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Robins, not crows, may spread West Nile

HARTFORD, Connecticut (AP) -- The beloved American robin, not the annoying, raucous crow, may be the more potent source for West Nile virus, according to new research.

Link: Full Story from CNN

Courting bird sings like a cricket

A bird that lives in the Ecuadorian rain forest attracts mates by striking its wing feathers together behind its back, researchers say.

Link: Full Story from Nature

Praying Mantis Makes Meal of a Hummer

Check out these photographs of a Praying Mantis capturing and eating a hummingbird!

Link: Full Story from Birdwatchers Digest

'Penguins' march defies summer box office trend

At summer film box offices plagued by slow ticket sales, the hottest documentary this year is about a very cold topic: Emperor Penguins in Antarctica.

Link: Full Story from Yahoo News

Mike's Digiscoping Secrets - Stitching!

Ryan Brady writes: "I get a significant area on the periphery of my field of view that's OUT of focus. Even if the subject or other objects are on the same focal plane as what it's in the center of the scope, the outer edge is always out of focus while the center is sharp. Now we all know that you can get sharper pictures at lower magnification, but for me, 30x is perfect for a complete shot. The problem has really come to light with these Great Grays, which are so big and usually so close that I can barely fit them in the field of view. But if their head is anywhere near the top of the field, it gets out of focus."

That's correct, Ryan!

Edge distortion is a big problem when digiscoping larger birds, especially owls and other birds of prey. One thing that works to the digiscoper's advantage is that larger birds of prey are often very stationary (unlike most songbirds). This presents a technical solution to the problem that I've found to be effective. Because the sharpest area of the field of view is the middle, I will take one exposure by centering near the bird's face (image "A") and then quickly take another shot of the rest of the bird's body (image "B"). These two images are loaded into Adobe Photoshop and carefully stitched together.

The process is somewhat tedious, but with enough practice you can make it look seamless:

• Load the two images to be stitched into Adobe Photoshop and then create a third image that is twice the size as one of the single images.
• SELECT & COPY each image and then PASTE it into the large image. Automatically, image "A" is made into one layer and image "B" a second layer as they are pasted.
• Use the MOVE tool to overlap the images.
• Next, use the adjust LEVELS to match the brightness of the intersecting edges as closely as possible.
• Using the ERASER tool, remove image data along the edge from the upper layer, revealing data from the lower layer. In detailed areas you often only need to erase a small portion to blend the two images together. In open areas, like a blue-sky background, you might have to erase more area for the blend to be successful.

Depending on the stitch, an added bonus is that the final image's physical print size will be increased. This technique may seem like a lot of effort, but it's pretty easy once you get the hang of it. Remember to think of this when you're in the field and you have a fairly cooperative perched bird that's too large to fit into the sharp-zone of your field of view. Take upper and lower shots and let the magic of Adobe Photoshop do the rest!

Link: Stitched result of multiple Cooper's Hawk images.

Cooper's Hawk images © 2005 Michael Allen McDowell

Digiscoped Tiger Swallowtail...at long last!

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I mean not to offend, but it isn't only about birds…though birds are my favorite. You never know when or where Nature’s next panoply of color will bring about an opportunity to photographically capture a rare moment. I try not to force the issue and this summer’s sizzling heat all but evaporated my motivation for fieldwork, but today’s cooler weather brought back a little inspiration in the form of a yellow butterfly in our backyard.

While Becky and I were sharing a conversation on our patio, I noticed a TIGER SWALLOWTAIL fluttering about the yard. It eventually lit on our spruce tree just a few feet off the ground and we admired it from a distance through our binoculars. But then it just stayed there…and stayed there…and then the moment transformed to that familiar feeling when the event ceases pure admiration and the drill is contemplated. Would it stay? Where is the digiscoping equipment? It was in my car…a mere 50 feet away, but seemingly as distant as the Andromeda Galaxy when at any moment chaotic forces of nature could cause the butterfly to stir. It might be a slight breeze, a cloud moving in front of the sun, or maybe one of the several skittish Mourning Doves disturbing the very branch suspending my quarry.

