How many birds would you say die or get injured during migration?

That is impossible right now for scientists to calculate. One estimate is that about 50% of the migrating population won’t return to their original birthplace.

There has been a lot of talk lately about the whirling blades of wind farms not only creating renewable energy but killing flying birds and bats. It’s already known that the wind turbines should not be built in bird migration routes. But the National Wind Coordinating Committee also came up with the following bird fatality statistics in the United States:

•98 million to 980 million fatal collisions with buildings and windows
•130 million to more than one billion fatal collisions with high-tension lines
•60 million to 80 million deaths caused by automobiles
•4 million to 50 million fatal encounters with communications towers
•72 million birds each year are killed by toxic chemicals, including pesticides
•Domestic cats are estimated to kill hundreds of millions of birds each year
•15 million birds a year in North America are killed in managed annual waterfowl hunt kills
•20,000 to 37,000 fatal collisions with wind turbines

At the East Lansing Wild Birds Unlimited store today we had a Swainson’s Thrush stuck under our awning. It was running back and forth trying to fly up, up, up through the glass ceiling. The House Sparrows that live up there think it’s the best designed building ever because bugs go up there and get stuck too. All day long I watch the sparrows fly up grab a quick meal and fly down.

New birds to the area, however, like the thrush sometimes get stuck. I rescued a hummingbird once with a net because I knew it didn’t have all night to figure out how to get out of the awning. But we watched this thrush for about an hour running back and forth. Finally the sparrows ganged up and pushed the thrush down and out. I’ve seen them do this before with a Goldfinch and a Downy Woodpecker. Whether they were offering a helping hand or just shooing away a stranger from their territory, I was glad he was finally free. I couldn’t help but think of the millions of other birds that find themselves in similar situations during migration and don’t make it.

The good news is I got an up close view of the Swainson’s Thrush Catharus ustulatus. It was named after William Swainson, an English ornithologist, and is also called the Olive-backed Thrush. On its breeding grounds in northern Michigan it is usually seen perched high in a treetop. During migration the bird skulks low on the ground under shrubs and with luck spend its winter in the tropics. A group of thrushes are collectively known as a "hermitage" and a "mutation" of thrushes.

Category › Question of the week

Share Nature's Bounty

Now is the time for fall harvest. As you start preparing for the holidays, don’t forget about your birds! Here are a few ways to take advantage of seasonal items to attract birds to your yard:

1. Squash and pumpkin seeds Whether you are carving a pumpkin, or preparing a pumpkin pie, set aside the seeds. Nuthatches love them, and many other birds will eat them as well. You also may have noticed squirrels rearranging the face of your Jack O’Lantern as they have quick nibble.
2. Apples When you are making apple pies don’t throw away the apple cores. There are a number of birds which may be attracted to apples, including Cardinals. You can also roll birdseed in with extra pie dough and bake it in the shape of a bagel. When cool hang from trees. The pie crust usually has lots of fat which is substitute for the insects that birds eat but are not plentiful in cold weather.
5. Nuts Many insect eating birds greatly appreciate this high protein food. Too much salt isn’t good for the birds, but a few leftover party nuts mixed with other bird seed can be a treat. You can also collect nuts from the trees in your neighborhood, including acorns and walnuts.
6. Peanut Butter Smear peanut butter on a tree trunk. You’ll be surprised how many cute birds this will attract up and down your tree. Or spread Peanut butter on pine cones, old bread, or cookies. Then roll them in birdseed and hang them on your bushes with raffia string.
7. Orange Rinds Cut a large orange in half and eat the inside. Poke holes ¼ inch from the rim and attach a twine handle. Mix the last handful of unsweetened cereal at the bottom of the box with stale crackers or bread crumbs, dried out raisins or holiday stuffing. Fill the orange half and hang the filled feeder from a tree.
8. Ornamental Corn Autumn decorations for your home can also provide the birds with food. Blue Jays and Squirrels will enjoy ornamental corn.

