Church and Dwight Collectibles

The following bird-related advertising items were noted over the weekend at an antique mall in Niles, Michigan:

Arm and Hammer Poster (Useful Birds of America)

A large (perhaps 18 x 30 inch) educational poster designed to be hung on a wall from a nail. The poster, dated 1917, was printed by the Church and Dwight Company and includes an advertisment for Arm and Hammer Baking Soda. It includes images of 12 species (in alphabetical order): Bluebird, Cardinal, Downy Woodpecker, Flicker, Goldfinch, Indigo Bunting, Killdeer, Nuthatch, Oriole, Red-headed Woodpecker, Sandpiper, and Yellow Warbler. The asking price was $120.

Arm and Hammer Poster

A painting on canvas featuring a Ruffed Grouse (and measuring perhaps 12 x 18 inches) appeared to have been cut from a larger canvas. Artist not indicated. The asking price was $135.

Church and Dwight Painting

A framed painting of a Mallard Duck (measuring perhaps 10 x 12 inches) by G[ustave] Muss-Arnolt and copyright 1905 by Church and Dwight Company. The asking price was $25. Muss-Arnolt (1858-1927) seems most noted for his portraits of sporting dogs, but also painted landscapes and wildlife.
Church and Dwight Painting

A framed painting of a California Mountain Quail (measuring perhaps 10 x 12 inches) by G[ustave] Muss-Arnolt and distributed by the Church and Dwight Company. There was no copyright date on the painting. The asking price was $25.

My Favorite Winter Bird

If you conducted a poll of the American public in which you asked for their favorite winter bird, or the bird that most epitomized the winter holidays, the results would probably heavily favor such colorful birds as cardinals, jays, or chickadees. These are common and familiar backyard birds that flock to bird feeders in large numbers.

But my vote would go to the Junco. Scientists currently recognize two species of juncos, the Yellow-eyed (restricted to the mountains of the Southwest) and the widespread Dark-eyed. The Dark-eyed Junco is extremely variable, with four recognized subspecies (Gray-headed, Oregon, Slate-colored, and White-winged). The Dark-eyed Juncos that nest at high elevations in the southern Appalachians were once known as Carolina Juncos.

As a kid growing up in Michigan, I was always intrigued by the appearance of these unfamiliar winter visitors from the far north. Their arrivals always seemed to coincide with the first heavy snowfall of the winter. I always marvelled at the heartiness of these tiny birds and their ability to survive the harshest of winter conditions.

One of the favorite bird ornaments on our Christmas tree is a ceramic replica of a male Dark-eyed (Slate-colored) Junco, realistic in every detail except for the Christmas wreath around it's neck.

Berkeley County Waterfowl

On Sunday, December 22, I check a couple of fresh-water springs in eastern Berkeley County, West Virginia, with the following results:

Darkesville Pond
Mallard 12

Big Spring Pond
Canada Goose 1
American Black Duck 13
Green-winged Teal 6

It was a pleasure to see something besides Canada Geese and domestic Mallards. The American Black Ducks were especially nice to see.

Kellogg's Bird Cards

At one time, the Kellogg's Cereal Company offerred a series of 15 different bird cards, with one card free in every package of Kellogg's Krumbles. Here's an example of a period advertisement for the cards.

Water Rich, Regulation Poor

In the 21st century, water will become the world’s most precious commodity. The November/December 2002 issue of Mother Jones features a cover story by Jon R. Luoma, entitled Water for Profit, that exposes the recent trend to privatize water at various locations around the world, including U.S. As described in this article by Charleston Sunday Gazette-Mail staff writer Ken Ward Jr., West Virginia is fortunate in having an abundance of water. Unfortunately, the State legislature has been remiss in not passing strong regulations for monitoring and enforcing usage of this importance public resource. A followup article in the Charleston Gazette by Jim Balow chronicles the efforts of the city of Charleston, West Virginia, and other local municipalities in the region to buy back water rights from private water companies. Today’s issue of the Gazette also carries two important editorials on water issues: water quantity and water quality.

