Birdchick Blog
From the now defunct Birding Family CircusThere's the coming BirdSnap app or website to aid in bird ID.
Are you aware of the birding term "stringing" and have you been guilty of it? This also leads us to Birder Shaming.
Is birding too popular (eye roll).
This is a fun episode, there are two cameos: our pet rabbit Dougal and Greg Miller (aka Jack Black's character in The Big Year). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3i3L_gwdgtQ
Please visit the pages of our generous sponsors if you see something you like in the series:
Swarovski Optik (the optics I've been using for years)
Princeton University Press (my favorite nature publisher and sign up for updates on their cook BirdGenie bird call identifier app that's coming)
Alamo Inn Bed & Breakfast (the best place to stay for birding in the Rio Grande Valley, TX)
South Texas Nature (information for birding south Texas, including the Rio Grande Valley)
If you are enjoying the series, please consider sharing an episode on your social media outlets. And remember, kids, birds shown in the first seven episodes have all been digiscoped by both Clay and me and are a clue to the series theme! If you correctly guess the series theme, you are entered into a drawing for a Swarovski spotting scope.
Please read over the contest rules before entering. All entries that deviate from the contest rules will be disqualified. The winner will be announced in the eighth episode airing on June 26, 2014.
To make sure you do not miss an episode, subscribe to the Birdchick YouTube Channel.
Contest Rules (To make sure you do not miss an episode, subscribe to the Birdchick YouTube Channel. )
1. All entries for the Swarovski STS spotting scope need to be emailed to digiscoping@birdchick.com and must include the answer, your first and last name, mailing address and phone number (in case I need to contact you regarding shipping).
2. You can guess the theme more than once, but only ONE correct entry per person will count in the drawing. (You should probably watch a few episodes before you guess).
3. All entries guessing the series theme must be received no later than 11:59pm Central Time on June 23, 2014.
4. The winner of the Swarovski spotting scope will be chosen at random and the decision of the judges is final.
And here is episode three which includes a last minute cameo addition of a Lawrence's Warbler! How many bird shows do you know have one of those in an episode?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQDKYi3fhKY&feature=youtu.be
Clay and I also talk some photography techniques in this episode and remember, kids, birds shown in the first seven episodes have all been digiscoped by both Clay and me and are a clue to the series theme! If you correctly guess the series theme, you are entered into a drawing for a Swarovski spotting scope.
Be sure to check out the pages of our generous sponsors for this episode, especially if you saw something in the show you liked:
Swarovski Optik (the optics I've been using for years)
Princeton University Press (my favorite nature publisher and sign up for updates on their cook BirdGenie bird call identifier app that's coming)
BirdsEye Birding (the most useful bird finding apps available)
Please read over the contest rules before entering. All entries that deviate from the contest rules will be disqualified. The winner will be announced in the eighth episode airing on June 26, 2014.
To make sure you do not miss an episode, subscribe to the Birdchick YouTube Channel.
Contest Rules (To make sure you do not miss an episode, subscribe to the Birdchick YouTube Channel. )
1. All entries for the Swarovski STS spotting scope need to be emailed to digiscoping@birdchick.com and must include the answer, your first and last name, mailing address and phone number (in case I need to contact you regarding shipping).
2. You can guess the theme more than once, but only ONE correct entry per person will count in the drawing. (You should probably watch a few episodes before you guess).
3. All entries guessing the series theme must be received no later than 11:59pm Central Time on June 23, 2014.
4. The winner of the Swarovski spotting scope will be chosen at random and the decision of the judges is final.
Non Birding Bill and Greg Miller!
THE APP GIVEAWAY MENTIONED IN THE PODCAST IS NOW CLOSED. WE HAVE GIVEN AWAY ALL THE APP CODES.
Tree trimmer accused of putting herons in wood chipper in Oakland apparently didn't do that and is genuinely sorry for the situation.
Passenger pigeon article Sharon talked about. And here's the group that wants to bring 'em back.
The Dead Birds Facebook page.
Gadget birders vs non gadget birders. Is this really a thing? And Lili Taylor watching birds from the top of the Empire State Building.
The bird books we talked about are pictured above.
