I and the Bird #118

By Mike • February 4, 2010 • No comments yet

Don’t you hate it when you’re forced to recognize you’re not quite as slick or savvy as you thought? I just had that realization thanks to my friend Duncan of Ben Cruachan Blog. You see, back in Dec 2006 I was pretty proud of myself for finally persuading Duncan to host I and the Bird. This was important to me since Duncan has been a mainstay of our beloved birding blog carnival since its inception, representing the avian life of Australia with insight and aplomb. The effort to get Duncan at the helm of an edition took a solid 18 months, but in the end, I reeled that big fish in with a most memorable IATB #38 as a trophy!

But the Ben Cruachan Blogger is an elusive artist indeed. Thinking I had him hooked on hosting, I diverted my attention for just a moment. Lo and behold, 3 years have passed!!! I don’t know how Duncan got away with evading the august responsibility of hosting IATB for so long (considering how outstanding his last edition was) but he’s making up for lost time today with a brilliant bushman edition of I and the Bird #118!

Speaking of multi-year campaigns to get great nature bloggers as hosts, Laura Hardy of Somewhere in NJ will be taking her long-awaited place as curator of the next IATB. Please send your links and summaries to me or Laura (lc-hardy AT comcast.net) by February 16 for the 2/18 edition.

Tags: iatb

Looking for a good book or field guide? We've got some suggestions...

Explore These Related Posts

...Or These Blasts From The Past

About the Author

Mike

Mike is a leading authority in the field of standardized test preparation, but what he really aspires to be is a naturalist. Besides founding 10,000 Birds and I and the Bird, Mike has also created a number of other entertaining sites and resources, particularly the Nature Blog Network.

Share Your Thoughts

Asides

New website for Canadian IBAs

Bird Studies Canada and Nature Canada have launched a new website for the Canadian Important Bird Areas (IBA) Programme. The main goals of the IBA Canada website (www.ibacanada.ca) are to raise awareness of the IBA Programme, to share information about Canada’s IBAs, and to empower more Canadians to reconnect with nature as volunteers for the IBA Caretaker Network. Check it out.

What happens to penguins after they die?

Did you ever wonder why you never see dead penguins on the ice in Antarctica? Craig at SABirdNet has provided the answer…
It is a known fact that the penguin is a ritualistic bird which lives an extremely ordered and complex life. They have a very strong community bond, are very committed to their family and will mate for life. They also maintain a form of compassionate contact with their offspring throughout its life. When a penguin is found dead on the ice surface, other members of the family and social circle dig holes in the ice, using their vestigial wings and beaks, until the hole is deep enough for the dead bird to be rolled into and buried. The male penguins then gather in a circle around the freshly dug grave and sing…
“♫ freeze a jolly good fellow…♪”

BirdLife Malta petition on YouTube

BirdLife Malta have produced a heart-breaking and highly effective video to promote their petition demanding the Maltese prime-minister ban illegal hunting. The link is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0SgNMBvVoQ. Watch it, think about it, sign the petition. Please.

Results of the Puerto Rico Contest

Of course it has been months since Patrick of The Hawk Owl’s Nest was fortunate enough to win the 10,000 Birds / Wildside Nature Tours contest for an “Endemic Dash” through Puerto Rico but it is just now that the results of that contest are really becoming apparent…