Newspaper Eagles

I can’t remember now what prompted my interest in searching out U.S. newspapers with Eagle in the title, but the simple fact that so many care this moniker (my quick and no doubt incomplete search revealed no fewer than 52) is fascinating. It must have something to do with reporters keeping an “eagle eye” on the news or something like that, or maybe it is a patriotic thing with some newspapers. Anyway, my primary source document was 50states.com, which provides links to 3,285 American newspapers. The Trapp Award for best eagle logo in an American online newspaper goes to the Bigfork Eagle, with honorable mention going to the Weekly Eagle.

Addison Eagle News & Reporter, The (Middlebury, VT)
Augusta Eagle-Scribe (Augusta, IL)
Belvoir Eagle (Fort Belvoir, VA)
Berkshire Eagle, The (Pittsfield, MA)
Bigfork Eagle (Bigfork, MT)
Blue Mountain Eagle (John Day, OR)
Bryan-College Station Eagle, The (Bryan, TX)
Butler Eagle (Butler, PA)
Canton Eagle (Canton, MI)
Chittinden Eagle (South Burlington, VT)
Coronado Eagle (Coronado, CA)
Daily Mountain Eagle (Jasper, AL)
Delano Eagle (Delano, MN)
Dothan Eagle, The (Dothan, AL)
Downey Eagle, The (Downey, CA)
Dundalk Eagle, The (Dundalk, MD)
Eagle, The (American University)
Eagle, The (Cranford, New Jersey)
Eagle, The (Florida Gulf Coast University)
Eagle Eye, The (Loch Haven University, PA)
Eagle Eye News (Haines, AK)
Eagle Press, The (Fritch, TX)
Eagle Times, The (Claremont, NH)
Eagle-Herald (Marinette, WI & Menominee, MI)
Eagle-Tribune (Lawrence, MA)
El Cajon Eagle (El Cajon, CA)
Enid News and Eagle (Enid, OK)
Golden Eagle, The (Naval Air Station, Lemoore, CA)
Imperial Beach and South County Eagle (Imperial Beach, CA)
Junction Eagle, The (Junction, TX)
Lancaster Eagle-Gazette (Lancaster, OH)
Latah Eagle (Potlach, ID)
Legal Eagle Eye Newsletter (Seattle, WA)
Macomb Eagle (Macomb, IL)
Madison Eagle (Madison County, VA)
Madison Eagle, The (Madison, NJ)
Marco Island Eagle (Marco Island, FL)
Mountaintop Eagle, The (Mountaintop, PA)
New Eagle, The (Mendocino County, CA)
News Eagle, The (Wayne and Pike counties, PA)
Oxford Eagle, The (Oxford, MS)
Princeton Union-Eagle (Princeton, MN)
Reading Eagle (Reading, PA)
Record-Eagle (Traverse City, MI)
Republican Eagle (Red Wing, MN)
Sauk Prairie Eagle, The (Sauk Prairie, WI)
Traverse City Record-Eagle (Traverse City, MI)
Wayne Eagle (Wayne, MI)
Weekly Eagle, The (Lewisburg, TN)
Westland Eagle (Westland, MI)
Wichita Eagle, The (Wichita, KS)
Wyoming Tribune-Eagle (Cheyenne, WY)

Birds May Spread Ebola Virus

On Tuesday, December 16, two press releases (one and two) from Purdue News reported on the results of a research study published in the December 15 issue of the Journal of Virology. News that birds may be capable of spreading the Ebola virus was soon picked up and broadcast by such news outlets as Reuters, BBC News, and others. By 9:45 PM EDT on Thursday, December 19, a Google search for articles with the key words birds and ebola yielded an amazing 2,840 hits, while a Yahoo search yielded an even more incredible 5,380 hits. There is little doubt that the news of this discovery has traveled infinitely faster than the birds can spread the virus itself.

Is there a hidden message here about the spread of information and (especially) misinformation or disinformation on the World Wide Web? Now that anyone with an Internet connection has the ability to promote themselves as an "expert" on any subject they choose (like me, for example), who are we to believe? Chaos may be closer than we realize.

