found in the south, during the winter time, it does have some thing that many birders are looking to add to their life list, and that is winter owls.
The first owls to arrive each year seem to be the snowy owl. These ground nesters spend their summer up on the tundra of the arctic circle where they work to keep the lemming population in control. When winter comes young snowies, like the one pictured above, that do not yet have their own territory often venture south in search of food.

Since they are used to open spaces of the tundra they are typically drawn to farm fields, frozen lakes and airports. The international airport in Bloomington, MN has been a winter home for snowies for the past several years. This year there has been an irruption of snowies in Minnesota, Wisconsin and other northern states. Typically irruptions are due to a crash in the food supply but the thought this year is that it was such a good year for snowy reproduction that there were more snowies then the habitat up north could support during the winter. So more have headed south.

Soon after the snowies begin to pass through there are typically reports of northern hawk owls in the northern portions of Minnesota. These birds spend their summer up in Canada, Alaska and Siberia hunting mice and voles. Although they are a member of the owl family northern hawk owls are built very similarly to hawks with short wings and long tails.
Since they are diurnal, they hunt during the day, they are one of the easiest northern owls to find. there are currently reports of around 6 northern hawk owls in the Sax Zim Bog and Aitkins County area in Northern Minnesota.

One of the prized owls that many birders look for is the great gray owl. Even though their are a few nesting pair in northern Minnesota as well as those that migrate down looking for food these owls are much more difficult to find. They are adapt at camouflaging their two and a half foot form, which is the largest of the North American Owls.
Northern Minnesota became one of the highlight of the bird world in the winter of 2004 and 2005 when over 5000 great gray owls irrupted into northern Minnesota. While it was a great opportunity to see wild great grey owls it was also very sad. They came south in great numbers to find food when the vole population in Canada crashed. Many starved to death or where hit by cars as they hunted night and day to find food.

Probably the most difficult owl to find is the small secretive boreal owl. I have not yet seen one in the wild, this is Boreas our education boreal from The Raptor Center, even though each year typically a few are spotted in Northern Minnesota.


There are also our resident owls, like great horned, barred and eastern screech owl. Winter is a great time to find and photograph these owls because they usually begin nesting early in the year. Once they are on the nest they are much easier to find. It also allows you to observe some of their behavior.

I usually get my best shots by looking around for dad. He usually is not to far from mom and the nest keeping a watchful eye out. If you look hard you are bound to find him. For more bird pics check out the Ecobirder blog.



Thanks, Jeff! We'll be back tomorrow!

Guest Blogging Day 4: Art Drauglis

Welcome to Day 4 of the Swarovski Optik Guest Blogging Contest. We've had a lot of fun entries so far, and our next one is from Art Drauglis, and is about one of those truly remarkable encounters you can have in nature.


Hawk vs. Turtle

Shortly after I started up the Powell Mountain Trail in Shenandoah National Park I noticed some movement off in the brush. At first I thought that I had flushed a Ruffed Grouse, but whatever it was had not gone very far. I moved up the trail a few feet and saw the bird again behind a tree. It was a juvenile Broad-Winged Hawk and it seemed to be injured or stuck. One foot was stuck inside of a trap or can. I took a few steps closer and saw that it was actually wedged into a box turtle. The prey had trapped the predator. The hawk had not yet learned that it was too small to lift something the size of a turtle. It was a Blue Ridge Mountain version of the Mexican Coat of Arms (an eagle battling a rattlesnake in a cactus). I have heard that some hawks will pick up turtles and drop them on rocks until their shells shatter; that was not going to happen today.

I thought that I might be able to assist the situation so I crouched down and moved to within three feet of the pair.


In order to free it I would have to use one hand to separate toe and turtle and the other to hold the hawk still. Not a recommended course of action. I thought that if I could go at the hawk from behind that the strategy might work, but if I got closer than three feet the hawk would roll back into a defensive posture. Not being able to get away, it was prepared to slash away with it's free foot and beak. Not only that, but every time it leaned away from me, the wedged toe bent at an unnatural angle.

I have learned that observing wildlife is much more healthy and satisfying when one pays attention to the cues and body language of the animal being observed and reacts accordingly. If I had had my welding gloves with me, I might have been able help more, but one seldom finds need for thick leather gloves on long hikes in the mountains. I had also never handled a raptor before and If something went wrong, I had a four miles of distance and 1800 feet of elevation to cover before I get help.