Skeptical it would stay, I still got up from my chair to fetch the gear and recounted the many digiscoping opportunities that rendered only the drill. You think birds are tough? Try butterflies. So on my way to the garage I asked Becky to yell and stop me when the swallowtail flew off so I wouldn't have to walk as far.

But not this time…

Tiger Swallowtail image © 2005 Michael Allen McDowell

Please keep your bird feeders clean!

It seems so inherently unfair that people who choose to feed birds may be creating problems for finches. With a little periodic effort, you can safely provide food for them but please keep your bird feeders clean! In the past few weeks I've noticed a substantial increase in the number of House Finches coming to my backyard bird feeders. So here's a reminder on why we need to be diligent in keeping the feeders clean for our hungry feathered friends.

Brief History: Since January 1994, when House Finches with red, swollen eyes were first observed at feeders in the Washington, D.C. area, including parts of Maryland and Virginia, House Finch disease has spread rapidly through the eastern House Finch population. Mycoplasmal conjunctivitis, as the disease is commonly called, is caused by a unique strain of Mycoplasma gallisepticum, a parasitic bacterium previously known to infect only poultry.

Bird Feeding Guidelines to prevent Disease:

1. Space your feeders widely to discourage crowding.
2. Clean your feeders on a regular basis with a 10% bleach solution solution (1 part bleach and 9 parts water) and be sure to remove any build-ups of dirt around the food openings. Allow your feeders to dry completely before rehanging them.
3. Rake the area underneath your feeder to remove droppings and old, moldy seed.
4. If you see one or two diseased birds, take your feeder down immediately and clean it with a 10% bleach solution.

Link: House Finch Disease Survey

Link: FAQ about House Finch Disease

Link: All about the House Finch from Cornell Labs

I've since discarded the tube feeder that you see in the above image and went with a larger mesh-style one as pictured below with the Rose-breasted Grosbeak. There is less crowding and the birds don't have to stick their heads into the dispenser holes, plus it's a lot easier to clean.

House Finch image © 2005 Michael Allen McDowell

Albatrosses in Peril

"Supersize" mice are eating seabird chicks alive on Gough Island, one of the most important seabird colonies in the world, UK conservationists report. The rodents are taking out one million petrels, shearwaters and albatrosses each year on the UK Overseas Territory, in the South Atlantic.

Link: Full Article from BBC News

Albatross image courtesy of US Fish & Wildlife Service

Backyard Rose-breasted Grosbeak

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Much needed rain is moving through Wisconsin today, but I did get a chance to get some birding in this morning at Nine Springs. There were 8 shorebird species, low in numbers though. New "south-bound" bird was SEMIPALMATED PLOVER. Sadly, there was a dead GREAT BLUE HERON at the back pond...I immediately suspect West Nile Virus, but who knows. For an hour's walk I finished the morning with 49 species around the settling ponds. When I got home from work last evening, I finally digiscoped the ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK [female] that has been raiding my safflower feeder all summer. Check out the beak on that bird!

Link: All about the Rose-breasted Grosbeak from Cornell Labs

Rose-breasted Grosbeak image © 2005 Michael Allen McDowell

Whooping Crane Chicks of the “Class of 2005”

July 20, 2005

"Necedah National Wildlife Refuge Welcomes Whooping Crane Chicks of the “Class of 2005” Twenty-one whooping crane chicks have arrived at Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in central Wisconsin for conditioning in preparation for their fall migration behind ultralight aircraft."

Link: Full Story

Eagle Optics is a proud Corporate Contributor supporting Whooping Crane Reintroduction.

Red-cockaded woodpecker on the rebound!

Hey, how about some GREAT news!

"We have turned the corner," said Ralph Costa, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's red-cockaded woodpecker recovery coordinator in Clemson, South Carolina.

Link: Full Article

Red-cockaded Woodpecker image courtesy of US Fish & Wildlife Service

The First Migrants of Fall

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Yesterday the heat index reached over 100F here in southern Wisconsin - too hot for doing much of anything outside. The summer solstice has passed and the days are getting shorter once again - we are definitely reaching the zenith of summer's dog days, and so buzz the cicadas.