Miscellaneous Waterfowl Counts

Waterfowl diversity in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia has declined dramatically since most fresh-water ponds froze over a couple of weeks ago, now being limited mostly to resident Canada Geese and occasional Mallards (with the Shenandoah River in Jefferson County being a likely exception). Here are a few miscellaneous counts over the past several days:

Hardy County; Route 220 about 0.5-mi north of Moorefield (12/15):
Canada Goose - ca. 200 in flight above fields bordering South Branch of the Potomac River.

Hampshire County; small pond just south of Yellow Spring on Route 259 (12/15):
Mute Swan - 5 (4 adults, 1 immature) [Little is known about the status of this introduced species in West Virginia]

Berkeley County; Stonebridge Country Club (12/16):
Canada Goose - at least 300

Berkeley County; pond near Falling Waters on Route 11 (12/17):
Canada Goose - 15
Domestic Mallard - 3 (white Pekin-types)

Berkeley County; ponds at Laurel Ridge on Route 9 (12/19):
Domestic Mallard - 4 (1 wild-type, 3 white Pekin-types)

Berkeley County; pond on Route 45 (12/19):
Canada Goose - 16.

Bird Jokes

A few juvenile--but still awfully funny--bird jokes courtesy of Animal Den.

Bird or Bird-Like College Nicknames

The information presented here was compiled exclusively from Adam Joshua Smargon’s exhaustive College Nicknames Web site. At least 236 4-year colleges in the United States of America have adopted 63 different bird or bird-like nicknames. Not too surprisingly, predatory birds are particularly popular as nicknames. Thus, the six most popular nicknames are (in decreasing): Eagles (56 colleges), Falcons (22), Cardinals (17), Hawks (16), Golden Eagles (15), and Owls (14). Thirty-nine colleges have unique nicknames (i.e., they are shared with no other college). My personal favorite: the Stormy Petrels of Oglethorpe University (Atlanta, Georgia). I have located working Web sites for all colleges listed except for those marked with an asterisk (*). The list:

BALD EAGLES (1):
Loch Haven University (Loch Haven, Pennsylvania)

BANTAMS (2):
Trinity College (Hartford, Connecticut)
University of South Carolina - Union (Union, South Carolina)

BLACKBIRDS (1):
Long Island University - Brooklyn (Brooklyn, New York)

BLUE HAWKS (1):
Dickinson State University (Dickinson, North Dakota)

BLUE HENS (1):
University of Delaware (Newark, Delaware)

BLUE JAYS (5):
Elizabethtown College (Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania)
Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, Maryland)
Polytechnic University (Brooklyn, New York)
Saint Joseph College (West Hartford, Connecticut)
Westminster College (Fulton, Missouri)

BLUEJAYS (3):
Creighton University (Omaha, Nebraska)
Elmhurst College (Elmhurst, Illinois)
Tabor College (Hillsboro, Kansas)

CARDINAL (1):
Stanford University (Palo Alto, California)

CARDINALS (17):
Ball State University (Muncie, Indiana)
Catholic University (Washington, District of Columbia)
Condordia University (Ann Arbor, Michigan)
East Coast Bible College (Charlotte, North Carolina)*
Lamar University (Beaumont, Texas)
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy (Boston, Massachusetts)
North Central College (Naperville, Illinois)
Otterbein College (Westerville, Ohio)
Saginaw Valley State University (University Center, Michigan)
St. John Fisher College (Rochester, New York)
St. Mary’s University of Minnesota (Winona, Minnesota)
State University of New York - Plattsburgh (Plattsburgh, New York)
University of Louisville (Louisville, Kentucky)
Wesleyan University (Middletown, Connecticut)
Wheeling Jesuit University (Wheeling, West Virginia)
William Jewell College (Liberty, Missouri)
York College - City University of New York (Jamaica, New York)

CRIMSON EAGLES (1):
Philadelphia Biblical University (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

