You may have noticed (hopefully) that there has been a major change at Birdfreak.com. We are still focused on bird conservation marketing and promoting the joys of birding, but we decided it was time for an upgrade in our look.
The biggest difference and our favorite part of this face lift is our new logo! Finally, we had the ability to create a logo we have been wanting for quite some time.
Here’s how the logo took shape:
First of all, a month ago our Hooded Warbler photo was featured on the front page of the Rockford Register Star (paper of Rockford, IL). Definitely a sweet surprise!
The original photo was one of our personal favorites and we thought it would make a good logo.
So, after 30 minutes or so of messing around with Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop, the new logo was born!
Now, the rest of the changes are pretty drastic too, and we have several things we will be sprucing up over the next few days. We hope you enjoy the new look as much as we do!
In our county we have a general lacking of shorebird habitat. However, when there is a good amount of rain timed right, farm puddles form. These “fuddles” become magnets to shorebirds and thanks to notification by a birder friend, we were able to see two lifer shorebirds for both Birdfreak and Veery {Hudsonian Godwit and Dunlin}.
Hudsonian Godwit, Dunlins, & Short-billed Dowitchers The godwit is in the front by himself, the Dunlins are back left and the dowitchers are the two on the right.
Note: We are out in the field on our 72-hour bird count and will be posting our findings in the upcoming days. Stay tuned!!
This Northern Cardinal lost a lot of feathers around his eyes but still managed to find a great looking mate. We believe his mate is the same female two years ago that had no crest and who we nicknamed “crestless”.
Note: We are out in the field on our 72-hour bird count. We will be posting about our findings in the days to come so stay tuned!!
A couple months ago we heard that Jeff Corwin was going to be in Sycamore, Illinois (about 30 miles southeast of our home in Rockford) so we decided to make it a family event and bought tickets. Saturday we had the live “Jeff Corwin Experience” and it was awesome!
Jeff Corwin being mobbed with questions
For those unfamiliar with Mr. Corwin, he is a wildlife-television superstar who does many shows on Animal Planet and has also recently written a cool book (which we plan on reviewing sometime soon). But Jeff is much more than just some smart-talking celebrity. He’s the real deal when it comes to conservation.
While the show focused on reptiles and amphibians (no birds) it was still great to hear Jeff in person and to listen to some of his insights about conservation topics. He even discussed nature-deficit-disorder and voiced his displeasure about kids that have never held a toad or played in a creek.
We videotaped part of the question and answer session at the end including when he was asked his favorite bird. Unfortunately, the audio wasn’t great and we are unsure the bird. Anyone who knows the bird (especially how to spell it) please add a comment!
At 1:35 PM on Friday, April 25th, 2008 our backyard willow tree made a fantastic display of what happens when a dead tree mixes with wind and gravity. With a loud rumble, 80% of the tree came crashing down, taking power lines and part of our fence with it but missing every living thing in the yard save a Cupplant or two.
The willow has been near-dead for several years before it collapsed
The willow tree was in our city preserve for our entire lives and was host to many wonderful animal sightings. While not native, this tree grew well in our overly wet yard. Numerous bird species used the tree for stashing seeds, perching, and even attempts at nesting.
Red-headed Woodpecker that tried to nest but left after a few weeks
Red-breasted Nuthatch that stored seeds in the willow
Other birds that used the willow include: Downy, Red-bellied, and Hairy Woodpeckers, Northern Flicker, Eastern Phoebe, Baltimore Oriole, Yellow-bellied and Great Crested Flycatchers, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and many other birds as well.
Besides birds, one of the coolest animals to use the willow was a Northern Flying Squirrel
The collapse of the willow tree left many squirrels in a quandary, their “aerial highway” severed. Many of the logs will be placed throughout the yard to add to the natural setting we are trying to create. But the snag will stay and the birds continue to use what’s left.
Today we sadly had to say goodbye to our great friend and family member, our Golden Retriever Max. Over 13 years old, Max was never not a puppy at heart, but over the last few months his arthritis in his back had gotten worse. Last night he suddenly got sick and this morning passed away peacefully with Dakota at his side.
We knew this day would come, but it always hurts when they leave us. A few fun facts about Max:
Max was a pure-bred Golden Retriever
In Jennie’s divorce Max was court-ordered to remain in our sole custody
One of his many nicknames was “Boo Bear”
He obsessed constantly about tennis balls and had a special game he played with them which we dubbed “Boo Bear Ball” (so much so that the little ones refer to tennis balls as boo bear balls)
He was flexible and would spread his legs backwards like a frog
He didn’t like to camp much but loved being outside
He was extremely protective of the kids when they were young, allowing them to stumble on top of him as they learned to walk - several times he provided soft landings and never growled once at them
During hot weather Max would love to sleep in the bathtub, sometimes surprising the first person up in the morning
Max was a wonderful dog and will always be remembered for the fun times he provided us and the joyous times spent with him. We have two dogs now: Socks an unknown mixed breed (blue heeler, German Shepard perhaps) and Arizona a mix of Doberman and Greyhound.
March is coming to a close and the busy months of birding and bird conservation are upon us. We have several projects and outings planned for the next few months, and of course we’ll be sharing them as often as possible!
Bird Banding - we are working on creating a series about bird banding including videos showing how it’s done and showcasing some of the amazing migrant birds that come through our area. There are even plans of creating a new website for Sand Bluff Bird Observatory to help promote this local gem we have in our county.
Earth Day - we will most likely be helping out on Earth Day to promote our local bird club. We hope to get some new people interested in birding and of course, bird conservation.
Bird Counts - we have a Sandhill Crane count in April, the Spring Bird Count in May, and our 72-hour birding extravaganza, also in May. These counts help to determine how bird populations are doing and are tons of fun besides.
D.R.B.S. - We will be continuing with the Deer Run Bird Surveys to get an idea of what birds use this nature preserve, especially as a migration stopover and for nesting.
Specialized Bird Conservation Population Study - We are trying to start population studies on 13 species of birds in our area, a project we hope to have our bird club participate in.
Writing a Book - We are in the process of writing a birding book. We can’t give out too many details at this time but over the next few months we hope to get ideas from our beloved readers and bird conservation friends.
To promote bird conservation through conservation marketing. By showing people the joys of birding, we hope to bring people and nature together, instead of at odds.
Featured
75 years in the making, the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp is one of the best ways to make a conservation impact. 98% of the sales goes to conservation. We are asking all birders and nature-lovers to buy one and display it proudly wherever you go! Find out where to buy a stamp