I backed away a few feet and then left them to their fate.

I wondered how long the turtle could keep itself boxed up, particularly if it was wounded. I imagined the toe stuck in there wagging around, stabbing and scratching.

If the hawk could not free itself by dusk it was doomed. It would be an easy picking for the first bobcat, coyote, fox, or bear to wander by. I should say a relatively easy picking; it would surely fight, but there would not be a chase.

As I walked away one thought went through my head -

What Would Birdchick do?

We had been introduced to Sharon via the Disapproving Rabbits page and two of our bunnies were in the DR book. When I wondered what I could have or should have done, she was the first person I thought to ask.

I was just hoping to get some thoughts or corrections about what I did or should have done or could do in the event I ever find a hawk with it's foot stuck in a turtle again.

The guidance she offered:

"First of all, officially and scientifically, you didn't do anything wrong to let nature take its course in this situation. However, there are loads of people who are happy to tell you the opposite. Pro turtle people will think you were cruel to leave it like that, hard core raptor enthusiasts will say you should have helped the hawk. And honestly, it's tough to say if both will survive or die from this altercation whether you helped either creature. Either the turtle or the hawk could get away from this and suffer from a fatal infection or they may go on to live several more years. Too many variables and something that happens all the time in the wild that few ever get the chance to witness. This is how first year birds learn how and what to hunt and one of the reasons why 75% of birds hatched this year don't live to see next year."

She also corrected my ID - since it was on the small side and in a forest, my first thought was Cooper's Hawk, but "The eye color is too dark and the shape in all of your photos is classic Buteo, not Accipiter." From that I was led to the correct ID - juvy Broad-Winged Hawk.


Thanks for the great entry, Art! We'll be back tomorrow with another entry in the blogging contest!

Guest Blogging Day 3: Allison Shock

And we're back for Day 3 of the Swarovski Optik Guest Blogging shindig. Glad to see that you're all enjoying it so far. Make sure to check out the blogs of our guest writers for more great entries.

Our blogger today is Allison Shock of Three Star Owl blog.


Vertical Napping Bark: it’s hard to see an owl

My friend Kate McKinnon recently posted that she has a hard time seeing owls in the wild, and she takes it personally. Well she should, because an owl’s Primary Goal other than to eat something, is to escape detection, by you, by me, by a thoughtless human with a crossbow, by the other bigger owl, by sharp-eyed prey, and by Kate McKinnon. We are all of us intended to Not See Owls.

Owls have many tools for escaping detection: cryptic coloration, shifting outline often modified with cranial feather tufts, motionless roosting, self-effacing habits, and nearly silent flight. They are chromosomally adept at Hiding in Plain Sight.

Seeing an owl is a lightning bolt, a mistake, a gift, a shock, a plot by crabby song birds. A sighting is usually because someone who knows where an owl day-roosts points it out, or we hear one call and get a glimpse as it glides across a dark sky, or because wrens and chickadees and jays fink it out. If the owl is seen, a small owl will shrink or stretch, and squint to hide its telltale eyes; a big owl might merely turn its head, or not, because though it prefers to not be seen, it isn’t too worried since you cannot fly. If you spot an owl don’t point or wave the hands, it might make it flee. If you remain still and quiet, they often will too, allowing a few photos, especially if they are rock stars like certain Mexican spotted owls in southeastern Arizona, who frequently host googly-eyed camera-toting visitors like me in their woods.

Here are some things to do if you wish to see an owl: put up a nest box; go on an owl prowl (check Audubon groups and raptor education outfits in your area); keep your ears open; look for owl pellets and whitewash under horizontal boughs close to the trunk; inspect the tops of saguaros at dusk; look in every tree/cactus hole you know of that’s above head height; go into the woods at night; watch the news (urban owls often wind up on TV, like the famous Scottsdale Safeway Urn-nesting Great horned owls); make secret offerings to the Great Owly Entity. But remember, owls’ desire to escape detection is greater than our ability to find them. Good luck, and Good Owling.

photos by A. Shock: Great horned owl with downy chick manifesting as barkless tree skin, San Pedro River, AZ; Mexican Spotted owl pair manifesting as dappled sunlight through branches, Huachuca Mountains, AZ.



