Hello Tweeties,

yesterday's mystery bird was a Spotted Sandpiper, Actitis macularia. If you go back to that entry, you will read a beautiful and detailed analysis supporting the ID of this bird, courtesy of Rick Wright, a bird educator and trip leader for WINGS Birding Tours Worldwide;

http://scienceblogs.com/grrlscientist/2008/09/todays_mystery_bird_for_you_to_3.php

If you would like to volunteer to write a detailed diagnostic analysis for how to ID a particular bird species to help others learn how to ID birds, please do contact me privately.

Today's mystery bird can be found here;

http://scienceblogs.com/grrlscientist/2008/09/todays_mystery_bird_for_you_to_4.php

I wrote a story about some about my colleagues' recently published research into the evolution of birds that you might be interested to read. This piece investigates the evolution and biogeography of the ratites;

http://scienceblogs.com/grrlscientist/2008/09/phylogenomic_evidence_for_mult.php

cheers,


GrrlScientist
Devorah
http://scienceblogs.com/grrlscientist/
Roosting high up a tree somewhere in Central Park, NYC