This year, though, the birds have seemed to be venturing much closer to the road than usual, and some birders have been lucky enough to spot what is easily the most difficult (I will broker no argument) of the local breeding birds to get a look at, some even coming away with passable, even if hardly Nat Geo quality, photos. MORE

Internet car hire broker sites are offering small cars for less than £20. Dubai is a huge international airport, perfectly placed for connections around the world. Many people find themselves with a few hours to kill during transit and could potentially add a few ticks to their trip list as they pass through. This post might give you a few ideas for what to see during a stop in Dubai and a few tips on where to go and how to get there. MORE

I can’t tell you exactly how I brokered this meeting between these titans of industry and a team from the AOS, either. I’d learned a lot since the last time I sat in a meeting room even close to this fancy. Mostly, don’t steal breath mints. I’m still full of good ideas, though. MORE

I will broker no argument to the contrary. Icterus is a wide-ranging neotropical genus consisting of the technicolor blackbirds we call orioles. The two dozen species are, nearly to an individual, long bodied and bicolored. Most make impressively woven, deep, nests, and eat insects and nectar, often coming to feeders well-stocked with oranges and jellies. MORE

said was a welcome step toward brokering peace in the volatile nation. I hope so. We've got to get the gorilla rangers back into Virunga. According to the AP. The U.N. Security Council agreed Thursday to send 3,100 more peacekeeping troops to Congo, while rebels said they remained committed to a pullback from the front lines despite an army attack. There are currently 17,000 peacekeepers in the vast Central African nation — the world's largest U.N. MORE

Once penned, some dolphins are picked out by dolphin trainers and animal brokers for purchase and transport to amusement parks and resorts. We posted about this film a while ago, but it is still inspiring news coverage. Clearly, it is disturbing enough to provoke some real discussions about the ethics of dolphins in amusement parks. Whenever I read about dolphins in places like Sea World, I think of an ex-co-worker named Gretchen who admitted she had "issues" with animals. MORE

Animal welfare groups led by the Humane Society of the United States have agreed to abandon a fall ballot issue against animal cruelty as part of a deal with state farm groups brokered by Gov. To me, it's another example of the Humane Society's growing savvy and clout in the US. I know many will disagree with me and say it's a cop-out, but I'll take what I can get. From the Associated Press. MORE

Working With an Experienced Broker is Important. When trying to break into the world of Forex trading, you will also need to find the right broker to work with. You want to make sure that the broker you are working with is fully licensed and regulated. Doing a bit of research will allow you to find out which of the brokers at your disposal has the best reputation and offers the widest array of services. MORE

Brokering land to hunters, hooking them up with guide services…all for a fee. For those of you who’ve been following the drama unfolding in Kentucky regarding a sandhill crane hunt, there’s bad news. An eight-member commission unanimously approved the hunt proposal in early June. Which wasn’t a surprise, since everyone on the commission is a hunter. Thousands of letters and emails of protest apparently fell on deaf ears. Not surprising, but certainly disappointing. MORE

And it was literally as she was signing the lease on her new apartment in New York that the broker said, “Oh, and I made a mistake, it turns out this apartment isn’t pet friendly.” Robin thought about her options as the ink on her signature dried, and briefly considered biting the broker on the leg. This is a great guest post from Amy Epstien. An important read for pet owners about their legal rights. Enjoy! MORE

Norse was a Wall Street broker; John Kieran was a sports reporter and radio panelist. Happy New Year, 10,000 Birds readers and writers! MORE

Many of Petland's puppies are not supplied directly by breeders but are purchased from a "middle man"—large-scale "pet distributors," otherwise known as brokers—showing that the company may not even know who the breeders are or what their standards of care may be like. The investigation revealed that some of Petland's brokers are also buying from puppy mills. This news story slipped by in November. MORE

Class B dealers are animal brokers who acquire animals from places such as pounds, flea markets and newspaper ads for the purpose of selling them to research institutions or veterinary schools. I learned something new from this article. I had never heard the use of the term "Class B." MORE