IOANA SERITAN
Associate Editor, Birding magazine
Welcome to Birding Online! From this page, all ABA members can access the extended online content from the October 2017 issue of Birding magazine. The complete issue, containing both print and online content, can be found at:
aba.org/birding-magazine-october-2017/
October’s cover hints at the content within. This gorgeous watercolor of European Starlings by Kylee Wiseman is a nod to all of the amazing contributions from young birders in this issue. Halfway through the magazine, you’ll find yourself in the midst of a Forum that celebrates the talents of many teen birders, from articles written by Luke Maillefer, Diego Blanco, Madelyne Ray, and Trysten Loefke; to artwork from Diego Blanco and Kylee Wiseman; and to photography from these and other skilled birders. On top of the Forum, one of this month’s Book Reviews is written by Johanna Beam, the ABA–Leica 2017 Young Birder of the Year. Check out these awesome contributions yourself, starting on page 30.
European Starlings. Watercolor and ink on cold-pressed watercolor paper by Kylee Wiseman.
Speaking of the Forum, you can read Birding magazine Editor Ted Floyd’s musings about Luke Maillefer’s journey down South (aptly named “Almost Antarctica”) at The ABA Blog. Feel free to contribute your own “Almost ____” experiences in the comments! And that’s not the only online content from these articles. October brings us two photo quizzes.
The first quiz is brought to us by Mia McPherson and Peter Pyle, featuring this tricky and just-a-bit Halloween-ish little bird below. If you’d like to give it a go yourself, you can join the conversation on The ABA Blog. Then, you can read the authors’ own perspectives in the magazine, starting on page 58.
Antelope Island State Park, Great Salt Lake, Utah; July 21, 2017. Photograph by © Mia McPherson – but what is the subject?
The second quiz comes from Madelyne Ray’s article about her experiences at Camp Avocet and Camp Colorado, the ABA’s young birder camps. Teen birder Kristen Johnson’s photo of birds in flight during Camp Avocet gives us a sneak peek at the kind of identification challenges that campers face. You can face it yourself and offer your thoughts on The ABA Blog, then read Madelyne’s story starting on page 42.
Photo from a Camp Avocet trip to the Delaware Bayshore, Delaware side; August 2016. Photo by © Kristen Johnson.
Outside of the young birder contributions, we do get to enjoy the regular extended content for News and Notes, and Book Reviews. In print, we got to read Paul Hess’ fantastic explanations of Pin-tailed Whydah breeding behavior in the ABA Area, and how exactly flamingos stand on one leg. Online, he walks us through a recent study about the genetic differences between Golden-winged Warblers and Blue-winged Warblers–and the much more massive differences between their wintering grounds.
And of course, there’s more where that came from for October’s Book Reviews. Click here to flip straight to the first one in the online issue. You can also find Johanna Beam’s extended review of three painting and drawing guides created by Andrew Forkner, John Muir Laws, and Alan Woollett on The ABA Blog. Charles Hagner’s review of Dan Egan’s The Death and Life of the Great Lakes is on The ABA Blog as well. And last but far from least, Rick Wright’s review of the HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World is here on The ABA Blog.
As always, there is a lot more to see and read in this issue! Click here to flip through the Table of Contents and find your own favorite articles, photos, and pieces of art. I hope you enjoy! Until next time, happy birding!
