Birdfreak: The Bird Conservation Blog

Bird Photography Weekly #63

The Birdfreak Team — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 05:58:58 +0000

Join in now on the 63rd edition of Bird Photography Weekly!!

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Phriday Photo – Digiscoped Dark-eyed Junco

The Birdfreak Team — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:55:26 +0000

While out testing some new equipment (full review coming soon) we digiscoped this Dark-eyed Junco at one of our favorite birding spots, Rock Cut State Park in northern Illinois.

Birding Tools – DeLorme Topographic Atlases

The Birdfreak Team — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:45:26 +0000

There are many tools to help with improving your birding. One of the best ways is to go where birds are being sighted and to visit places that are likely to have birds. Such sites are often discussed on birding message boards (list-servs, rare bird alerts, forums) and many are referred to specifically by their location in a state-specific Delorme topographical atlas.

Delorme has an atlas that covers every U.S. state. I’ve used them extensively for Illinois and Wisconsin (my main birding haunts) but they are extremely valuable for traveling to unfamiliar areas. Over the last few years I’ve been to Arizona and Texas and used Delorme Atlases for both to help locate areas I’ve read about or heard about from other birders.

Each atlas has oversize pages that flow from left to right across the state. The entire state is broken up in a grid on the back cover to aid in finding the correct page for a particular area. It takes a little time getting used to it if you are following a particular feature north/south. For example, when I visit the Mississippi River, the way the pages are set up can be a bit confusing.

I love using print atlases because it provides a great ability to plot a course to find birding location(s). Plus, it is worthwhile to browse for areas that are likely to have birds: small creeks, dead-end roads, quarries, sewage treatment plants, small lakes, and more. All the quiet, out-of-the-way areas that are explorable and usual places to find birds including campgrounds, trails, trailheads, and even fishing and hunting locations (which can also be good for birds).

The atlases also show many parks, preserves, and wildlife areas including a lot of areas that are not found on other maps including Google Maps.

I’ve used my Illinois atlas to plan out the Christmas Bird Count I created last year. Without it I would never have been able to get the circle centered where I wanted it in order to maximize the amount of good bird habitat to cover.

You can purchase the atlases through OpenSky where I am a shopkeeper. All products are 10% off from now until November 15th, 2009. Use coupon code: EDDIE1009

Review of The Sibley Guide to Trees

The Birdfreak Team — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:46:20 +0000

Trees are one of the most important parts of a healthy habitat for a great number of bird species. The importance of trees is often overlooked when viewing certain types of bird habitats. Knowing what types of trees are used by what kinds of birds is a vital step in aiding in the successful search of various birds. Being able to identify these trees is what The Sibley Guide to Trees makes possible.

The Sibley Guide to Trees has sparked a new major goal for us at Birdfreak.com. We desire to become full blown naturalists to better understand all living organisms and how they work together in the wonderful world of nature. Trees are just the beginning as we further advance in our efforts to promote all of nature and push to learn as much as possible.

With a fully-loaded, detailed 30 page introduction, this guide begins at the beginning describing what makes a tree a tree and moves along on the taxonomy (how the trees are arranged in the book). These critical “baby steps” are all important for making full use of the guide.

Each component of the tree is discussed with accompanying illustrations and examples from species found throughout the book. The components include:

leaves
flowers
fruit
twigs
buds
bark

These introductory pages are critical when it comes to knowing what to look for to make the identification.

The guide focuses on the majority of native trees of North America with the exclusion of those found only in southern Florida. This exception could be considered a bit of a fault, like leaving out birds found only in southern Texas. However, Sibley’s decision to do this in favor of commonly cultivated ornamental trees will be much more useful to the majority of tree enthusiasts.

The layout of The Sibley Guide to Trees is familiar to those who use Sibley’s bird guide. This design has proven to be not only visually appealing but functional for digesting the information and making an identification. Pertinent artwork is used for each species, so not all species show the full tree or other components that don’t aid in the identification process.

