Birding News 3

Selected stories about birders and birding culled from the world's newspapers and other news outlets, as gathered with the aid of Google news alerts:

Festival proves birding is more interesting than reality TV (Albert Lea Tribune, Minn.)—The Sax-Zim Bog Winter Birding Festival; birding at 11 degrees below zero.

Boys of a feather count together (The Oregonian, Portland)—"The Hinkle twins were 5 when they started watching – really watching – the birds of Mount Tabor." Includes video.

Ill. corner a soar spot for mighty Bald Eagle (Chicago Sun-Times, Ill.)—The Alton-Grafton area “is home to the second largest wintering population of Bald Eagles in the lower 48.

Watching feathered friends inspires Japanese-style poetry (Columbus Dispatch, Ohio)—Interview with Michael J. Rosen, author of The cuckoo’s haiku and other birding poems.

Snow Owl returns to Maryland (WBAL Radio, Baltimore)—A notable irruption has produced multiple records of Snowy Owls in Maryland this winter for the first time in at least 24 years.

Dripping Springs man earns annual Golden Eagle birding award (San Marcos Daily Record, Tex.)—"Howard Williams turned his Dripping Springs yard into a bird magnet by providing food, shelter and water for avian visitors," and was awarded a $50 check and a framed certificate by the Wimberley Birding Society.