I recently went out for a nice long ramble in the woods at one of my favorite local spots, Novato’s Indian Tree Open Space Preserve. Catkins hung mutely from the bending sheaves of hazel, newts marched across the path in silent determination and the air was full of birdsong. Varied thrushes keened their strange metallic quavers, the rain-moistened forest signaling springtime to these soon-to-depart nesters of the Pacific Northwest. Resident finches, titmice and wrens were in full voice, the established continuo to spring’s chorus.

https://www.marinij.com/2019/03/31/with-spring-migration-underway-there-are-new-voices-in-the-treetops/

Park biologists have confirmed the location of a California condor nest in Zion National Park, where a pair of condors are caring for the first egg they’ve produced together so far.

https://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2019/04/02/mks-biologists-confirm-california-condor-nest-in-zion-national-park/#.XKP9WZ9lDqA

And then there's the burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia). These little weirdos (I mean that in the best way) defy the usual owliness of owls with their long legs and strange habits – and may be one of the most wondrous owls of all! Consider the following.

https://www.treehugger.com/animals/8-wonderfully-weird-facts-about-burrowing-owls.html

On Saturday, the nonprofit organization Friends of Ballona Wetlands hosts its third annual Migration Celebration, a community event designed to raise awareness of the coastal preserve and the creatures that live there. The free festivities include guided tours of the Ballona Wetlands and family-friendly activities in Ballona Discovery Park, located along the riparian corridor at the base of the LMU bluff.

https://argonautnews.com/natures-next-stop/

Building on a decade’s worth of preparation initiated by the Yurok Tribe, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to establish a collaboratively managed new California condor release facility in Redwood National Park, within the Tribe’s ancestral territory.

https://lostcoastoutpost.com/2019/apr/4/federal-government-partners-yurok-tribe-bring-cali/

Our enthusiasm for sharing birds, plants, and superblooms has unintended consequences. But we can use the same tools that made the problem to fix it.

https://slate.com/technology/2019/04/superbloom-california-nature-internet-collide-birds-poaching-science.html

Eugene Schieffelin (1827-1906) was a scion of an old, prosperous and well-connected New York City family, comfortably supported by the drug manufacturing company that his grandfather had founded. He had plenty of time and funds to pursue his interests, which included Shakespeare and ornithology. Part of his mission in life, allegedly, was to ensure that every species of bird mentioned in the works of the Bard of Avon would be represented in the New World.

https://hudsonvalleyone.com/2019/04/04/a-murmuration-against-starlings/

Have you noticed the increase in bird songs lately? For the last few weeks, when the rain stops and the sun makes an appearance, the birds can’t seem to get enough of singing and calling out. Just like the humans they share space with, they’re eager to jump into spring.

https://www.pressdemocrat.com/lifestyle/outdoors/9461643-181/gearhead-how-to-savor-the

This type of bird usually nests in grassland areas, so the American River Parkway is perfect, but somehow she got confused and flew over the levee to this field to nest in artificial turf.

The protected bird is now literally protected not only by its mate but by an 80-foot perimeter for the next two weeks at least.

https://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2019/04/06/protected-bird-shuts-down-high-school-lacrosse-football-field/

An unusual scene occurred on the roof of Universal Studios.

A mother Canada goose laid eggs on the roof but after they hatched, they were unable to follow their parents.

https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Goslings-Hatch-on-Universal-Studios-Roof-508213521.html