The Annual Christmas Bird Count

The 113th Christmas Bird Count begins in the Americas on Friday & runs through 5 January 2013. This is important business & it burns holiday calories, too. (This is an important motivator for GG's editor:). Read here & if you won't be able to commit to this or don't live in North America, the Great Backyard Bird Count is in February. ciao-cheep-meow/xoxo

"From December 14 through January 5 tens of thousands of volunteers throughout the Americas take part in an adventure that has become a family tradition among generations. Families and students, birders and scientists, armed with binoculars, bird guides and checklists go out on an annual mission - often before dawn. For over one hundred years, the desire to both make a difference and to experience the beauty of nature has driven dedicated people to leave the comfort of a warm house during the Holiday season." ~ Audubon Society

(photograph by Michael Taylor)

Hummingbirds

We're reading up on ruby-throated hummingbirds (& the other varieties, as well) today because we saw some this weekend, apparently on their migration south. (To be clear, we knew nothing about hummingbirds except they are beautiful & native to North America.) They are so beautiful; tiny but tough. For a great resource visit Cornell's All About Birds.

Two more hummingbird links: hummingbird cupcakes & a coloring pages for children.

GG/xo

(photograph by Sam Alvano of his wife Abigail hand-feeding hummingbirds! Giulia wants to do this, ahem. More photos.)

Metamorphosis

If you happen upon some larvae (or by this late in the spring, tadpoles) don't interrupt the process. (Check your local & state laws.) But if you see some danger to them, you could try to raise them. Giulia's editor raised three tadpoles to froghood some years back. They looked much like the teeny frog in the photo. They also had cute stripey legs that were très chic, honestly. (But that's not why they were adopted...catching all those insects was a total pain: you've been warned.) When they grew up, they were returned to their native area.

Here's a list of frogs & How to Raise Tadpoles. If you have a cat, make sure to fit a lid over the new frog home or tragedy will no doubt ensue.

ciao-meow/GGCM

(photograph by Shannon)

Birds Up Close

Here's a good question from a friend. "What if I don't have transportation out to the country for these birding jaunts so many people talk about? I'm not about to rent a car & all of that. We feel left out."

No worries. We're urban birds ourselves. Honestly, no one is seeing birds any closer than watching a bird cam. Giulia has shown little interest (yet) but her editor swoops in to see Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Red-tailed hawk cam every day. Another daily stop is the very popular Decorah Eagles cam. These are amazing resources for anyone - with or without children to wrangle. Even if you have a passing interest in birds (we aren't major birders), you'll love to peep in. And you'll find yourself wanting to learn more.

For more up close (& colorful!) birds, we highly recommend looking at the weekly Top 25 Wild Bird Photographs.

ciao-cheep-meow/GGCM

(Paris café bird by liivia)

Great Backyard Bird Count

Bird watchers across the U.S. and Canada are getting ready to tally millions of birds in the annual count coordinated by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Audubon, and Canadian partner Bird Studies Canada. Participants count birds at any location they wish for at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the count, then enter their tallies at www.birdcount.org. Anyone can participate in the free event, and no registration is required.--GBBC website

The Great Backyard Bird Count begins on Friday & runs through Monday, 20 February. Do it! (Giulia does a bird count every day, ahem. But her editor is seriously thinking of participating officially. We'll see how we feel on Friday.) Update - We counted 8 species at a friend's house on Saturday, 18th Feb. It was fun; keep your eyes open for next year's count.

ciao-chirp-meow//GG Bird Central

(photograph by Nastya Jour)

The Christmas Bird Count

The 112th Christmas Bird Count organized by The Audubon Society is on through 5 Jan 2012. It's a good way to get everyone outside & walking off those holiday calories. If you can't participate in a nearby count or it's already been done, catch up with Science Friday & listen to the particulars. And get ready for the next Great Backyard Bird Count scheduled for February 17-20, 2012.

ciao-cheep-meow/GGCM

(Male cardinal by Thomas Grim)

Starlings

Murmuration from Sophie Windsor Clive on Vimeo.

