Maggie's Farm

What a fine, simple name for a bird.

It is now the end of warbler migration, and migration in general. This common warbler, pictured here in a Larch (remember "The Larch" on Monty Python?), is beginning to nest, although it's still cold this week up here. 

Read more about this handsome warbler., which is seen in the eastern 2/3 of the US.

By this time of year, the fairly common Goldfinch has undergone the spring
molt and the canary-yellow males become much more evident. In the winter, they are a drab shade of olive. They are usually seen in small flocks in weedy fields and edges. If you don't think you have Goldfinches in your area, put out a thistle feeder for a few weeks.

Read more about the American Goldfinch.

Email from a Friend in CT Yesterday

Bird Dog:

Sitting on my back deck this AM stuffing envelopes for Ducks Unlimited with my ears wide open. Here's what I am hearing: red-eyed vireo, black and white warbler, chestnut-sided warbler, baltimore oriole, cape may warbler, parula warbler. All singing just for me!

CF

Parula Warbler

A common eastern tree-top migrant, more often identified by voice than by eye. Nice looking tiny bird, though. Northern variety likes to nest in dead man's beard, southern version in Spanish moss.

Read more about this warbler.

Gorilla Warfare: War over gorillas in Africa., from NYT.

The Sky may not be Falling: We understand the hidden motive of "Smash Capitalism to Save the Earth," but what if the earth is sort-of OK?

Peregrines, Ospreys and Eagles

Seen their videocams lately? The chicks are growing. NYC Peregrine.  Maryland Osprey.  Maryland Eagles.  What's that corncob doing in the nest on the video? Looks like they had a clambake up there.

Also, the story of the removal of one of the eaglets to Vermont.

Photo courtesy of P. LaTourette - his link to the left.

The Yellow-rumped is another abundant migrant, but unique as a warbler that can winter in the north, living on bayberries which they have a unique ability to digest.

We used to call them Myrtle Warblers - some of us still do. Bright yellow at base of tail is diagnostic. Found across the US and Canada. Click here: All About Birds

Photo courtesy of Bill Horn.

Video of Ivory Bill

If you aren't into God's nature, you don't understand what a big deal this is. We posted the news yesterday AM. For the video - Click here: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/video/qt/woodpecker.mov

Of course, Scrapple-Man has to put in his two cents.

Bird of the Year

For birders, a VERY BIG DEAL, and very heartening. The Ivory-bill, long believed extinct, likes the swamps of the deep south. The definite ID of one on the Arkansas border with La. is wonderful.

Story here

Along the New England coast, we have mainly Common Terns, some Least Terns, some Roseate and some Forster's Terns if you can ID them, and some Arctic Terns passing through.

Tough to ID them, but their white secondaries are field-marks, plus their blood-red bill. These birds, like Peregrine Falcons, are the great travellers of the world, wintering in Antarctica and breeding in the Arctic. A 25,000-mile migration. I haven't seen one in years, but haven't looked for one either. Have seen them on Cape Cod, taking a rest on their way south.

Not too much known about these fine minnow-munchers, but read more here.

Photo courtesy of P. LaTourette.

Never seen in New England! And never will be.

This Lilac-Breasted Roller, also known as the Rainbow Bird, photographed by Matt Grimes on the Savuti Channel in Botswana last month.

Bird photography is tough. Just try it. This is a very fine shot.

A rarity in New England, Julian took this photo on Saturday in Deep River, CT. First record in 20 years. A hell of a photo. This bird is lost - they tend to be Fla. breeders, but are mainly South American birds. Read more about this beautiful hawk here.

Romantic and graceful, the Mute Swan is an elegant but unwelcome pest in areas of the country, such as southern New England, where it thrives.

Originally introduced from Europe to ornament ponds on the estates of the wealthy, they are highly aggressive towards our native waterfowl, and turn vegetated bottoms into bare mud.

They are reputed to be delicious to eat, and there are efforts to control their populations in areas where their numbers are destructive.

Mute Swan's orange or yellow bill distinguishes it easily from North America's two native swans, the Tundra Swan and the Trumpeter Swan. Plus the fact that it is mute. Read more: Click here: All About Birds

Eaglets

3 chicks at Blackwater - too bad it's the reloading type of live video: here

More info on the chicks here. One of them might be taking a trip to Vermont to help restore populations up there.

Photo courtesy of P. LaTourette - his link to left.

The male Wood Duck is the most flamboyant and exotic looking bird in North America. They have just returned here, where I live - saw a few on Sunday afternoon. It's getting late to put out nest boxes, but not too late quite yet. Assuming you have water - streams or ponds or marshy lakes. Their growing population relies on human intervention, because dopey humans cut down the dead trees they like to nest in.

Build duck nest boxes: Click here: Wood Duck . Buy them: Click here: Duck Houses at BestNest.com!  and learn about "Woodies":  Click here: All About Birds

We believe nuclear energy is a no-brainer: safe, and a freebie from nature. It's just a matter of time before it becomes our major source. I'm not askeered of it - got a mini-reactor in the basement. The family glows in the dark, but that saves $ on flashlights, and it's great for Halloween.

"But think of this: Between 1996 and 1999, more children under 5 drowned in 5-gallon buckets (58) than have died in nuclear power accidents in the West since the advent of atomic energy (zero)." 

Read entire:  Investor's Business Daily stock analysis and business news

Global Warming

"The sky is falling, so we must shoot the dog." Bird Dog has always been fond of claiming that global warming is the only thing that can save New England from the coming ice age, or at least delay it, in the interest of maintaining our property values. There is no market for land buried under a mile-thick glacier. So it's nice to see someone else, namely The Ornery American, cast a jaundiced eye on global warming:

"If you want a perfect example of this, look at the Kyoto Protocols. The consensus among serious scientists is that the Kyoto Protocols, even if they were completely implemented, would not have any serious effect on global warming for the next century.Yet they insist that we should adopt and obey the protocols with all the force of law that international treaties have. Why? Because it will show that we take the problem seriously. Because it's a first step. Because it's the Right Thing. In other words, we should blindly obey even though we know that it's pointless. "
Read entire: Click here: World Watch - March 6, 2005 - Global Warming: Fighting Off the Ice Age - The Ornery American