Some species have an additional highlighted box with interested facts about a tree, such as the Quaking Aspen):

“Groves of Quaking Aspen can all be parts of a single plant, each stem connected to a common root system. These single organisms can cover many acres, and one in Utah is estimated to be 80,000 years old, possibly the oldest living thing on Earth . . .” pg. 230

Range maps are also included to assist in knowing where to find nearly identical species.

Now, if Sibley could just come out with a few more guides: butterflies, wildflowers, mammals, insects, reptiles . . .

Purchase The Sibley Guide to Trees

Disclosure: we were given a copy of this wonderful book by the publisher to review. However, we were not persuaded to say or do anything other than give an honest review, which we have. This is a book we use and will continue to use in our quest to learn as much about the natural world as possible.

Bird-Friendly® Coffees From Golden Valley Farms

The Birdfreak Team — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:29:16 +0000

As a daily coffee drinker I was delighted to have the opportunity to sample seven varieties of Bird-Friendly® Coffees from Golden Valley Farms in Pennsylvania.

Golden Valley Farms’ Bird-Friendly® Coffee is now the official coffee roaster for all National Zoo visitors!

I am usually a “normal” flavor coffee drinker but am always up to trying new flavors, especially because the aroma spills out of my office and pulls in my coworkers. Each variety is certified as “100% organic shade grown” coffee. Why does this matter for birds?

Organic shade grown means that the coffee plants are grown in the forest understory. Non shade-grown coffee is grown in the open meaning no sustainable forest. So, for birds and conservation, having a working coffee farm that doubles as a functional forest means migrating and nesting birds still have the habitat they need and yet we can still enjoy wonderful coffee.

Each coffee flavor has a bird featured on the package, birds that migrate from forests in North America to places in Central and South America. This makes it much easier for bird-of-mouth marketing since some of the flavors have long, unmemorable names.

Flavors Tested

100% Colombian Organic Don Telmo Reserva Bourbon Coffee – American Redstart
100% Colombian Organic Mesa De Los Santos Catura Coffee – Yellow Warbler
100% Colombian Organic Don Telmo Reserva Tipica Coffee – Barn Swallow
100% Mexican FIECH Organic, Bird-Friendly® Coffee – Baltimore Oriole
100% El Salvador Santa Teresa Bourbon, Organic, Bird-Friendly® Coffee – Rose-breasted Grosbeak
100% Peruvian Organic Arabica Coffee – Eastern Kingbird
100% Peruvian Organic Arabica Naturally Decaffeinated Coffee – Summer Tanager

Of these flavors, the only one I really didn’t enjoy was the decaffeinated one. This could be my predisposed opinion on decaf or it just wasn’t my cup of tea, er, coffee. I like coffee for its caffeinated effect!!

However, the other six flavors were just about perfect and made it difficult to pick one favorite. So I’ll choose two: American Redstart and Eastern Kingbird. Both have excellent aromas and both were smooth tasting. Both were also highly effective in providing that morning pick-me-up at work.

A portion of the proceeds from each pound of Bird-Friendly® Coffee is donated to the Smithsonian Institution Migratory Bird Center for research and conservation programs. This is yet another added bonus to purchasing this wonderful coffee.

Ducks! Unlimited Conservation

The Birdfreak Team — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:28:42 +0000

Bird conservation comes in many ways from many people and organizations. Conserving habitat for ducks (and other waterfowl) helps increase populations of these birds along with many other wetland and prairie bird species. Ducks Unlimited is a leading force for bird conservation and although they represent hunters, birders benefit greatly from their efficient conservation efforts.

Ducks Unlimited was founded in 1937 during a turbulent time of vanishing wetlands and waterfowl. Today they are a world leader in bird conservation responsible for nearly 13 million acres of land conserved. DU’s Wetlands for Tomorrow campaign seeks to raise $1.7 billion for wetland conservation. Their strategic initiatives include:

The North American Grasslands Conservation Initiative
The Western Boreal Forest Conservation Initiative
The Louisiana Coastal Conservation Initiative
North America’s Threatened Wetlands Conservation Initiative
The Pintail Conservation Initiative
The Mallard Conservation Initiative
The Educating Youth About Wetlands Initiative
The Strategic Conservation Initiative Fund
Endowment Initiative

Blue-winged Teal

It is important to note that these conservation efforts help many more birds than just waterfowl. Particularly, the grasslands of the Great Plains which provides superb habitat for breeding birds and the Boreal Forest which hosts unbelievable numbers of migratory songbirds.

