I and the Bird

“A tiny wren was among the Chrysanthemums this morning,
noiselessly flitting in and out, like a little shade;
evidently in a state of the highest enjoyment.
No doubt I and the bird both took our pleasure with them in different ways!”
– Eleanor Vere Boyle

I and the Bird

Do you love birds and the people who watch them? Do you watch birds and love to blog about it? Welcome to I and the Bird, a carnival for bloggers who love birds.

I and the Bird is a carnival celebrating the interaction of human and avian, an ongoing exploration of the endless fascination with birdlife all around the world. It is also a biweekly showcase of the best bird writing on the web published on alternating Thursdays.

SUBSCRIBE: For notification of new editions of IATB, please subscribe to the 10,000 Birds feed or the new IATB e-mail list.

THE CURRENT I AND THE BIRD

5/29/08 I and the Bird #76 - Wanderin’ Weeta

THE NEXT I AND THE BIRD

6/12/08 I and the Bird #77 - Great Auk - or Greatest Auk?
Send your link to me or Carrie (labenc AT gmail DOT com) by Tuesday, June 10.

UPCOMING EDITIONS OF I AND THE BIRD

6/26/08 I and the Bird #78 - It’s Just Me
7/10/08 I and the Bird #79 - 10,000 Birds (third anniversary edition!)
7/24/08 I and the Bird #80 - The Hawk Owl’s Nest
8/7/08 I and the Bird #81 - the Marvelous in Nature
8/21/08 I and the Bird #82 - Sycamore Canyon

PREVIOUS EDITIONS OF I AND THE BIRD

I AND THE BIRDS FAQ

What is a blog?
For our purposes, a blog (or web log) is simply a dynamic online journal of activity presented in reverse chronological order, latest entry first. You don’t need comments, RSS feeds, or fancy blog software to have a blog; all you need is periodically updated content presented in the standard blog format.

What is a carnival?
A Carnival is a periodic presentation of excellent blog writing, selected and submitted by the authors themselves. The first carnival, Carnival of the Vanities, sought to showcase posts that bloggers felt were their very best, which is why such a collection can be called a vanity. Subsequent carnivals have developed in the same spirit, but are usually focused on a particular theme. The one that has influenced me the most has been the Tangled Bank, a carnival for science, medicine, and natural history bloggers. A comprehensive list of current carnivals can be found at Blog Carnival.

One of the defining traits of a carnival is that the responsibility (some call it honor) of being the host rotates. Each installment is edited by a different blogger and hosted on that person’s blog. Though hosting a carnival can be a lot of work, most bloggers find the experience quite satisfying. The potentially dramatic increase in traffic doesn’t hurt either.

What makes I and the Bird different from other carnivals?
At long last, bird bloggers have a carnival to call our very own. I and the Bird is a compendium of blog writing about wild birds and bird watching.

When is the carnival?
I and the Bird is published every other Thursday. If there wasn’t a new one last Thursday, expect one this Thursday. Of course, we have contributors from all over the world, so time differences may shift the publishing time significantly.

Can you be more specific about what is suitable for I and the Bird?
I’d be happy to. Posts recounting the interaction between the writer and birds are what this carnival is all about. A celebration of you (or I) and the bird. That’s all. All kinds of birding, bird watching, backyard birding, or even bird glancing are perfect, anything from a detailed, multi-day trip report to a brief rumination on that crow that won’t shut up. As birding types are a visual lot, photos are a plus!

The personal aspect of your entry is key. Submit a post that reflects your point of view and your writings rather than a comment on a bird picture or article.

Note that the relationship between human and bird depicted in your post should be non-hostile or exploitative. Bird rehabilitation and banding are reasonable topics for this collection, whereas pet keeping, game hunting, and cock fighting are not. Also, discourses on avian science may be more suitable for Tangled Bank.

We welcome submissions from bloggers with a broad spectrum of viewpoints and philosophies. With that in mind, it should be understood that the opinions of individual contributors should not be taken to represent the opinions of other contributors, the host, or the founder of I and the Bird.

Why should I participate in I and the Bird?
The purpose of I and the Bird is to twofold. For readers, this carnival is a showcase of the best writing the ever-growing ranks of bird blogs have to offer. For contributors, participation offers an opportunity to share your favorite work and attract a wider audience. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?

Who can participate?
I and the Bird is open to anyone with a blog. You don’t have to be a lister, a twitcher, or even a birder. You don’t even need to be a nature blogger. The frequency with which you write about birds, whether habitually or occasionally, is not a concern. If you’ve written something that you’re proud of involving you and a bird, please send it in.

I want to contribute to I and the Bird. How do I get started?
Easy! Pick out your favorite blog post on some form of bird watching and send me or our most current host a link and brief description. Please include I and the Bird in the subject line. If you’re not sure if your selection meets the criteria for this carnival, just send it in and we’ll let you know. Finally, let’s have one submission per blog please!

Can I host I and the Bird?
Probably. The real question is, “Are you up to it?” Hosting a carnival is a commitment. You’ll have to be prepared to read a large number of blog posts, evaluate them for suitability, and write up an entertaining presentation of the links. This process may, based on the number of submissions, take hours. You’ll also need to post your presentation of I and the Bird on the specified Thursday.

Still interested? Then read on:

Start by submitting a subject-appropriate blog post. I’d like to make sure that every host has participated in I and the Bird as a contributor at least once prior to hosting.
Let me know that you’re interested in hosting and I’ll put you in the schedule.
The I and the Bird host that precedes you will announce your site and e-mail address and solicit submissions. I’ll also announce it here at 10,000 Birds. While preparing, you might also want to scout around and look for worthy articles in various weblogs, too. (Always ask permission to include someone else’s writing.)
Review all submissions carefully for content. If a post is off-topic, do not include it. If you are unsure of the suitability of a submission, send it to me.
I and the Bird is published. Organize timely submissions into an article on your blog, and publish it.
Obscene or inappropriate blogs will not be allowed to host I and the Bird.

Can I promote I and the Bird with a fancy badge?
I wish you would! Take your pick from the logos below:

IATB microbadge This microbadge is a dainty 80 pixels wide x 15 pixels high. Fits virtually anywhere!

IATB badge The classic badge, at 88 pixels wide x 31 pixels high, captures our catchy logo with both elegance and efficiency.

IATB small banner This macrobadge weighs in at a hefty 171 pixels wide x 49 pixels high. When space is no issue, bigger is better!

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I and the Bird

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Asides

BirdLife Monthly round-up

Urban life is stressing out our songbirds

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