When I opened my post box this afternoon, I found a pelican looking back at me, a Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) to be both generic as well as specific. Now before you chastise me for having been into the sauce before the sun was fully over the yard-arm as well as for making bad taxonomic jokes, allow me to explain please.
The pelican in question was pictured on the cover of the May 2008 issue of Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine – their “year of birds” issue. TP&W is not a magazine I ordinarily bring to the attention of the Born Again Bird Watcher readership, however in this case it is of direct importance for a number of reasons; five to be precise.
First, Rusty Middleton’s article “The Big Shift” on the recently observed changes in the geographic ranges of a host of Texas’ wildlife species. All who have an interest in the ecology of Texas, theories of climate change and its effects, or simply natural history in general will most certainly find this of great interest.
Second, Noreen Damude’s “Boogie Woogie Bugle Birds” – an overview of avian courtship displays and practices of many of the bird species found in Texas.
Third, Bonnie Reynolds McKinney’s reminiscences of her three years studying Elf Owls, titled “Black Gap Elves,” brings a very human perspective into an extraordinary period of field work involving this smallest of North American owls.
Fourth, E. Dan Klepper’s “The Art of Birds” gives readers a perspective from which to understand the rich and long-established tradition of Texas’ many remarkable artists who specialized in depicting birds.
Fifth, but certainly not last in any gauge of importance, Shelly Scroggs Plante’s presentation of the 2008 Great Texas Birding Calendar. If it’s a birding event and it’s in Texas, it’s cited with all pertinent information in this article.
There’s more of course, much more, including many smaller pieces on everything from birding skills enhancement to a biographical sketch of Edgar Kincaid, “The Father of Texas Birding.” If Texas Parks & Wildlife is not on your regular reading list, put “Pick up a copy of TP&W” on your to-do list for the week. If it is already on your regular reading list – enjoy!
Peace and good bird watching.