DUCKS (2):
Stevens Institute of Technology (Hoboken, New Jersey)
University of Oregon (Eugene, Oregon)

DUHAWKS (1):
Loras College (Dubuque, Iowa)

EAGLES (56):
Alice Lloyde College (Pippa Passes, Kentucky)
American University (Washington, District of Columbia)
Asbury College (Wilmore, Kentucky)
Ashland University (Ashland, Ohio)
Avila College (Kansas City, Missouri)
Bartlesville Wesleyan College (Bartlesville, Oklahoma)
Benedictine University (Lisle, Illinois)
Biola University (La Mirada, California)
Boston College (Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts)
Bridgewater College (Bridgewater, Virginia)
Carson-Newman College (Jefferson City, Tennessee)
Central Methodist College (Fayette, Missouri)
Chadron State College (Chadron, Nebraska)
College of St. Elizabeth (Morristown, New Jersey)
Condordia University (Irvine, California)
Coppin State University (Baltimore, Maryland)
Daniel Webster College (Nashua, New Hampshire)
Eastern College (St. Davids, Pennsylvania)
Eastern Michigan University (Ypsilanti, Michigan)
Eastern Washington University (Cheney, Washington)
Edgewood College (Madison, Wisconsin)
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Daytona Beach, Florida)
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Prescott, Arizona)
Emory University (Atlanta, Georgia)
Faith Baptist Bible College & Theological Seminary (Ankeny, Iowa)
Faulkner University (Montgomery, Alabama)
Florida Gulf Coast University (Fort Myers, Florida)
Georgia Southern University (Statesboro, Georgia)
Green Mountain College (Poultney, Vermont)
Jimmy Swaggart Bible College (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)*
Judson College (Elgin, Illinois)
Judson College (Marion, Alabama)
Juniata College (Huntingdon, Pennsylvania)
Lambuth University (Jackson, Tennessee)
Mary Washington University (Fredericksburg, Virginia)
Messenger College (Joplin, Missouri)
Midway College (Midway, Kentucky)
Morehead State University (Morehead, Kentucky)
National-Louis University (Evanston, Illinois)
North Carolina Central University (Durham, North Carolina)
Northwest College (Kirkland, Washington)
Northwestern College (Saint Paul, Minnesota)
Oklahoma Christian University (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)
Pensacola Christian College (Pensacola, Florida)
Robert Morris College (Chicago, Illinois)
St. Mary’s (Orchard Lake, Michigan)*
Sierra Nevada College (Incline Village, Nevada)
Southwestern Baptist Bible College (Phoenix, Arizona)
Teikyo-Post University (Waterbury, Connecticut)
Toccoa Falls College (Toccoa Falls, Georgia)
Trinity Baptist College (Jacksonville, Florida)
University of North Texas (Denton, Texas)
University of the Ozarks (Clarksville, Arkansas)
University of Wisconsin - LaCrosse (LaCrosse, Wisconsin)
Williams Baptist College (Walnut Ridge, Arkansas)
Winthrop University (Rock Hill, South Carolina)

FALCONS (22):
Air Force Institute of Technology (Dayton, Ohio)
Albertus Magnus College (New Haven, Connecticut)
Arizona College of the Bible (Phoenix, Arizona)*
Bentley College (Waltham, Massachusetts)
Bowling Green State University (Bowling Green, Ohio)
Concordia University (Mequon, Wisconsin)
Detroit College of Business (Detroit, Michigan)
Fairmont State College (Fairmont, West Virginia)
Fitchburg State College (Fitchburg, Massachusetts)
Florida College (Temple Terrace, Florida)
Friends University (Wichita, Kansas)
Messiah College (Grantham, Pennsylvania)
Notre Dame College of Ohio (South Euclid, Ohio)
Parks College of St. Louis University (Cahokia, Illinois)*
Pfeiffer College (Misenheimer, North Carolina)
St. Augustine’s (Raleigh, North Carolina)
Seattle Pacific University (Seattle, Washington)
Summit Christian College (Fort Wayne, Indiana)
United States Air Force Academy (Colorado Springs, Colorado)
University of Montevallo (Montevallo, Alabama)
University of Texas of the Permian Basin (Odessa, Texas)
University of Wisconsin - River Falls (River Falls, Wisconsin)

