I and the Bird Edition No 40

A Happy New Year and a warm welcome from Northern Ireland. I have been filled with trepidation as the hours approach publishing time.Thinking what approach I was going to take. All I can say is thank goodness I am not a journalist or an author that has to meet deadlines the stress would be too much for me! Well as I am a chef I have decided to have a food orientated edition.


Rob the Bird Chaser chooses his Top 10 Meals of the Year, Sorry Top 10 Birding Moments of 2006.Item no 3 is the bird that I would particularly like to see if and when I come to the States.

Kevin at Natural Visions went down to his local restaurant at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge as he had Been there Before While he was there he took some nice photos of Dunlin, Pintail and a Roseate Spoonbill.

Ben at NYC Nova Hunter was in Riverside Park with a Red Headed Woodpecker It looks as though it got a big mouthful!

Liza Lee from the Egret's Nest has been making her own meals for all her guests. Not many turned up. So she went to dinner at her in-laws (rather her than me :-) ) after A Day with the Birds.

Eddie from a Birdfreak Birding Blog got off to a flying start in the New Year. He even went out before Breakfast and saw a Red Tailed Hawk.

Tai Haiku from Earth, Wind and Water was thinking about having some poached venison for his dinner but decided he didn't want to Killdeer.

Well we know that Charlie from the bird blog with his own name doesn't eat any meat so he won't be having any Manky Mallards for dinner.

John from a DC Birding Blog watched a Peregrine tucking into a meal but the real highlight was the feeding Barnegat Harlequins.

Deb from The Sand Creek Almanac spent the first 36 hours of this year counting birds before eating a turkey to Floridacracker's recipe. She then said "The Birds I've seen this Year!"

Whereas Patrick of Hawk Owl's Nest fame has never seen a Barn Owl and spent the day searching for one. No success I'm afraid. Maybe he should have taken some Barn Owl treats.Well maybe not. I have never found mice to my taste.

Snail from a Snail's Eye View has been looking at the invertebrate eating Masked Lapwing. With a name like Snail maybe she should be careful when in their company. PS I took a shot of one when I was in Sydney last year Here

Pam from the Tortoise Trail had a visit in her backyard from a Fly eating "Black Phoebe". She took some great photos.

I am always in awe of scientists such as Grrlscientist from " Living the Scientific Life" . She has been at the 2007 Annual Meeting of The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology It was Day 3. After all those talks my head would have been swimming and I would be needing more than a meal but a stiff drink!!

Duncan from the Ben Cruachan Blog has some lovely photos of Calyptorhynchus Funereus Or to those of us without Latin a "Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoo" searching for that favourite of all aussie foods the witchetty grub!

You learn something new every day. Today I learnt from Karen of "The Greenbelt" that the collective noun for Vultures is a Wake. This sounds very apt to me, coming from a country where a wake is commonplace. Karen must have a great deal of carrion in her neighbourhead. Tasty!!

Drew the "Nemesis Birder" was also at the Barnegat Light State Park. He was watching a Herring Gull having a very awkward meal of a Sea Star or as we call them on this side of the pond a Starfish.

Leigh Johnson an Avid Birder was another out before breakfast on New Years Eve and she has a shot of a Belted Kingfisher.

Jayne from a "Journey through Grace" had a juvenile Cooper's Hawk in her backyard. Sadly he wasn't in a fit state to get his breakfast.

Whenever I come across Rob's Idaho Perspective my first thought is potatoes. Well Rob was out on Christmas day at Wilson's Ponds. I hope he had some nice roasted Idaho potatoes with his Christmas dinner.

When I came to Mike from 10,000 Birds submission I could find no reference to food whatsoever but he was lucky on New Years Day because New Year, New Bird.

As with every year in the Restaurant Trade there is always the end of year awards in this case Chris from "Another Place" has come up with his Birding End of The Year Awards 2006.

Finally we come to Cindy from "Woodsong". She has produced for me my favourite blog of this fortieth edition of "I and the Bird" "Twas the Night (or so) Before Christmas" feeding her Redpolls and mice.

The next "I and the Bird " will be hosted by Snail at Snail's Eye View