Birding

We love to travel to find new birds and participate in a lot of bird counts. We also created a Guide to Birding Field Guides and host a collection of over 300 birding links from all over the globe.

Conservation

While our main focus continues to be birds, we are working to promote other areas of conservation. Conserving land not only benefits wildlife, but is hugely beneficial to people as well.

Outdoors

We love all sorts of outdoor activities, especially hiking and spend a lot of time outside with dogs and horses. We are working to produce more articles on all sorts of outdoor fun!

Photography

Every week we bring you Bird Photography Weekly. We periodically talk about our adventures in digiscoping. Feel free to browse our photo lifelist.

C-Notes #1 – Kenyan Conservation, A New Bird, and Help for a Wren

August 30, 2008
Article in: Bird Conservation

Welcome to the first edition of C-Notes, an ongoing series designed to pull together 2-3 small tidbits of important bird conservation issues.

Do it for Dominic The Small African Fellowship for Conservation, a project conceived by 10,000 Birds, wants to get the word out about a young Kenyan conservationist named Dominic who is working to promote the importance of conservation in his country. Feel free to donate a few dollars towards this cause.

The Smithsonian Institute discovers a new bird species in Gabon, Africa. The bird was first observed by scientists in 2001, but thought to be a juvenile of a different species. The bird is called the Olive-backed Forest Robin, named for its distinctive coloring on its back and rump, although the male also has a bright orange throat.

Audubon Arkansas and Arkansas State University have developed a project that seeks to survey wrens in Arkansas. This citizen science project is calling on interested individuals to help count wrens in Arkansas. The Bewick’s Wren is in decline in Arkansas. Although rare, this species can be found anywhere in the state. To find out how you can report sightings, check out the Arkansas Wren Survey.

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Phriday Photo – Flicker for Roger

August 29, 2008
Article in: Photography

This one is for Roger Tory Peterson who changed the world because of this bird.

Northern Flicker
Northern Flicker

The story of the flicker for those who don’t know it yet:

Very often a single bird will get a person started bird watching. In my case it was a flicker that I saw when I was eleven, which I thought was dead – it was just a bundle of brown feathers. All of a sudden it exploded into life. That was the crucial moment of my life. I was overwhelmed by the contrast between something that was so vital and something I had taken for dead. Ever since that day I’ve felt that birds are the most vivid expression of life. Birds symbolize freedom, and I think that is why bird watching is so important to so many people. – Roger Tory Peterson

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Skywatch Friday – Sunset Over the Prairie

August 28, 2008
Article in: Photography

Here is this week’s submission to the fantastic Friday festival known as Skywatch Friday.

Deer Run Prairie as the light fades and the American Woodcocks begin “peent”-ing
Deer Run Forest Preserve

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Happy 100th Birthday – Roger Tory Peterson

August 28, 2008
Article in: Birding

A hundred years ago, Roger Tory Peterson was born in Jamestown, New York. We hope that Roger Tory Peterson Month will continue his memory in future years to come.

Roger Tory Peterson Month has been a fun time for us. We reviewed (and tested) the new Peterson Field Guide, read a few books about his life, one by Elizabeth J. Rosenthal and one by Douglas Carlson, and talked about All Things Reconsidered, a book Roger Tory Peterson wrote about his birding adventures.

Peterson in the field

Photo courtesy of Houghton Mifflin

We wish we could have met Roger Tory Peterson personally. Our knowledge of him comes only from books and the memories of others; for which we are thankful.

Here is to the hope that there will be a 100 more years of bird conservation. His mission is also ours as we work to conserve birds everywhere. Happy birthday Roger Tory Peterson!!

Dakota Using Swarovski Optics
Next Generation Bird Conservationist – Dakota

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You May Need a New Field Guide…

August 27, 2008
Article in: Birding

With the new Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America due out August 28th, it may be time to replace your old guide. If you have a vintage first edition Peterson, or your Sibley looks the opposite as our tattered copy, you may not need a new guide, but hey, there’s always room for one more.

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Photo Lifelist #240 – Chimney Swift

August 26, 2008
Article in: Photography

Chimney Swifts are quite common around Rockford, Illinois but until a few days ago, they had gone uncaptured by our camera. This is still the best shot we got on a gloomy day while watching #239, the Mississippi Kite.

Chimney Swift
Chimney Swift - Photo Lifelist #240

Cool fact about Chimney Swifts: “Swifts are among the most aerial of birds, flying almost constantly except when at the nest or roosting at night. The Chimney Swift bathes in flight, gliding down to water, smacking the surface with its breast, then bouncing up and shaking the water from its plumage as it flies away.” – Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s All About Birds-Chimney Swift

View entire photo lifelist.

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