Warblers at work

The weather today is chaotic. Thunder storms and showers with sporatic moments of sunshine.
At the same time, the birds outside of the office, in woods that surround, were full of song. I couldn't help but take a peak with the binocs. So I found Common Yellowthroat, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, American Redstart, lots of Grey Catbirds. Also heard Red-eyed Vireo and Ovenbird.

A New Way to Communicate

Of coarse I've known about Twitter for over a year now. Only recently does it seem to have matured in the sense that its moving beyond the Tech community into mainstream. After all, Oprah is using it.
I've been thinking that it would make a great replacement for the old Listserve of bird sightings. Today, I was playing with it on my iPhone. (I apoligive if this is sounds i-snob, but things work so well on my iphone.) So you make a sighting, post a tweet with a picture and location and BAM! Those that follow you or are part of the community can get it. Now pair that with the Bird guide app and you got something.
Twitter is been a great way to find the local parties for a while. Maybe we can find a use for the older crowd.

Birding while Perking

For those that don't know, my day job is with the AA County Health Department. This time of year we do most of the perk tests for septic systems. Aside of the normal oppurtunity to get out on a nice spring day (actually it is just as likely to be cold and a downpour of rain), there is the chance to catch a little birding when one waits for a long perk test.

4/24 Outside of the Jugbay area, Lothian
Coopers Hawk
Chipping Sparrow
Common Yellowthroat

4/27 Fairview on the water
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Towhee
Osprey
Common Yellowthroat
Northern Cardinal
Northern Mockingbird
Blue Jay
Great Blue Heron
Spotted Sandpiper
Northern Rough-winged Swallow


4/28 Brooks Woods Rd, Lothian, Farm
Song Sparrow
Mourning Dove
Chipping Sparrow
American Goldfinch
White-throated Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
American Robin

Spring for the Herb home is finaly here

At last. This weekend, I heard the summer staple of the Herb yard. The Ovenbird and Northern Parula. So I can now say (without really doing anything with binocs) that the warblers have arrived.
....yet another wasted winter.

Bird App Makes iPhone Commercial

Birding Goes Late Night

Just thank Willie

So, I caught this quick article on comcast.net...

Parrot honored for warning that girl was choking

DENVER — A parrot whose cries of alarm alerted his owner when a little girl choked on her breakfast has been honored as a hero.

Willie, a Quaker parrot, has been given the local Red Cross chapter's Animal Lifesaver Award.

In November, Willie's owner, Megan Howard, was baby-sitting for a toddler. Howard left the room to use the bathroom and the little girl, Hannah, started to choke on her breakfast.

Willie repeatedly yelled "Mama, baby" and flapped his wings, and Howard returned in time to find the girl already turning blue.

Howard saved Hannah by performing the Heimlich maneuver but said Willie "is the real hero."

"The part where she turned blue is always when my heart drops no matter how many times I've heard it," Hannah's mother, Samantha Kuusk, told KCNC-TV. "My heart drops in my stomach and I get all teary eyed."

Willie got his award during a "Breakfast of Champions" event Friday attended by Gov. Bill Ritter and Mayor John Hickenlooper.

As I read, so many thoughts ran through my brain...

Wow, what a wonderful story... what a wonderful bird!

Would our dog, Allegra, provide the same life saving service or would she just wag her tail and knock the choking child to the floor with her tail's massive force?

I wonder what the child was eating?

Perhaps, we need a bird?

Can parents/caregivers not even go to the bathroom without fear of causing death? Must we all have a parrot to ensure the safety of the next generation?

Is it any wonder, I am the distracted birder?

Despite my somewhat irrational thought process, I am always delighted to see a positive avian story make a headline.

Go, Willie!!!!!