Monthly Archives: October 2012
Kenn & Kim Kaufman’s new book
Kenn Kaufman, originator of the Kaufman Field Guide series, is well-known by birders and naturalists across the country. Many of us remember his first book, Kingbird Highway, a wonderful tale of his long hitch-hiking search for birds as a teenager. … Continue reading
Posted in Vermont Birding
Tagged Bear Pond Books, Black Swamp Bird Observatory, field guide, Kenn & Kim Kaufman, North Branch Nature Center
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Decline of American Kestrels
“One autumn day, 15 years ago, I found myself perched on a ladder that was leaning against a highway sign on Interstate 89 somewhere in Vermont. There was a wooden box clamped to one of the sign poles at least … Continue reading
Posted in Birds, Conservation
Tagged Adirondack Almanack, Kestrel
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Vermont Airstreamers is taking a sabbatical
Since we have decided not to travel to the Southwest this winter and since the Airstream is sort of laid up due to the damage to the back, I am putting this blog on hold for a while. I invite … Continue reading
Posted in Vermont Birding
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Introducing the Birds of Paradise
This fall, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Geographic are bringing the Birds-of-Paradise Project to the public with a coffee-table book, a major exhibit at the National Geographic Museum (opening November 1), a documentary on the National Geographic Channel … Continue reading
Posted in Birds, Conservation
Tagged conservation, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
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Do You Drink Bird-Friendly Coffee? Cornell Offers Guidance
Imagine you walk into the neighborhood coffee house for your morning cup of joe, and on the counter is a tip jar with a sign reading, “$ for wintering warblers” with a photo of a Chestnut-sided Warbler in a tropical … Continue reading
Posted in Birds, Conservation
Tagged Bird Friendly, birding, birdwatching, coffee, conservation, migration, organic, science, shade-grown, songbirds, tropics.
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Birding License Plates
I met a Canadian birder last winter in Texas who had an interesting side hobby: she collected birding vanity license plates. I decided to start doing the same myself, starting with hers shown here. Of course, since then I have … Continue reading
Beyond a Murder of Crows
Most birders know some of the collective names of birds such as a murder of crows, a skein of Canada Geese, a charm of goldfinches. Sue McGrath, who leads bird walks in the Newburyport, MA area, recently published a humorous … Continue reading
Sorting Sparrows
I took the Vizsla on a birding outing this morning to the local North Branch Nature Center – I wanted to check out the community garden for birds. I hitched up her leash to my belt and off we … Continue reading
Posted in Birding With Penny, Vermont Birding
Tagged Chipping Sparrow, North Branch Nature Center, sparrows, White-crowned Sparrow, White-Throated Sparrow
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Birding with the bird dog
I spend a lot of time walking and birding in our woods with our Vizsla. Today, things were relatively quiet until I “pished” up a Winter Wren, who sat on a branch and chattered at me, and the dog. Being … Continue reading
Stock up on Niger Seed, the Siskin Boys (& Girls) are in town
We take in our feeders at night to avoid bear and raccoon problems. (A big raccoon visited two nights ago, startling me as I went out to check a noise on the back deck. It was a eye level – but … Continue reading