Thanks, Allison! As a reminder, you can click on these pictures to enlarge them, and I definitely recommend that with this entry. We'll be back tomorrow with another entry!

Guest Blogging Day 2: Lynnanne Fager

And we're back for Day Two of the Swarovski Guest Blogging Contest. This entry, from Lynnanne Fager, is about a very unusual visitor to her backyard.






Results of a Backyard Bird Bordello

Spring is in the air and that only means one thing in my backyard: sex. At least for the birds, that is.

We hang cute little boxes, put out their favorite foods, all in an effort to coax the feathered sex fiends into the yard. We make sure the nest boxes have the right size holes for the bird we’re trying to attract. We put ventilation in, so the poor things don’t overheat. Sometimes, we even go so far as to put guttering on to catch the rain. We do all this just to invite sex into the back yard.

These birds don’t need any instruction, any sex manuals, doctor’s visits, or prenatal exams. Or do they?

It would seem our chickadees are out of control. They have no sense of dignity. At least one of our chickadees has been caught foolin’ around with the titmice. It seems we’ve created a backyard bird bordello.

This is what I found at my feeders one day in October, 2006.

Hybrid Chickadee x Tufted titmouse, north central Indiana (photo by Lynnanne Fager, 2006)

As far as I was concerned, there was only one thing it could be: a chick-a-mouse. (There are several word combos that one could put on this bird, but we won’t go there now!)

I put an email out to Cornell, minus the photo, explaining the bird I had and requesting any documentation on chickadee x tufted titmouse hybrids. I received a response that basically told me I didn’t know what I was talking about – and that if I had a photo, this gal would try to explain to me what it was I was seeing.

I sent the photo to her and moved on.

I put out a call and sent the above photo to master bander Dr. Ron Weiss who made swift plans to get this bird banded.

He did some research on the hybridization of these two birds and posted it on his website.

Ron arrived one Sunday, set up his nets and opened his banding station. This bird did nothing but tease us the entire morning flying into the feeding area, up and around the nets, that is until Indiana Wesleyan University Professor Steve Conrad showed up (Steve is working on a sub-banding permit, on the hybridization of the black-capped and Carolina chickadee. We joked and said the bird was waiting just for him).

After dancing a few jigs on top of the mist nets, our bird finally flew into the net.
Ron flew out the door, contained the bird and brought it into the house and closed the door behind him. He wasn’t taking any chances.

All the proper measurements were taken and recorded; the bracelet was secured around its leg. Ron checked the skull, and patterns on the tail feathers, noting it was a hatch year bird.
He collected DNA and plucked a few feathers, while I took quite a few photos. He then went outside, took GPS coordinates and released the bird.

Team Chick-a-mouse from left: Ron Weiss (holding the bird), Steve Conrad,
Lynnanne Fager, Tom Barker and Nancy Barker (photo by Jenna Fager, 2006)

The gal at Cornell wrote back a few weeks later with a sweet apology and included an ID from one of their top ornithologists stating that he thought it looked like a hybrid titmouse x chickadee. He suggested I contact Ohio State, but it was too late. Ron already had the bird. To date, the DNA cells are still in process (If there’s another lab out there who is interested in crunching this bird’s cells, contact me – I have rights to half of the DNA collected.)
The bird hung around our yard for a few months, until the sub-zero February winds blew through, carrying our strange little bird away with it.

Since then, I am constantly looking for a touch of unique in my yard birds. I find myself paying close attention, especially to those chickadees and titmice, and am always on the lookout for another strange creation from my backyard.

Guest Blogging Day 1: Amy Haran

Hello all, NBB here. Sharon is well on her way to Guatemala, where it's sunny and 80°, which means that it's time to begin Swarovski Optik Guest Blogging event. Our first entry is a fun one from Amy Haran of Your Bird of the Week.

What Kind of Bird Are You?

Which member of the avian world are you most like? It's a question every cool person asks at some point, for sure. So, I've composed my very own Cosmo-esque personality quiz to help you find out.

Please select the statements below that most closely represent you in regards to fashion, food, friends, conflict and communication. Then, scroll down to see what kind of bird you are and why.

It’s all very scientific, I assure you. OK, maybe not.