The grasslands of North America are the world’s best waterfowl breeding habitat. This mix of shallow ponds surrounded by native grasses attracts millions of breeding waterfowl each year. Today, less than one quarter of our original prairie grasslands remains, and what is left is under imminent threat of destruction. Despite such dramatic habitat loss, the prairies of North America still provide the most important habitat for nesting waterfowl. – Ducks Unlimited

The conservation efforts Ducks Unlimited has initiated benefits more than just birds. Restoring wetlands increases recreation, water quality, and flood control among others. Increasing grassland habitat has economic benefits, improves soil quality, and provides carbon storage.

I am a Ducks Unlimited member but am not a duck hunter. I support DU’s conservation efforts because 86% of their funding goes to waterfowl/wetland conservation efforts. They’ve done an excellent job of blending the mix of hunting and conservation to provide wins for everyone including the overall populations of birds.

Bird Photography Weekly #62

The Birdfreak Team — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 05:41:36 +0000

Join in now on the 62nd edition of Bird Photography Weekly!!

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Happy Halloween!!

The Birdfreak Team — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 05:27:45 +0000

Have a fun and safe Halloween! Go find some spooky birds!

While you’re at it, now is a great time to purchase new feeders and get them stocked for the coming cold months (at least for us here in the Midwest). Check out some of the feeders and other bird-related products we offer at OpenSky. All products are 10% off from now until November 15th, 2009. Use coupon code: EDDIE1009

Phriday Photo – Flying Turkey Vultures

The Birdfreak Team — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:32:22 +0000

We love the shape Turkey Vultures (TVs) make when they fly. They are one of the coolest birds to observe and often allow for up close study. Their behaviors are fascinating and something we will be discussing in the near future.

Review of Birds of Eastern North America & Birds of Western North America

The Birdfreak Team — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:07:09 +0000

The following is a review of the two amazing new photographic bird guides: Birds of Eastern North America: A Photographic Guide & Birds of Western North America: A Photographic Guide. Both guides are by Paul Sterry and Brian E. Small and are published by Princeton University Press.

Stunning. This was the first word that came to mind upon cracking open these new guides. Before diving into any of the introductory text or even reading through the species accounts, I paged through the unbelievable photos with wide eyes. The photography alone is worth owning both Eastern and Western editions. Even so, the accompanying text is fantastic too.

Excerpt from the Western edition

Both guides have a wonderfully written introduction which includes nine full pages on bird habitat. This is most welcome because bird identification is aided greatly if you understand habitat and what birds are found where. There is also one page on plumage, something I wish was covered in greater detail with more photos. Plumage is often misinterpreted by many new (as well as experienced) birders.

The layout of both Eastern & Western versions is the same: left side holds the range map (from Cornell Lab of Ornithology) and text that covers identification clues, habitat, voice, etc. Some species also have a smaller photo on this side. On the right side is a cluster of large, beautiful photographs that cover male, female, immature, and alternate variations (where applicable). These photos definitely aide in identification.

Excerpt from the Eastern edition

Similar species are arranged closely together for quick comparison and the index is easy to use to find a particular bird (as tested on my father). The top corners of the pages (see image on the left) have small birds which also help to find specific birds while flipping. Quite a few of the species found in both editions have variant photos for the bird, especially when regional differences are encountered.

My only real qualm with the guides are their lack of white space. The layout is a bit crowded with so much information and so many photographs that it becomes a bit cluttered and overwhelming. The artistic value is superb though, so it may have altered the layout too much to provide a roomier feel.

Paul Sterry is the author or co-author of 50+ books plus a photographer as well. Brian E. Small is one of the world’s top nature photographers, featured in countless publications.

