The Daily Show is an amazing show. I never even knew this hilarious clip existed. It's from 2000 and features Steve Carell "reporting" on the World Series of Birding. Look for Paul Guris of See Life Paulagics fame responding to how feels after winning at around the 3:50 mark.
My birding lately has been strictly from behind closed doors. I've seen a whopping 8 species of warbler this year! My work schedule has been kicking my butt. Instead of enjoying birds, I get to read everyone's reports. Five Cape May Warblers, Loggerhead Shrike, Wilson's Plover, and FORK-TAILED Flycatcher - all at Sandy Hook in the last two days. Ugh. The World Series this weekend will be my solace. In other news, here's a story about a Bald Eagle getting a prosthetic bill.
This is likely one of the best pictures I've taken yet with my new lens. It's not as sharp as I'd prefer, but it's hard enough just getting these Ruby-crowned Kinglets in the viewfinder! The hawk watch platform at Sandy Hook gave a nice vantage point for seeing the red crown on some of the males. A few had their crowns really pushed up!
Richard Crossley, author of the tremendously awesome "The Shorebird Guide," was the guest speaker at our annual Urner Ornithological Club dinner last Thursday. His speech was titled "The Past, Present, and Future of Birding." It was partly an autobiography and partly an appeal to the masses to look more closely at the birds and to get kids involved with birding. He showed some scans of field notes that he has taken and regaled the benefits of taking field notes. He remarked that almost all iconic birders take field notes, which in my reading and experience I have found to be true. I'll admit it. I don't and never have. I don't even write down the birds I see. I can absolutely see the benefits of field notes and sketches in helping one become an exceptional birder. It's one of those things that I intend to start doing one day... Do you take field notes? Please share in the comments.
If you've been keeping up with all the border wall controversy, you may have heard that the Sabal Palm Audubon Center in Brownsville, TX is going to be adversely affected by the wall. The border wall will effectively cut off Sabal Palm from the US and put it in some weird in-between zone across the river from Mexico yet behind the wall from the rest of the US. This would make access extremely difficult and threaten the livelihood of this sanctuary. Sign the Petition to help save the Sabal Palm Audubon Center.
In 2005, I had the pleasure of visiting the Rio Grande Valley of south Texas on a trip with Field Guides led by the incomparable Chris Benesh. One of the highlights of a phenomenal trip was birding at the Sabal Palm Center. It was my first sightings of Green Jays and Plain Chachalacas as they fed from feeders right near the parking lot. A butterfly garden was full of interesting critters waiting to be identified. Olive Sparrows skulked in it too. We also saw Groove-billed Anis, Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, Long-billed Thrashers, and many other interesting birds.
Plain Chachalaca
Neotropic Cormorants drying their wingsIt's only a little over a week away... one of my favorite days of the year... The World Series of Birding is on May 10! If you're not familiar, it's essentially a bird-a-thon where teams compete (or just play along) to see as many species as possible in one day throughout the state of NJ. This year, we celebrate 25 years of fun, birds, and great fund raising. I will be participating, of course. Like last year, I will be helping out with the Sandy Hook Century Run where we limit our day to birding only on Sandy Hook. If you're interested in donating, please contact me off-line or leave a comment. Here are some posts about my World Series experiences the last two years:
World Series 2007 - Sandy Hook
World Series 2006 - Ocean County
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