State of the Birds

...is HERE.
Please take some time to view the short film, download and read the PDF and tell some friends about it. Finally, see what it is you might be able to do to help better the state of the birds, and the world where we live.

There are enormous challenges that we must face in the coming years, but like the canary in the coal mine, this avian harbinger should not be ignored.

-Dan

Signs of Spri.... HAAA CHOOO.... of Spring. Pass the tissues?

Last week I thought that I'd developed some sort of 'adult allergies' or something rather terrible like that. Good news!!! It's just a plain old, run-of-the-mill frustrating cold. My head is stuffed, my body aches and I could whine about it all night long. But I will do no such thing. No, me... I'm delighting in the fact that my old friend the oak tree, the spring flowers or that little bit of Goldenrod is NOT causing all this torture. Lucky me, someone probably sneezed on me somewhere, sometime last week.But some awful cold is not enough to keep me from a blog. And to put your minds at ease, Declan and Mom Emery are doing great. For that matter, the entire Haas Family had a wonderful Easter weekend and we hope yours was fantastic as well.

Chris Murray and I dropped by Waterworks Park in Annapolis just prior to our trip Emery's folks home in Bethesda for Easter dinner. Emery, Declan and I spent the morning at my folks home here in Annapolis. After a brief nap, I figured that a little birding couldn't hurt before dinner. My sniffles and coughing are telling me otherwise.

Here is an EASTERN PHOEBE. It was one of five seen at Waterworks during our brief visit. We also had two BARRED OWLS calling while we hiked around the reservoir.

"Who Cooks For You? Who Cooks For You All??," asked the BARRED OWLS. Lucky for us, my folks had fixed a scrumptous breakfast and Emery folks were busy making dinner!The Cornell Lab of Ornithology informs us that, "In 1804, the Eastern Phoebe became the first banded bird in North America. John James Audubon attached silvered thread to an Eastern Phoebe's leg to track its return in successive years." I suppose that would mean that this bird was one of the first to shed light on that wild MIGRATION thing? If so, the PHOEBE gets my nomination for "Spring Sign of the Week."

And finally, a photo of the GREAT EGRET patrolling the cove at Greenbury Point. This photo was taken last week, but it says 'spring' to me. I trust that you are enjoying the season.Ths is my favorite photo today of the better 2/3rds of my family. I love my wife's facial expression here. She is so adorable when she growls like a bunny.-Dan