- Gone to the Birds
- June 4, 2008 Filed under: Birdhouses, Birds, Wildlife
I took this photo a few days ago in Northern California. Can anyone recognize the kind of bird?Many of you who have become aware of my efforts in Sri Lanka know I have become fascinated by birds. I originally started working with Sri Lanka by gathering tsunami remains (from the wreckage) and teaching people how to make birdhouses from the material. It was an odd idea, for sure. Interesting? That’s for you to decide.
In any case, birds are on my radar. My ear is becoming more experienced and tuned to my surroundings, and I can literally hear new families arrive or the absence of chirps of seasonal birds who I had come to know but have since left. I’ve also been tuned to bird stories in the news. Sri Lanka is an amazing place for the casual or professional birder. Here’re some pieces about birds from other places in the world:
From National Gographic News: “A fossil of a new species of dinosaur-era bird found in China is one of the oldest ever discovered, experts say in a new study.” Full story
From Wired Science: “…ornithologists from the University of Oxford tracked the egg-laying times of great tits in Wytham, England. Since the mid-1970s, temperatures in Wytham have risen steadily, hastening the start of spring by two weeks. The birds have followed suit, timing their breeding to coincide with earlier hatches of their favorite food source, a species of moth caterpillar.” Full story
From AP Science, via Yahoo! News: “A little strategically placed makeup quickly turns the wimpiest of male barn swallows into chick magnets, amping up their testosterone and even trimming their weight, new research shows.” Full story
From the Daily Galaxy blog: “…now it seems that the avian autopilot is of interest to science, and possibly the X-Men - because the birds might have QUANTUM MAGNO-VISION.” Full story
From AP via MSNBC Science: “Baby birds babble away before mastering their adult song, researchers report in Friday’s edition of the journal Science.”
Full storyBirds are all around us. When you’re bored or troubled, take a break and tune in. You’ll be amazed at what you hear. And if you tune in enough, you’ll be even more amazed at the subtle changes you begin to learn.
Do you have any personal stories about birds you are willing to share? Do so in the comments.
