Though sad seeing a dozen or so Sandhill Cranes standing forlornly in the snow this morning, spring is just around the corner. Soon enough, our backyards and local birding haunts will be filled with our favorite colorful sprites - the warblers and other neotropical birds. Learn more about their incredible journey from an article (below) by Scott Weidensaul, published last year by The Nature Conservancy magazine. Scott talks about the challenges and hardships of what a small neotropical migrant bird may experience during migration, as well as the importance of stop-over habitats that are, unfortunately, shrinking each year. The Nature Conservancy is one of the finest environmental organizations out there for taking the issue head-on and saving the habitat these birds need to survive. Even if you've seen this article before, read it again. It always creates an element of inspiration in my imagination, knowing that the incredible journey is already underway.
Article: Across the Gulf on a Wing and a Prayer.
Blackburnian Warbler image © 2005 Michael Allen McDowell