Info Burung Kicauan

Dear Fellow Bird Watchers:

Now that spring is here, or will be soon, I have a suggestion for how you can help to make the world a better place. Consider doing this: Volunteer your time to lead a bird walk for kids or new bird watchers. There's no better way to share the joy of being a bird watcher than to help another human open his or her eyes to the wonders of birds.

Remember how you felt the first time you "sparked" on birds? And remember all the help you got as a new bird watcher? Birding mentors, bird club friends, and helpful individuals are the people that welcome us into the community of bird watchers, encouraging our interest and enthusiasm, sharing their knowledge, and—perhaps most importantly—inviting us along to go birding. Without those invitations, our interest in birds might never have blossomed.

Every spring, Julie and I go to the local elementary school and take several of the classes outside to look at birds. The school is in a rural setting, so all we really have to do is step outside and pass out the binoculars or set up the spotting scopes. The birds do the rest.

Last Wednesday, we took the school's after-school Science Club out for an hour. The results were awesome! More than a dozen species seen well, just a few steps from the playground, including some species and observations worth noting: The American kestrel pair is again nesting in the barn on the west border of the school. Six black vultures added further confirmation of this species' ongoing range expansion into our part of Ohio. An eastern meadowlark sang all around us, going from tree to wire to fence, marking the boundaries of his territory. And two first-of-spring sightings seemed to be our reward just for being outside on April's first warm evening: barn swallow and osprey.



It was a grand experience and the kids thanked us over and over again. We even had a few parents join us! Who knows? Maybe we showed a spark bird to one or two youngsters. And that is the whole point. I feel like I am paying back the kind souls who encouraged my interest in birds way back in the mid-1970s. Wow! That's 40 years ago! I'd love to think that in 2051 one of these kids—now all grown up to adulthood—might be inviting a group of youngsters out for a bird walk, remembering all the fun we had and all the neat birds we saw and heard.

It's the BEST time of year to be outside with the birds, folks. Being a bird watcher is one of life's most renewable gifts. Consider paying it forward, won't you?

I'd like to tell you a wonderful story about how all my papers are in a row for today's tax appointment, but guess what?  You probably know where this is going...they're not.  Monday went like this:  work work work, talk to landlord, tax tax tax, show apartment, take 14 calls for work, let 5 more sit in the voicemail to show the apartment, tax tax, show the apartment while trying to mask terror of the possibility of 20lb dog and baby hanging off young girl's hip as potential neighbors, and so the day went on.

In the midst of all this it struck me while talking with a mentor of mine who first encouraged me to blog, but that I hadn't revealed the blog to just yet, that this thing is almost a year old.  I truly appreciate every person who takes the time to read my posts.  They're longer than most, not done with fancy camera techniques, and laced with crazy stories.  It's so nice to still see readers who have been with me since the very beginning and vice versa.  So in honor of the anniversary approaching I'll be doing some giveaways throughout the month as a big yahoo and show of appreciation.

As many of you know there is a group of us - about 20 or more now - working our way through Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred.  It has been a huge help (at least for me anyway) to have the support of this group encouraging me to keep going.  My right leg is throbbing as Level 2 Day 1 passed completion...I see change and am going to put that thing to bed if it takes me 45 days.  In honor of warm weather aka shorts season the first thing I want to give away is:

You have no idea how that song's been playing over and over in my mind the past couple weeks.  For those of you who are unfamiliar it was the theme song from one of my fave shows back in the day:  The Jeffersons.  If George Jefferson's character tried even half the racial or male superiority stuff today, he'd be booted right off the tv.  Let's face it he wouldn't even get on in the first place.  Unless he was crazy like Charlie Sheen, but that's another story for another time.

No friends, today is the true story of me moving up to Level 2 of the 30 Day Shred (knees are throbbing and I think I pulled my achilles, but I managed to make it through) in the same weekend the landlord and I reach an agreement on the upper unit of the duplex I live in.  Now after last week's hell I realize  many of you may be thinking, 'giiiiiirrrrrl you just need to get out of there.'  And the truth is at some point I will, but summer is coming and I'd like to spend this one close to the beach.  It's tough to relo feral cats - even those that are semi-tame - at the best of times, never mind when the Chef is in full swing opening a restaurant.  On top of that I want a dishwasher, and this place has it.  

It is with great pride and excitement that we announce our magazine's new name: Wild Bird Watcher's World (and Blooms)! Here's the cover of the first issue, which is mailing out today. We can't WAIT to hear what you think.

As you can see, we're still publishing only the very best, most engaging content. We loved the name Bird Watcher's Digest but we feel our NEW name really captures what we're all about. And what you're all about.

Borrowing a page from Martha Stewart and Oprah, I'll be featured on every cover, doing what I love to do most: being on the cover of a magazine.

Stay tuned!

Bill Thompson, III
Editor

I'm just going to begin by outing myself:  on Wednesday night after 30 Day Shredding I went to Sonic, ate a Chicago dog, 3/4 of a New York dog, two onion rings and half of a small unsweetened peach iced tea.  It was bloody good and I deserved it seeing as almost every day this week has been a living hell of saw noise beginning at 7am.  Last evening I took a spin over to the Chef's restaurant to eyeball progress (read:  make sure no one had snatched my Asian artifacts) and somehow ended up with a margarita in front of me at our favorite Mexican restaurant not long after.  A preview of Friday, if you will.  Next up:  Days 9 and 10 of the Shred done in one day to stay on track.

Hopefully on Monday I will have some sort of positive living situation scenario to report.  A girl can dream. In the meantime here's a little picture preview of what's going on with construction at The Corner (if you're interested follow me on facebook where I'll be posting more pics).  It's a hot mess, but has come so far in just a week.