Wow- the summer is screaming past with no sign of slowing down. Did you see the first half go by? I missed it entirely! Things are really cooking around the Home Place these days. The garden is cranking out tomatoes, blackberries and wineberries are peaking around the fields. Flocks of Orchard Orioles have been seen moving across the fields, chattering and eating as they go. Some birds are still nesting, like the field sparrow Bex found feeding fledgelings. There were three in the nest, and none appeared to be cowbirds…which is good, since we’ve seen several species feeding cowbird fledgelings during the last two months (Field and Chipping Sparrows, a Prairie Warbler, and a Wood Thrush).
Woodcreeper.com has been stagnant during this entire time, due in part to me slowly migrating the site to a new server, and in part to being extremely busy with my research both in Florida and here in Somerset, NJ. I’ve got heaps of data from this field season, so keep an eye out for some summary reports as the data gets analyzed.
As for the migration study, we’ll be starting up in the beginning of August if all goes well. The benefits of some sleepless hot August nights is the promise that come September the reigns on my time will be loosened…slightly. Until then I’ll try and keep the site working at a functional level. I’ve been having a great time presenting to several bird clubs around New Jersey and Pennsylvania over the last year, on the use of radar to detect bird migration and predict birding conditions (Sep. ’06 – Burlington County Naturalists, April ’07 – Delaware Valley Ornithological Club, July ’07- Bucks County Birders), and writing my recent article in the July/August issue of WildBird Magazine. All of these experiences have left me with so many more ideas for improving the website, as well as a plethora of questions regarding radar and migration that deserve more attention. I’ve decided to put together a FAQ (frequently asked question) where I will attempt to answer some of the more common questions, as well as weigh in on some of the interesting scientific ideas that people have suggested. The field of Radar Ornithology is evolving every day….we better keep up! Okay, all for now…I’ve got some dissertation work to finish.