C-Notes #7 – Coffee and Green Gifts
November 30, 2008
Article in: Bird Conservation
Good Earth Coffee – The coffee and tea company Good Earth Coffee has a mission to provide food that is good for consumers as well as the environment. One of their new promotions urges coffee drinkers to take the “Brew At Home” Pledge. By drinking coffee brewed at home we can all help reduce the amount of disposable cups thrown into landfills.
For each person that signs the pledge, Good Earth Coffee will donate $1 to The Trust for Public Land up to their goal of $20,000.
The Trust for Public Land is a conservation organization that works to conserve land such as parks and historic sites. It is a national, non-profit organization with many conservation initiatives such as Working Lands which protects the rural lands such as farms and ranches. They also help other companies and agencies with their conservation projects and ideas.
Tis the Season – Christmas is fast approaching. This is a great year to try a unique and conservation-minded gift. Wouldn’t it be cool to be the guy or gal handing out a Duck Stamp for the office gift exchange? Make someone directly a part of bird conservation (98 cents of each dollar goes to land purchasing and leasing to protect wildlife).
Another cool Christmas idea is a gift membership to The Nature Conservancy. Receiving a year of the Nature Conservancy’s magazine is great for anyone interested in protecting the environment.
Review of Falcons of North America
November 29, 2008
Article in: Book Reviews
Falcons of North America by Kate Davis is a fact-loaded complete study of the six species of falcons that are found in North America. The detailed, yet readable text is interspersed with over 200 of the most amazing falcon photographs, most by Rob Palmer and Nick Dunlop, two superb photographers.
Completely covered in the text are topics such as morphology, behavior, nesting, feeding, movements, and falconry. Some of the historical relations between falcon and humans are discussed as well, a relationship that dates back to prehistoric times.
Also covered in great detail are conservation and the threats that face falcons today. Wind farms have posed problematic to falcons (and other raptors), showing how important it is to research “green” technology to ensure the unintended consequences are not greater than the intended good. Pesticides, inexplicably are still being overused, and Falcons of North America illustrates the harm these farming aids cause to raptor populations.
American Kestrel with a tasty meal (well, we don’t know how tasty)
Completing Falcons of North America is a complete guide to identifying and understanding the lives of each of the six falcons found here:
- American Kestrel
- Merlin
- Aplomado Falcon
- Prairie Falcon
- Peregrine Falcon
- Gyrfalcon
There is even two appendixes, one focusing on how to ethically observe falcon nests and a second one describing how to construct a kestrel nest box. These nest boxes are a great way to involve kids, including scout groups, into active bird conservation involvement.
Falcons are one of the most impressive bird families and also a vital piece to the ecological puzzle. Falcons of North America is an excellent resource for anyone even vaguely interested in these amazingly cool birds.
Rating: 10 of 10 feathers
Falcons of North America
Kate Davis
Mountain Press Publishing Company
ISBN: 978-0-87842-553-2
Pages: 240
$22.00
Phriday Photo – Flocking Geese
November 28, 2008
Article in: Photography
Canada Geese flock in Rock Cut State Park
Feliz DÃa de Acción de Gracias
November 27, 2008
Article in: Updates
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! We are thankful for our wonderful family and friends, all the wonderful birds in this beautiful land, and all the amazing people we’ve met since starting this site.
A Turkey that ventured into our neighborhood
A special message from Arizona our Doberman
moar funny pictures
Review: Atlas of Bird Migration: Tracing the Great Journeys of the World’s Birds
November 25, 2008
Article in: Book Reviews
Migration is one of the most fascinating subjects pertaining to birds, yet it still holds much mystery and secrets. Conservationists benefit from the study of migration, using past knowledge to predict where birds should be, and making observations on the changes of this natural occurrance.
The Atlas of Bird Migration: Tracing the Great Journeys of the World’s Birds is an invaluable resource for ornithologists, birders, and conservationists. Patterns of migration are discussed, such as long distance, east-west, attitudinal migration, and more. Entire sections are dedicated to the preparations of travel, flight stills, and techniques for studying bird migration, increasing conservation, and the human created threats migrants face.
Many interesting facts are unearthed such as birds that migrant by swimming (such as Razorbills who are effectively flightless as they molt), and the specific routes of birds like Blackpoll Warblers that may not be the most direct but are nonetheless successful.
Much of the Atlas provides detailed accounts of families of migrant birds. Specific species are used to illustrate–with colorful drawings, maps, and photographs–the various paths of migration. These treatments do not include every species in a family, but provide an excellent overview of the range and styles of migration they participate in. Each of the family accounts have information boxes with more cool bird facts.
“Migration is probably the most awe-inspiring natural phenomenon. What it lacks compared with the enormous power of the weather, an earthquake, or a volcano, it makes up for in romance–a small bird pits its wits against the elements and accomplishes, as routine, a journey that is truly superhuman.” -from the Atlas
The Atlas covers the entire globe and is broken into regional sections of migration:
- North American
- Eurasian
- Far North – those that nest in the arctic
- South American
- African
- Australasian
- Oceans – seabird migration
- “Almost Migrations” – raptors including owls, see- and berry-eaters, & birds of the steppes that “irrupt” occasionally but do not actually migrate
A catalog of migrants finishes out the book, providing an account of the more than 500 species of birds covered throughout the book. It includes a quick reference to the timing and locations of these species and also the distance covered by each bird.
Rating: 10 of 10 feathers
Atlas of Bird Migration: Tracing the Great Journeys of the World’s Birds
General Editor: Jonathan Elphick
176 pages
Hardcover with jacket – $35.00
ISBN: 1-55407-248-4 / 978-1-5407-248-4
Published: April 2007 by Firefly Books
Bird Photography Weekly #13
November 24, 2008
Article in: Bird Photography Weekly
Bird Photography Weekly #12 had our largest total yet with 18 species!! Thanks to everyone and please join in again this week!!
Last Week’s list:
- Royal Spoonbill
- Green Woodpecker
- Spectacled Spiderhunter
- Snow Goose
- Plain Chachalaca
- Royal Tern
- Spotted Sandpiper
- Adelaide Rozella
- House Sparrow
- Black Vulture
- Common Merganser
- American Robin
- Pine Grosbeak
- Cattle Egret
- Blue Jay
- Chipping Sparrow
- Red-shouldered Hawk
- Brown Creeper
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