Purchase Birds of Western North America: A Photographic Guide (Princeton Field Guides) or Birds of Eastern North America: A Photographic Guide (Princeton Field Guides)

Birds of Eastern North America: A Photographic Guide
Paul Sterry & Brian E. Small
336 pages | 1,118 color photographs | 405 maps
Princeton University Press – $18.95

Birds of Western North America: A Photographic Guide
Paul Sterry & Brian E. Small
416 pages | 1,341 color photographs | 449 maps
Princeton University Press – $18.95

Cornell Lab of Ornithology – Spooky Birds Contest

The Birdfreak Team — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:16:20 +0000

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is hosting a spooky bird contest and you have until Halloween to enter. “A Murder of Crows and other Spooky Bird Tales” consists of photos, stories, artwork, and more of birds doing weird but explainable behaviors.

For our entry we have chosen perhaps the most fascinating and oh so creepy North American bird, the Turkey Vulture. Our submission is below:

We observed a large group of Turkey Vultures riding thermals as the sun declined over Devil’s Lake State Park in central Wisconsin. This particular bird landed on one of the jagged rocks and methodically spread his wings and turned slowly to a small group of vultures, all while keeping his wings fully extended. He held this position for over ten minutes.

Why was this vulture doing this? Is it a communication to other vultures?
Why were there so many vultures circling in one particular area?
At one point, another vulture was closing and opening his wings methodically- why was he doing this?

Vultures are so fascinating and do a ton of creepy and gross things so we’d love to learn more about their behaviors.

How do you enter?

Email your entry to urbanbirds@cornell.edu.

1. Write “AMOC_YourFirstNameLastName_state” in the subject line. (use the 2-letter abbreviation for state in which the photo was taken)
2. Include your name and mailing address in the body of the e-mail.
3. Tell us why you submitted your entry to the Murder of Crows challenge; what’s the story behind it?
4. Read terms of agreement.
5. If you are submitting a visual image attach it as a .jpg
6. If you agree to the terms, send us your entry before October 31!
7. One image per entry, please

You can win some pretty wicked cool prizes!!

* EagleOptics Vortex binoculars, waterproof and fog-proof body, 10x 32, multi-coated optics, bright optics, small handy size, easy to carry
* ALPEN binoculars, 8×30, wide angle, long eye relief, with super close IPD (inter pupillary Distance, which means eye pieces can be adjusted close together so kids can use them)
* CD’s, books, posters, plush bird dolls with bird calls inside, and more.
* Birding for Everyone book by John C Robinson…Encouraging people of color to become birdwatchers
* The first fifty entrants will get a poster illustrated by Pedro Fernandes. This wonderful poster illustrates and describes behaviors of crows, jays, and other birds. We’ll also post selected entries on the Encyclopedia of Life and Celebrate Urban Birds websites.

Bird Photography Weekly #61

The Birdfreak Team — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 05:31:22 +0000

Join in now on the 61st edition of Bird Photography Weekly!!

If you haven’t yet, check out Sipping for Sakers, a joint effort to help conserve Saker Falcons.

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Birdfreak and OpenSky

The Birdfreak Team — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:47:29 +0000

Birders are faced with an amazing number of products to enhance our enjoyment and increase our birding skills. Of course, with this ridiculous amount of products comes an overwhelming feeling of just what is necessary to help find and enjoy birds.

OpenSky is a new way to find products as it “connects you to experts and the products they love and use.” Birdfreak.com has recently become one such “expert” or as OpenSky calls us, a shopkeeper. Our goal is to promote products we personally use and/or highly recommend. We plan to cut through the clutter and seek out only the best items.

We are just getting started so our selection is limited. If you have an item you fully enjoy and think we would too, let us know in the comments and we’ll work on getting it added (and review it as well).

From now until Tuesday, October 27th, 2009 all purchases through OpenSky have FREE shipping. Check it out and also feel free to see Birdchick’s storefront as well.

Phriday Photo – Whooping Cranes in HDR

The Birdfreak Team — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:09:45 +0000

From our visit to the International Crane Foundation, this pair of Whooping Cranes posed nicely for a high dynamic range (HDR) shot.

