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Blog Birding #256
Project SNOWStorm is merely the latest, and certainly the most technologically advanced, study on Snowy Owls. Dozens of researchers have been amazed by their periodic wanderings over the years, as Dave Brinker explains.
Those groundbreaking ornithologists and citizen scientists did not have the technology that we possess today, but they used tried-and-true bird banding techniques, and a big dose of creativity, to learn about the winter ways of Snowy Owls. Looking into the Bird Banding Laboratory’s database, it quickly becomes obvious that prior to the irruption of 2013-14, there are four states in the lower 48 that have been the centers of winter Snowy Owl banding. Each of these states has its own history and key researchers whose passion brought us to where we are today.
The new Star Wars movie is breaking all sorts of movie records, not the least of which is that it’s the birdiest installment of the venerable series, as Nick Lund explains.
If you look closely, though, you’ll see some new creatures that, as far as I can tell, have never appeared on screen in any Star Wars movie before: birds. [Note: I have not actually rewatched the prequels to confirm the presence or absence of birds. Sorry, not sorry—feel free to tell me all about any Star Wars avians I’ve missed in the comments.] Sure, the original trilogy had flying creatures—mynocks in the asteroid space worm, some weird things flying over the swamp in Dagobah—but nothing with actual feathers until now.
Anytime you can get offshore, you’re going to put yourself in the position to see something new and exciting, even if offshore is just off of Rhode Island, as Steve Brenner shares at The Nemesis Bird.
There aren’t any strictly pelagic bird trips out of Rhode Island (apart from bird club/private charter stuff), but the good folks at Frances Fleet will let you hop on board any fishing or whale watching boat at a reduced rate if you don’t fish. Now, these trips may not be looking for birds specifically, but generally speaking if you are out on the ocean looking for wildlife of any variety, then you are likely to encounter some pelagic birds. And you can basically go whenever, which is awesome. We can’t go too far out to sea in our little state, but that doesn’t stop the bird pelagic magic.
It’s time for Christmas Bird Counts, and Don Freiday of The Freiday Bird Blog hears the call of the count even when he’s not feeling entirely up to it physically.
Being ill during a Christmas Bird Count is no fun, but good birds and great company make fine consolations. Christmas Bird Counts have always been magical, even spiritual to me, thanks to the fellowship with the folks I have been lucky enough to share them with and of course the birds. I recently realized that to friends and neighbors who helped me with the Cape May count this year had never done a Christmas Bird Count before. This is the birding equivalent of failing to invite someone to church.
And the holiday itself is practically made for family traditions, some even for birders as Bruce Mactavish shares at The Newfoundland Bird Blog.
At our house it is tradition on Christmas morning.that Bruce checks out the gulls in St. John’s harbour and at Quidi Vidi Lake after the presents under the tree are opened and while the turkey cooks. This year it was a little different in that I started with a walk to the graveyard five minutes down the road to check out the meal worm feeder setup that Gerard Hickey has got working. Amazingly a Blue-headed Vireo has discovered it as well as a Ruby-crowned Kinglet and a Pine Warbler. It was an beautiful morning at +5C with sun and light winds. There were little insects flying around. It took 40 minutes sitting by the feeder before each of the three target birds made their visits but all three birds stayed in the area for a further 30 minutes.
Join the American Birding Association at www.aba.org!
Source: http://blog.aba.org/2015/12/blog-birding-256.html