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For many shorebirds, the shorter photo-period is innately sensed as a signal for the beginning of their great trek back to their wintering grounds - fall migration has arrived. Indeed, having had a look around at some of my favorite Dane County shorebird haunts in the past week already revealed SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS, SOLITARY SANDPIPERS, LESSER-YELLOWLEGS and LEAST SANDPIPERS. Many more species are on their way.


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The drought here has brought down some of the larger ponds north of Waunakee and I'm optimistic that this fall we'll once again be graced with BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS at the V-Pond. This shorebird species nearly became extinct around 1920, but they've made somewhat of a comeback. So far the habitat at the V-Pond looks excellent, I just hope it doesn't dry up completely before the influxes of shorebirds arrive.

Quote of the Day: "There is nothing in which the birds differ more from man than the way in which they can build and yet leave a landscape as it was before." - Robert Lynd

Link: All about the Short-billed Dowitcher from Cornell Labs

Link: All about the Buff-breasted Sandpiper from Cornell Labs

Link: Help Manomet and help shorebirds.

All images © 2005 Michael Allen McDowell

Arctic lakes can be polluted by bird droppings

"Pollution is swept to pristine areas of the Arctic by wind and sea. But now researchers have pinned down an important mode of transport that creates local toxic hotspots: sea birds. Canadian researchers have found that lakes in the Arctic that are frequented by northern fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis) can harbour 10-60 times more pollutants than neighbouring, birdless lakes. These pollutants include persistent, toxic compounds such as mercury, DDT and hexachlorobenzene (HCB), which were once common ingredients in pesticides and fungicides."

Link: Full Article from Nature.com

Link: All about the Northern Fulmar from Cornell Labs

Fulmar colony image courtesy of US Fish & Wildlife Service

Officials probe young pelican deaths

Some rather unfortunate news coming out of North Dakota...

BISMARCK, North Dakota (AP) -- The Fish and Wildlife Service is investigating the deaths of thousands of young white pelicans at a wildlife refuge in central North Dakota, a year after thousands of adult birds abruptly left the same location.

Link: Full Article from CNN.COM

Link: All about the American White Pelican from Cornell Labs

Quote of the Day: "It is inconceivable to me that an ethical relation to land can exist without love, respect, and admiration for land, and a high regard for its value. By value, I of course mean something far broader than mere economic value; I mean value in the philosophical sense." - Aldo Leopold

Pelican image courtesy of US Fish & Wildlife Service

Midwest Birding Symposium - 2005

It’s time to Register for the Midwest Birding Symposium!

The Quad Cities is looking forward to hosting the 2005 Midwest Birding Symposium on October 13-16th. The headquarters for the 2005 Midwest Birding Symposium is the River Center in downtown Davenport, Iowa. Attendees will have the opportunity to attend sessions on raptors & river ecology with nationally-recognized speakers; walk through the trade show with all kinds of birding merchandise, such as binoculars, books and feeders; enjoy guided birding field trips, exhibits, family programs, and silent auction; and a cruise on the Mississippi River on the Celebrations Belle riverboat.

Famed digiscoper Kent Nickell of Greenbackedheron.com is presenting a digiscoping workshop but space is limited so sign up soon!

Link: Quad Cities MWBS Main Website (registration information)

Link: MWBS Field Trips

Link: MWBS Presentation Schedule

Eagle Optics is a proud sponsor of the 2005/2007 Midwest Birding Symposium.

Birders or Terrorists? Who's to know?

(Hmmm... maybe I should start wearing chartreuse?)

"US security agents have come up with a new target for increased scrutiny in their battle against terrorism: birdwatchers. Birdwatchers in certain areas are being forced to provide photographic identification, submit themselves to background checks, and even pay for a police escort."

Link: Full Story #1

Link: Full Story #2

These articles are reminiscent of something that happened a few years ago, post 9-11, while I was bird watching with my wife and a couple of our friends. We just finished birding the city stream corridor of Pheasant Branch, crossed Century Avenue when a Middleton Police officer ran up to us shouting, “Folks, folks…just hold it right there for a minute!” None of us had seen anything suspicious, nor were we aware of any inadvertent offense on our behalf. We looked at each other shrugging our shoulders wondering what was going to happen next.