Fun-filled Crane Facts

The Birdfreak Team — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:04:46 +0000

Inspired by our visit to the International Crane Foundation (ICF), here are a bunch of crane facts. Enjoy!

There are 15 species of cranes in the world
Cranes are found on all continents but Antarctica and South America
It is a mystery why cranes do not live in South America; no fossils have been found there (yet)
Cranes are divided into four genera
Eleven species of crowned cranes once existed in Europe and North America but most likely went extinct as the earth cooled
Six species of cranes are considered endangered: Blue, Red-crowned, Sarus, Siberian, Wattled, and Whooping
Five species of cranes are considered vulnerable: Black Crowned, Black-necked, Grey Crowned, Hooded, and White-naped
Red Crowned Cranes are the second rarest crane
North America has 2 species of cranes: Whooping and Sandhill
Sandhill Cranes are the most abundant of the cranes with a population around 650,000
“Mississippi” Sandhill Cranes are also considered endangered
“Florida” Sandhill Cranes are threatened {these two are subspecies of Sandhill Cranes}

Siberian Crane

The International Crane Foundation began in 1973
George Archibald and Ron Sauey desired to create a “species bank” of all the world’s cranes
In 1974 “George Archibald discovered and studied white-naped cranes on their wintering grounds in Korea, then led a successful campaign to save the Han Rive estuary – a critical wintering and migratory area located in the Demilitarized Zone between the two Koreas.” – ICF
In 1976 ICF hatched the first Hooded Crane ever in captivity
In 1981 (my birth year) ICF hatched the first ever Siberian Crane in captivity
In 1985 ICF became the first facility to have all 15 species of cranes
In the 1990s ICF worked with Russia and China to protect the “Amur River, the largest undimmed river in the world, which forms the international border for over 1,000 miles.” – ICF
In 1993 ICF was the first location to breed all 15 species of cranes in captivity
In 1994 “ICF began in innovative community-based conservation and economic development project in south-central China for the villagers living at the Cao Hai Nature Reserve, home to black-necked and Eurasian cranes.” – ICF
In 2001 “ICF became involved in reestablishing an eastern population of whooping cranes by using ultralight aircraft to guide young cranes on migration from Wisconsin to Florida.” – ICF
In 2003 “ICF receives a Global Environment Fund (GEF) grant for the conservation of major wetlands used by Siberian cranes in western and eastern Asia.” – ICF
Sarus Cranes are the tallest crane at six feet
They are also the tallest flying bird in the world
Red-crowned Cranes are the heaviest cranes reaching 26 pounds
The most serious threat to Black Crowned Cranes is illegal capture for the pet trade
The Brolga has a gland by their eye that allows them to secrete salt from the salt water they drink
The Demoiselle Crane was named by Queen Marie Antoinette due to the birds “maiden-like appearance”
Eurasian Cranes can be found in over 80 countries
“Siberian Cranes are the most highly specialized member of the crane family in terms of habitat requirements, morphology, vocalizations, and behavior” – ICF
Male cranes are usually larger than females
Red-crowned Cranes are a Japanese symbol of longevity
Cranes are often mistaken for herons (or egrets)
The best way to distinguish them in flight is that herons fly with a curved neck while cranes fly straight-necked
The Ainu of Hokkaido (an indigenous people of Japan) call the Red-crowned Crane sarurun kamui, “God of the Marsh”

