Glynn Wilson

Just as we arrived in the campground after the media reform event in Huntsville, what appears to be a barred owl [strix varia] flew after something in the next campsite. After finishing it’s meal on the ground, it napped in a tree while we got as close as possible for pictures. Unfortunately, the Monte Sano State Park does not have Wi-Fi, like many state parks in behind-the-times Alabama, so we are just now getting back online in Guntersville at a nice little coffee shop in the heart of the small town called Percasso’s. We’ll post more photos and have more to say about media reform later, after one more stop in the country near Asheville.

Glynn Wilson

The spring bird migration has started in Middle Alabamaland. The ruby-throated hummingbirds are here, along with the gold finches. But I couldn’t resist the image of this male house finch [carpodacus mexicanus] perching in a dogwood tree in full bloom. The garden is mostly planted, except for a few more tomato plants we are importing from Sand Mountain.

Glynn Wilson

We figure with all the political sex scandals these days, maybe it would help people to understand that sex is a natural part of nature. After breaking camp at the Gulf State Park campground on Good Friday morning, we stopped on the side of the road for one more series of pictures of the ospreys (pandion haliaetus) nesting on a pine tree in the marsh across from the campground. We got the big 600 mm lens set up on the tripod just in time to catch this series of them mating before they took off for a little fishing for lunch. This is the first of seven photos, with the male coming back to the nest for a little love before lunch. Scroll down to see more…

Glynn Wilson

The male moving in to mount the female…

Glynn Wilson

A successful entry…

Glynn Wilson

Oh yea, baby…

Glynn Wilson

Sweet fulfillment…

Glynn Wilson

And now, since birds don’t smoke cigarettes, it’s time for lunch…

Glynn Wilson

Come on baby, let’s go fishing…

Glynn Wilson

A male house finch in the snow

The 11th annual Great Backyard Bird Count will begin Friday, Feb. 15 and go on through Feb. 18, when tens of thousands of amateur birders will help experts collect data for science and fun.

Sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society, the Great Backyard Bird Count Website has some new features this year, including the ability to submit YouTube bird videos. Just as they have done with photos in the past, some of best videos will be posted on the Website.

There’s also a new blog this year run by Audubon’s Senior Scientist, Rob Fergus, and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Science Editor, Laura Erickson.

“Each year, your discoveries enlighten and inspire us,” says Janis Dickinson, Director of Citizen Science, Cornell Lab of Ornithology. “And last year, you sent in more than 80,000 checklists, a record-breaking number. Together we can set a new record in 2008. We hope you’ll reach out to your family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers by forwarding this email to them or personally inviting them to “Count for Fun, Count for the Future.”

Check lists can be submitted online, and this year, those who take advantage of it will automatically be entered in a prize drawing to win items like binoculars, bird feeders, and a variety of great books. Prizes are listed here.

All photos submitted will be entered in the photo contest, and some will be posted in an online gallery. Images and counts will be accepted through March 1.

In 2007, participants made history, breaking records for the number of birds reported and number of checklists submitted. Participants sent in more than 80,000 checklists tallying over 11 million birds of 613 species.

Last year, it was discovered that many bird species had already started their spring migrations in February - earlier than in decades past.

To enter your bird count checklists, go to www.birdcount.org and click on the big “Enter your Checklists” button at the top of the page.

Last year, we got some great data and some great photos during this annual event.

Backyard Bird Count 2007

We will be participating and covering the event again this year, so check back this weekend for some great new bird photos.

Glynn Wilson

As predicted, a blanket of snow covered middle Alabamaland on Saturday. The birds seemed to be having as much fun as the kids in the hood. This male house finch (carpodacus mexicanus) was not so shy as I shot from the indoor bird blind into the dogwood tree.