by Gunnar May 7, 2011 2

Birdingblogs Fest #001 May 7, 2011

Like a Blog Carnival

As mentioned in the post last Monday, we here at Birdingblogs want to share our favorite birding blogs of the past week. In this initial issue, some additional posts from last months will also be mentioned. A maximum of 20 top quality birding blog posts will appear here weekly. This format will loosely group the blogposts into topics, so you quickly can scan your area of interest. Each post will have a small thumb-nail to further illustrate the topic. We will chose one birdphoto to illustrate each Fest post – and naturally we will credit it with links etc. It is not our intention to breach copyrights, but timing and workload may hinder us to get in touch with the photographer prior to publication. We hope that the linking and credits will suffice and give the photographer compensation for the use. If not – let us know asap.

Over to this historic first edition, which we dedicate to the now discontinued I and the Bird blog carnival. We hope our initiative to some extent can cover the void of IATB.

Here is a tip how to read the installments on the go. If you are not driving, you can read these posts in the car on your next birding excursion or when you commute on Monday. Download Instapaper for your Ipad, Iphone, Tablet, Android, Laptop or whatever. With Instapaper you can save posts and read them off line. Open all the blogposts you want to read – and mark them with Read Later.

While, this is supposed to be a collaborative effort, this first edition was completely done by Gunnar. The succession much depends whether the rest of the crew chips in or not.

North America Birding

Leucistic Red-tailed Hawk.
Christopher Ciccone from Picusblog found this amazing Hawk. A snow-white Red-tailed Hawk. More pics on his blog, where he explains the difference between Leucistic and Albinistic. Tweet it: RT @Picusblog Amazing snow-white leucistic Red-tailed Hawk spotted and photographed in Massachussets. https://bit.ly/kV52gE #birds

Texas trip report – of sorts
Tom McKinney on Birdingblogs continues his stories from his recent Texas trip. As usual a good laugh. Tom’s own synopsis goes: ” A tale of two birdspotters in a foreign land; this is part one of their story in which dry, uninspiring prose is peppered with immature and unnecessary profanity such as the F-word and other words like ‘twatting’ and ‘shitbags’. Enjoy. Or don’t. Take your pick.” Tweet it: RT @Tom McKinney Texas trip report peppered with immature and unnecessary profanity such as the F-word. https://bit.ly/matXw4 #funny

FLAP – Fatal Light Awareness Program
In times of migration cities makes dangerous places for birds fooled to crash against windows on skyscrapers and artificial light sources. Paul Riss of Punk Rock Big Year is volunteering and finds a lot of dead birds. Since it’s inception 1993, FLAP has collected over 52,000 birds consisting of 164 species (24 of which are in population decline). Tweet it: RT @thepaulriss FLAP has collected over 52,000 birds consisting of 164 species (24 in decline) https://bit.ly/jZHN7F #conservation

Central America Birding

Hummingbird watching in Guatemala.
The people at Hilton Pond have recently done a trip to watch and band Hummingbirds in Guatemala. Excellent trip report with lots of photos. Wow!. Tweet it: RT @HiltonPond. Hummingbird watching in Guatemala. Trip report with lots of photos. https://bit.ly/miruZL #birds #hummingbirds #birding.

South America Birding

Rich Hoyer returns to Rio Cristalino
We can expect a virtual colorful and species rich fest indeed, when Rich Hoyer returns to Rio Cristalino Lodge in Brazil for two months. Rich says it is his favorite place on earth. Tweet it: RT @RichHoyer Rich Hoyer’s fravorite place on Earth. Rio Cristalino. Lots of nature photos. https://bit.ly/iBHlk5 #Brazil #birding # birds

Africa Birding

South African Shrikes.
Dale Forbes is in South Africa and delivers a post on South African Shrikes. This is a must read – and see – as there are some great Shrike-pictures. The Shrikes have evolved in Africa to series of great looking birds. Tweet it: RT @DaleForbes. South African Shrikes – what amazing range of diversity. https://bit.ly/lTNoK1 #SouthAfrica #birding #digiscoping #birds

Asia Birding

6 Critically Endagered Species in Cambodia.
Josep del Hoyo delivers 6 videos of Critically Endangered birds in Cambodia: White-shouldered and Great Ibis, Bengal Florican, Indian White-backed, Red-headed and Long-billed Vultures. Tweet it: RT @Birdingblogs: Video of 6 Critically Endagered Species in Cambodia by Josep del Hoyo https://bit.ly/lDGHjp #Conservation #birds #vultures

BinLaden is dead, but will the Siberian Cranes fly again?
The Green Ogre is becoming one of our favorite blogs on the Indian subcontinent. Bijoy Venugopal ask now that Bin Laden is dead. Why can’t America , as part of their much publicised rebuilding efforts, take Stewardship for Afghanistan’s ecology and allow nature to work its resuscitating magic? Tweet it: RT @The GreenOgre Bin Laden is dead, but will the Siberian Crane fly again. Restore the ecology in Afghanistan! https://bit.ly/jBdJRj

