Feather Fancy

Have just returned from Annapolis, Maryland where I attended the Naval Academy Commissioning of my best friend's son.  The weather in Maryland, typically hot and humid by this time of year, was cool, gray and rainy as in the battleship grey sky of my title photo.  On my return, I stopped off at Magee Marsh with hopes that I would find some of the late migrants.  It was quiet.  I think this migration has been of concern to us all.  Of note, a young birder named Alex Eberts (may not be recalling Alex's last name correctly) did find a Hudsonian Godwit (Limosa haemastica) in the left pond just at the left turn on the road to the boardwalk.  Not that a spring time Hudsonian Godwit isn't a really good bird, but Alex was disappointed - with a wink - that it wasn't a Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa).  In lieu of any new blog material from yesterday's MM visit, I offer the following.

From the New York Times - after suffering through a 30 second ad that you may or may not be able to skip - the 1:30 minute video is worth viewing.

Feather Fancy by Robin Lindsay, James Gorman and Meg Felling.

Here's another from a few weeks past - 1:39 seconds.

The Real Manakin Challenge by James Gorman, Flora Lichtman and Robin Lindsay.  If you go to Panama you will mostly hear and, if you are very fast, possibly see this Golden-collared Manakin (Manacus vitellinus) trick.  As in the photo above I was not fast, but you'll recognize the bird's body positioning in the video.