 | | |  Although winter hung on oddly, it is officially spring. People and birds are on the move. This March issue of Bird Watch and Wonder reflects that movement as we report on how and why birds migrate and, thanks to climate change, some of the dangers they face. You’ll also find tips on how best to attract birds to your yard and make sure they have a snug, safe place to stay by making bird houses that even picky Mr. and Mrs. Wren will choose.
Some members of Congress also want to help birds as they travel to their districts this spring. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ), who represents prime birding spots along the New Jersey Shore, seems to count Red Knots, long-distance migration champions, as constituents. He’s introduced legislation to protect horseshoe crabs and their eggs that are a critical source of food for these red-breasted sandpipers along their 9,000 mile route!
  We are learning more and more about how birds navigate and how we can help them avoid dangers as they travel and when they finally manage to arrive safely at their destinations. But how about Underground Railroad heroes like Harriet Tubman who led some 70 enslaved people to freedom while evading slavecatchers and their dogs? As Allison Keyes reports in Audubon Magazine, Tubman grew up in Eastern Shore Maryland among wetlands and swamps and was hired out as a slave to check muskrat traps in wet marshes. This early experience navigating through nature meant she was intimately connected to the animals, birds, and ecosystems of the slave state of Maryland. No surprise, then, that in guiding escaped slaves, Tubman would signal “all clear” to her charges with sounds like the hoot of the Barred Owl that would not betray their presence to slave trackers. Examples like Harriet Tubman reveal the bravery, empathy, and altruism that humans, at their best, are capable of. Rachel Carson believed that feeling and empathy were essential for humans to avoid becoming dangerous. And Carson was ahead of her time in writing that animals, including birds, were capable of the same sort of empathy and love for others as are we humans. That’s why we think you will want to read in “Bird Lore,” the true story of a male Red-Tailed Hawk who, out of love, cares for his leucistic mate (she is characterized by large white areas that make her less camouflaged, more vulnerable, and less able to catch prey unaware). He hunts for her, helps on the nest, fends of attackers, and literally keeps her alive. Such beauty and beautiful behavior has entranced humans throughout history. It is the stuff of metaphors and of poetry. For this March issue, RCC’s birdmeister, Ross Feldner, has taken to watching birds in literature and assembled a priceless collection of some of the best and most interesting poems about birds that we have. As you savor them, it may make you want to once again observe birds closely and carefully, noting your emotions and capturing their fleeting images as you watch. But, we do not simply watch the birds. We live with them and we love them. As Rachel Carson said, “One way to open your eyes is to ask yourself, ‘What if I had never seen this before? What if I knew I would never see it again?’” | | | | | | | |  Bob Musil is the President & CEO of the Rachel Carson Council and author of Rachel Carson and Her Sisters: Extraordinary Women Who Have Shaped America’s Environment (Rutgers, 2016) and Washington in Spring: A Nature Journal for a Changing Capital (Bartleby, 2016). He is also the editor of the forthcoming annotated edition from Rutgers University Press of Rachel Carson’s Under the Sea-Wind with his Introduction, updated marine science, and historic and contemporary illustrations and photographs. | | | | | | Rep. Pallone Advances Horseshoe Crab and Red Knot Conservation Each spring Red Knots travel from as far as the southern tip of Argentina to the Arctic Circle. This Hemispheric journey can be more than 9,000 miles one way! To survive the long migration, Red Knots stopover on the Atlantic Coast to feed on horseshoe crab eggs. The nutrient dense eggs help Red Knots gain weight and fly to their final destination. Horseshoe crabs are therefore critical to the survival of Red Knots. | | | | | | | | Hundreds of Birds Were Found Dead in New Haven Within Weeks — But There’s Hope to Stop It Mixed with contrasting styles of gothic and more modern, glass-based architecture, Yale University’s New Haven campus presents stark contrasts to bird safety. Gothic architecture is generally bird-friendly. However, large buildings covered in glass can be deadly – and a study has shown just how dangerous it’s become. | | | | | | | | How To Attract Birds To Your Feeder, According To An Expert Make your backyard a bird's paradise with these bird feeder tips. There's nothing quite as delightful as getting a visit from a little backyard bird. From bluebirds to woodpeckers to hummingbirds, these avian beauties add music and movement to yards and gardens all throughout the South. Not only are they lovely to look at, they keep the insect population down and are a huge contributor to proper pollination. | | | | | | | | Pennsylvania Farmers Convicted of Poisoning Over two Dozen Migratory Birds Two Pennsylvania farmers have been found guilty of poisoning over two dozen migratory birds with a restricted substance. Robert Yost and Jacob Reese, located in Econ Valley, Pennsylvania, were found guilty in January of three charges related to poisoning 17 Canada geese, 10 red-winged blackbirds and one mallard duck, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. | | | | | | | | Birds Georgia Seeks Coastal Volunteers Project Safe Flight expands to include surveys in Savannah and Brunswick. Birds Georgia is looking for coastal volunteers who don’t mind getting up early and aren’t squeamish. Their task will be to walk a predetermined route once a week in downtown Savannah or downtown Brunswick looking for birds that have had