Eurasian Crane

All cranes are omnivorous
Cranes will eat a lot of seeds and vegetation but will also eat rodents, fish, insects, and even other birds
Cranes will feed at agricultural sights and are sometimes thought of as pests to farmers
ICF is working to implement treated corn seed to farmers; Sandhill Cranes avoid the treated food but will forage in fields (non-destructively) on other foods
Cranes can be of service to farmers as they will eat vermin and insects that would forage on crops
“In Ethiopia, Wattled Cranes take advantage of beetle larvae and other invertebrates that occur in the spoil heaps created by the giant molerat!” – ICF
Cranes face a variety of predators, mostly as unfledged young, where raccoons, fox, wolves, and even bear prey on them
Large birds of prey like Golden Eagles can take down adult birds
However, humans are the biggest predatory threat to cranes
Cranes roost at night in shallow water; the splashing water alerts them to potential danger
Cranes to not have red feathers but instead have bare patches of skin that are red
These red skin patches are used for displays when guarding territory
Cranes will use a variety of low-intensity threats to mark their territory including “threat walk”, “ruffle threat”, and “flap display”
Cranes also have various higher intensity threats including an “arch display” where the bird extends its wings to appear bigger
Cranes will use a “unison call” where both male and female call together to defend their territory and reinforce their bond
Cranes will use “distraction displays” to ward off intruders around their young
Cranes will even use the commonly known “broken wing display” where they feign injury to mislead a predator
Cranes use “guard calls” where a single bird bugles loudly to scare away predators and warn other cranes of danger
Cranes are famous for their elaborate dancing, much of which has been imitated by cultures for hundreds of years
These wild dances can involve jumping and even stick tossing
Cranes form lifelong monogamous bonds (usually)
Crane incubation lasts around 30 days in most species
Siberian Cranes migrate 10,000 miles round trip
Eurasian Cranes can fly higher than 30,000 feet
Cranes do not breed until they are 3-5 years old
The rarer species usually rear only one young per breeding cycle; more common ones will rear two
The first Hooded Crane nest was not discovered until 1974 due to their remote habitat
Siberian Cranes migrate from Russia to winter in India’s Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary
Cranes live up to 20-30 years in the wild
The oldest captive crane, a Siberian Crane named Wolf, lived to be 83!!

Have a crane fact you want to share? Let us know!! And don’t forget to check out Whooping Crane Facts for a bunch of info specific to one of North America’s most endangered birds! Much of these facts are from the International Crane Foundation’s excellent website.

Whooping Crane Facts

The Birdfreak Team — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:16:59 +0000

Inspired by our visit to the International Crane Foundation (ICF), we present a bunch of Whooping Crane facts. Enjoy!

Whooping Cranes almost became extinct; they were at a low of only 16 birds
In 2001 ICF became involved in reestablishing an eastern population of Whooping Cranes by using ultralight aircraft to guide young cranes on migration from Wisconsin to Florida.
The Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP) was established in 1999 to help conserve these beautiful birds
Whooping Cranes are the tallest flying North American bird
Whoopers today only nest in Wood Buffalo National Park in Canada
They migrate to Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas
A second migratory flock is being trained with ultralight aircraft to fly from Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin to Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge in Florida
The journey is 1200 miles
This trip is slow and often delayed by adverse weather; it can take from 40-90 days to complete
Once the cranes make the trip once they are able to return unguided the following breeding season
This trip only takes 7-10 days
As of 2006 the flock numbered over 60 birds
Whooping Cranes are the least abundant (and highly endangered)
In 1989 “…the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, home to nearly all captive whooping cranes, sent half of their flock to ICF.” – ICF
In 2006 ICF launched Three White Cranes, Two Flyways, One World education project to connect Siberian and Red-crowned Cranes with Whooping Cranes on an educational/conservation front.
Whooping Cranes have been recorded to fly 500 miles in one day
Whooping Crane chicks sleep standing up
Thanks to amazing conservation efforts, Whooping Crane populations are increasing and now number around 400

Have a Whooping Crane fact you want to share? Let us know!! Much of these facts are from the International Crane Foundation’s excellent website.

New Birder Experience – International Crane Foundation

The Birdfreak Team — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:03:41 +0000

The International Crane Foundation is located in Baraboo, Wisconsin and showcases all fifteen (15) species of cranes found throughout the world. Stacia and Eddie (Birdfreak) went there as part of an NCIOS (Rockford Bird Club) field trip. While we didn’t get to see all 15 species, we saw and learned a lot.

