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'Featured photo: Alfredo Fernandez. The Hornby’s storm-petrel ( Oceanodroma Hornbyi ) is a fairly common bird along the coast of Peru and Chile. Most, if not all pelagic birding trips in the region record this species, often by the hundreds. But as common as they may be, nobody knows where they nest. The Hornby’s (or ringed) storm-petrel occurs along a relatively narrow band on the Pacific Ocean.
'Does your dog have the dinner doldrums? More than one-third (34 percent) of the U.S. dog owners surveyed say they have to entice their dogs to eat their food at least once a week and nearly one-in-five (19 percent) say they have to entice their dogs to eat their food every day. Nearly half of the dog owners surveyed (46 percent) say their dogs get bored eating the same food every day and 89% agree that their dogs’ nutrition is as important to them as their own.
'Issue Date: 2014-04-21. Author: Kevin Higgins. Teaser: Middle and low performers are tolerated on some sales teams because they help reach the overall quota. It's important to set standards and tip the boat if they're not met. Middle and low performers are tolerated on some sales teams because they help reach the overall quota. It's important to set standards and tip the boat if they're not met.
'We birders in the northeastern United States are unbearable in April. All we do is complain about the lack of migrating birds so far and in New York City if southeast winds are blowing we are nearly despondent because southeast winds mean that the birds are moving north but the easterly component of the winds keep usually keep the bulk of birds to our west.
'On Thursday, 24 April, Eugene Nichols was minding his own business, birding along the shore of Lake Ontario on Point Peninsula, in the far northern reaches of New York State. He found an all white bird that didn’t belong and eventually deduced that he was looking at a Willow Ptarmigan. He contacted Jeff Bolsinger, a top birder from northern New York, and they went to the site and refound the bird the next day.
'One more wakeup call way too early (quite often, when I should wake up early – I hardly sleep at all) and I am in a hurry to meet N. and S. at the very top of Mt. Avala, some 10 miles south of Belgrade, Serbia. That is where I dipped the Alpine Accentor in December. That afternoon the rain stopped, but the mountain was enveloped in a thick fog, getting ever thicker as one went higher.
'One more wakeup call way too early (quite often, when I should wake up early – I hardly sleep at all) and I am in a hurry to meet N. and S. at the very top of Mt. Avala, some 10 miles south of Belgrade, Serbia. That is where I dipped the Alpine Accentor in December. That afternoon the rain stopped, but the mountain was enveloped in a thick fog, getting ever thicker as one went higher.
'Here’s something you don’t see all the time. “We had a call one morning about a snake and a hawk,” says Tom Sweets, the executive director and chief rescuer of the Key West Wildlife Center , located at the very tip of Florida. Along with animal care director Peggy Coontz, Tom and a number of volunteers rescue and care for injured and orphaned wildlife within 15 miles of the Center, as well as those spotted on small islands around Key West.
'The Long-tailed Tit , Aegithalos Caudatus , is one of the most endearing of British birds. It is a tiny ball of fluff with a long tail and the tiniest of bills. Its range extends well beyond our shores through Europe and beyond. In Japan, it is represented by the A.c. japonicus race. Here in Britain, we have the A.c. rosaceus form. They are usually seen as a small, noisy flock or family group that passes quickly through feeding acrobatically like the true t**s as they go.
'It’s no secret that I am a big fan of our more elaborate and storied bird names. Besides timberdoodles and whiskey jacks, I also have a soft sport for bird names that are official but still lovely or funny or charming or strange – the Flappet Lark , for instance, which sounds Seussian, and the the Dark Chanting Goshawk , which sounds more like it belongs in one of Jim Henson’s feature-length films.
'That’s right…I used the punchline from one of the worst jokes in history for this one, but it seems strangely apt. One thing I’ve learned birding south Texas this spring is that birds are extremely fond of oranges, including birds you just wouldn’t expect to be into citrus (like the Swainson’s Thrush above). My “birds eating oranges” list (one of my oldest and most sacred lists) has increased exponentially since I’ve been here.
'There is a hidden cove in Anderson River Park in Northern California where birders know they can almost always find Wood Ducks (Axi sponsa). Since I hadn’t been to Anderson River Park for awhile, I stopped by last week and found some Wood Ducks at the usual spot. Click on photos for full sized images. There were five Wood Ducks in the cove this early April morning, four males and one female.
'I love birds. I like to travel. And – I hate flying! Does that make sense? If you do not see packing as the part of travel itself, than the trip starts with landing. And customs. The sky over a new city. Although I visit Greece every year, this is my first time in Athens. What am I doing there? Visiting stone ruins? Nope. I am a birder in search of the feathery attractions of Greece.
'As has often been said in these quarters, in general us bird bloggers don’t have many quarrels with hunters. Birders and hunters usually share the same conservation goals and sometimes work together to advance them. And responsible hunting practices seldom pose a threat to birders’ quarry. Note, I said responsible hunting practices. Most hunters follow them, but there are always a few bad apples.
'Like many birders in the online era, I’m a big fan of eBird. The program’s merits scarcely have to be repeated here, but needless to say my own birding has benefited from the record-keeping and good-natured competition that the program inspires. In the early days of eBird (you know, 3 or 4 years ago), I would carry a notepad in my pocket when I was birding, carefully noting the species and occasionally the numbers of birds I was seeing at a given location.