a fatal encounter with a building. Birds Georgia was previously called Georgia Audubon and remains an affiliate of the National Audubon Society. | | | | | | | | More Sugar Makers Could Soon Manage Their Forests With Birds in Mind Shopping for a jug of maple syrup, you might have noticed a little yellow sticker adorned with a red bird, marking the bottle as “bird friendly.” It’s a program that grew out of Vermont Audubon a decade ago to encourage sugarmakers to manage their forests with birds in mind. Today, the Bird-Friendly Maple program works with nearly 90 producers in Vermont and others in Maine, New York and Connecticut. | | | | | | | | | | Officials Bringing Back Small Game Bird That Disappeared From Pennsylvania A small game bird, once in all of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties before it vanished in the 1990’s, is back. The Pennsylvania Game Commission released 50 bobwhite quail on Letterkenny Army Depot grounds in Franklin County on Tuesday. The birds are a “final brick in a foundation the Game Commission began laying more than a decade ago,” the PGC wrote in a news release. | | | | | | | | Is Your Backyard Birdhouse a Death Trap? How to Give Birds Safe Shelter. I wanted to build a first-class home. Small enough to be cozy, but big enough to raise a family. I needed an ideal location, near a wooded area, with a natural supermarket nearby. And the design should be simple, crafted entirely out of wood. While I was worried about the cost, I needn’t have been. I finished building mine for about $5 in materials in an afternoon. Soon, I hope, my new home will host a family of pygmy nuthatches, tiny songbirds with slate gray wings and a high-pitched call reminiscent of squeezing a rubber ducky. | | | | | | | | The Poetry of Birds Birds with their ability to fly, fantastic colorations and beautiful songs have long inspired poets and writers. We dream of the freedom of flight. Here’s a short collection of fascinating selections from poems written by some of the world’s most famous poets. Click on the poem’s title to read the full poem. | | | | | | | | With an Orange-Tufted Spiderhunter, Birder Breaks Record for Sightings In February, Peter Kaestner beat out the competition to document his 10,000th bird species. On Feb. 9, Peter Kaestner stood in the shadow of majestic Tinuy-an Falls on the Philippine island of Mindanao, on the cusp of a record he’d spent seven decades chasing and worried that he’d arrived too late. | | | | | | | | (Re)name That Bird! Now’s Your Chance The American Ornithological Society is renaming dozens of birds and wants the public’s help. A whole flock of birds will get new names in the coming year, and bird lovers of all stripes — from casual backyard watchers to serious peepers — will have a chance to help. The American Ornithological Society, the authority on North American bird names and identification, plans to rechristen species named after human beings and include public input in the process. | | | | | | | | Harriet Tubman, an Unsung Naturalist, Used Owl Calls as a Signal on the Underground Railroad The famed conductor traveled at night, employing deep knowledge of the region's environment and wildlife to communicate, navigate, and survive. Many people are aware of Harriet Tubman's work on the Underground Railroad and as a scout, spy, guerrilla soldier, and nurse for the Union Army during the Civil War. Fewer know of her prowess as a naturalist. | | | | | | | | A New, Cute Little Bird May Soon Show Up In Your Yard. You Can Help Scientists Study It As spring arrives, you may notice a new visitor sucking nectar from hummingbird feeders and picking juicy fruits from shrubs and trees. The Swinhoe’s white-eye is a tiny bird with chartreuse plumage, native to places like Southeast Asia, whose population appears to be growing rapidly throughout Southern and Central California. | | | | | | | | This White Red-tailed Hawk Isn’t Just Gorgeous—It’s Also a Rare Scientific Opportunity The stunning raptor was recently trapped in Oklahoma by an awestruck group of researchers, who affixed the bird with a GPS transmitter for further study. On a sunny February afternoon, Bryce Robinson, a PhD candidate at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, was on the search for Red-tailed Hawks in the Oklahoma countryside. | | | | | | | | All North American Birds Named After People Will Soon Get New Names After years of consideration and little news, this week's announcement by the American Ornithological Society caught many birders by surprise. The American Ornithological Society (AOS), the organization of bird scientists that determines the official English and Latin names for North America’s bird species, announced this week that they are embarking on a process to change the English names of the approximately 152 North American birds and 111 South American birds named after people. | | | | | | | | Good Question: How Do Birds Know When to Migrate? The sounds of spring are singing across trees and lakes. Some birds are returning to Minnesota as others are just passing through. How do birds know when to migrate? And will our record-warm winter impact their schedule? Good Question. The annual field trip for elementary school students to the Bell Museum happens every spring, right around the same time the very birds the kids are learning about make their yearly trip across the world. | | | | | | | | Free Birds: The Wonderful Life of Sparrows Outside Laboratories House sparrows thrive near humans—their name comes from their affinity for nesting in or near human-made structures—and are one of the most common birds in North America. They prosper in both the countryside and cities and have even been spotted searching for food on an observation deck of the Empire State Building. But coexisting with humans isn’t always safe for these birds. Some of them are abducted from their homes in nature so that experimenters can confine them to laboratories