Fledglings Available for Adoption in Alabama

Bean, determined to incubate seed.

**UPDATED 9/28/13!**

Hi finch friends!

This is Becca — I posted several months ago about my work as an ornithology technician in the New Hampshire forests.

I also keep a small (but growing) colony of zebra finches in a spare room in my apartment.  I can’t wait to post someday to share with you my trials and tribulations as a new finch owner but longtime bird lover, though for now I post with a different purpose!

I have embarked on the journey of breeding these little birds from time to time, both for my own personal enjoyment and to encourage pair bonding to stabilize my once-squabbling colony.

Given my space limitations, however, I sometimes find myself with several babies in need of good homes.  Chelsea has kindly allowed me to advertise my available birds here.  She has been a truly invaluable mentor in helping me foster these fat little friends!

Pancake, sitting fat and sassy.

Right now, I am looking for homes for three CFW sisters and a CFW/Fawn male.  Their parents, named Bean and Pancake, are personal favorites of mine for their especially fluffy demeanor and bold personalities.

The fledgies are still young (less than 2 months old) and seem to delight in rolling around in feces, but they are sweet and perky — and just starting to squeak tiny “beeps” of their own. Continue reading →

Birds As A Career

An inside view of Hubbard Brook Research Forest in Northern New Hampshire.

Hi everyone!

I’ve been graciously invited to share some of my personal stories as a student in ornithology. As a new finch owner and a long-time bird-lover, I hope that some of my tales will be interesting to friends of TWFA 🙂

The most remarkable field job I have worked took place in the forests of Northern New Hampshire’s White Mountains. I drove straight from a remote field site in “Cold Mud-pit,” Wyoming (the unofficial but accurate name for our trailer camp in the sage-brush), so the transition to the beautiful green mountains could not have been more welcome.

I was part of an 8-person team of field assistants: three “banders,” and five “nest-searchers” — I was the latter.  We were working on a joint project under Cornell University and the Smithsonian, in Hubbard Brook Research Forest. We stayed in a station that was closer to a series vacation condos than a field camp. We had real beds, a huge kitchen, and multiple couches! To give a sense of context, many, MANY field positions involve months of camping with little access to showers or perishable food. My job in Wyoming had a trailer as base-camp. Continue reading →