Holy Mackerel! Birding is Fun sent me a link to a news story about a person caring for conjoined American Robins. Whaaaaaaaaaaa? There's even an update...a vet separated the birds and discovered that their skin fusion was not the result of natural causes. Some water birds like pelicans and terns are breeding well despite their surrounding areas getting dumped on by BP last summer (still not buying your gas BP).

The challenges of the Exxon Oil Spill in the Yellowstone River.

Fantastic article over at Mother Jones on the whole--are feral cats really a problem for native wild birds? A quote from the article: "The American Bird Conservancy's campaign to convince pet owners to keep cats indoors has had some success—bird deaths have declined by a third in areas that passed ordinances against free-ranging cats."

Also, note the statistic chart of what kills how many birds. Fascinating.

Let's end with fun: baby screech owlies!

Yes, they're real! These orphaned Western Screech Owls are being weighed in WildCare's Wildlife Hospital. They will stay in care until they're old enough to be released back into the wild. Orphaned birds like these are always raised with others of their own species and contact with humans is kept to an absolute minimum.