and subject them to cruel tests. | | | | | | | | A Dam Fine Spot For Bald Eagles: Birders Flock to a CT River For a Glimpse of Majestic Bird There’s a feeling of anticipation and childlike wonder as birders gather at the base of a dam in western Connecticut. Dozens of eyes pierce through rows of evergreens and sycamores, scanning the gray sky. Suddenly, a pop of brilliant white blazes in the distance. The star of the show is here. A bald eagle soars into view. “Great shot!” Lucy Walker exclaims. “We have a bald eagle flying up and over the dam.” | | | | | | | | Red-tailed Hawk With a Rare Condition is Surviving, In Part, Due to 'love,' Biologist Says With around 2.5 million of them flying around North America, scientists know a lot about red-tailed hawks. But Angel, a red-tailed hawk in Knoxville, Tennessee, is getting the attention of scientists — and perhaps tugging at their heartstrings. "I was like oh my gosh, that's a leucistic red-tailed hawk, that's crazy,” Connor O'Brien, a project manager and biologist at Window to Wildlife, told WVLT of first seeing Angel. | | | | | | | | As Spring Shifts Earlier, Many Migrating Birds Are Struggling to Keep Up With the climate warming, leaves and blooms are popping out ahead of schedule. A wide-ranging new study shows why this trend is troubling for a variety of bird species. For migrating birds, timing is key. Their journeys require massive amounts of energy, so they need plenty of fuel on their way, and after they get to their breeding grounds, they’ll have hungry chicks to feed, too. | | | | | | | | A Little Bird Told Him: Local Writer Relays Stories About Avian World Ranson’s short fictional stories are about birders and the birds that fuel their passion. Ranson has recently worked on finding new ways to write about the lives of birders, their relationships with one another, and the creatures that send them out into the field on those wild chases. Ranson was born in England and lived in Wales before coming to California in 1981. | | | | | | | | | | | | Northern Parula This plump, tiny wood-warbler is roughly the size of a kinglet, about 4.5” in length, with a sharp bill and a short tail. Males are beautifully colored in blue-gray with a bright yellow chest and throat and very distinctive white eye crescents. The Northern Parula forages through the upper story of the forest, flitting and hopping in search of insects favoring small beetles, flies, moths, caterpillars, ants, bee, wasps and spiders. | | | | | | | | Momentary Meditations are published every Monday to awaken what Rachel Carson called “the sense of wonder” and what Albert Schweitzer called “a reverence for life.” Looking deeply into our interdependence with all life on earth helps us know what we must do. In our harried world, these meditations are meant to serve as a renewable resource for compassion and love. The Grace of an Eagle - Watching this eagle slowly and deliberately prepare for flight caused me to confess that too often I get lost in mindless waiting or unnecessary rushing and overlook the power of resting “in the grace of the world”, as Wendell Berry puts it in his poem The Peace of Wild Things: | | | | | | | | Learning the Birds: A Midlife Adventure by Susan Fox Rogers  "The thrill of quiet adventure. The constant hope of discovery. The reminder that the world is filled with wonder. When I bird, life is bigger, more vibrant." That is why Susan Fox Rogers is a birder. Learning the Birds is the story of how encounters with birds recharged her adventurous spirit.
When the birds first called, Rogers was in a slack season of her life. The woods and rivers that enthralled her younger self had lost some of their luster. It was the song of a thrush that reawakened Rogers, sparking a long-held desire to know the birds that accompanied her as she rock climbed and paddled, to know the world around her with greater depth. Energized by her curiosity, she followed the birds as they drew her deeper into her authentic self, and ultimately into love.
In Learning the Birds, we join Rogers as she becomes a birder and joins the community of passionate and quirky bird people. We meet her birding companions close to home in New York State's Hudson Valley as well as in the desert of Arizona and awash in the midnight sunlight of Alaska. Along on the journey are birders and estimable ornithologists of past generations―people like Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Florence Merriam Bailey―whose writings inspire Rogers's adventures and discoveries. A ready, knowledgeable, and humble friend and explorer, Rogers is eager to share what she sees and learns Learning the Birds will remind you of our passionate need for wonder and our connection to the wild creatures with whom we share the land. Click here to purchase | | | | | | Birdscaping
GardenDC: the Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with Tim Mack about birdscaping. The plant profile is on Wind Anemone and we share what's going on in the garden as well as some upcoming local gardening events and this week's garden tasks in the What's New segment. We close out with the Last Word on Garden Escape by Christy Page of Green Prints. | | | | | | | | Birding Festivals and Events A great way to enjoy bird watching is by going to festivals—they’re organized to get you to great birding spots at a great time of year, and they’re a great way to meet people. Experts and locals help you see more birds, and you’ll meet other visitors who share your hobby. While you’re there, keep an eye out for Cornell Lab representatives, as we do attend several festivals each year. | | | | | | | | The March 2024 issue of Bird Watch and Wonder was produced by Ross Feldner | | | | | |  The Rachel Carson Council Depends on Tax-deductible Gifts From Concerned Individuals Like You. Please Help If You can. | | | |  Sign Up Here to Receive the RCC E-News and Other RCC Newsletters, Information and Alerts. | | | | | | | | | | | |
