Like most birders, I go birding in the morning. The day is new and birds are looking for food, water, and romance. But what happens when the sun goes down? Do birds still exist? Last night, I saw a favorite birding hotspot in a whole new way…by the glow of the moon.
Written by: Jeff Mann
Published on:
Birding Summary, Featured, Main Feed
The Christmas Bird Count has been an annual tradition for the past 115 years, since 1900, taking place of the annual “side hunt” that men would go on each year to hunt as many birds as possible. This is my third year participating in the event, last year I counted with Dan Cooper at Ballona Wetlands, and the year prior at Sepulveda Basin with Kris Ohlenkamp. This year I counted at Limekiln Canyon Park with Rose Leibowitz, President of the San Fernando Valley Audubon Society and three other participants.
Christmas Bird Counts are are officially organized through the National Audubon Society and conducted by local chapters or groups that have signed up.
Written by: Jeff Mann
Published on:
Education, Featured, Main Feed, Science
For the past 116 years the Audubon has organized the annual Christmas Bird Count where groups all over the country gather between December 14th and January 5th to count birds in a particular area.
Like many people do on bird outings, the number of species spotted and how many of each species is recorded and submitted to eBird to help scientists monitor population fluctuations and migration patterns. The Christmas Bird Count bird census was started to replace the tradition of the “side hunt” where men would go out and hunt as many birds in a day as possible.
Written by: Jeff Mann
Published on:
Birding Summary, Featured, Main Feed
Last weekend I had the pleasure of going on an annual birding trip to Rancho Sierra Vista / Satiwa led by Richard (Dick) Barth. Rancho is one of the last intact ranches from the middle of the 20th century and is nestled near the Santa Monica Mountains. This bird walk was organized by the San Fernando Valley Audubon.
Written by: Jeff Mann
Published on:
Entertainment, Featured, Main Feed
Birding (Bird Watching) has a bad rap of being an activity that only old people do. I am here to dispel that myth. Here are 6 reasons birding is not just for old people:
Written by: Jeff Mann
Published on:
App Reviews, Main Feed, Reviews
One day, you may find yourself without a field guide in hand when a mysterious bird finds its way into your field of view. What do you do? In situations like this, or for the book-averse, the answer comes in the form of a nifty mobile app called Merlin.
Written by: Jeff Mann
Published on:
App Reviews, Featured, Main Feed, News, Reviews
I was excited to receive an email from Cornell this morning announcing a new online tool called Merlin Photo ID. This tool, similar to Bird Snap, uses “computer vision technology” to identify birds online from photos that you upload to the software.
Written by: Jeff Mann
Published on: