Yesterday I saw my first Dark-eyed Junco of fall. With migration being fairly steady throughout the night, there are sure to be more this morning. Many readers sent me the following story, which is pretty interesting stuff:
Birds Can "See" Earth's Magnetic Field
"Scientists already suspected birds' eyes contain molecules that are thought to sense Earth's magnetic field. In a new study, German researchers found that these molecules are linked to an area of the brain known to process visual information. In that sense, "birds may see the magnetic field," said study lead author Dominik Heyers, a biologist at the University of Oldenburg."
Link: Full article from National Geographic
Dark-eyed Junco © 2007 Mike McDowell