I asked how we could help and the officer responded that earlier in the morning a woman driving to work observed, in her words, “a scene right out of Afghanistan” at the Branch Street Retreat Bar & Grill parking lot (where our cars were). Apparently the woman called the police on her cell phone and described how three men were abducting a woman whose hands were bound behind her back. She provided detailed descriptions for two of the men dressed in military fatigues and another wearing a blue jacket. My first thought was that I didn't recall seeing anything like that, but then I looked over at my friend’s blue windbreaker and Becky’s binocular harness strap and immediately deduced my wife as the reported "victim."

Well, I can sort of see how it might have looked like a bad scene going down. I mean, I was wearing a green jacket and cap and had my binoculars on, plus carrying my spotting scope – I suppose it might have looked like a bazooka or something. Earlier, while waiting for the last member of our group to show up, Becky waited near our car with her hands folded behind her back. I suppose someone unfamiliar with bino harness straps might see a bound woman about to be forced into a car.

I told the officer it was obviously us, but we’re bird watchers and we’re okay -- we're not terrorists. But even then his skepticism needed a little more softening and asked us a few more questions before letting us on our way. We all had an incredibly good laugh afterwards! Of course I take the threat of terrorism seriously and could understand the woman's concern. On a serious note, it occurs to me that terrorists are far more likely to avoid drawing attention to themselves and dress in standard street garb to fit right in, as was probably the case in London last week.

Digiscoping Dragonflies

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Speaking of dragonflies, they are sometimes considered one of nature's most neglected beauties. When I'm out bird digiscoping and happen upon a perched dragonfly, I seldom pass up the opportunity to capture an image of it. I don't usually share the dragonfly images, but I thought I would at least let my blog readers know that digiscoping is an excellent way of photographing them. This dragonfly above is called a Halloween Pennant.

Back in the days of my SLR, I used a macro lens, but I would have to get within a foot in order to capture dragonflies in detail. Early in the morning when dragonflies are still inactive, this is much easier. However, digiscoping allows me to be as far as 30 feet away and record great detail. Here's a Widow Skimmer I recently digiscoped at Pheasant Branch Conservancy:


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Like birds and some butterflies, dragonflies also migrate, but very little is understood about it. For current discussion, there is an on-line listserv on Odonata. Also, I like to keep a copy of Karl Legler's "Dragonflies of Wisconsin" field guide in my backpack just in case I happen upon a species I can't identify on sight. Though it may never replace birding, watching and/or digiscoping dragonflies will help round out the naturalist in you. All the equipment you own for birding can be used for studying these colorful insects!

Quote of the day: "Nature will bear the closest inspection. She invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf, and take an insect view of its plain." - Henry David Thoreau

All images © 2005 Michael Allen McDowell

An evening at Spring Green Reserve

A favorite Sauk County grassland bird haunt of mine is Spring Green Reserve, which is owned by The Nature Conservancy. It’s the most desert-like habitat I know of in Wisconsin; you can even find prickly pear cactus growing! If invertebrates are your thing, eight different tiger beetle species (those super-fast iridescent beetles) can be found in the sand prairie, as well as many butterfly and dragonfly species.

As much as I enjoy taking in the unique flora and fauna, I mostly visit the reserve for the great birding. A few days ago I spent an evening hiking the trail system and found gems such as PILEATED WOODPECKER, ORCHARD ORIOLE, DICKCISSEL and GRASSHOPPER SPARROW. However, extremely plentiful were LARK SPARROWS that seemed to be perched on nearly every oak tree, as in the digiscoped image above.

