While we're waiting...

...we thought you might enjoy this great video about one of our favorite cities in the world.



Maybe while drinking a Corona or something.

Announcement Delayed!!!

Right now we have not been given the go-ahead to make the announcement. Apparently some people in high places aren't interested in having us be the ones to make the announcement, even though we have been instrumental in the whole thing. Stay tuned, we'll see.

Dude *does* Look Like A Lady

Well, we had to go to Florida for a very quick trip before the big announcement can be made.

It has been a weird 24 hours for the BiNAC Team. We had dinner with Drew Peterson, got a date with not one but two go-go dancers, and ran into Steven Tyler of Aerosmith at the airport on our way to Florida.

All we can say is, man, that dude now does look like a lady. Like a Phyllis Diller-type lady, not a hot lady.

A weird and creepy 24 hours.

Announcement Delayed!

Well, due to our inability to get one important agency to allow us to make the announcement, it will be delayed by at least one day. People are getting cold feet. If we don't make the announcement in a day or two, we are already headed back to New Orleans, Mississippi, and Baton Rouge next week, and the announcement will probably be made from there.

The only other thing we've been allowed to disclose is that a reward of some sort will be involved...

...meanwhile, back at the farm, there will be some further changes in the ownership structure around here. Nothing major, but you might notice a few differences.

BiNaC Conservation Alert--World Exclusive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stay tuned, because the BiNaC staff (he-he) has been working on an exclusive announcement that will be greeted with shock, excitement, and wonder by birders from all over the world.

This MAJOR CONSERVATION ACHIEVEMENT will be announced here, tomorrow, and represents a stunning culmination to years of work, and the efforts of many dedicated individuals, to attempt to save an iconic species that is known and loved by birders everywhere.

We are unable to post additional details until we reach an understanding with certain governmental organizations, but this announcement will be BIG. Cornell is not involved, but USF&W is, and for legal reasons, that is all we can say about the matter right now.

STAY TUNED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cougar shot in Chicago!!!

OK, this is the coolest urban Chicago wildlife story we have seen since that coyote hopped into a Quizno's cooler a few years ago:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-chicago-cougar-shot-webapr15,0,98147.story

(sorry, links may not be embedding properly right now.)

Obviously, the part where the coppers shot the cougar (and put a few rounds into a nearby house) is *not* cool. *Very* not cool. But the fact that a cougar could make it into the city, especially after a few alleged sightings in the north suburbs over the past few days, is simply amazing. (Now everyone is going to be calling in cougar reports to the local police.)

We don't know if there is any way to determine whether this was a truly "wild" cougar but 150 pounds seems pretty big for a pet, especially in the city.

Meow.

Help--Stranded in the Springs!

We are stranded in Colorado Springs--somebody please call the ABA or Stargate Command to get us the hell out of here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Where is the "original" IBWO in Arkansas sighting

Please forgive us for making a brief detour back into the IBWO mess/morass.

Today Louis Bevier posted something on BirdForum that included a request for a copy of Gene Sparling's first report of his "sighting" that was allegedly posted on the Arkansas Canoe Club bulletin board.

We say allegedly because we asked for that same thing two years ago, and we weren't able to find it, either:

Where is it???

(Hey, wonder if Louis was that commenter? Anyway...)

So, what gives? Either that post was erased/removed, or it never happenend. Back in 2006, we actually went through that board page-by-page through the date of the "sighting" to try to find it. What's the deal? Where is it? Was is ever there?

And the winner is...

...our travels have taken us down South for the last few weeks, and we found this noisy Mockingbird. Poor guy found a great spot with lots of grass and shrubs, but he doesn't know how loud this spot will get in a few weeks. Here is our true champion singing from Victory Lane at the Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina:

Bird(feed)ing *is* A Crime!!!!

At least in one Chicago suburb:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-critter-feeding-both-04apr04,0,823535.story

(Might have to register to access the story, but its worth it for the story and comments.)

How far would you go to see a Yellow Rail?

OK, this somewhat cryptic message was on TEXBirds this week:

***

Subject: Tamaulipas Crow
From: john hintermister
Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2008 17:11:18 -0500

Greetings,

Bob Wallace from Gainesville, Fl. Just called me to say that he had photographed a Tamaulipas Crow at the Brownsville Dump. He will post the pics as soon as possible.

David Sarkozi, Bob is the guy who got bitten by the alligator on the Yellow
Rail Walk yesterday. We don't know where to send the pics. If you could let
us know where and how he will post the picsas soon as possible.

John Hintermister
Gainesville, Fl.

***

OK, forget the bit about the crow..."Bob is the guy who got bitten by the alligator on the Yellow Rail walk yesterday."? Seriously? I don't care if it was a "little" bite, if you get bitten by a freakin' ALLIGATOR and your primary concern the next day is getting the word out on a stinkin' Mexican crow, you are a true birder. So kudos to Bob Wallace (btw, Bob does a lot of really fun pelagic birding in Florida) for his tenacity and for his good (?) luck this week in Texas.