The International Crane Foundation (ICF) is bird conservation at its finest. Founded in 1973 by Ron Sauey and George Archibald, ICF has maintained its core mission and goals of providing a “species bank” for the world’s cranes. Through extensive research on crane biology, ICF has been able to hatch young of all the crane species.

This was my third visit to ICF but Stacia’s first and also the first time having a tour guide. Our guide, Darcy, was overflowing with information and led us through the newly opened “Spirit of Africa” which displays the four crane species that breed in Africa [Black Crowned, Blue, Grey Crowned, & Wattled].

We then visited a few more amazing species before reaching perhaps the most magnificent display: Whooping Cranes! These majestic birds faced extinction head on and have since rebounded from an unimaginable low of 16[!] birds to around 500 today. The display mimics a traditional crane wetland and allows for close views and for the birds to freely move about.

Whooping Cranes

All ICF cranes have clipped wings to prevent them from escaping. However, we were told that one of the Whoopers was enticed by a flyover of wild Sandhill Cranes and was able to somehow glide over the enclosure. He apparently timed an excellent gust from the grassy hilltop and was momentarily free.

The International Crane Foundation is the epitome of how conservation should be accomplished. Not only are they directly increasing bird populations from captive breeding programs, but they incorporate the living birds to provide much needed educational value. This real life example of just how amazing cranes are helps promote the on-site conservation efforts ICF is associated with. And ICF is fully dedicated to worldwide crane conservation.

We need more organizations that put their energy into highly targeted conservation efforts and focus on education. ICF makes you want to help conserve (and enjoy) cranes not by guilt-tripping you into joining their cause. Instead they focus on the positive efforts and real changes that their organization and countless other dedicated individuals have done.

Grey Crowned Crane

I can tell you how wonderful the International Crane Foundation is but you really need to experience it first hand. This is a place for all birders of any age and skill level. Visiting here is one of the best ways to lead someone into becoming a lifelong conservationist and birder.

Bird Photography Weekly #60

The Birdfreak Team — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 05:24:09 +0000

Join in now on the 60th edition of Bird Photography Weekly!!

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Phriday Photo – Emu Feet

The Birdfreak Team — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:21:17 +0000

Was on vacation in The Dells (aka, Wisconsin Dells) and also Baraboo. These photos were taken at Wisconsin Deer Park.

Emu feet are crazy and prehistoric looking which goes along well with the rest of the bird.

Birding Missouri – Jefferson City Big Sit

The Birdfreak Team — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:00:14 +0000

Veery and her son Dakota have temporarily moved! The Birdfreak Team is partially split for the summer/fall as Veery spends six months working in Jefferson City, Missouri. Join them as they answer the question: How’s the birding in Mid Missouri?

Dakota and I chose our own (temporary) front porch to do the Big Sit this year from Jefferson City, Missouri. The local birding club had a couple of locations in Jefferson City, but we decided to do our own. Mainly, this was because my sister (Susie…a.k.a. Snowy Owl) was down for a visit and we wanted to hang out.

American Robin Silhouette

The weather was…COLD! And cloudy. And our species total was small. But that didn’t stop us from enjoying the day and the count. Still, nothing tops last year’s count, both in weather and in bird totals!

The Master List

Great Horned Owl
Blue Jay
American Robin
Common Grackle
Red-winged Blackbird
House Sparrow
House Finch
American Goldfinch
European Starling
Killdeer
American Crow
Mourning Dove
Northern Mockingbird
Cedar Waxwing
Eastern Meadowlark
Black-capped Chickade
Northern Cardinal
Downy Woodpecker
Carolina Wren
Tufted Titmouse
White-throated SParrow
Cooper’s Hawk
Eastern Bluebird
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-bellied Woodpecker
White-breasted Nuthatch
Northern Flicker
Turkey Vulture
Canada Goose

Big Sit View

Birding Missouri – River Bluffs Audubon Society

The Birdfreak Team — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:00:52 +0000

Dakota and I checked out Jefferson City’s area bird club Thursday, October 8. After dodging some torrential rains to get inside, we had a good time meeting some of the local birders.

