Birdchick Podcast #92: is going a little "blue..."

You were warned by the title. First up, James Currie the host of Birding Adventures got a show on National Geographic. Rather than playing it safe, he went with falconry for a topic.  I admire his balls on this and as someone who enjoys falconry (and went just this past Tuesday) I applaud him.  You should check it out, falconry is generally misunderstood in the birding community and it's a wonderful way to learn raptor id (if a falconer ever invites you out, say yes).  You can get a taste of Mr. Currie below...is he the hottest birding tv host we've ever seen: discuss!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=s1EJ5cXlvoM#!

Aerial Assassins premieres Friday, January 20th at 10pm EST. It will re-air Saturday, January 21st at 1am EST and Friday, January 27th at 3pm EST

Now for the hilarity:

A piece of advice.  If you have an iPhone...maybe don't use it to send your birding report to your local birding listserv as some poor woman learned with a roadrunner report to Colorado's list.

Crows start more stuff than Exlaxx.

Bird Watching Magazine (the UK version not the formerly named Birder's World) is offering a contest for a luxury birding trip to Scotland...can one have luxury and Scotland at the same time?

Busch Garden's has a new animal care facility.  Watch a flamingo get laser surgery!

Canopy Tower is having a last minute special for February, it's well worth it if you are looking for a mid winter break.  I've been there and if I didn't have other plans for New York, I'd be going.


Birds & Beers @WildRoastCafe January 23

The next Birds and Beers is less than a week away and we trying some place new.  Regulars have asked for a place without a band and plenty of room for our group, so we're going to try the Wilde Roast Cafe.  I've been there to meet with friends and for a play reading last month and thought it might be a good fit.  They have a room just for us (I did have to commit that our group would order at least $100 worth of food and  beverage which for our group isn't a problem).  Wilde Roast has beer, wine, tasty eats and great atmosphere.  No scotch or whiskey, but I think that's more my issue than anyone else.

Birds and Beers is an informal gathering of birders of all abilities–if you’re interested in birds, you’re invited. You can meet other birders–maybe find a carpool buddy, ask about where to find target birds, share cool research projects you might be working on, ask a bird feeding question, share life lists, share some digiscoping tips, promote your blog or your bird tour business–the sky is the limit. It’s low key and it’s fun.  I'll bring my iPad full of Israel photos and birding apps anyone would like to play with and I know several birders have gone to Sax Zim Bog so if you've never gone and would like to try it, this would be a great place to get the skinny on birding this awesome winter boreal hotspot.

Visit the Facebook Event Page for directions and to get the latest on when I'm hosting one, fan it on Facebook.  Rumor has it that we'll have one in Ohio in May...

 

Birdchick Podcast #91 Tubing Crow Not As Smart As You Think

The last several days have included links to a rather amusing video of a hooded crow that looks like it's tubing.  Info has included "smart crows" to "crow tubing" to my personal favorite headline: "Science Can Neither Explain Nor Deny The Awesomeness Of This Sledding Crow." Psst, Alexis Madrigal, yes science can. Here's the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YP9RnDp_tms

Explanation: Crow eating something round + peaked roof = sliding crow.  The fact that the bird can't seem to figure this out really doesn't do much for me in the whole, "crows are so smart" theory.  But if you want to pretend the crow is sledding, you'll get minimal judgement from me.

In other news...

West Virginia man hopes to break bird feeder record.

Birds fly faster due to Climate Change.


Sometimes eBird Is A Little Nuts

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Over the weekend I took a trip with some friends to Sax Zim Bog, Minnesota. This is a great spot to get boreal species and perk up your winter birding. Thanks to social media, I had a good idea of where specialty birds were being seen but thought I would use the BirdsEye app (the app that tells you what people are reporting to eBird).

Most of the time I find this to be a very useful app, especially when I'm visiting an unfamiliar city or looking for a new place to watch birds. The app has a "Birding Hotspots" tab that lets you see via Google Maps where the best birding spots are. These are highlighted by red dots that you can click on and shows you a name and a list of birds that have been reported there. Generally, it's different parks.

This is what I found when I looked at hot spots for Sax Zim Bog:

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What the frickity frack?? Okay, I know that the county roads can have redpolls, crossbills, hawk owls and what not at any point...but...um, really? Do we really need to mark every 25 feet as a birding hotspot?

I have a resolution this year to use eBird and contribute sightings on a regular basis, but that is a bit insane. I will not be adding in sitings from this weekend's trip. It's overwhelming and really, I thought there was the option to say that you went up to five miles on a trail? Unless eBird is going to let me enter in my sightings real time with my phone, I don't see people who are new to eBird being eager to look at this and figure it out.

I know we want birds to be easier to find but they don't always need to be an X marks the spot type of hunt. There is something to be said for the thrill of the chase.

Random American Tree Sparrow

This lovely little sparrow is an American tree sparrow, one of the few birds who come to the US in the winter.  Easy to miss in the sea of brown non native house sparrows, but these natives are noticeable with their central breast spot.  I was digiscoping this little quy when I noticed him glance up and right after I took this photo it shot off into the brush pile.  I looked above and a Cooper's hawk was soaring over. Sometimes it's fun to watch what the birds are watching.

Great Horned Owl Barking

I had a meeting at The Raptor Center yesterday.  At the end, we got a brief tour, which despite having given hundreds in the past, I was excited to do because it's been about 3 years since I volunteered there and things change quickly.  Many of the birds I worked with are still there...as in the turkey vulture who like me is 37  years old. But because it's owl breeding season, the great horned owls were all very hooty in the courtyard.  One of the imprinted owls (a bird raised by people and imprinted on them) gives a strange sound for an adult.  It barks.  This is a sound usually given by immature birds and is associated with food begging.  In the wild they would grow out of that.  But imprints do it a lot.  I think this is a sound people hear quite a bit in the wild at night and since it is such an un owl like sound, it's hard to id.

Here's a video (with a really dramatic title sequence courtesy of Non Birding Bill):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSxh1LDFPY8

Birdchick Podcast #89: FAA Frees Cranes!

I saw on Facebook today that the FAA has decided to allow the Operation Migration Whooping Cranes to continue their southward migration: "The FAA has granted an exemption to Operation Migration that will allow pilots to continue to aid the whooping crane migration. Normally, the FAA limits light sport aircraft and pilots to personal flights without compensation. Because the operation is in “mid-migration,” the FAA is granting a one-time exemption so the migration can be completed. The FAA will work with Operation Migration to develop a more comprehensive, long-term solution."

Bird Watching has more here.

A Falcated Teal in California is making the news--even in the Huffington Post!

Puffin found wandering the streets of Montreal is sent back to the wild.  That poor bird is way off course from the Grand Banks to Montreal!

What kind of jobs can I expect as an ornithologist?

Some of NBB's friends created this fan version of The Hobbit trailer:

The Hobbit Trailer you know and love, sweded...because! It's not a traditional swede, but we decided to try something a little different as we pull people together for future sweding. Please enjoy! Watch the original trailer here: http://youtu.be/JTSoD4BBCJc Directed (and acted) by Jerry Belich & Melissa Kaercher, as well as the rest of the wonder cast Thad Dahlberg, Eryn Hildebrand, Rebecca Walpole, and Viktorija Kristupaitis.