Episode 1:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAZS7tllt3Q
Episode 2:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FU8b3K6nZo
Here is episode 2! I noticed some people figured out the clue in episode one...will they get episode two and will that clue them in to the overall theme? Hmmmm. This episode is particularly special because we get to talk a little bit about a new app called BirdGenie coming from Princeton University Press and show one of my FAVORITE places to go birding in the world: the Rio Grande Valley and the best birder hotel Alamo Inn. There's even a Non Birding Bill cameo!
So, remember kids, birds shown in the first seven episodes have all been digiscoped by both Clay and me and are a clue to the series theme! If you correctly guess the series theme, you are entered into a drawing for a Swarovski spotting scope.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FU8b3K6nZo
Please visit the pages of our generous sponsors if you see something you like in the series:
Swarovski Optik (the optics I've been using for years)
Princeton University Press (my favorite nature publisher and sign up for updates on their cook BirdGenie bird call identifier app that's coming)
Alamo Inn Bed & Breakfast (the best place to stay for birding in the Rio Grande Valley, TX)
South Texas Nature (information for birding south Texas, including the Rio Grande Valley)
The birds shown in the first seven episodes have all been digiscoped by both Clay and me and are a clue to the series theme! If you correctly guess the series theme, you are entered into a drawing for a Swarovski spotting scope.
Please read over the contest rules before entering. All entries that deviate from the contest rules will be disqualified. The winner will be announced in the eighth episode airing on June 26, 2014.
To make sure you do not miss an episode, subscribe to the Birdchick YouTube Channel.
Contest Rules
1. All entries for the Swarovski STS spotting scope need to be emailed to digiscoping@birdchick.com and must include the answer, your first and last name, mailing address and phone number (in case I need to contact you regarding shipping).
2. You can guess the theme more than once, but only ONE correct entry per person will count in the drawing. (You should probably watch a few episodes before you guess).
3. All entries guessing the series theme must be received no later than 11:59pm Central Time on June 23, 2014.
4. The winner of the Swarovski spotting scope will be chosen at random and the decision of the judges is final.
Feel free to share what you think the clue in the first episode is in the comments!
Hey gang, have you watched the first episode of Digiscoping with Clay and Sharon yet? If so and you have an iPhone and would like a free BirdsEye North America App, send me a list of all the birds seen in the episode after the opening credits at sharon@birdchick.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAZS7tllt3Q&list=UUcVJYmY1E0Lzar9p6qalw6g
The first five people to send me a complete and correct list of birds shown in the episode after the opening credits will get a code to download the app for free. This is one of my favorite apps, it allows you to see what birds are being reported in eBird. I used it when I travel to figure out where to go birding and to see what birds might be around that I have seen yet.
Thanks to BirdsEye Birding for the app codes!
Here is the debut of Digiscoping with Clay and Sharon! I hope you enjoy it and please share on your social medias! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAZS7tllt3Q
Be sure to check out the pages of our generous sponsors for this episode, especially if you saw something in the show you liked:
Swarovski Optik (the optics I've been using for years)
Princeton University Press (my favorite nature publisher and sign up for updates on their cook BirdGenie bird call identifier app that's coming)
BirdsEye Birding (the most useful bird finding apps available)
The birds shown in the first seven episodes have all been digiscoped by both Clay and me and are a clue to the series theme! If you correctly guess the series theme, you are entered into a drawing for a Swarovski spotting scope.
Please read over the contest rules before entering. All entries that deviate from the contest rules will be disqualified. The winner will be announced in the eighth episode airing on June 26, 2014.
To make sure you do not miss an episode, subscribe to the Birdchick YouTube Channel.
Contest Rules
1. All entries for the Swarovski STS spotting scope need to be emailed to digiscoping@birdchick.com and must include the answer, your first and last name, mailing address and phone number (in case I need to contact you regarding shipping).
2. You can guess the theme more than once, but only ONE correct entry per person will count in the drawing. (You should probably watch a few episodes before you guess).
3. All entries guessing the series theme must be received no later than 11:59pm Central Time on June 23, 2014.
4. The winner of the Swarovski spotting scope will be chosen at random and the decision of the judges is final.
Feel free to share what you think the clue in the first episode is in the comments!
