Archive for December 2009
December 20, 2009 | 
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This is, by far, the most unusual (and the coolest) bug I have seen so far. While I was sitting in the corner of my backyard, watching birds, I saw movement out of the corner of my eye, and witnessed this Wheel Bug (Arilus cristatus) climbing the nearby fence. It was hard to miss – easily 1.5″ long. This visitor to my backyard could have walked right off a science-fiction movie set! Read the rest of this entry »
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I got a new fancy-schmancy camera backpack for my birthday and finally tried it out last weekend. I put it through its paces by loading it up, unpacking and packing it again to move around the meadow, and giving the built-in rain cover a good try. The bag is a Lowepro Vertex 200 AW, and it is a serious piece of luggage. The photos above are the product photos from B&H where I bought it online.
The bag was heavy even when empty, then I loaded two cameras, a 300mm lens, and several other items. I got my exercise, to say the least! But did I get any pictures? You bet I did. Read the rest of this entry »
I am very excited to announce that 100% of all proceeds from the sale of Birder’s Lounge items through the Online Store will go to the two Birder’s Lounge wildlife rehab non-profit groups. The truth is, I am usually the biggest customer, purchasing calendars for family and friends each year, and the occasional t-shirt or coffee mug. Outside of Christmas, I may get 1-2 orders a year.
So, we’re not talking about a huge amount of money, but I know that every little bit counts. It is also very rewarding to be able to use one of my hobbies (nature photography) to benefit organizations who are helping animals every day.
For those of you not familiar with Cafe Press, it is an online company that customizes a wide array of items with original artwork, etc. They charge a fee to keep a “shop,” charge “shopkeepers” a base fee for the products, then deduct a portion of whatever markup the shopkeeper designates on their items. After that, Cafe Press will hold onto any accumulated proceeds for 90 days, coinciding with their return policy.
So about 4 months from now, Birder’s Lounge should have a little extra to donate to Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation and International Bird Rescue Research Center. Woohoo! 
(Cross-posted at Nature Blog Network)
How can it be that “someone” has not already created a blog carnival for such a popular and important group of animals? I guess the blogosphere has been waiting on me!
Who am I? My name is Amber Coakley, blogging at Birder’s Lounge. Sure, I blog about birds, but I have a great love for all animals. I’m a Texas Master Naturalist, a budding conservationist, and an avid supporter of wildlife rescue and rehab efforts.
One day, late this past summer, I read a post at 10,000 Birds, and it struck me that I had never heard of a blog carnival dedicated to amphibians and reptiles (herps). I don’t recall the post, but I do remember that another blogger, Ted C. MacRae of Beetles in the Bush, commented as well. He had not heard of a herp carnival either, and tossed out a few catchy names. That little exchange stuck with me, and I searched all over the web for any sign of a herp carnival. No luck. And I decided that just wouldn’t do.
My next step was to look up all of the blogs listed in the Nature Blog Network (NBN), listed in the Amphibian and Reptile category. My plan was to send an email to all of the herp bloggers to see if they were interested in participating in a herp carnival, would they be willing to host on occasion, etc.
I found eight. Eight! I was shocked, given the hundreds and hundreds of blogs in the NBN. I went ahead and sent an email to seven of them (one was not English-speaking, and English is my only language). I heard back from one blogger, and he was supportive.
Over the next couple of months, Read the rest of this entry »
Dawn has been sponsoring a program where they donate $1 for every specially-marked bottle of Dawn Dishwashing Liquid that is purchased and the donation code entered at their website. (http://www.dawnsaveswildlife.com)
Donations are split between the Birder’s Lounge charity, International Bird Rescue Research Center (IBRRC) and the Marine Mammal Center. If you are going to purchase dishwashing liquid anyway – buy Dawn! And please don’t forget to enter the code online – it’s easy.
And now for the really great news – Dawn has just announced that they are tripling their donation from $1 to 3$ for every bottled sold and donation code entered. Awesome!!
**From 11/25/09 through 1/4/2010 only. Up to $500,000. Must activate donation online.
Update: Visit Dawn’s Everyday Wildlife Champions Facebook page to learn about wildlife rescues, what others are doing to help, and to get in on the conversation!
