The latest podcast channel added, Laura Erickson's For the Birds just celebrated its 20th anniversary. The programs were first broadcast in 1986, but still ring true today. Congratulations to Laura for such a successful program. Make sure to check them out! Laura's a staff ornithologist for binoculars.com and an excellent blogger to boot, so also make sure to visit her blog, birderblog.com, as well.

I'm a bit behind in posts due to some recent craziness at my day job, but things are starting to loosen up a little and I thought I'd start trying to catch up by mentioning the last two I and the Bird carnivals.

In I and the Bird #22, Kristin of Home Bird Notes not only does a wonderful job in tying together the many awesome posts, but she also helps us find out what each place is known for. Check out all the stories and get a great sense of what each place is all about.

At birdDC, Nick's writeup of I and the Bird #23 could land you a Peterson Field Guide of your choice. After checking out all the posts, see if you can identify each slice of bird and email him with your list. The first one to get 'em all right gets the guide. Hurry up though, some people are getting real close!

As always, if you'd like to participate in or host a carnival yourself, make sure to check out the "I and the Bird" info page. The deadline for submissions for the next carnival is May 23.

• Construction of the Health First's Viera Health Park in Viera, Florida has been halted due to a nearby nesting pair of Crested Caracara. The birds are considered threatened by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and could end up on the endangered species list.
• Dimitri Gregorieff launched the one-man Seabird Rescue Foundation to save pelicans tangled in fishing line and educate anglers on how to safely remove hooked birds instead of simply cutting the line. He searches marinas and piers off the coast of Florida almost daily and has found up to 10 injured birds a day. He then transports them to animal hospitals that treat the birds for free.
• Students from the University of Louisiana placed first in the Great Texas Birding Classic - one of the largest birding events in the United States. The team of five students headed by ornithology graduate student, Richard Gibbons, saw 201 different species of birds along the upper Texas coast in a 24 hour period.
• Audubon of Florida biologists are educating beach-goers and boaters to be careful of beach-nesting birds such as terns, Black Skimmers, Snowy and Wilson's Plovers and American Oystercatchers. Disturbances from recreational use of nesting areas on the beach could distract the birds and negatively impact egg incubation.
• Scientists in the Netherlands have found a link between climate change and population decline of migrating birds such as the Pied Flycatcher. Their research indicates that early onset of warm weather causes the birds staple food, caterpillars, to emerge sooner. This, in turn, may negatively affect food supplies for nestlings.
• Scientists in Vietnam are calling for drastic measures to be taken in order to save rare bird species in the Central Highlands region of the Dac Lac province. Despite various national parks, forests and sanctuaries, rare bird species are threatened by dwindling forests, habitat destruction and illegal hunting.
• One Flu Over the Cuckoo's Nest - Columnist Richard Hoath reflects on how bird flu fears and ecotourism are impacting Egypt.