The River Bluffs Audubon Society was founded in 1975. This chapter of the National AUdubon Society covers Cole and some of the other adjacent counties in Mid-Missouri.

Like our local bird club in Rockford (NCIOS), the River Bluffs Audubon Society meets once a month most of the year and has various speakers and presentations along with their business meeting.

Dakota took some general photos of the meeting

When we first arrived at the Runge Nature Center, we noticed a high number of children, milling about. Children are not a common sight at the bird club back home so at first we were intrigued. Alas, Runge was also hosting a Hunting Education event and that is where all the kids were headed. The birding club was not as popular, but we didn’t mind.

The speaker was Jim Rathert and he talked about a WIld Bird Garden being built in Jefferson City’s Memorial Park that will include a dripping water feature. The imortance of drippers for attracting birds is something we are very familiar with. We found out first hand a few years ago when we placed a dripper in our backyard and received a “warbler mania” year.

Cape May Warbler – Loving the Dripper

All in all, we had a wonderful time. We found out about some of their volunteer work and field trips (also posted online) and met some great people, including the owners of Birds-I-View, a local store that sells bird-related products. Steve and Regina Garr have worked hard to promote wildlife and educational programs.

Birding Missouri – Birders Who Make a Difference

The Birdfreak Team — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:00:28 +0000

The St. Louis Audubon Society recently received a grant called TogetherGreen Volunteer Days Grant to fund habitat restoration at Creve Coeur Lake Memorial Park. The grant is a five-year initiative to fund conservation projects created by Toyota and the National Audubon Society.

Creve Coeur Lake Memorial Park is the largest of the St. Louis County Parks System and is an Important Bird Area, (an area that provides essential breeding, wintering or migration habitat to one or more bird species of conservation concern).

People can…and do make a difference. This grant was awarded based on the work of volunteers. The volunteers are motiated by their love of watching birds. They know how important this park is as a wetland habitat. Not only will this effort clean up the environment, it will also create awareness to the value of the park.

KUDOS to all birder volunteers and good birding to you!

For more information on this project:
Contact: Mitch Leachman
Tel. 314.599.7390
Email: stlaudubon@charter.net

Review of National Geographic Illustrated Birds of North America Folio Edition

The Birdfreak Team — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:18:02 +0000

National Geographic is well known for its use of beautiful imagery, so it comes as no surprise that the National Geographic Illustrated Birds of North America, Folio Edition
is gorgeous. This particular work is not only large in fantastic artwork but also in size: larger than a standard sized sheet of paper in both width and height and weighing over five pounds! Needless to say, this isn’t something to bring on a bird hike.

But of course, that’s why this is a folio edition. Its magnitude of size and beauty are partially what make this a great edition to your library. The format and content matches National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, Fifth Edition pretty precisely. Illustrated Birds presents 967 North American bird species in accurate, scientific detail. Each species is given a sizable writeup and 710 of the birds have range maps.

A noticeable addition to the folio edition is that the maps have been greatly enhanced and enlarged to show more detail. Some birds not treated to maps in the field guide at all, now have one.

Content-wise perhaps there is no real reason to own this book as the field guide sufficiently covers the information in a smaller package. But after triggering an enthused discussion on Facebook with the simple question: “Can you have too many books?”, we know that this is worthy of a prominent place on your bookshelf.

And the unanimous answer to the question above: No!

This is one of those books that really does make a great gift, especially for a younger or newer birder. Being over-sized yet not overloaded with scientific data, the beauty of the birds and cleanness of the maps make it easy to understand and appealing to look at. Sometimes overwhelming the senses with a colorful presentation of birds mixed with that “new book smell” can be a great asset in triggering a lifelong interest in birds.

National Geographic Illustrated Birds of North America, Folio Edition
National Geographic Books
Oct 20, 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4262-0525-5
$50.00 Hardcover

Bird Photography Weekly #59

The Birdfreak Team — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 14:00:02 +0000

Join in now on the 59th edition of Bird Photography Weekly!!

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Phriday Photo – Devilish Cardinal

The Birdfreak Team — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:52:02 +0000