Northern Mockingbird, Southern Gothic "Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird.'"That was the only time I ever heard Atticus say it was a sin to do something, and I asked Miss Maudie about it."'Your father's right,' she said. 'Mockingbirds don't do … Continue reading Lee’s Masterful Mockingbird
Sweden's Nobel Prize winning author showed her love of birds and nature in a lovely children's book. Thanks, Selma Lagerlof!
People buy cute, and the saw-whet owl is the cutest thing around.
Bluebirds officially are New York's bird. But what's the fuss if they go into Connecticut?
Clint Eastwood speaks for the birds. The 1976 Clint Eastwood film, The Outlaw Josey Wales, is a somewhat confusing morality play about a peaceful farmer turned vengeful killer. It is based on a novel by Asa Earl "Forrest" Carter, a Klansman who wrote pro-segregation speeches for George Wallace, among other morally abhorrent activities, before re-inventing … Continue reading Buzzards Gotta Eat, Same as Worms
Yesterday, September 22, was my birthday. I have always felt a special kinship with the number 22 for that reason (and perhaps for Joan Jett, who was born on the same date). By 1987, when I was just 22 years old, the wild population of California condors had dwindled to 22 individuals. Yesterday at Vermilion … Continue reading Happy Release Day, California Condors!
Last Friday a team of six volunteers moved six tons of bird seed--half a truck full-- on behalf of Saw Mill River Audubon. Although Tennessee Ernie Ford still bested us by ten tons, I was proud to see a group pull together and do some real yeoman (and yeo-woman) work. As they say in the … Continue reading Feed the Birds, Tuppence a Bag
The Harpy Eagle's name was taken from Greek mythology. We're working to keep this majestic bird in the realm of reality by protecting its habitat.
Is the appearance of a bird a divine sign, or just a coincidence? Both things could be possible, I suppose. Last year, on our moving day, an impressive Pileated woodpecker appeared in the tree in front of our apartment house. We watched it for 10 minutes, dumbfounded at the sight of this majestic bird, which … Continue reading Flicker of Hope
Andean story-telling shows us the Andean Condor is the most respected animal in its mythology, a persistent symbol of strength.
In 1975 Robert Redford and Faye Dunaway starred in a spy thriller called Three Days of the Condor, which was based on James Grady's novel, Six Days of the Condor. In South America, as far as we know, there are only Two Days of the Condor. Let's hope there are many more to come. I … Continue reading Two Days of the Condor
This year we celebrate 100 years of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, enacted by the U.S. Congress in 2018. Our nation, along with Canada (and later, Mexico and the USSR) agreed that our avian species needed protection. Now, more than 1,000 bird species are protected from unregulated killing, while controlled hunting of game birds is … Continue reading Riding on the MBTA: Don’t Let Congress Weaken a Century of Protecting Nature
Ithica-born illustrator Louis Agassiz Fuertes left us thousands of avian paintings and drawings. He's admired, by some, more than the illustrious Audubon himself. In honor of his forthcoming birthday, we honor a man who is much more than an ornithological footnote. Born on February 7, 1874 in Ithica, New York, Louis Agassiz Fuertes showed a … Continue reading Louis Agassiz Fuertes: Audubon’s Heir
Otto Peltzer and Connie Hawkins were exceptional athletes who won glory in playing simple games: running races and shooting baskets. But they were perhaps more remarkable human beings, overcoming brutal circumstances outside the lines to achieve larger victories. This is the story of The Stork and The Hawk. Otto Peltzer was born near the Polish … Continue reading The Stork and the Hawk
Today I discovered, quite by happenstance, several quotes by the French writer-aviator Antoine de Saint Exupéry, author of Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince). One quote struck me as particularly germane while I eyed the owl-shaped kitchen timer involved in one of my wife's cooking exploits. The time for action is now. It is never … Continue reading The Time is Now
At Croton Point Park, we don't let Big City jerks spoil the vibe. This past Saturday Saw Mill River Audubon held our annual soup social, immediately following a brisk morning walk in search of eagles. The event was a success on both accounts: hearty soup 'n' sides were enjoyed by all, and iconic eagles filled … Continue reading Of Eagle Soup and Silly Geese
Edwin Way Teale and the Four Seasons: the hits keep on comin'.
Alger Hiss went to federal prison on account of a red scare and a yellow bird. Yup.
Alan Devoe only lived to age 46, but by the time he shuffled off his mortal coil in 1955 he had left us a treasure of nature writing that some feel compares to Muir and other legendary chroniclers of our wild places. This week I discovered Lives Around Us, a classic study of his wild … Continue reading The Exultancy of Alan Devoe
Brian, Birdwatching 