Archive for September, 2009
End-of-Summer Rain
Submitted by Birding Notes Blog
The past three days have been cloudy, humid, and often rainy. It rained off and on all night last night, a hard, calm, steady rain, waking us in the morning with the sleepy sound of rain falling on the leaves of the oaks just outside our windows – making it hard [...]
Late Summer Songs of Carolina Wrens
Submitted by Birding Notes Blog
Late in the morning on a mostly cloudy day, after a good rain last night, the sun now trying to break through, trees still dripping rainwater. An Eastern Wood-Pewee far down in the woods sings its full song as it moves from place to place. I can’t always hear the wheee-oo [...]
Swan from Deadhorse
Submitted by Bird TLC Blog
Cindy and I picked up a Tundra Swan yesterday at the airport. It was sent to Bird TLC on the BP/ConocoPhillps co-op charter flight from the North Slope. It was 1 of 3 that was hit by a car. The other 2 kept on their travels, but this guy couldn’t. X-rays [...]
Bizy, Bizy, Bizy
Submitted by Bird TLC Blog
I’ll bring you up to date on some things. Our Great Gray Owl out at the flight center is doing a lot better. Its flight is longer and stronger and she’s eating well. I bet she’ll be gone before too long.
After last weekends eagle release in Girdwood, we don’t have [...]
Nikon Digiscoping!
Submitted by BrdPics Blog
The theme of the month at Nikon’s Birding Optics page is digiscoping- check out the digiscoped bird pics slide show that plays when you open the page! There’s also a link to a nice little digiscoping video on the bottom of the page. And some guy you may have heard of is [...]
Another eagle release
Submitted by Bird TLC Blog
This past Saturday was our annual volunteer appreciation. Our volunteers do so much we could never really sow how much they are appreciated. We had drawings where everyone walked away with something. The potluck was awesome. I had to work until 2 that day, so I was a smooch and [...]
Raptor Walk
Submitted by Bird TLC Blog
Click to enlarge
Rating 3.00 out of 5
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Birds and Bond. James Bond.
Submitted by The Birdcouple Blog
Did you have any idea that Ian Fleming, author of the James Bond novels was a birdwatcher?
It is true!
In fact, Mr Fleming was looking for a name for the hero of his book, Casino Royale, and happened to have a copy of the following hanging about his house (well, not [...]
September Songs – Few Migrants
Submitted by Birding Notes Blog
At sunrise this morning, a Pine Warbler sang its warm, sensual trill from somewhere among the foliage of the white oaks outside our bedroom windows. This is the first time I’ve heard its song in many weeks. During the hottest part of the summer, the Pine Warblers retreated somewhere into the [...]
We live in a beautiful place…
Submitted by The Birdcouple Blog
.. called Annapolis, Maryland. Home to the US Naval Academy. Sailing capital of the USA. (Sorry, San Diego). And right next door to the bounty and splendor of the Chesapeake Bay.
Sometimes, though, we forget what a magical place it is. Until we see it from a visitor’s perspective again. That’s [...]
Washed-out Wilson’s Warbler
Submitted by BrdPics Blog
I took a nice little birding trip to the Chico Basin Ranch after work on Friday, spending the night and then birding a cool Saturday at this well-known Colorado hot spot. Besides birding, I enjoyed catching up with friend and fellow Nikon Birding ProStaff member Brian Gibbons, who is running the banding [...]
Return of the Great Gray Owl
Submitted by Bird TLC Blog
On Friday, Britt returned the Great Gray Owl back to the flight center for some more flight time and evaluation. This time she did much better. She was able to fly from end to end, but was having trouble gaining altitude. We’ll give her more time to get her strength back [...]
Daryl & Phoenix the Osprey
Submitted by Bird TLC Blog
Yesterday, Daryl checked off on Phoenix the osprey. Phoenix came to Bird TLC last summer after its nest was caught in a fire. His other sibling in the nest survived without injury. Unfortunately Phoenix had bad burns to his legs and a broken wing. The other was placed in a foster [...]