This video of a murmuration* of starlings has gone viral but we're posting it anyway as many of our friends haven't seen it yet. Watch as Sophie Windsor Clive & Liberty Smith row out on the River Shannon. Giulia was not quite sure what was going on but she was intrigued, nose tip to screen. *A murmuration is a collection of starlings. Read more about starlings, here.

ciao-wow-meow/GGCM

(starling flock over Brighton pier by Joffley)

Fragmented Flowers

Singaporean photographer Fong Qi Wei went deeper than just taking photos of flowers and created an amazing series of Exploded Flowers – images that show the radial symmetry of flowers.--from DeMilked (via Illusion)

A lovely & clever art project. See the entire series, here.

ciao-meow/GGCM

(photographs by Fong Qi Wei)

Wings of Fancy

The Wings of Fancy exhibit in suburban Washington, DC is open through September 18th. Eek, we haven't been yet, have you? Now that it has stopped raining, make plans to go. If you're not in the Washington, DC-area, check the Butterfly Website's exhibit guide; perhaps there is an exhibit near you. If that doesn't work out, we are sorry; but you can read all about butterflies on the site & plan for next year.

For children of all ages, here are butterfly coloring pages. Giulia is going to get out her crayons & go to town. (She has secret thumbs.)

ciao-fluttery-meow/GG Nature Central

(photograph via Автор: Taesang)

Fireflies, Nature's Fairy Lights

Fireflies - or lightning bugs - are wonderful, magical lights. While GG Central has an abundance, we read that they are disappearing in many of their previous habitats. Oh no!

Visit Firefly.org & read all about the little critters.Learn how to make a firefly habitat, share stories & photographs, & much much more. Now we gotta go & catch some (Giulia will not be involved, don't worry about the fireflies:)

ciao-blinkie-meow/GGCM

(photograph via Pinterest)

Tales of the Islander

A Prairie Home Companion on 22 May 2010. As she sang, we bet we were not alone in thinking of the ongoing BP-Gulf disaster. The David Byrne-directed video is terrific & interspersed with more Anderson images & information about him, a true eccentric & treasure.

We hope you will visit your favorite music site & download Caroline's music. Here's her website; the songs change two at a time so you can sample them. If you need further recommendation, GG is a huge fan & cat-gallops to the source upon hearing the opening of Tales of the Islander. (She really does.)

ciao-sniff-meow/GG's editor

(Horn Island by Walter Anderson via Smithsonian American Art Museum; roseate spoonbills in flight by Kerri Oddeni via From the Bay to the Bayou; Caroline Herring by Jeffrey Fasano (on CH website)

When the day is over...

...you have an Italian sunset from lovely Giampaolo Macorig. So it was worth it then, yes? [taken in Terracina, Italy]

Vermont Valentine

From Paul Moody's Vermont set.

"Slightly enhanced (shot intentionally dark, I lightened the heart shape to isolate, and I enhanced the top of the heart's notch) but this rock already looked so much like a heart naturally. Its in my western rock wall - I do love this place."

We're off to Catapalooza to visit with cute, adoptable cats & kittens for a few hours!

ciao-♥-meow,
GG' s valentine

A tiny tough bird...

How do these seemingly fragile, teensy beings live in this weather? Lovely photograph by Tom Grim, Gray Bird in Cold Wind. Snow is coming (might arrive while we sleep). We hear tales of lots o' snow in the UK & Paris. Too late to check it out at this writing. Stay cozy.

ciao-snowy-meow,
GG's editor

Purple Finch

Another beautiful bird photograph by Tom Grim, Whitehall, Pennsylvania. (Here's his gorgeous flickrstream.) Even GG would leave this little guy alone (we hope). Just to be sure, her bird watching is restricted to one side of a double-paned window.

ciao-meow & good evening to all!
GG's editor

Morning in Vermont

Stowe Morning, from Paul Moody's flickrstream.

South Of France

Cheers, darlings. Next summer, I'll be directing the video.

GG