Fashion
A. My mantra: when in doubt, wear black.
B. I prefer to pair classic neutrals with rich, eye-popping color.
C. It doesn’t matter what I wear. My size and striking eyes make people sit up and take notice.
D. I’m not flashy, but I always look nice. Honestly, I prefer not to call attention to myself.
E. I’m pretty practical when it comes to clothes. I wear what’s best for getting my job done, whether it looks good or not.

Food
A. I’ll eat just about anything. Meat? Good. Vegetables? Good. Bread? Good.
B. I eat on the go, so fast food is my friend.
C. Give me meat! A well-cut steak, roasted chicken, fresh sushi, grilled pork chops—it all makes me drool.
D. I found the Atkins diet horribly offensive. It’s all about the carbs for me.
E. I love leftovers. If it’s good at dinner, it will be even better warmed up the next day.
Family/Friends
A. I’ve got many acquaintances, but I prefer to hang out with family.
B. The more the merrier. A crowded house is a happy house.
C. Leave me alone unless sex is involved.
D. Every meal is made better by sharing it with others, especially when it’s at the local watering hole.
E. People assume I’m solitary, but they would be surprised to see the number of friends who might show up for my holiday parties.

Conflict
A. When attacked by others, I rely on the strength of my family and friends.
B. I’m rarely aggressive except when it comes to matters of love. Then, watch out!
C. I seem tough, but you’d be surprised how little it takes to scare me off.
D. I hate confrontation! If things look rough, I beat a hasty retreat.
E. There is nothing, and I mean nothing, I won’t do to defend myself. Choose to mess with me, and you may not like the consequences.

Communication
A. I like to talk, and people usually hear me when I do.
B. My sweet voice masks a darker side.
C. I’m largely quiet except when frightened or turned on.
D. I chatter away all day. Who wouldn’t with a cheerful voice like mine?
E. I’m pretty quiet, but I do hiss when I get upset.

Now, add up your answers, and find the letter you picked most. Then scroll down to see what kind of bird you are. Don’t be surprised if you’re a mutty mix of birds.

Mostly A's: You are an American Crow

A medium-sized black bird, you eat whatever you can get—from road kill to fruit to insects to grain. You are close to your family, living with your parents for many years and helping them raise your younger brothers and sisters. You call on that close family when feeling threatened, and every crow within hearing of your harsh, cawing call will come to your defense!

Mostly B's: You are a Barn Swallow

A small bird with an iridescent blue back, caramel-colored body, and forked tail, you eat flies on the fly. You roost with often thousands of other barn swallows, building your own nest out of mud and grass on highway overpasses, bridges, barns, and parking garages. You’re little, but can be aggressive in matters of mating. Unmated male barn swallows are known to kill another pair’s nestlings in order to “break up” the couple and mate with the female. Meanwhile, females select males based on how long and symmetrical their tail is. This questionable behavior is masked by a sweet, warbling call.

Mostly Cs: You are a Red-tailed Hawk

A brown raptor with a brick-colored tail, you eat meat, including mice, squirrels, rabbits, fish, small birds, and even insects. Like most birds of prey, you’re largely a solitary animal, but you are believed to mate for life. While you are a large predator, everyone from song birds to crows will gang up on you and chase you out of their area. When this happens, you usually give up and go find less obnoxious hunting grounds. You are a quiet bird, but you use your piercing shriek to warn predators away from your nest and to attract mates.

Mostly Ds: You are a Chipping Sparrow

A small sparrow with a black and brown back, gray body, and rusty red cap, you prefer seeds above any other food. You are known for your highly social behavior, welcoming the company of other chipping sparrows and even the occasional quiet human being. Like all sparrows, you use rapid retreat to good cover to protect yourself from cats, hawks, and other predators. You are named after your happy little “chip, chip, chip” call. It’s not beautiful, but it’s a constant, comforting sound in gardens and parks.

Mostly Es: You are a Turkey Vulture

A large, blackish-brown bird with an unfeathered red face, you use your incredible sense of smell to find carrion. (Your unfeathered face comes in handy when diving into a rotting animal carcass.) Although often seen flying alone, you’re actually fairly social, roosting with other turkey vultures and gathering at smelly carcasses for an intimate meal. Predators be warned: You aren’t afraid of vomiting partially digested roadkill to warn others away and will even aim for the eyes if something gets too close. It’s all accompanied by a warning hiss that you learned as an ugly, little vulture chick.


