BirdNote

Stand-still Birding

info@birdnote.org (Tune In to Nature.org) — Wed, 22 May 2013 07:00:00 +0000

While full-speed-ahead birding can mean spotting a large number of species, there's quiet joy in stand-still birding. Pick a place-forest, field, or marsh. Find a seat that's dry, and hold your binoculars to your eyes. Be still and blend in.

Celebrating 50 Years and One Rare Bird at Wenas

info@birdnote.org (Tune In to Nature.org) — Tue, 21 May 2013 07:00:00 +0000

The song of a Western Meadowlark rings out across the eastern slope of Washington’s Cascade Mountains. Come Memorial Day weekend, members of Audubon and friends will celebrate 50 years of gathering at the Wenas Campground to welcome the birds and wildflowers of spring.

Spring Birds Arrive in the Eastern Forest

info@birdnote.org (Tune In to Nature.org) — Mon, 20 May 2013 07:00:00 +0000

May in an Eastern hardwood forest, and the chorus of spring birdsong is nearing its peak. The Carolina Wren, a year-round resident, has been singing since the end of winter.

Barn Swallow Splendor

info@birdnote.org (Tune In to Nature.org) — Sun, 19 May 2013 07:00:00 +0000

This lovely creature is a Barn Swallow - notice the rich colors! A genuine master of the air, the swallow swoops low along the ground at high speed, changing direction in the blink of an eye.

Unique Chaparral

info@birdnote.org (Tune In to Nature.org) — Sat, 18 May 2013 07:00:00 +0000

The dense cover of coastal chaparral supports many birds found nowhere else in the world, including this California Thrasher. The plant species are different, but the chaparral of California is much like shrubby coastal vegetation in southern Europe, South Africa, southern Australia, and Chile.

Endangered Species Day

info@birdnote.org (Tune In to Nature.org) — Fri, 17 May 2013 07:00:00 +0000

This Golden-cheeked Warbler nests only in a Central Texas woodland. Its small breeding range is ever more fragmented by residential development, and its numbers are in serious decline.

Nesting Niches

info@birdnote.org (Tune In to Nature.org) — Thu, 16 May 2013 07:00:00 +0000

American Robins (like this male seen here with its young), House Finches, and Song Sparrows may all nest within one small garden. By selecting different nesting strata, the species avoid competing for the same nesting sites.

Black-faced Solitaire - Elusive Singer

info@birdnote.org (Tune In to Nature.org) — Wed, 15 May 2013 07:00:00 +0000

In wet mountain forests of Costa Rica, a slate-gray bird like this one sings as it moves furtively in the dense understory. It’s the Black-faced Solitaire. Naturalist and birding guide Roger Melendez has been listening to its eerie and gorgeous song for over 20 years.

Pied-Billed Grebe Nest Construction

info@birdnote.org (Tune In to Nature.org) — Tue, 14 May 2013 07:00:00 +0000

The call of the Pied-billed Grebe is unusual. Their nests are unusual too – little platforms of plant material that float on water, hidden behind vegetation.

Salmonberry Bird

info@birdnote.org (Tune In to Nature.org) — Mon, 13 May 2013 07:00:00 +0000

The native names of birds sometimes distill the essence of their appearance or behavior. In the Cherokee language, for instance, the Meadowlark is called "star," because of the way the bird's tail spreads out when it soars.