As cool as it is to do work in south Texas during spring migration, things like worm-eating warblers are really distracting when one has serious deadlines looming.
Things have been quiet on the blog and a little bit on the podcast front because I have been knee deep in a fun project with several partners including Swarovski Optik, Princeton University Press, South Texas Nature, Alamo Inn Bed and Breakfast and Birds Eye Birding and well, even poor Non Birding Bill. Here's snippet of some footage I'm putting together for a program Clay and I going to do about it at this week's ABA Convention (it looks better if you watch it in HD):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bS6hbwtaBwU
So what's been occupying my brain? A web series which will premiere May 8, 2014 on my YouTube Channel. It will air once a week for 8 weeks. All the bird footage in each episode was digiscoped by Clay Taylor and me. And on top of that, all the birds in each episode are a clue to the series theme. If you correctly guess what the theme is, you will be entered into a drawing for a Swarovski Spotting Scope (and a few other prizes).
Each episode is only 5-10 minutes long and features a digiscoping and birding tip and a little bit of info about some of our favorite places for birding and designed to be something you could watch on a break at work--so safe for work viewing for sure.
One of the challenges that Clay and I have filming this is that most if it is outdoors and "pretending" to be digiscoping in great places like South Padre Island during migration. That's when we had the above scarlet tanager fly in front of us. Of course you're going to digiscope that...but do I have an episode that it will fit in based on time of year and the series theme? And aren't we supposed to film some dialog? Ah well.
Despite all of the challenges, this project has incorporated all of my favorite things: birds, travel, working with good friends and colleagues and stretching all of my creative muscles. Here's a preview if you haven't seen it yet:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLj80lDyA_RDBE5og8dgz_UGqugm_8yxvj&v=Mm0OE0aSoV8
If you could share the trailer on your various social medias, I'd appreciate it. I'm hoping this opens the door for other bird series (whether by me or others) to show up on YouTube or other venues. If you want to make sure to not miss one of the 8 episodes, subscribe to the YouTube Channel.
The drawing for the scope winner happens in the 8th episode.
I have to give some major props to poor Non Birding Bill, he's had to travel along with me for help. He even travelled with me to the Rio Grande Valley...during spring migration.
It's weird that so much of my life is on the road and I have a passel of good friends he's never met in person and with this project, he's had a chance. It was also fun to run into the likes of Greg Miller (aka Jack Black's character in the The Big Year movie). Here's Greg trying to wow NBB with birds as Estero Llano Grande State Park. Bill did concede that the pauraques were cool.
Oh and speaking of pauraques, you know how they're always a possibility at Estero near Alligator Lake? They're currently tucked further back and there are babies! How many birds can you make out in the above photo?
Clay and I had been warned that the birds were tucked a bit. We were trying to find them when one just kind of ambled out and was stretching wings. The bird suddenly noticed Clay and I staring at it in awe and then it scurried behind a yucca--I had no idea those things could scurry. We grabbed our scopes to try and digiscope it, making sure to stay on the trail. We had to practically hand to be on all fours to see her from the trail, but Clay found her lurking way back. With the naked eye, she looked really puffed out. I wondered aloud, "Is she incubating eggs since she's puffed out like that?"
Clay got the scope on her and said, "She's not puffed out, those are chicks!"
Sure enough, she had two chicks snuggling out from her breast--how cool to see that!
Alas, pauraques do not fit into the series theme for the show...maybe this show will be good enough that I can get another series commissioned?
Here's a link to an Audubon article that ticked me off because at first glance I thought it made digiscoping look like a joke. But it brings up a bigger questions of what is a photo and what is art. Examples of photos that have been manipulated green heron contest winner or blue heron and bald eagle photo. Here's an article in Audubon about what qualifies as natural as they had to disqualify a great photo because it was technically manipulated.
Yep. Another oil spill. Follow National Audubon on Facebook for the most up to date info. Here's a petition.
Owl rides a train from Scotland to the UK.
Eagle flirting gets out of control.
Ravens to be culled in favor of spotted owls.
Stinky cuckoo is not the worse parasite ever.
Crow solves an 8-step puzzle:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVaITA7eBZE