Category › Quick fun Facts

Guest Blogger Chuck: Rare Bird Sighting

I'm not a blogger but I need to tell you about something that happened last evening that I've not experienced at my house ever before.

I was eating my supper at about 6 p.m. and something outside the window caught my attention. Just as I looked over to give it my full attention it seemed as if two hummingbirds zipped away the way they do all summer long in the same location. I decided it must have been a couple of sparrows or finches and went back to my meal. A minute later the motion was back at the window and this time I looked to see the hummer hovering between the Fusia and Geranium plants that are still blooming on our front porch.

I haven't seen a hummer since the second week in Sept. and my resident birds left back on Labor Day week-end! I've NEVER seen hummingbirds anywhere near this late, even in warm years. WHAT WERE THESE BIRDS THINKING?? It's cold!!! C

Over here at the East Lansing, MI Wild Birds Unlimited shop we’ve actually had several "eagle eye" customers reporting late hummers. It’s not unheard of for Ruby-throated hummingbirds to stay until the end of October but I want to throw out the possibility that you might have seen Rufous Hummingbirds.

The Ruby-throated hummingbird is the most common hummingbird in Michigan. However, the Rufous Hummingbird Selasphorus rufus is the most widely-distributed hummingbird in North America and a few have been documented in Michigan late into November. They winter in Mexico but these feisty birds can survive in extremely cold temperatures if there is food available. Click HERE for a photo of a Rufous in the snow.

Thanks for the contribution Chuck! If anyone else would like to write about their observations feel free to email them to bloubird@gmail.com.

Category › Quick fun Facts

Great Day in the Yard

The day began when I woke up to what sounded like chickadees singing under water. Even though I was anticipating the arrival of the White-throated Sparrows it was still a surprise to hear their song among our usual backyard glee club members. You’ll only hear this yodel-like song of White-throated Sparrows for a few weeks in the spring and fall as they pass through the Lansing area.

When I went downstairs for a cup of tea, it was just getting light. I glanced out the window and saw what looked like old dry leaves, rustling in the wind. As I focused the leaves came alive and I saw it was a mixed flock of sparrows including one Song Sparrow, one Junco, some House Sparrows, and many White-throated Sparrows scratching away under the bushes.

I opened the door to go refill the feeders and there was an explosion of startled birds, wings flapping, to the trees. They immediately settled and gradually fluttered back to the ground even as I was still filling the feeders. I think they gave me dirty looks trying to hurry me along out of their breakfast area. (Although I want to think the chickadee was saying “thank you” even though it sounded more like “new food here!”) The White-throated Sparrows immediately started feeding on the ground, flipping aside leaves with their bill and scratching away leaf litter with a series of quick kicks.

These white-throats may stay for a few weeks, however with winter looming, the day will come when the last one will leave for a more hospitable wintering grounds. I'm already missing them, just thinking about it. But today I enjoyed how the White-throated Sparrows welcomed dawns first light with their song and added a flurry of activity to the yard.

White-throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis
Order: PASSERIFORMES Family: Sparrows (Emberizidae)

• Individual White-throated Sparrows have either white stripes on their head or tan stripes. These distinct color forms are genetic in origin. White-striped birds are more aggressive than tan-striped ones, and each bird almost always mates with a bird whose stripe color is opposite from their own. They all have distinct white throat feathers.
•White-throated Sparrows are known to migrate at night and begin their flights around sunset. Some research studies suggest they use star patterns as one means of navigation.
•A group of sparrows has many collective nouns, including a "crew", "flutter", "meinie", "quarrel", and "ubiquity" of sparrows.
•The white-throated and White-crowned sparrows only pass through mid-Michigan as they migrate north or south in the spring and fall.
•You may hear the birds before you see them. I always think White-throated sparrows have a song that sounds like a chickadee yodeling. Birders describe their song as "poor Sam Peabody, Peabody, Peabody"