Sources:
The Birds of North American Online
All About Birds


All photos taken from Wikimedia Commons:
American Crow
Barn Swallow
Red-tailed Hawk
Chipping Sparrow
Turkey Vulture

Thanks, Amy! Come back tomorrow for our next guest entry!

To a Rabbit

After our all-out, no-holds-barred attack on rabbits a couple of days ago, I started to feel bad. I like rabbits! It was Chet who got all uppity about being "king of this blog." He's a guy. Stuff like that happens when you get guys involved. I happen to think Cinnamon is a vision of lagopulchritude. It's the Rex breed of rabbit that I drool over every September, in the Small Animal Barn of our county fair. I'd have a rabbit if they didn't make my nose tickle, and my eyes itch...


So I decided to paint a rabbit, and show the steps of making this little painting here.
First, I start with a sketch I like, of a cottontail resting out on our lawn (made pre-dog, obviously. Cottontails don't get much rest around here anymore.) The next step is to paint some winter weeds around her, and put a nice wet wash of burnt umber and cobalt blue over the wet ground of her body. I make her fur much darker than it should be, because I'm about to sprinkle ordinary table salt atop that wash. Salt is hydrophilic, which means it draws water toward itself. Each grain makes a little puddle, and the pigment settles around that puddle of clear water. This gives a lovely organic effect that you couldn't do convincingly by trying. I use a lot of salt in my paintings these days. It's a big help for someone who is so used to painting feathers, that I panic a bit when asked to render other textures, like fur. The painting's about done now.



I want it to look spontaneous and quick, and it has been. But although a watercolor may be executed very quickly, there's a lot of thought and consideration that goes into making it look spontaneous.

Cinnamon, you're beautiful. This one's for you, kid!

Another snowy day, spent cleaning and getting ready to trim the Christmas tree. Today is a special day: Chet Baker turns 1! We decided to let him eat beef stew out of his bowl at the table with us, something he thought was a great idea. Here, waitress Phoebe helps him with his chair.
Then he digs in with the kids.
We had a ball at the big pet store in town,picking out toys we thought Chet would like. But he's developed a preternatural ability

to get the squeaker out of any toy, always accompanied by clouds of Hollofil. Our house is dotted with Hollofil bunnies from all the toys he's slaughtered. Even this squeaky football fell prey to his teeth. He's unrepentant, even though nobody can say "I'm sorry!" better than a googly-eyed Boston terrier.
I'm sorry about the shirt, Chet.

That Meddlesome Dog

Chet Baker Speaks:

OK, Cinnamon, I've got a challenge for you. How are you at pulling sleds? Huh? I not only pull them, but I cause spectacular wipeouts, then steal the sled, pull it all by myself, and give sloppy kisses to the kids. I'll bet rabbits bite when they kiss. I'm King of this Blog. It's a Dog Blog now, Bunnyface, and for the next week, there's nothing you can do about it. P.S. I CHASE bunnies. Bunnies are very careful around my yard. They come out only at night. Even the word "Bunny" sends me leaping up to the nearest windowsill, looking for my foe. There. I've said it. But you started it. Zick: That'll do, Chet. Down, boy.
It's snowing like crazy again, even though the weather says there's a slight chance of snow showers. Hmmph. Three inches and counting.

I'm home today, trying to get the house back under control so we can put the Christmas tree up tonight. There's something in me that balks at putting up a Christmas tree in a sloppy house. Gotta have it just perfect. We're also celebrating Chet's one-year-birthday tonight. I cannot begin to say what a happy difference that little dog has made in all our lives. The joy quotient has gone way up, and I'm sure we laugh now at least twice as much as we did before he arrived.

Last night was another bacchanale, a wine dinner with wonderful friends. The hosts were showcasing spicy Rhone Valley wines, and each of the seven couples attending made incredibly hearty courses to pair with them--seven incredibly hearty courses. We were all groaning by the time the Thompson/Zickefoose entry came around in slot #7--pork loin with apples, sweet potatoes, and a savory apple juice-honey-pepper sauce. Caveman Bill cooked it outside in his big cast-iron Dutch oven. It was fab, if a little over-the-top for a dessert. The wines were big, hearty, and fabulous. I drank about a tablespoon of each one, since we had a snowy drive home.
Well, back to cleaning the house and hanging dripping snowsuits atop doors. So great to hear from Sharon again!