Birdchick Podcast #58: Hurricane Irene, Bird Excitement

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

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

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

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

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

A contest for musician/bird look alikes.