10,000 Birds

MAY 6, 2015

Musselman of Quincy Illinois is generally credited with originating the bluebird conservation movement that extended beyond local boundaries. Every spring I look forward to monitoring my bluebird trails when I not only get to watch Western Bluebirds develop from eggs to fledglings, but other cavity nesters as well.

Tenant 161

Tenant Farming Illinois North America 161

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 6, 2012

Ridgway, born in 1850 in Mr. Carmel, Illinois, was a boy many of us would recognize; all he wanted to do was bird. The team explored Nevada and Utah, with Ridgway collecting thousands of bird specimen, plus nests and eggs for the Smithsonian. And, draw birds. And, identify the birds he saw and drew.

Collecting 151

Collecting Illinois United States Science 151

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 9, 2014

Still, I can’t help thinking that there is some parallel between the mass slaughter of the Passenger Pigeon in 19th-century North America and the mass slaughter of songbirds in southern European countries today. How many eggs did a pigeon lay? journey, written up in diary format. How many times did it nest?

2014 161

2014 Killing Michigan Kentucky 161