FIREBIRDS (1):
University of the District of Columbia (Washington, District of Columbia)

GAMECOCKS (2):
Jacksonville State University (Jacksonville, Alabama)
University of South Carolina (Columbia, South Carolina)

GOBBLERS (1):
Virginia Polytechnical Institute and State University (Blacksburg, Virginia)

GOLDEN EAGLES (15):
California State University - Los Angeles (Los Angeles, California)
Cincinnati Bible College and Seminary (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Clarion University (Clarion, Pennsylvania)
Cornerstone University (Grand Rapids, Michigan)
John Brown University (Siloam Springs, Arkansas)
La Sierra University (Riverside, California)
Marquette University (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
Northeastern Illinois University (Chicago, Illinois)
Oral Roberts University (Tulsa, Oklahoma)
State University of New York - College at Brockport (Brockport, New York)
St. Joseph’s College - Suffolk Campus (Patchogue, New York)
Tennessee Technological University (Cookeville, Tennessee)
University of Charleston (Charleston, West Virginia)
University of Minnesota - Crookston (Crookston, Minnesota)
University of Southern Mississippi (Hattiesburg, Mississippi)

GOLDEN GRIFFINS (1):
Canisius College (Buffalo, New York)

GRIFFINS (5):
Fontbonne College (St. Louis, Missouri)
Golden Gate University (San Francisco, California)
Gwynedd-Mercy College (Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania)
Johnson & Wales University (Providence, Rhode Island)
Reed College (Portland, Oregon)

GRIFFONS (1):
Missouri Western State College (Saint Joseph, Missouri)

HARRIERS (1):
Miami University - Hamilton (Hamilton, Ohio)

HAWKEYES (1):
University of Iowa (Iowa City, Iowa)

HAWKS (16):
Christian Heritage College (El Cajon, California)
Hartwick College (Oneonta, New York)
Hilbert College (Hamburg, New York)
Holy Names College (Oakland, California)
Hunter College - City University of New York (New York, New York)
Huntingdon College (Montgomery, Alabama)
Monmouth University (Monmouth, New Jersey)
Quincy University (Quincy, Illinois)
Rockhurst College (Kansas City, Missouri)
Roger Williams University (Bristol, Rhode Island)
Saint Anselm College (Manchester, New Hampshire)
Saint Joseph’s University (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Shorter College (Rome, Georgia)
State University of New York - College at New Paltz (New Paltz, New York)
University of Hartford (Hartford, Connecticut)
University of Maryland - Eastern Shore (Princess Anne, Maryland)

HERONS (1):
William Smith College (Geneva, New York)

HUSTLIN’ OWLS (1):
Oregon Institute of Technology (Klamath Fall, Oregon)

JAYHAWKS (1):
University of Kansas (Lawrence, Kansas)

KOHAWKS (1):
Coe College (Cedar Rapids, Iowa)

LARKS (1):
Hesston College (Hesston, Kansas)

MARAUDING EAGLES (1):
Marycrest International University (Davenport, Iowa)

MEAN GREEN EAGLES:
University of North Texas (Denton, Texas) [also known as Eagles]

MOHAWKS (1):
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (North Adams, Massachusetts)

MOUNTAIN HAWKS (1):
Lehigh University (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania)

NIGHTHAWKS (1):
Thomas College (Thomasville, Georgia)

OSPREYS (2):
Richard Stockton College of New Jersey (Pomona, New Jersey)
University of North Florida (Jacksonville, Florida)

OWLS (14):
Bryn Mawr College (Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania)
Florida Atlantic University (Boca Raton, Florida)
Hellenic College (Brookline, Massachusetts)
Keene State College (Keene, New Hampshire)
Kennesaw State University (Marietta, Georgia)
Rice University (Houston, Texas)
Southern Connecticut State University (New Haven, Connecticut)
Tampa College (Tampa, Florida)*
Temple University (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
University of Maine - Presque Isle (Presque Isle, Maine)
Warren-Wilson College (Swannanoa, North Carolina)
Westfield State College (Westfield, Massachusetts)
Widener University (Wilmington, Delaware)
William Woods University (Fulton, Missouri)

