Category Archives: Birds

Walter the Crow

This family in Ottawa was adopted by a crow. I had a pet crow for an hour on a park bench in Paris, and it was entertaining as all get out. They are smart and have a wicked sense of humour. Walter the crow becomes part of Ottawa family – Ottawa – CBC News.

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Gobble-Gobble

My sister, the ornithologist, once had a field job that involved driving past a turkey farm early in the morning. She said the team would start their mornings by gobbling at the sleeping turkeys, then driving away, laughing at the gobbles that echoed behind them from the shocked-awake turkeys. This guy is discovering their joy. […]

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Raven Banners

Did some research on corvids and their roles as symbols for a project I’m mulling over, and came across the Norse Raven Banner tradition. Odin was also closely linked to ravens because in Norse myths he received the fallen warriors at Valhalla, and ravens were linked with death and war due to their predilection for […]

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Crow Tubing

Do crows overwinter in Russia? If not, they make the odd trip back for a ski holiday. http://www.wimp.com/crowtubing/

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Montane White-Eyes

I was at a bird show yesterday, and amongst the rows and rows of same-looking cage finches were these little beauties.  Tiny and eye-catching. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montane_White-eye

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BIRD NERD GIFTS | Your One-Stop Birding Gift Shop!

http://www.birdnerdgifts.com/ The baby-snatcher formerly known as BumApples resents those who thumb-up their own sites, but what can I say – I’m shameless. Given that my very StumbleUpon existence was founded upon the intention of promoting my other web store, I think six years’ worth of restraint is cause for some spam-happy celebration. On that note, […]

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Scented mist drove vultures from Haile – Local – BradentonHerald.com

http://www.bradenton.com/news/local/story/1185021.html School district officials employed an experimental weapon to drive the huge birds away: The smell of grape bubble gum, better-known by its scientific name, methyl anthranilate. Methyl anthranilate, or – as my friend insists on calling it – “purple flavour”!

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snopes.com: Amazing Duck Story

http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/amazingduck.asp Very cute story, though Brits and Aussies should be forewarned that the verb “shag” has a very different application in America.

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Survival of the dumbest | Environment | The Guardian

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/apr/14/endangeredspecies The Guardian notes the efforts of conservationists to protect a species of bird that seems to want to hasten its extinction. I’ll catch hell from my ornithologist sister for this, but I can’t help but find it all pretty funny, particularly the image of a flock of endangered birds being driven to their next […]

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Big Sur Bird Banding

http://www.pelicannetwork.net/bigsur.bird.banding.htm My sister, Kinglets, is now a fully-fledged (ahem) field ornithologist. For those of you who ever wondered what that entails, this page offers an excellent overview.

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