One Degree from the Cool Kids!

A long-time fan of all things Cornell, I recently discovered a friend of mine is now working over at their Lab of Ornithology. I went all geek girl, telling everyone about my one degree of separation, like this somehow meant I could now play with the cool kids who are doing amazing things for avian research. Anyway, said friend informed me she was working on the lab's new Bird of Paradise Project. So, of course, I've been over there snooping around for days. Now, they've unveiled the new site publicly, and it's amazing. 35 high definition videos of Birds of Paradise in their natural habitats in Papua, New Guinea. In case you don't know, that area of the world is vigilantly protected by natives (go natives), so getting westerners in to collect data isn't easy.  Check out one of the new vids from the Bird of Paradise Project website. Without further ado, I give you the most amazing sounding Curl-Crested Manucode. Make sure you watch for the bit on the anatomy that makes their wacky vocalizations possible. It's pretty wicked.

I Squee for Birds: Meet the Spoon-billed Sandpiper!

A long-time bird lover and ex keeper of birds, I admit to being a sucker. But, I have totally fallen in love with  the Spoon-billed Sandpiper, one of the most endangered birds on the planet. This is all Cornell Lab of Ornithology's fault. Well, them and Gerrit Vyn who trekked out onto the Russian tundra to film this fantastic footage. Stick with it and you will get to see the first ever film of the little fledglings coming off their nest. So amazing. Read all about it at the Cornell site! Sign up for their newsletter. They always share the coolest stuff.

Taking a Dive with an Eastern Pewee

The Eastern Wood-Pewee is described by Cornell Lab of Ornithology as a "dull  brown bird." I beg to differ. I happen to have fallen for these forest flycatchers. Why? Because, every summer, they come from our nearby woods to perch on our back fence and catch bugs around our pool. They don't mind if we're lounging on the deck or weeding the garden. They don't even care if our dogs are out. They simply ignore us all and come and go as they please.

This year, one female has chosen to be extra bold. She's  using our diving board to practice her diving skills. Last weekend, she spent several hours alternating between using the board as a perch to scope unsuspecting insects, and taking occasional dives into the deep end of the pool for a bath. She could care less if I got in the pool with her, nor if I used the diving board while she was on one of her numerous trips to her nest in a nearby oak tree. She even agreed to pose for a whole series of photos. I imagine she might take offense at being called dull. So, I decided to speak out on her behalf.

Also, a friendly reminder that today is Morgan & Holly's story day over at The Ravens Crossing. Head over to read the Young Adult Science Fiction/Fantasy Adventure Series written by myself and two other fantastic authors. Season 1 finale is right around the corner and the sparks, they will fly. In other good news, my Bonding with Hondo story about my relationship with two chimps I met during my zoo years will be officially published in the Canary tomorrow morning. I'll provide you with a link as soon as I have it.

Warbler Spotting Tips

This little video from Cornell Lab of Ornithology makes me nostalgic. I used to love standing outside the aviary where I worked every spring giving bird watching tips to the visitors to get them excited about bird conservation. It was always great to see the children's reactions when they first learn how to follow their ears and spot a wild bird with binoculars. I can spend hours bird watching. It's spectacular fun, and you don't necessarily even need the binoculars, though they help a lot. And, don't think this means you have to go on some long hike, by the way. Check out this video with warbler watching tips from experts Jessie Barry and Chris Wood. They are looking for birds in a small neighborhood patch of woods. The footage is amazing. You don't need a huge forest, just some patience and a few pointers. Don't forget to drop by The Ravens Crossing to read my latest published young adult flash fiction story, Morgan and Holly. If you read the entire story from the start, you will find they've been bird watching, too. Big surprise.

Audubon's Birds of America: A High Dollar Book

If you were wondering why one might pay $8 million for a book, well, Cornell University Lab of Ornithology offers some clues. Their library owns one of the twelve remaining original copies of Audubon's Birds of America. A different original just sold at Christie's fetching the third largest sum ever for a book. The Cornell copy was brought out for examination by one of the university's art professors, specifically to view some of the best remaining images of  America's extinct species. The viewing was filmed in this fascinating short documentary below. You can read more about the book and the artist's project at the Round Robin.

Tiny Frogs, Beyonce Horse Flies, and Black-Capped Petrals

Photo courtesy of Christopher Austin, Louisiana State U.

The world's smallest frog, Paedophryne amouensis, was just discovered in Papua New Guinea, measuring 7.7 mm, about the size of a house fly. These tiny little guys live in the leaf litter of the rainforest floor, and, apparently, they are very difficult to capture, as you might imagine. You have to follow your ears to locate them by call, but here's the catch. The calls are so high pitched it's difficult for human ears to hear them.

This little guy beats the world's previous record by just 0.2 mm. The last record holder, Paedocypris progenetica, hails from Southeast Asia. Anyway, all of the tiny Paedophryne species discovered thus far are from Southern Papua New Guinea. The fist species was discovered back in 2010, but was just announced to the public a few days ago.

My first thought was, "What do these little things eat?"  The answer is supremely tiny things like mites, and probably some of the same stuff flies would eat. Yum! You can find more about them over at Nat. Geo.

Photo courtesy of CSIRO Australia

And speaking of flies, I'm betting Beyonce is beyond thrilled to hear a species of Horse Fly has been named in her honor. This species, first discovered in 1981, the year Beyonce was born, has gone nameless for years. That is until Bryan Lessard decided to show "the fun side of taxonomy." He describes the fly as having a gorgeous golden abdomen that he claims "makes it the all time diva of flies." Hence the name, Scapia beyonceae. 

This particular species was discovered in Queensland, Australia, where it is not simply a pest, but also an important pollinator of plants. Anyway, my congratulations to both the diva and the fly. More at Science Daily.

Photo by J. Volques of Grupo Jaragua

And down in the Caribbean, the world's first photos of an endangered Black-capped Petral chick have been recorded by J. Volquez, Grupo Jaragua of the Dominican Republic. I can't seem to stop myself from saying, "Isn't it cute?" This species was once thought extinct back in the late 1800s until reported sightings of the birds at sea began to come in. Finally, in 1963, the first nesting grounds were discovered in the Caribbean. For many years, ornithologists have tried to find out more about this rare and illusive species.

The discovery of new nesting grounds with viable chicks has rekindled excitement. Hopes were not high for the species' survival. Few discoveries about their life cycle have been made since the 60's. You can read more from the source, if you read Spanish, at Grupo Jaragua, or you can visit The Cornell Lab of Ornithology for English.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Because I can always count on them for the latest and greatest information on all things bird, I am happy to support The Cornell Lab of Ornithology. If you have not already learned this about me, I am a total bird geek. Give me a pair of binoculars, a spotting scope, and some camouflage, and I can be happy hiking for days following my ears to the next glimpse of some fantastic feathered friend. I even worked in an aviary with tropical forest birds for many years. The photo is of me helping my curator band a Blue Crowned Hanging Parrot, one of the smallest parrots in the world.


Last year's best holiday gift was Cornell Lab's Bird Songs Bible, which plays the birds' songs so you can hear them as you look up their information. 


Cornell Lab's overall mission is to "interpret and conserve the earth's biological diversity through research, education, and citizen science focused on birds." Here is what John Fitzpatrick, their current director, has to say about their work. “Daily, every person under this roof is committed to focusing our unique resources, our ingenuity, and our appreciation of nature toward studying and teaching about the living earth.” 


By way of a thank you this year, Cornell Lab sent out a lovely video to their members. I thought I would share it so you can see some of the amazing things they film and study. Enjoy!