I interviewed Ben, a fellow bird nerd and real deal Ornithologist, this fall about exciting expeditions he’s taken in the name of science. Enjoy! Ben Winger is a graduate student in the Committee on Evolutionary Biology at the University of Chicago and the Division of… Read More
An ornithological collection is not a bunch of stuffed birds. Devoid of 15-some data points, dutifully transcribed on individualized tags, they would be merely wonders of preservation. Every bird has a unique number, date of collection, a preparer, a locale, standard name (Latin name), and… Read More
As the nighthawks fly with lazy, yet determined wing beats I know the road to Hart Mountain is approaching. I’ve been greeted by nighthawks here before. I watch them as I turn onto Hart Mountain Road and consider them my welcome home as they wheel… Read More
Looks can be deceiving. If you showed me this photo of a Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus), there’s a good chance I’d say it was a female. For all intensive purposes, it does appear to be of the fairer gender. But there’s a hint that should… Read More
Once I’ve found a routine for early mornings, I happily adhere to them, especially to see some birds close! Bird banding dictates early mornings for several reasons. Birds are more active on cool mornings in hot clines. Setting up nets at daybreak means birds don’t… Read More
Drops of water kept falling on my face. I tried to roll over and cover up with my sleeping bag but instead nuzzled a pool collected at a low spot on the floor of my tent. Cactus Wrens churred away and Curve-billed Thrashers whistled their… Read More
The sound of my alarm jostled me awake in the predawn quiet at camp. My room was cold and I could think of nothing more dreadful than getting out of my warm sleeping bag at this ungodly hour. But we had transects to complete in… Read More
Over our past posts we mentioned our employment is watching birds or specifically that we are “point counting”. However there has been scant attention paid to what a point count actually is. I suppose for those of you actually following along yet unsure what this… Read More
After my transect at Slate Creek I took a long drink of water at my last point and checked my topo map for the quickest way to the road where I was to meet Brendan. Southwest is where the map and compass pointed me and… Read More
After finishing my transect this morning I wandered the road watching a Steller’s Jay that was obviously up to something sneaky (stealing nestlings?), tried to find a drumming Pileated Woodpecker and although I heard a Hutton’s Vireo quite close (“tree! tree! tree! tree!”) I knew… Read More
Wingtrip 