PEACOCKS (2):
St. Peter’s College (Jersey City, New Jersey)
Upper Iowa University (Fayette, Iowa)

PELICANS (1):
Spaulding University (Louisville, Kentuckey)

PENGUINS (3):
Clark College (Vancouver, Washington)
Dominican College of San Rafael (San Rafael, California)
Youngstown State University (Youngstown, Ohio)

PHOENIX:
Elon College (Elon College, North Carolina)
University of Wisconsin - Green Bay (Green Bay, Wisconsin)
Wilson College (Chambersburg, Pennsylvania)

POWER GULLS (1):
Endicott College (Beverly, Massachusetts)

PURPLE EAGLES (1):
Niagara University (Niagara University, New York)

RAPTORS (1):
Bard College (Annandale-on-Hudson, New York)

RAVENS (5):
Anderson University (Anderson, Indiana)
Benedictine College (Atchison, Kansas)
Franklin Pierce College (Rindge, New Hampshire)
San Jacinto College - Central (Pasadena, Texas)
St. Meinrad College (St. Meinrad, Indiana)

REDBIRDS (1):
Illinois State University (Normal, Illinois)

REDHAWKS (3):
Indiana University - Northwest (Gary, Indiana)
Miami University (Oxford, Ohio)
Seattle University (Seattle, Washington)

RED HAWKS (3):
LaRoche College (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
Montclair State University (Upper Montclair, New Jersey)
Ripon College (Ripon, Wisconsin)

RIVER HAWKS (1):
University of Massachusetts - Lowell (Lowell, Massachusetts)

ROADRUNNERS (6):
California State University - Bakersfield (Bakersfield, California)
Dalton State College (Dalton, Georgia)
Metropolitan State College of Denver (Denver, Colorado)
Ramapo College (Mahwah, New Jersey)
University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (San Antonio, Texas)
University of Texas - San Antonio (San Antonio, Texas)

RUNNING EAGLES (1):
Life University (Marietta, Georgia)

SAGEHENS (1):
Pomona College and Pitzer College [joint team] (Claremont, California)

SCARLET HAWKS (1):
Illinois Institute of Technology (Chicago, Illinois)

SCARLET RAPTORS (1):
Rutgers University - Camden (Camden, New Jersey)

SCREAMING EAGLES (2):
SiTanka Huron University (Huron, South Dakota)
University of Southern Indiana (Evansville, Indiana)

SEA GULLS (1):
Salisbury University (Salisbury, Maryland)

SEAHAWKS (5):
Northwood University (West Palm Beach, Florida)
Salve Regina University (Newport, Rhode Island)
St. Mary’s College of Maryland (St. Mary’s City, Maryland)
University of North Carolina - Wilmington (Wilmington, North Carolina)
Wagner College (Staten Island, New York)

SKYHAWKS (2):
Fort Lewis College (Durango, Colorado)
University of Tennessee - Martin (Martin, Tennessee)

SOARING EAGLES (1):
Elmira College (Elmira, New York)

STORMY PETRELS (1):
Oglethorpe University (Atlanta, Georgia)

SUNBIRDS (1):
Fresno Pacific University (Fresno, California)

THUNDERBIRDS (2):
Cascade College (Portland, Oregon)
Southern Utah University (Cedar City, Utah)

THUNDERHAWKS (1):
Miami University - Middletown (Middletown, Ohio)

V-HAWKS (1):
Viterbo College (LaCrosse, Wisconsin)

WARHAWKS (1):
University of Wisconsin - Whitewater (Whitewater, Wisconsin)