Category › Bird of the week

Ready to Travel in Orissa after Awesome food in Dhabas

Grey smoke coming from Thatched roofs, Chullas glowing with red hot Charcoal, sound of Chillies and Onions crackling in hot pans, dialogues of latest Jatra ( Theatre)oozing out from localy made Sound Systems, Tata and Leyland Trucks lined up for repairing and refuelling..welcome to a phenomena called as “ Dhaba”. This write-up is dedicated to those infamous cooks who over the years have fed millions of hungry drivers responsible for taking trucks from North to South and East to West of India. As i sit in my cosy drawing room in Pune and enjoy the much awaited showers of Monsoon, one thing that surely I am missing is that all time favourite dish of mine- Anda Tadka, found in almost all the roadside dhabas of Orissa. Mixture of Boiled lentils of various types and fried eggs with handful of Raw ,lightly battered Garlic ,a splash of Chicken Gravy ,sprinkle of dried Methi and green Coriander leaves gives birth to this tongue arousing dish called Anda Tadka. Dhabas in Orissa are almost synonymous with Tadka and has to be the one of the essential dishes during a full lunch or dinner. How many times, i would have biked on lonely highways along with my friends to gulp down Tadka, Chicken fry, Mutton curry in one of those numerous roadside dhabas on state and national Highways. Amidst lush green forests with Cuckooing sounds of Cuckoo , sitting on a roped cot with wooden plank in between for eating purpose, and with all khati friends, one can only say that Life was so beautiful and easy. Though I would say, it’s still is.


I have had experience of having food in Dhabas in different parts of Orissa and can tell you that kind of Mutton Curry that you get in eateries in and around Western Orissa and Northern Orissa is better than that you get in Costal Orissa. I am not sure of the logic but one of my friends tells me that quality of meat from Goats that graze in Hilly areas is of better quality as compared to that of Goats that graze in plains. One of the best mutton curries I had was in a small Dhaba near Rourkela. About 20 kms from Rourkela and on the way to Rajamunda, you have this small dhaba at Lathikata. For mere 60 Rupees you get awesome Curry over there and quantity is simply unmatchable. And there is some aura about this place. Green Sal trees all around,NH 215 in front and the Railway Track (line to Barsuan) on the Rear, one gets a feeling of a complete picture on canvas. Another place that I had good experience was at Sukha Dhaba on the way to Bargarh.



But score settles when it comes to Fish ,Prawn and Crab Items. First of all you will not get Crabs and Prawns in Dhabas of Western Orissa. Secondly preparation is not of that standard as you find in Dhabas of Costal Orissa.For example ,kind of fish items that you get at Chilika Dhaba on the way to Balugaon is out of the world.Okay some foodies may argue that Chilika Lake being near to the place you get fresh products but still then I have my opinions reserved.

But disappointing places as against my expectations and kind of food fame that they hold in foodies circle has been dhabas like “ Yuvraj” and all those places near Khuntuni on the Dhenkanal stretch. Same way it has been always a bad experience on the Deogarh-Kendujhar Stretch of NH6. Virtually you get nothing except for Usuna Bhata(Boiled Rice) ,Dal and Mixture(mixed vegetables curry) on this stretch. And how can I forget the Rajamunda Circle. There are so many of these dhabas but they will not meet your expectations; be it quality of food or santitation. May be one of the hypothesis that I can draw is that roads on these stretches are mainly used by Dumpers which are used for transporting of Iron Ores. And kind of payment Dumper drivers get is quite less. So Dhaba owners strategise by selling only Rice, Dal and Mixture. At best you will get Fish curry and Chicken Curry. But they taste as if some body has dipped Bolied fish in Red Chilly water.

