Birding with Kenn and Kimberly

From Oak Harbor, Ohio, Kenn writes:   In a few weeks, we're going to be in very different surroundings: the rugged, beautiful, fascinating Trans-Pecos region of Texas.  Specifically, we'll be in Marathon, Texas, taking part in the first "Birds and Butterflies" event there, July 19-22, 2012.  Here's a poster for the event that we grabbed off the internet ... it looks better at full size. Our friends Heidi Trudell and Matt York, superb naturalists who are now based in the Marathon area, helped to get us involved.  They introduced us to the management of the historic Gage Hotel, which is hosting the event.  There will be field trips focusing on both birds and butterflies, social evening, hummingbird banding demonstrations with Kelly Bryan, the nature artwork of Gerald Sneed, and other attractions. I'll be giving a keynote talk on the 21st. Kimberly and I are looking forward to some fabulous birding. That region of Texas has a fascinating mix of w...

Like birds? Then you're sure to like this! This fabulously fun video features people who really like birds!  The video was filmed during the Biggest Week in American Birding.  Directed by Birds & Blooms magazine and produced by Cornell Lab of Ornithology, it is sure to bring a smile to your face.  Enjoy! AWESOME BIRD VIDEO! 

From the Warbler Capital of the World, Kimberly writes: The third annual Biggest Week In American Birding is almost here, and my team at Black Swamp Bird Observatory (BSBO) has been working like crazy to take care of every last detail.  What I've been focusing on is outreach to the local communities about the value and importance of birds and habitat conservation.  Leveraging all the buzz we've created about the number of birders that visit this area in spring, and the incredible economic impact visiting birders have on the region, I've been giving lots of presentations to all kinds of diverse groups, from rotary clubs to the Advertisers Club of Toledo.  This year, it really seems to be having a major impact.   The communities are really beginning to embrace bird migration as one of the region's most unique assets and they're lending their support and endorsements in some very special ways.   For instance, the world-famous Tol...

From Homebase in Oak Harbor. Ohio, Kimberly Writes: My friend Katie Andersen is so creative. She wrote this great poem about the joy and insanity of doing Christmas Bird Counts to the theme of Twas the Night Before Christmas. I think you'll like it as much as I did - and I hope you'll share some of your favorite CBC stories with us! Twas the Night Before the Christmas Bird Count by Katie Andersen ‘Twas an hour before the Christmas Bird Count, when we left our warm house; Not a songbird was stirring, not even a Titmouse. Binoculars were hung over downy vests with great care, In anticipation of the birds that would soon fill the air. While our neighbors were still snug in their beds, To the count circle we birders did head. And I in my hoodie and my friend in her Tilley Hat Had just hiked to the spot marked on our count map When, alerted by a Winter Wren’s scolding chatter, We snatched up our optics to see what was the matter. Quite annoyed by the Wre...

From a hotel somewhere in Harlingen, Texas, Kimberly Writes: Kenn and I are in Texas for the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival  where Kenn will be leading several walks and giving a special presentation tomorrow night.  We arrived yesterday afternoon, made a brief stop at the convention center where the festival headquarters are located, and headed for our hotel.  As we were unpacking the second load from the car, I noticed a couple birds perched atop a smallish shrub in the vacant lot beside the hotel.  As we stepped off the pavement to get a better look, we were stunned to see that they were two White-tailed Kites!  Well, we took our white tails right back in to our hotel room to fetch optics and cameras, and when we came back there were THREE circling above the hotel.  I managed to shoot about 30 seconds of video of one of the birds as it "kited" in one spot.  Wait for the 13 second mark and watch as the bird cuts out and heads for parts...

Kimberly Writes: I've received a tremendous amount of feedback on my last post about bird research.  I wanted to share a particular comment, because I think the points are so valuable.   The following comment was made by by "Jude," and I thought it was important enough to share openly on our blog in order to generate some good, healthy dialogue about this subject.  The comment from Jude: "I don't know the birder who sparked your response, but I'd be very surprised if their call to re-examine banding came from a place of not understanding the critical importance of the data being gathered. As a novice birder, I've already seen distressing examples of geese with overly tight neck bands, smaller birds with too tight leg bands, and birds with too many bands altogether. I imagine you have to have seen way more than I. Understanding the value of data gathering in conservation efforts and advocacy can and should be accompanied by compassion and a very high ...

From Homebase in Oak Harbor, Ohio, Kimberly Writes:   Recently a well-known birder, admired by many (including yours truly), spoke out publicly about her belief that banding and color-marking is bad for birds. Of course this is not the first time these research methods have been criticized. Humans have active minds and diverse interests and beliefs; we are always going to disagree on some things, and that’s okay. But this particular situation felt like a blow because it drew such an emotional reaction from people who, I believe, actually know better. Whether the topic at hand involves birds or some other issue, when emotion overrules facts it is cause for concern. This is a delicate issue, and to be honest, I’m not sure I’m the right person to take this on. Truth is, I would rather just ignore it and focus on things like the upcoming Ohio Young Birders Conference and all the other positive things BSBO has going on. But part of what creates this problem is the fact that we need m...