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'I wonder how many of you enjoyed this weekend as much as I did. Was the joy a natural result of a delicious Easter brunch or the welcome warmth of a dilatory spring? Perhaps the weekend’s pleasure proceeded from the arrival of birds not seen here for months. All this surely contributed to my great satisfaction, but I suspect the smile on my face results, in no small part, from the fact that my kids are going back to school after a long spring break!
'You’ve probably heard of many different kinds of bird cams—web feeds that spy on the inner lives of birds. There are hawk cams , falcon cams , puffin cams , tern cams , heron cams , and even Osprey cams. Now you can add another one to the list: the Ravencam, in the unlikeliest of places—the campus of Wellesley College , just outside of Boston, Massachusetts.
'There’s something very matter-of-fact about seeking out non-native target species. There’s very little thrill of the hunt, very little excitement. It feels almost cheap. And when the bird is finally spotted and added to whatever list you care about at that time, it’s almost as if you feel resigned to this milestone. If birding is supposed to offer the opportunity to break free of your workaday life and really connect with nature in that precious free time, then ticking non-nat
'I’ve been down with an odd illness for a few weeks, and then I flew to Mexico and back (boy, are my arms tired!) so I’m a bit behind in my intense pursuit of scientific findings related to birds. But I do have a few items. First, the bird butts. Over the least couple of weeks the best view I’ve had of Minnesota has been out my northward facing window.
'Keep your eyes to the skies for birds in migration, like these Snow Geese snapped by Heidi Spitzig. March traditionally goes out like a lamb. I don’t even want to say what the month went out like this year, but it had best not go out that way again! Now that signs of migration and regrowth are popping up daily in the Northern Hemisphere, the time has come to shake off that cabin fever and indulge in some wilderness therapy.
'The concept of spring as a time of rebirth resonates with all of us. Who can deny the joyous thrill of watching blossoms emerge where once was snow? This coming weekend represents a sacred, symbolic celebration of renewal. Whatever your philosophy is, whether you observe Easter or revere Eostre or Ostara or simply the sheer, improbable beauty of life in this universe, be sure to get outside and experience it firsthand!
'While spring is widely revered as the season of rebirth, many of us celebrate birth during this time as well. My son’s birthday ushering in spring and my daughter’s showing it out serve as bookends to a seemingly endless parade of parties. April bears the most fruit for my family tree, including my own bad apple birthday this week. Does your family celebrate a lot of April birthdays?
'The Great Vly is wonderful wetland that straddles the border of Ulster and Green Counties in New York State’s Hudson Valley. My last blog post about the Great Vly is nearly a year old and involves a lifer, a King Rail that I twitched last June. I spent this past weekend in Saugerties at my folks’ house in order to look for Easter eggs, let Desi enjoy time with his cousins, and generally have a good ol’ time with family.
'Keep your eyes peeled for all kinds of migrants, even Manta Rays ! Spring in the northern hemisphere is the time that the swallows come back. Indeed, La Fiesta de la Golondrinas was celebrated in San Juan Capistrano a month ago, but those swift aerialists have yet to infiltrate the northernmost reaches of their territories. If you’re still waiting for your first swallow of spring or bidding farewell to your last one of fall, find comfort in this bit of verse, Paraphrase on Anacreon: Ode
'It is spring! We in the northeastern United States are desperately awaiting the flood of migrant passerines that we are sure should be here by now and will complain incessantly until we see dozens of wood-warblers of at least twenty species at short range and in good light. To help distract you from our whinging I thought it would be fun to try another of my (in)famous diabolical quizzes.
'I recently participated in an “English Report Writing” training, sponsored of course by my employer, and this post will function as a test to see how well I was focussed on the lecture (instead of the sky outside the seminar room which may hold a black stork any day during spring migration). One of the most important topics – apart from grammar lessons and coffee breaks – rotated around knowing your audience.
'A Swedish news reporter decided, for some reason, to try to interview a displaying male Capercaillie. It did not end well for the reporter or his cameraman. Make sure to wait around (or skip) to just after the two-minute mark when things really heat up, and then watch through until the end. Hat-tip to Duncan for the link to the video.
'After watching the three-eyed ravens on Game of Thrones , it seems some other members of the bird kingdom want a piece of the small-screen action. To wit: A lingering Snowy Owl plopped down right outside a television news station in Vermont. The BBC’s Winged Planet and Earthflight programs are now available on DVD. And last but not least, a Norwegian TV channel has created what just might be the first bird reality show , complete with a squirrel as the annoying neighbor.
'I have followed the breeding activity of the Pied Oystercatchers in Broome along Cable Beach since July 2000 when I found the first nest site and the birds have continued to use the same territories, though there have been some partner changes. The breeding season in the north of Australia starts from about July 1st and there are often several attempts if the eggs fail, are lost or the chicks don’t survive.
'The Ospreys have returned to Dunrovin. It’s a gamble every year, of course. When people are invested in identifiable individual birds, there’s always the chance that nature will do as nature does, and a beloved bird will not survive the perils of migration or will meet with mischance in the winter months. But, for right now, we are celebrating — both Ozzie and Harriet, the pair of Ospreys that have graced the nest platform at Dunrovin since at least 2011, are back once more.
'Before the weekend began, I mentioned how swallows hadn’t invaded these northern latitudes yet. I was mistaken. Swallows are indeed here, which means spring is as well! Spring happens to be peak raptor migration season in Western New York, so I spent some time at one of the nation’s premier hawkwatch platforms. Braddock Bay on a clear sunny day is a terrific place to enjoy the passage of hundreds of Broad-winged Hawks , which I was happy to do.
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