And then the stretch of Sathipur- Balasore, where you not only get food but also great milk products. Have a good lunch and then go for a Glass of hot milk or Rabri. Try out Rabri of Balia Dhaba near Sathipur.
In good old days when there were no Inns or Roadside good quality restaurants like you see the Reliance A1s, there would be huge dhabas with all the facilities. A small tank with water for bathing and cleaning purpose of the Drivers, cots lined up for them to sleep. You would see Sardarjis taking out cans of Desi Ghees brought from Punjab and coating the Rotis till it starts over flowing like their never ending jokes on Prostitutes of GT Road .It would be the only time when they would get some time to discuss about their farmlands back in Punjab, their children, dacoity near the Jamshola Ghat and the bravery with which they would have fought the Dacoits, Makei ki roti and Sarso ka saag, Army Canteen’s Bagpiper and Buxom Punjabi female folk singers. Some of the Dhabas have also been raided many times by Police for running parallel business of Prostitution. This is not that common in Orissa as compared to some of the other states. Many of Sardarjis who run Dhabas on Angul section of NH6 were some time or the other Drivers. Perhaps they were destined to be part of Orissa and make it new homeland. You will find n number of them in Kendujhar running garages and dhabas.




There has been many stories of good Cooks who would show Entrepreneurial Skills and would start their own ventures. In most of the cases it would be the Dhaba in front of the old employer’s joint making mockery of the old employer. Drivers who would be regular on the route end up making friendship with the good cooks and eventually stop at only those dhabas where these people worked ensuring that they get good food and original whiskies.

I would end the article with some peculiar things about the Dhabas. Don’t get astonished if an Oriya calls a 16 wheeler something like “Line Truck” or “ Andhra Truck” that’s because they have seen trucks moving in line and most of being from Andhra Pradesh. If you ask me to design an universally applicable logo to symbolise Dhabas, then I would go for a logo of some chiilies placed on salt laden plate. These plates can be seen on the Tables and the wooden planks kept on the cots in almost dhabas. In almost all the plates you would find some of the chillies standing apart after having turned reddish. If there is a Ghat road, be sure that it would start with a line of Dhabas and end with three four. This is because the gigantic 16 wheelers (peculiarly called in Oriya as Solah Chakia) and Trailers would require to gather some breath and then proceed. I have watched these scenes numerous times at Suakathi, beginning of Kanjipani Ghat from Pallalahara side on NH 6. Drivers and helpers would sip cups of Tea and locally baked biscuits, popularly known as Nadua. Helpers would tap the tyres with a spanner to check the resonating sound. A good vibration means tyres are perfect and there are no flat ones in making. It’s time to move on with full throttle. Trucks will go on roaring while climbing the Ghat leaving behind a trail of Black smoke and one would be able to see from behind those famous lines “ Buri Nazar Waale......Tera Moonh Kala”.

Category ›

Matheran...Monsoons and Railways

Morning Express



Along the wind-swept platform, pinched and white,

The travellers stand in pools of wintry light,

Offering themselves to morn’s long slanting arrows.

The train’s due; porters trundle laden barrows.

The train steams in, volleying resplendent clouds

Of sun-blown vapour. Hither and about,

Scared people hurry, storming the doors in crowds.

The officials seem to waken with a shout,

Resolved to hoist and plunder; some to the vans

Leap; others rumble the milk in gleaming cans.

Boys, indolent-eyed, from baskets leaning back,

Question each face; a man with a hammer steals

Stooping from coach to coach; with clang and clack,

Touches and tests, and listens to the wheels.

Guard sounds a warning whistle, points to the clock

With brandished flag, and on his folded flock

Claps the last door: the monster grunts; ‘Enough!’

Tightening his load of links with pant and puff.

Under the arch, then forth into blue day;

Glide the processional windows on their way,

And glimpse the stately folk who sit at ease

To view the world like kings taking the seas

In prosperous weather: drifting banners tell

Their progress to the counties; with them goes

The clamour of their journeying; while those

Who sped them stand to wave a last farewell.







A poem written by:

SIEGFRIED SASSOON



Taken from http://www.railwaybritain.co.uk/railway%20poems.html

Category ›

Tamhini Ghat in Monsoons

Route Followed:
Pune-Pirangut-Paud-Mulshi-Tamhini Ghat
Back to Pune on the same route.
Total Kms-Around 200 kms(both ways)
Please note that Petrol Pump is only avaialable at Pirangut. There are no ATMs on this route.

Category ›