The 108th I and the Bird Stakes

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ATTENTION

Our eyes and ears should be open and alert to the natural wonders that surround us every day. Take time to look out our windows to see the birds that visit us and open our windows to hear them. Walk around whatever space we have to enjoy the birds in nature. Every day, work on improving our powers of observation.

ACCEPTANCE

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September 02, 2009

Welcome to Saratoga Springs, New York, USA for the 108th running of the I and the Bird Stakes!

Click on Image to Listen to "Call to the Post"

Saratoga Race Course is the oldest continuously operating race course in North America and this year, it has been summer home to the two biggest equine birds in thoroughbred racing today: Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird and Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird. These horses have rich avian blood, being half brothers out of 2004 Belmont and Travers winner Birdstone. While at Saratoga, these siblings were housed a few stalls apart in the Clark Memorial Stakes Barn which became known as "The Birdhouse".

And just last Saturday, Summer Bird followed in his father's hoofsteps by winning the $1 million 140th Travers Stakes, the centerpiece of the Saratoga Race Course summer meet.

So now, from home of the historic Saratoga Springs Race Course, I present the 108th I and the Bird Stakes, featuring the best bird blog writing from around the world. Here's a look at our field:

1
Ten Most Beautiful Birds in Minnesota
Stables: Twin Cities Naturalist Podcast
Jockey: Kirk Mona

2
Wildlife Conservation & Land Development...A Perfect Marriage
Stables: Avimor Birding Blog
Jockey: Robert Mortensen

3
The Abundant Ocean
Stables: Christian Artuso: Birds, Wildlife
Jockey: Christian Artuso

4
Thistles
Stables: The Greenbelt
Jockey: Karen

5
The Very Interesting and Awesome Great Crested Flycatcher
Stables: Birder's Lounge
Jockey: Amber Coakley

6
Around Home
Stables: Ben Cruachan - Natural History
Jockey: Duncan Fraser

7
Some Meanderings Through The Rockies
Stables: Birds O' The Morning
Jockey: Connie Kogler

8
is this the best place in the world?
Stables: The Life of a Bird Tour Leader
Jockey: Susan Myers

9
When the eagles are disturbed...
Stables: Greg Laden's Blog
Jockey: Greg Laden

10
Mystery Bird: Black Tern, Chlidonias niger
Stables: Living the Scientific Life
Jockey: GrrlScientist

11
Every Picture Tells a Story...
Stables: Liza Lee Miller
Jockey: Liza Lee Miller

12
Birding with Kids: The Raw, Unfiltered Truth
Stables: Birds, Words, & Websites
Jockey: Laura Kammermeier

13
Bird Rescue
Stables: Gallicissa
Jockey: Amila Salgado

14
International Vulture Awareness Day - Can you help us reach 100 events?
Stables: gwenz wildlife weblog
Jockey: Gwendolen Tee

15
Song of the Wood Thrush
Stables: The Zen Birdfeeder
Jockey: Nancy Castillo

16
Birding the impoundment, Heislerville NJ
Stables: Dawns bloggy blog
Jockey: Dawn Fine (her maiden IATB race)

17
The AOU Meeting: Blogged by the Scientists!
Stables: Round Robin
Jockey: Dr. Elise Ferree

18
The evasive Green-tailed Towhee
Stables: Rob's Idaho Perspective
Jockey: Rob Miller

19
Photo Study of a Dead Cuckoo
Stables: A DC Birding Blog
Jockey: John Beetham

20
AOU Thursday: Hope for Solving Bird Collisions
Stables: Round Robin
Jockey: Dr. Caren Cooper

21
Thursday at AOU: A New Kind of Conservation for Kirtland's Warblers
Stables: Round Robin
Jockey: John Fitzpatrick

22
Kestrels in the park
Stables: Quantum Tiger Wildlife Photography
Jockey: Ian Coleman

23
AOU Friday: Learning How Birds Learn
Stables: Round Robin
Jockey: Dr. Colleen McLinn

24
Yellow-vented Bulbul's reaction to chick's death
Stables: Bird Ecology Study Group
Jockeys: YC Wee and R Subaraj

25
A Day-Making Family of Cardinals!
Stables: Vickie Henderson Art
Jockey: Vickie Henderson

26
Fragmented & Young Forest preferred by Migrating Songbirds
Stables: Gavan Central
Jockey: Gavan Watson

27
Saturday Birding at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Stables: Picus Blog
Jockey: Christopher Ciccone