Winter Moth

Took the dog for a short walk along the C & O Canal near Williamsport, Maryland, this afternoon. The temperature dipped to near 17 degrees Fahrenheit this morning but warmed up to near 40 this afternoon. At least that's what the weatherman on the radio said. It felt chillier than that, even with the sun shining. The Potomac River was high, the result of the rain and snow of the last two weeks, but just a few remnants of snow remaining on the ground. Still, I was surprised to see--at a distance--the brief fluttering of a moth's wings in the sunshine. As I approached the spot of the fluttering, I spied the brownish-colored moth clinging to the outermost tip of a small twig, as if trying to absorb as much warmth from the low-lying sun as possible. American Crows, Carolina Wrens, and Red-bellied Woodpeckers enlivened the winter woods with their calls.

Audubon Plush Beanbag Birds

Wild Republic has teamed with Audubon and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to produce “a collection of original realistic plush beanbag birds with authentic sounds” that will delight kids from 3 to 93. Go to the Wild Republic Website and click on Audubon Birds to view the 24 birds in the collection.

There are 3 series of Backyard Birds:

Series 1 includes American Goldfinch, American Robin, Black-capped Chickadee, Blue Grosbeak, Northern Cardinal, and Painted Bunting.

Series 2 includes Baltimore Oriole, Blue Jay, Red-winged Blackbird, Swamp Sparrow, Western Meadowlark, and Western Tanager.

Series 3 includes Eastern Bluebird, Hooded Warbler, Purple Finch, Red-headed Woodpecker, Scarlet Tanager, and Tufted Titmouse.

The Water Bird series includes Canada Goose, Canvasback, Common Loon, Green-winged Teal, Mallard, and Wood Duck.

Most of the birds are easily identifiable, although I have to admit that I probably wouldn’t have been able to correctly identify the Eastern Bluebird, Pubple Finch, and Western Meadowlark without help. All in all, these are great educational toys for youngsters.

After viewing the birds, check out the Games section, which includes a quiz and 10 jigsaw puzzles (5 easy and 5 hard). The jigsaw puzzles are great fun! I was able to complete the hard version of the Northern Cardinal in just 10 minutes and 24 seconds!

Christmas Bird Books

While browsing the Books-A-Million book store in Harrisonburg, Virginia, last week, several books caught my attention. I mention them here in hopes that one of them may show up under the tree on Christmas morning (hint):

Bird tracks & sign: a guide to North American species (by Mark Elbroch & Eleanor Marks)

Birds (by Robert Bateman)

Eye of the albatross: visions of hope and survival (by Carl Safina)

Giants, monsters, and dragons: an encyclopedia of folklore, legend, and myth (by Carol Rose) [Includes descriptions of 113 different "beings that are bird or part bird"]

Kingbird highway: the story of a natural obsession that got a little out of hand (by Kenn Kaufman)

Return of the Osprey: a season of flight and wonder (by David Gessner)

The birds of heaven: travels with cranes (by Peter Matthiessen)

The Snow Goose: a story of home (by William Fiennes)

Church & Dwight Bird Cards

The Church & Dwight Co., the world's largest producer of sodium bicarbonate and the manufacturer of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda, once gave away free bird cards with each package of baking soda. In addition to carrying a portrait of a common North American bird, the cards usually carried some sort of environmental message. Click on "Bird Cards" on the company information for a brief history of the Church & Dwight bird cards, which are now valued collector's items.

Fourteen, Three, and Two Postscript

As expected, an early-morning visit to Caledonia Pond revealed it to be completely frozen solid. The only birds present were a pair of Canada Geese huddled together in the snow and ice on the edge of what yesterday afternoon had been the last vestige of open water. The Ring-necked Ducks and Ruddy Ducks apparantly were able to make a last-minute escape from certain death.