Europe Birding

Aegean Rainbow continued.
Rebecca Nason’s second post from Lesvos. The first post featured mindblowing shots of Bee-eaters and this second post gives you a rainbow of different species. Anything can turn up during migration which makes Lesvos such a fantastic place to be birding at. Tweet it: RT @Birdingblogs Aegean Rainbow continued. Superb bird photography from Lesvos, Greece. https://bit.ly/kSRrUO #RebeccaNason #birds

Bird Conservation

The Great March of Anatolia.
Turkey’s hidro-electrical and irrigation program is threatening birdlife. The Great March of Anatolia Protest Movement is growing large. Charlie Moores writes a strong post on what is going on in Turkey should be read and read again – and shared and then shared again, Pretty Please . Tweet it: RT @CharlieMoores Turkey’s hidro-electrical program is threatening birdlife. Protest movement growing strong. https://bit.ly/kDYeML

Women in Conservation in Colombia
ProAves and ABC are running a great program in which local women makes handicrafts which are sold to the visiting birders of the ProAves reserves as well on birdfairs and festivals. The women gets a welcome income and there is less pressure on the forests this way. Tweet it: RT @kolibrix Women in Conservation in Colombia https://bit.ly/ihLiNq #birding #handicrafts #birds#bird

How do we solve a Problem Lika Malta
This was one of our favorite posts last month. Charlie Moores put forward an interesting discussion what to do with Malta. Boicott, does not seem to solve the issue – and gives more space to the “hunters” (barbarian swine is a better word for this slaughter – it is NOT hunting). Best to volunteer or donate. Read how. Tweet it: RT @CharlieMoores How do we solve a Problem Lika Malta? Discussing the options. https://bit.ly/lRQmFl #Malta #spring #hunting

On Bird Blogging

Top Birding Bloggers
Imagine Nature Blog Network or Fatbirder BirdingTop1000 only for Birdingblogs, where your birdingblog could be among top 20 rather than number 337 on the overall lists . This is reality now. And better still you will not have to compete with multiauthor blogs. Read this and sign up. Tweet it: RT @kolibrix Top Birding Bloggers. Join now! https://bit.ly/gr6WNs #birdingblogs #birds #birdwatching

Birdingblogs.collected – new aggregation of birding blogs.
If you blog about birds, you have to be on birdingblogs new aggregation of birdingblog RSS feeds. Thus far 23 different birdingblogs are participating. You should too. Tweet it: RT @kolibrix If you blog about birds, you should join birdingblogs.collected. https://bit.ly/kQgZIp #blogging #birding #birds #RSSfeed

I and the Bird – Rest in Peace
After 149 editions the worlds longest running blog carnival for birdingblogs have come to an end. In this post it is discussed what comes next. For instance this weekly birdingblogs summary The BirdingBlog Fest is introduced here. Tweet it: RT @kolibrix I and the bird – no more. What will happen now? https://bit.ly/imWtYP #blogging #birding #birds #blogcarnival #iatb

I and the Bird #149
We could not do without also featuring the last IATB here. Check out Kirk Mona’s post at Twin Cities Naturalist and the links here. Good reading. Tweet it: RT @tcnaturalist The last I and the Bird – number 149. https://bit.ly/kZubjT #birds #birdblogging

Birding Technology

Review: Sibley eGuide to Birds App for Android
Robert Mortenson of “Birding Is Fun” reviews the Sibley eGuide app for Android. It is amazing what you can do with a phone nowadays. Tweet it: RT @Birding_Is_Fun Review: Sibley eGuide to Birds App for Android https://bit.ly/kZZknf #android #birding #app #technology #birds

Review of Audubon Birds for Android
Robert Mortenson of “Birding Is Fun” also reviews the new Audubon Birds app for Android. It is an excellent complement to Sibley. Tweet it: RT @Birding_Is_Fun Review: Audubon Birds eGuide for Android reviewed https://bit.ly/kRM6K0 #android #birding #technology #app #birds

Digiscoping with an iPhone
Rich Hoyer bring us a very good small tutorial how to digiscope with an iPhone. It is not as intuitive as digiscoping with a normal camera, so the tutorial is appreciated. Tweet it: RT @RichHoyer Digiscoping with an iPhone tutorial https://bit.ly/kdZfeT #digiscoping #iPhone #birds #birding #photography #birdwatching

Comparing Digiscoping Techniques
Rich Hoyer did yet another digiscoping technique piece for BirdingBlogs. Here he compares the results of free hand vs an adapter – and some other small digiscoping tricks. Very instructive. Tweet it: RT @RichHoyer Comparing Digiscoping Techniques https://bit.ly/lfJfgZ #digiscoping #birds #birding #photography #birdwatching

That is it folks. Hope you liked this first edition of Birding Blogs Fest. Did we miss anything? Any particular blogpost that should have been here? That is what the comment section is for below. Please recommend first of all the best posts of others. If you have a killer post yourself that is certain to fit among the 20 best, you may suggest this as well.