In addition to these species, the prairie hosted FIELD SPARROWS, EASTERN MEADOWLARKS, EASTERN BLUEBIRDS and EASTERN KINGBIRDS. But the surprise of the evening came as I was just about to my car and heard the distinct call of a NORTHERN BOBWHITE. From where I was parked, the sneaky bird managed to get into my scope's view for just a second...I barely got off this shot:



The bobwhite scampered off and I could hear rustling in the leaves and grass to my left. There was a brief pause, then all of a sudden, it sprinted across the gravel driveway way faster than I could ever hope to capture in an image. And here I thought warblers were tricky to digiscope -- this bird had my strategy all figured out…super sneaky! It eventually perched about 3 feet up in the tangle on the right of the path near the gate, but...I just let it be and headed home as it was getting late. Plus, 1/8th of a second shutter speed is pretty worthless in late evening lighting.

Wait until next time!

Link: All about the Lark Sparrow from Cornell Labs

Link: All about the Northern Bobwhite from Cornell Labs

Quote of the Day: "Nature is painting for us, day after day, pictures of infinite beauty." - John Ruskin

All images © 2005 Michael Allen McDowell

Helping Merritt Island NWR

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A few years ago Becky and I had the opportunity to go birding at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Florida - a truly magnificent natural area. Upon entering the auto-loop I remember saying to Becky, “Do you think we can get out and walk around?” Only a moment later, a 12’ long alligator slowly sauntered across the road no more than 50 feet in front of us. Interesting, to be sure, but I followed by answering my own question with, “Nope, we’re definitely staying in the van!”

During our relaxed-paced tour, safely in the confines of the van, we observed fantastic water birds such as ROSEATE SPOONBILLS, TRI-COLORED HERONS, WOOD STORKS, ANHINGAS, AMERICAN BITTERNS, flocks of WESTERN SANDPIPERS and more - truly a birder’s paradise. I didn’t keep a tally of the total species seen, but I did quite a bit of digiscoping, including these three RUDDY TURNSTONES that we found on a boardwalk in perfect early evening light.



In 2003 the National Wildlife Refuge System celebrated is centennial anniversary - a hundred years of protecting the environment and the species that depend upon it. Eagle Optics was given the privilege of producing and selling the Pelican NWRS Commemorative binocular to celebrate this historical event. Through sales of the Pelican, a total of $15,000 was raised and will be donated to support the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida and help refurbish their very popular wildlife drive, which accommodates nearly 200,000 visitors a year. A matching funds grant was offered by Peter Stangel of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation that will bring the total amount of the contribution to $30,000.

Link: All about the Ruddy Turnstone from Cornell Labs

Quote of the day: "In the end, we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; and we will understand only what we have been taught." - Baba Dioum

Ruddy Turnstone image © 2005 Michael Allen McDowell

Our Backyard Gray Catbirds

The past few summers Becky and I have been enjoying a pair of GRAY CATBIRDS in our backyard. Generally speaking, they are pretty shy birds (but very vocal!). Earning a brief look meant catching them taking a dip and a splash in our birdbath. However, recently I discovered that they love orange flavored suet and can’t seem to get enough of the stuff (I suspect they are feeding it to their young, as well). They are such graceful and tidy birds, too - either catbird will cleanup the mess below by picking up chunks of suet that have fallen to the ground.



Whenever resident BLUE JAYS (generally 2 to 4 of them) visit the platform feeder for peanuts, one of the catbirds will pick a jay, chase it around through the trees and make loud screeching vocalizations – this is quite the spectacle! The jays seem to manage the catbirds pretty well by taking turns running interference. Once the ruckus is over the catbirds return to their suet runs.

Link: All about the Gray Catbird from Cornell Labs

Quote of the Day: “The question is not, ’Can they reason?’ nor, ‘Can they talk?’ but rather, ‘Can they suffer?’" - Jeremy Bentham

Gray Catbird images © 2005 Michael Allen McDowell

Bird travels tracked by fluorescent droppings

A forest in South Carolina has been peppered with fluorescent bird droppings, all in the name of conservation. The unusual technique was used to track the movement of birds between patches of their preferred habitat after it has been broken up, in this case by stretches of pine trees. The scientists sprayed wax myrtle seeds, a favourite food of eastern bluebirds (Sialia sialis), with fluorescent powder and then tracked the brightly coloured results.

Link: Full Article

Link: All about the Eastern Bluebird from Cornell Labs

Eastern Bluebird image © 2005 Michael Allen McDowell