All Blog Posts (1,109)

After a lackluster early spring migration season in south Florida, I looked forward to catching up with the northbound warblers in northeastern Illinois. With each passing year I feel added urgency to make the most of every spring and fall. Now it seems that most of the warblers have also bypassed my summer home. In past years, fair numbers of warblers have shown up in local parks and forest preserves.



The warblers have left me high and dry, so instead of a taxonomic species list, I…

So I thought it would be a great idea to go through my hundreds of old slides from the early 80s to find a few rare gems that I could transfer to digital. After rifling through my pictures, I realized that my equipment back then did not have quite the reach of what I use currently (and I'm…

There is an interesting article in the Sunday (May 20) Opinion section of the New York Times.  Titled "Why Bambi Must Go"  it discusses the negative impact deer have on migratory birds.

http://blogs.scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/osprey/

Looking for some entertaining reading this summer?  I would like to suggest three books that I have enjoyed.

Thor Hansen’s book “Feathers”  covers everything on that subject.  He begins with a thorough going summary of current theory on how feathers may have evolved.  We also find out how feathers are structured and how they work in flight.  Mr Hansen then gives us information on the many uses for plummage; from quill pens to pillows to costumes for Las Vegas…

As I indicated a few hours ago, I had the privilege of participating in World Bird Migration Day yesterday (May 12, 2012). In the morning, I attended a bird walk in Jericho Park in Vancouver, BC. We had beautiful weather and over 30 species (we were only able to positively identify…

The car can serve as a very effective blind (or hide). One morning earlier this week, with thunder in the background, I drove around the vacant block in front of our northeastern Illinois condo. We are partially surrounded by three city block-sized parcels of land that, within the next week or so, will start to be built up into townhouses. In what was formerly a cornfield, roads and utilities had been installed and 44 of the planned 144 units were finished before the housing slump halted…

As promised, here is another blog on World Bird Migration Day (May 12, 2012) in Vancouver. I guess it should be called World Bird Migration Weekend, since today (the 13th) is also part of WBMD.

On this blog post, I would especially like to point out that we had a great conference after the birding in the main branch of the Vancouver public library from Russell Cannings, a young birder who, during his Big Year 2010 (see…

I've had a number of interesting migrants come through the yard over the past month and a half...

Cooper's Hawk, likely female.  (OK, not a migrant, but I really like this picture.)…

Well, spring has most certainly arrived (some are speaking even of summer, but I believe this may be an illusion) and I have so far seen a few migrating species here and there, but I haven't managed to "capture" any of these birds on film. I hope this changes next weekend, when I…

Today was one of the most exciting outings I've ever had, just a block from my house and between noontime and 2. Unprecedented! Here's what I saw and/or heard:

We often joke that Florida has two seasons, hot and hotter. We also generally have a dry fall and winter season that gives way to a wet and humid summer. Although our mangoes and avocados put out inconspicuous blossoms, south Florida experiences no explosion of color to mark the onset of the vernal equinox. The mockingbirds sing all year around, though their tempo and volume picks up just as the Palm Warblers depart to breed in far northwestern…

For my May 2012 Free Desktop Wallpaper Calendar, I have chosen "Silent Stalker". A photo of a gorgeous great blue heron (ardea herodias) stealthily stalking prey in the waters of Moraine State Park in Pennsylvania.

1024 x 768 – 1280 x 800 – 1366 x 768 – 1440 x 900 – 1920 x 1080

Visit my post to learn more and find the…

Ok, so my Big Week is not really so big.  I am taking the whole week off and I am looking for birds all around north, northeast, and central Florida.  I am headed to Merritt Island and St Johns NWRs, Big Shoals, Cary State Park, Ocala National Forest, Kissimmee Prairie, and a few other places.  It will all culminate on May 12 with the Audubon Society's Bird-A-Thon in northeast Florida. 

So wish me luck!  I will be posting my sightings on my blog at…

I am in the process of hanging a house wren nesting box. After choosing the proper location, I noticed that a robin was nesting not far from the location that I was to hang the wren house. I know that house wrens will defend their territory, but is that only with their own species, or is that with all other birds?  Will the wrens get along with the Robins?

Interesting article on ospreys in todays New York Times science section.

The birds are killed by the 84,000 communication towers that dot North America and can rise nearly 2,000 feet into the sky, according to the authors of "An Estimate of Avian Mortality at Communication Towers in the United States and Canada."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120425193056.htm

The past few weeks have kept us occupied with the welfare of the downed Bald Eagle chick (now presumed to have perished-- follow events at our nest watch FORUM)…

There is an excellent article on how pigeons navigate in todays New York Times.  04/26/12

I found a Bald Eagle tail feather today while walking along the beaches of Lake Superior.  I wanted to keep it, but I know that they are sacred to the local Ojibwe people, so I left it behind.  Not to mention that they are illegal to own unless you get a permit for them.