A Barred Owl’s Call – Like a Lullaby
Submitted by Birding Notes Blog
August ended and September began with two good rainy days, bringing slightly cooler weather, especially at night. Through bedroom windows open wide, about two o’clock this morning, I heard the low, mellow hoots of a Barred Owl – who cooks for you, who cooks for you-oww – repeated several times, not [...]
Ruby-throated Hummingbird and Cherry Tomatoes
Submitted by Birding Notes Blog
By eight o’clock this morning, a soft blue sky was emerging from wooly white clouds and the sun was high and already bright, but bird calls were few and scattered. Carolina Wrens are among the most vocal right now, singing, calling, fussing, trilling, burbling from the low shrubs around the house [...]
Gray Catbird, White-eyed Vireo and Mockingbirds Singing in the Field
Submitted by Birding Notes Blog
On a walk through the neighborhood I passed the usual birds along the way – Chickadee, Titmouse, Cardinal, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Chipping Sparrow, Eastern Towhee, Phoebe, Bluebird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, House Finch, Blue Jay, Crow – and in all that beautiful open blue and white sky saw only two Black Vultures [...]
Creating a Backyard Bird Habitat
Creating a backyard habitat is not difficult to do. You’re trying to create an environment that birds and other wildlife will feel comfortable in. A backyard habitat does not have a manicured look to it. A wildlife friendly yard has a casual feel about it. It is not meticulous, with every plant pruned to look [...]
Life & Death @ The Lovenest
Submitted by The Birdcouple Blog
Hey, nature isn’t all nice fluffy deer running through the woods and birds twittering in springtime. It’s a jungle out there. Even when “out there” is on the deck of our lil‘ own Lovenest.
Warren was reminded of that this morning when he went out on the porch and happened to [...]
Bye Bye Bob
Submitted by Bird TLC Blog
I guess it felt like the first day of school. You take your kid there and just wish for the best. Bob had come to us from the Alaska Sealife Center back in July as a real young guy. He had been attacked by something, patched back together by ASLC [...]
Volunteer Appreciation Picnic
Submitted by Bird TLC Blog
Dear Volunteers,
It’s that time of the season where we get together to honor all the hard work that our volunteers do 365 days a year.
What: Volunteer Appreciation Picnic
Who: Volunteers and their Families
When: Saturday, September 12th @ 1:00
Where: The Bird TLC Property, 15500 Old Seward Highway
Why: Because we appreciate all that you [...]
Busy Wednesday
Submitted by Bird TLC Blog
For starters, we have a Great Gray Owl that came to us from Tok. It was hit by a car and brought in by a good citizen. We were determining if it was flighted or still needed some more r&r. The flight test didn’t work out at TLC, so later [...]
The Red Eye of a Vireo Among Dogwood Leaves
Submitted by Birding Notes Blog
A mostly cloudy day, very warm and humid, but breezy. Highlights from a late morning walk included two Gray Catbirds mewing in the old field, a handsome Brown Thrasher sitting quietly among the branches of a weedy bush, a White-eyed Vireo singing a surprisingly rich song in a thicket, and about [...]
Eastern Wood-Pewee – A Late Summer Song
Submitted by Birding Notes Blog
This afternoon an Eastern Wood-Pewee’s soft puh-WEE call haunted the edge of the woods around our back yard. It moved from place to place, but I never was able to see the small grayish bird. We have not had a Wood-Pewee around regularly this summer, and I’ve missed them. So at [...]
Scissor-Tailed!!
Submitted by The Birdcouple Blog
Lisa and I got in some very brief, but very pleasurable and very efficient, birding Sunday morning with our dear friend Peter Kaestner, who, with his family, is now back from India.
We were chasing a Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher, a marvelous bird not often seen in these parts. It had been hanging [...]
Thanks for your time with us Rollie
Submitted by Bird TLC Blog
I got a call today from Britt while she was feeding at the flight center. Rollie was breathing heavy and it was kind of raspie. My heart dropped and made plans to get him after work and take him to the clinic. Todd and Cindy are on vacation this week, [...]
