Blog for the Birds

Mass. Beach Area Closed to People

Another Big City Bird story. Well this one is good news! On busy Revere Beach near Revere Mass two endangered Atlantic piping plovers were caught nesting last summer. These birds were down to 722 nesting pairs and conservation efforts seems to be paying off. Often the conservation efforts include shutting down beaches like this Revere Beach or at least part of it to accommodate the birds. Good work!

In Aid of a Bird, Some Inconveniences for People

NYC Natural Area to Turn to Park

First I am amazed that such a place as Ridgewood Reservoir exists in within the city limits of New York (shown below). It’s a place between the Queens and Brooklyn boroughs that used to be home to several reservoirs. Two of them were drained and a nice woodland has sprung up in the last 20 years and guess who used the new woodland? Yep, our feathered friends! But the city want to put an ominous sounding ‘active recreation center’ in this park-land. The local birders are not happy with this plan. It is possible to have the best of both worlds and leave the woodland largely in place while placing pathways through it. Hopefully common ‘bird sense’ will prevail!

Amid the Willows and Chickadees, Bird-Watchers Spot a Red Flag

A Shocking Bird Story

A bird lands on power line and gets electrocuted and causes a power outage?

A power outage was reported in a north Phoenix neighborhood early Thursday after a bird apparently tried to land on a power line and was nearly electrocuted.

How many times have you seen birds on power lines? A lot right? What this article fails to mention is that birds always land and sit on power lines without any problems. That’s because the power lines are insulated with a material that doesn’t conduct electricity. This article makes it sound like birds never land on power lines! I think the insulation was missing or torn from the part of the line that this unfortunate bird happened to land on. So it’s doubtful the bird caused the power the outage. It’s much more likely the line was damaged or faulty and the bird was a victim. Could have been a squirrel as victim too!

Bird nearly electrocuted; causes power outage

And the Pardoned Turkeys are..

President Bush pardoned two turkeys this year in an annual event that precedes Thanksgiving dating back to the Truman Administration. It must have started as sort of a lark and simply caught on.  The festivities also included turkey naming.  This years pardoned turkeys: May and Flower.  Why those names?  Says President Bush - They’re certainly better than the names the vice president suggested — which is ‘Lunch’ and ‘Dinner’!

President Bush sends two turkeys to Disney World

Cat Lovers Versus Bird Lovers!

Imagine this. One side of the courtroom packed with Birders and the other side packed with Feline Friends each shaking fists at the other. That’s what happened in Galveston when Jim Stevenson shot a cat while protecting the wild  birds in Texas coastal area.  The cat turned out to be a someone’s pet and there goes the fireworks.  Tough choice, I love kitties and I love birds; I would have a horrible time shooting a cat.  But this statement just about sums it up:  “There is a natural order but unfortunately cats aren’t part of that natural order — they are an invasive species”.

Animal lovers in flap after bird-watcher kills cat

Lost Wisconsin Hummingbird Gets Winter Home

The Green-breasted mango hummingbird reported in this blog post, is getting a helping hand from the local birders. Thanks to some caring birders, the mango will not have to brave the cold Wisconsin winter and will be able to winter at a local zoo.

Not everyone is happy with this however. Sheri Williamson says this should have been an example of natural selection, but she did go on to say This is a humane decision and not a conservation decision.

Beloiter rescues bird from winter weather

Hawks and Small Dogs

In Florida, you better watch your small doggie!  Some cases of hawks swooping down and picking up small dogs (like a Pomeranian) have been reported.  Squirrels are common meals for the hawk, but most hawks can’t carry things much larger in their talons. So, even the small dogs can be a bit too much for the hawks to handle and they can sustain injuries from being dropped.  Ouch!

Florida Dog Owners Fear Flying Menace

Must Have Birding Book

I just finished, or I should say, I have just finished flipping through the book “Bird - The Definitive Visual Guide”. It’s not a book you read, it’s a reference. It has stunning visual photos and renderings in it and will be at home either on the coffee table or out in the field. It’s a little bulky for the birding pack at 500 pages, but it will fit. Maybe I’d better get 2! I can see the book getting beat up pretty quickly out in the field. Hmm, maybe I better get 3 or 4. Will make a great gift for the birders in your life as well. (Also comes with a Bird Song cd!).

Bird - The Definitive Visual Guide