We can't always get to remote wilderness for birding, but fortunately plenty of great birding opportunities exist close to the city. I recently had the opportunity to visit three excellent birding spots – all within an hour's drive of Washington, D.C.. One of the sites was located in a rural setting, another in the suburbs, and the third was an urban park. It seemed like the only limitations to seeing a great number of wonderful species like the Scarlet Tanager were the weather and my tight schedule. You can read more about these D.C. area birding locations in this recent article.

Photo © William C. Webb

Wading birds are normally very photogenic, especially the egrets. This time of year, during breeding season, the egrets are especially beautiful. If you have never seen egrets in their breeding plumage, then I recommend you consider visiting your local egret breeding colony. I recently had the opportunity to visit a breeding colony of Snowy Egrets and Black-crowned Night Herons. In addition to their breeding regalia, the Snowy Egret breeding displays included strange vocalizations that sounded like loud gargling.

Photo © William C. Webb

The Boreal Songbird Initiative, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting Canada's boreal forest, reports that an estimated 500 migrating waterfowl recently died in a toxic tailings pond in Canada's Tar Sands in the heart of Canada's boreal forest. The tailings ponds store toxic by-products from the chemical extraction of petroleum from tar sands, and migrating waterfowl sometimes accidentally land in the ponds, especially at night or during inclement weather. The accidental waterfowl deaths occurred at a facility run by Syncrude in Alberta. The Boreal Songbird Initiative and others are concerned that planned expansions to tar sand operations in the boreal forest will not only destroy pristine forestlands but present additional toxic hazards to wildlife. You can learn more about the bird and wildlife issues related to the Alberta tar sands at the Boreal Songbirds website .You can also read an article about the incidient in the "Edmonton Journal".

Long regarded as an enduring symbol of wilderness, Common Loons nest on the edges of pristine lakes and ponds in northern forests. If you are lucky enough to hear the eerie cries of a Common Loon, then chances are you are far away from the city. The Common Loon once inspired the famous naturalist John Muir to describe its call as "one of the wildest and most striking of all the wilderness sounds, a strange, sad, mournful, unearthly cry, half laughing, half wailing". You can read more about their natural history in the new profile of the Common Loon.

Photo © William C. Webb

Observers have known for decades that birds and other animals navigate using the earth's magnetic field. However, the mechanism that allows this remains unknown. One hypothesis to explain this ability suggests that animals see magnetic fields using special molecules in their eyes that are magnetically sensitive and activated by light. Until recently there has been no support for this magnetoreception hypothesis.

Scientists led by Devens Gust from Arizona State and Peter Hore from the University of Oxford recently discovered a molecule that becomes sensitive to the strength and orientation of the earth's magnetic field after exposure to light. The molecule is called carotene-porphyrin-fullerene and could resemble the type of molecule in a bird's eye used for navigation. Although the research does not prove that birds use magnetoreception, it does support the possibility that birds could utilize this type of chemical mechanism for navigation. You can read more about this exciting research in Science News and at the website for the journal Nature.

The annual International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD) – held this year on May 10 – celebrates our long-distance travelers. The theme for this year's event is Tundra to Tropics: Connecting Birds, Habitats, and People. Celebrations are planned all across the country at national wildlife refuges, fish hatcheries and wetland management districts. To learn more about IMBD and the event being held around the country, visit Environment for the Americas.

Photo © Gail (glvia@comcast.net)

It's better than any reality TV. show. Many of the nest cams now feature nestlings, and they are definitely worth checking out – in fact, they are as addictive to watch as they are educational. The San Jose Peregrines are just a few days old and very cute. I could not believe it as I watched one of the Barn Owl owlets in Italy, Texas choke down what looked like a woodrat that was almost half the bird's size. The owlets in this nest cam are very active right now and fun to watch as the adults bring them food. Below is an updated list of some of the web cams.

San Jose, CA Peregrine Falcons nest cam
Four nest cams: Italy, Texas Barn Owls; Benicia, CA Barn Owls; Greenville, Texas Wood Ducks; Princeton, KY Eastern Bluebirds
Jersey City Peregrine nest cam
Pennsylvania Peregrine Falcon nest cam
Bald Eagle nest cam Shepherdstown, WV
Peregrine nest cam Syracuse, NY

Beginning bird photographers, and experienced bird photographers alike should consider the advice given by renown bird and wildlife photographer Arthur Morris. In case you haven’t heard of him, Arthur is arguably the most skilled and accomplished contemporary bird photographer. Fortunately for aspiring photographers, Arthur enjoys sharing his knowledge and has written two books on the subject. You can read more about Arthur’s most recent book in my recent review of The Art of Bird Photography II.

What’s more fun than watching birds in your own backyard? Well, watching them nest in your own backyard. This spring I have been fortunate to find three nests in my yard, and that’s without trying too hard. The newest breeders in my yard are the Bushtits, who just recently started building their strange upside-down gourd-like nest. You can see some pictures of these tiny nest builders, and learn more about their natural history in the new species profile on Bushtits.