Sunday, December 6, 2009

How are you celebrating National Blue Jay Awareness Month?


Ruffed Grouse
Originally uploaded by Laura Erickson
Grousing about the whole concept.

How are you celebrating National Blue Jay Awareness Month?


Common Loon
Originally uploaded by Laura Erickson
In a looney way, you betcha!

How are you celebrating National Blue Jay Awareness Month?

Hammering away, of course.

How are you celebrating National Blue Jay Awareness Month?


Trumpeter Swan
Originally uploaded by Laura Erickson
I shall glide, swanlike, through the water, thinking beautiful thoughts and wondering, because during this and every other month the moon is white, why this isn't the National Trumpeter Swan Awareness Millennium?

Saturday, December 5, 2009

How are you celebrating National Blue Jay Awareness Month?


Scarlet Macaw
Originally uploaded by Laura Erickson
Some of my relatives who have been kidnapped from the wild and transported to North America say Blue Jays are noisy and raucous, but we macaws have them beat on that count. I'm just glad I live in a place where I never have to see them.

Friday, December 4, 2009

How are you celebrating National Blue Jay Awareness Month?


Mourning Dove detail
Originally uploaded by Laura Erickson
Hooo? Hooo?

How are you celebrating National Blue Jay Awareness Month?


Horned Guan
Originally uploaded by Laura Erickson
I think I'll go seek out a rare bird to celebrate. Oh, wait--all I need to do is look in a mirror!

App for birders, or for birds?


Northern Hawk Owl
Originally uploaded by Laura Erickson
I know that the new BirdsEye app was designed by humans, but really, it's so useful that pretty soon every owl I know is going to have one. Finally we can keep track of Gray Jays coming in to steal our caches, of ravens that want to mob us, and of delicious little dickeybirds! I mean, what other app provides both home security and grocery shopping help all in one?? Check it out! http://itunes.com/app/birdseye

Oooh--a useful app for us little birds!


Tufted Titmouse
Originally uploaded by Laura Erickson
Hey, guys--want some advance notice when a hawk or shrike is in the neighborhood? Check this out! http://itunes.com/app/birdseye

Now THIS looks like a useful app!


Peregrine Falcon
Originally uploaded by Laura Erickson
Hey, guys--listen up! Now we can keep track of where the tastiest teal, the most scrumptious shorebirds, the most delectable doves, and the most palatable pigeons are with this great new app!!! http://itunes.com/app/birdseye

An achingly sad announcement


Whooping Crane
Originally uploaded by Laura Erickson
Liz Condie of Operation Migration posted the following news yesterday:
FIRST FAMILY MATRIARCH DEAD Location: Cumberland Co. IL
217*, mate of 211, the pair whose offspring is W601*, is dead. Because W601* was the first Whooping crane to be hatched in the wild in the U.S. in more than a century (in 2006), the threesome was dubbed the First Family. (A second chick was also hatched - W602, but was predated on the Necedah NWR in late summer of 2006.)

In a report received late yesterday, Dr. Richard Urbanek advised that the mortality was discovered on Tuesday by WCEP Tracker and ICF Tracking Field Manager, Eva Szyskoski during an aerial flight over Vermillion County, IN, a traditional migration stop for this pair.

Richard reported, that while the male was was spotted 217* was not visible. Her transmitter signal was tracked to a location a few miles away where her carcass was found by Tracking Intern Jess Thompson. Richard noted that the recovery site was not the mortality site. The carcass has gone for necropsy to the National Wildlife Heath Center in Madison, WI.

How are you celebrating National Blue Jay Awareness Month?


Green Jay
Originally uploaded by Laura Erickson
Everyone knows that the moon is made of green cheese, so in my opinion every day should be Green Jay Awareness Day.

(And yes, I'm in a cage at the Audubon Zoo. It's a dirty job, but someone's gotta do it.)

How are you celebrating National Blue Jay Awareness Month?


Eastern Bluebird
Originally uploaded by Laura Erickson
Come on! We were lobbying for a National Bluebird Awareness Day, but those friggin' House Sparrows sabotaged us.

How are you celebrating National Blue Jay Awareness Month?


I'll celebrate by changing my tune from "What cheer" to "What jeer."

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

How are you celebrating National Blue Jay Awareness Month?


Operation Migration!
Originally uploaded by Laura Erickson
We're hope hope hoping we'll make it to Florida well before the blue moon.

How are you celebrating National Blue Jay Awareness Month?


Gray Jay
Originally uploaded by Laura Erickson
It's not fair. They get a whole month just because some yokel decided to call a second full moon in a calendar month a "blue moon"? How about every one of those gray days???

How are you celebrating National Blue Jay Awareness Month?


Snow Goose
Originally uploaded by Laura Erickson
We'll wave to them as we pass by.

How are you celebrating National Blue Jay Awareness Month?


Resplendent Quetzal
Originally uploaded by Laura Erickson
I think I'll celebrate by looking resplendent.

How are you celebrating National Blue Jay Awareness Month?

Blue Jay? What's a Blue Jay?

How are you celebrating National Blue Jay Awareness Month?


Barred Owl
Originally uploaded by Laura Erickson
Who cares about Blue Jays? I celebrate blue moons because of the extra illumination those full moons give for finding mice.

How are you celebrating National Blue Jay Awareness Month?

Honey, I don't care if it's National Predator Awareness Month! I celebrate every day!

How are you celebrating National Blue Jay Awareness Month?

Celebrate? Forget it! I migrated a couple of thousand miles to get the heck away from those noisy jerks!

How are you celebrating National Blue Jay Awareness Month?


Florida Scrub-Jay
Originally uploaded by Laura Erickson
Ain't I a blue jay?

How are you celebrating National Blue Jay Awareness Month?


Loggerhead Shrike
Originally uploaded by Laura Erickson
Blue Jay? Where??? I'm very hungry!

How are you celebrating National Blue Jay Awareness Month?

I'm keeping the heck out of their way. Those Blue Jay beaks pack a wallop!

How are you celebrating National Blue Jay Awareness Month?


Merlin
Originally uploaded by Laura Erickson
I'm hoping to have one for breakfast every single day. You know what we say about Blue Jays. Once in the morning does it!

How are you celebrating National Blue Jay Awareness Month?


Great Blue Heron
Originally uploaded by Laura Erickson
I'm not. I think Laura Erickson should have declared months with blue moons "National Great Blue Heron Awareness Month." Blue Jays? Blech. Who needs em?