28
Migrating birds, critters, past 3 wks
Stables: rachelbirder
Jockey: Rachel Jenkins

29
Birding the British Bird Fair I
Stables: Aimophila Adventures
Jockey: Rick Wright

30
Brigantine Wildlife Refuge - Home of the Nefarious Green-Head Fly
Stables: Nature Observances - by Forestal
Jockey: Dan Huber

31
August Trivia Question
Stables: The Wingbeat
Jockey: Rick Wright

32
Bird Bloggers Invade Queens, or, New Jersey Cursed No More
Stables: 10,000 Birds
Jockey: Corey Finger

33
A Prospect Park Mystery
Stables: Great Auk - or Greatest Auk?
Jockey: Carrie

34
Wood Storks, etc. at Mississippi River Nature Weekend
Stables: Search and Serendipity
Jockey: David J. Ringer

35
Increasing Diversity in Outdoor Recreation
Stables: Midwest Native Plants, Gardens, and Wildlife
Jockey: Janet Creamer

What a great line-up we have at the gates for the 108th I and the Bird Stakes! Let's send them ALL to the Winners Circle by reading and commenting on their posts. If you REALLY like them, tweet about 'em on Twitter or put links out on Facebook - this is a celebration of birds and the blogs that exist because of them!

The celebration continues in the 109th edition of I and the Bird, hosted by Madras Ramblings on September 17th.

Posted at 09:24 PM in Weblogs | Permalink

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Comments

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...what a cool presentation! You're so creative...

Posted by: Kelly | October 29, 2009 at 02:29 PM

Finally...I get some decent internet and can see your post for I and the Bird!
Great job..
Like the line up.
Actually this is nice and clean cut and makes it easier to check out all the posts.

Oh i want to mention..in case u dont know why u are getting that strange pop up on your blog...I also got the same thing..
had John @dendroica help me out...it happened to be the digiscoping today photo and link..
took it off and i no longer get that darn pop up..
let me know if it works for you.

Posted by: Dawn Fine | September 17, 2009 at 12:43 AM

Great presentation Nancy!

Posted by: Gallicissa | September 06, 2009 at 10:15 PM

Good one Nancy and I'm not even saddle sore!

Posted by: Duncan | September 04, 2009 at 05:42 PM

Love the theme for this I and the Bird. Well done Nancy.

The poor horse that ended up with jockey Gwen. Haha.
I hope for its sake it's a Belgian Heavy Horse. :D

Posted by: gwendolen | September 04, 2009 at 03:54 PM

Nice job Nancy! I love the horse racing motif and what a great turn out!

Posted by: Larry Jordan | September 04, 2009 at 01:35 AM

Now that's what I like - birding at the track! What a creative nod to our summer meet. For today's feature, all the entries seem pretty evenly matched and are lookin' good in the paddock. However, I think I will box an exacta with 5 and 3, and do a side bet on 28 to show (and not just because her name is Rachel). Of course, all this depends on the odds I get! And, while we are talking birds, let's not forget the immortal Grey Lag (1918-1942). Thanks for compiling this very informative selection of blogs!

Posted by: Margaret | September 03, 2009 at 09:55 PM

Fun and imaginative lineup! Look forward to visiting all these posts!

Posted by: Vickie | September 03, 2009 at 09:33 AM

Great creativity! I have just gotten back into blogging and looking at the blogs of others. A vauge rememberance of enjoying your blog in the past led me to come. Now I remember why.

Posted by: Vern | September 03, 2009 at 07:37 AM

Zen,
With all the creatively imagined posts we've been seeing for "I and the Bird," yours raises the "stakes" even higher!
Laura

Posted by: Laura K | September 03, 2009 at 06:17 AM

Very creative I and the Bird!

Posted by: Kirk Mona | September 02, 2009 at 11:39 PM

Great presentation! It made me miss my days working up in Saratoga...though I won't miss the ads with the "call to the post" that seemed to play every five minutes!

Posted by: Corey | September 02, 2009 at 09:56 PM

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