Fourteen, Three, and Two

Those are the numbers of waterfowl still present yesterday afternoon in the one remaining small area of open water on Caledonia Pond in eastern Berkeley County, West Virginia: 14 Canada Geese, 3 Ring-necked Ducks, and 2 Ruddy Ducks. A scene of impending tragedy. Will the companionship and reassuring presence of the Canada Geese lure the Ring-necked Ducks and Ruddy Ducks to their deaths? If need be, the Canada Geese can easily crawl up onto the surface of the ice (just as a few birds were yesterday) and take wing from there. The Ring-necked Ducks and Ruddy Ducks are less likely to be able to do so. These diving birds are superby designed for underwater pursuit of their aquatic prey. But these adaptations have also left them with certain vulnerabilities. Their relatively heavy bodies and small wing areas makes it difficult for them to become airborne from the surface of the water. In fact, they usually do so only with great difficulty, and then only after paddling across the surface of the water for some distance with wings beating widly. If there is a stiff headwind blowing, so much the better. With air temperatures dropping to single digits this morning and with virtually no wind, it is doubtful that Caledonia Pond will have any open water at all this morning. Did the Ring-necked Ducks and Ruddy Ducks have the sense to leave the security of the open water while they still could, or will they find themselves trapped in the ice, facing certain death in winter's cruel grasp?

Birding in the West

The Sunset magazine Web site is running a feature, called Wings Over the West, that I think is particularly good. In addition to highlighting some birding hotspots, the feature also touches on birding basics and birding gear. My favorite is a short article on "extreme birder" Steve Mlodinow (I love that library!).

Snow!

The early-morning forecast was for 6-10 inches of snow, and we must have ended up with close to 10 inches. The first snow of the winter. No, that's not right. Winter won't officially arrive 'til December 22nd or 23rd. So, it must be the first snowfall of the fall! Whatever, it was nice. Got to stay home from work today, and slept in 'till 11:00. By the time I finally got up, our kindly neighbor had cleared all of our sidewalks with her snow blower. Nice! Along with the snow, the first Red-bellied Woodpecker of the fall arrived in the neighborhood. This is one of the classic misnamed birds of all time, as it has absolutely no red anywhere on the belly! It was, of course, on the "woodpecker" tree, one of a row of Norway Maples that separate our backyard from our neighbors.

Restroom Art for the Birds

While visiting La Crosse, Wisconsin, last month to attend the annual meeting of the Waterbird Society, a group of us dined at the Freight House Restaurant one evening. Located in a restored freight house of the Burlington Northern Railroad, the restaurant is now a National Historic Site.

While relieving myself at the urinal in the men's restroom, I gazed upon a framed travel poster advertising the Izaak Walton Inn in Essex, Montana, a travel destination along the Great Northern Railroad.. Among the recreational opportunities promoted by the poster was Eagle Watching. I judged the poster to be vintage, perhaps dating from the 1920's or early 1930's. I found pretty interesting that, way back in the 1930's–long before birding was even recognized as a serious hobby–entrepreneurs already recognized the drawing power of birds and other wildlife.

Just recently, I was surprised to discover that the Inn–which actually wasn't built until 1939–is still a popular tourist destination. View their official Web page here and an article from Sunset magazine here. These days, the Inn seems to be catering principally to rail fans, river rafters, and skiers. And, unfortunately, eagles don't appear to be mentioned anywhere on their Web page.

Waterbird Count in Berkeley County

A total of 667 individual waterbirds of 7 species was noted on 10 ponds in eastern Berkeley County today. Canada Geese accounted for a whopping 94 percent of the individuals tallied. Eight of the 10 ponds with waterfowl, and 60 percent of the individuals, were located east of I-81. The highlight was a Snow Goose (an intermediate-phase bird) with a flock of 13 Canada Geese on a small pond adjacent to Route 11 just a couple of miles south of the I-81 Falling Waters (Route 11) exit. This location is no more than a mile or two from a location on the nearby Potomac River where I have seen a single Snow Goose in association with Canada Geese in 2 of the past 3 winters. Seven of the 34 Mallards were of domestic origin (1 wild-type and 6 Pekin-types). The details:

Pied-billed Grebe -1 individual (1 pond)
Canada Goose - 624 (6)
Snow Goose - 1 (1)
Mallard - 34 (6)
Green-winged Teal - 5 (1)
Lesser Scaup - 1 (1)
Ruddy Duck - 2 (1)