Eleven of the birds were euthanized en route to Tri- State Bird Rescue and Research Society in Newark, DE, but the other 14 are recovering and may be sent for more rehabilitation in Florida. Brown Pelicans cannot survive Maryland winters.

(Fourteen immature Brown Pelicans arrived at Tri- State Bird Rescue and Research in Newark, DE, last week suffering from frostbite and hypothermia.)

The birds came to Frederick because Di Conger, who operates Last Chance Wildlife Center in Thurmont, said she could keep healthy birds in heated quarters.

"The day before they were to come to me the decision was made for the birds to go to Tri-State," Conger said. She said the birds needed veterinary care, which would be available in Delaware. “My set-up would not be adequate," she said. Still, the birds were trucked to Frederick, where they were loaded onto another truck bound for Delaware.

All the birds had frostbitten... Read On

We would see nine more before our visit to the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge was over. These days, and particularly in this place--and especially at this time of the year--Bald Eagles going about their morning chores seem as common as the pickup trucks they fly over. It has been a remarkable and heartening recovery for America's national emblem, from its dark days on the endangered species.

On this soggy patch of the Eastern Shore is one of the largest concentrated Bald Eagle populations in the country. And for the next couple of months, eagle- watching conditions are perfect: The number of birds is at its annual peak; courtship and nesting activities are getting under way; and unlike in summer, when the eagles seek the afternoon shade, they are active all day in the cool, open air.

Between December and March, eagle-spotting at Blackwater is about as close to a sure thing as you can ... Read On

But that's exactly what you'll find at the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship in Loudon County, Virginia. The nearly 900-acre site, which is owned by the Robert and Dee Leggett Foundation, offers explorers nine miles of trails meandering th rough deep woods and open fields, abutting streams, ponds and vernal pools.

One of the best ways to see what the site has to offer is to join avid birder Joe Coleman of the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy. Coleman frequently leads the group's bird walk here on the fourth Saturday of each month. On a sunny, cold morning in January, my teenage son and I were surprised that more than 20 people had gathered in the Neersville fire station parking lot. After deciding we wanted to stay together as a large group, we caravanned to the Blue Ridge Center just down the road.

With the sun at our backs and the Blue Ridge Mountains ahead, we started our search near a dilapidated house on the property. Parts of the house date to the 18th century, Coleman told us as we tried to tread softly.

Less than a minute later, a fellow birder called out. He had spotted a... Read On

Usually he's the "Bluebird of Happiness" but here he appears ruffled and disgusted with the onset of colder weather in this photograph by Michael L. Smith. This is one of the most famous nature photographs ever created and originally was seen in a National Geographic Society birding book. Each print is individually hand signed by the photographer. ORDER PRINT

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"It has been hosting birds ranging in size from finches and chickadees to jays and flickers (who sometimes take a break from the suet feeders to grab a peanut or two). But this morning there has been a war outside my window, and it seems the usual tenants to have been evicted. (Northern Mockingbird by Texas Parks & Wildlife)

"A Northern Mockingbird has found the feeder. We seldom have mockingbirds–our yard isn’t open enough to suit their lifestyle preferences. But it’s been cold, and icy, and all birds do what they must to survive. So, he’s moved in for... "Read On

"AS WINTER continues its icy grip on much of the country, many of us grow tired of the cardinals, titmice and juncos that frequent our waiting feeders," says Barry Merluzzo of Peabody, MA, a WindStar Certified Wildife Habitat Naturalist.

"For those who live near the coast, a special treat lurks just offshore and is awaiting anyone with a pair of binoculars and a little free time. Diving ducks, loons, grebes and auks are all migrating southward from the frigid artic in search of food and warmer temperatures. These waterfowl can be observed from Maine to the Carolinas throughout the winter months and into the early spring in New England.

All of these birds have made a... Read On