A new video that's about birding, in a way, has been getting a lot of play on YouTube since it was released on Monday. It was produced by Birds & Blooms magazine in collaboration with the the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and the production quality is excellent. For Ohio birders the video has more than passing relevance: it was filmed during The Biggest Week In American Birding, and much of it was filmed at Ohio's own Black Swamp Bird Observatory.

So what is it? Well ... it's an extended send-up of the song "I Like Birds" by The Eels. Yes, I'm serious. Ornithological content is nonexistent; but in three campy, goofy, zany minutes, it conveys the idea that birders are very fun people. Here's a link: http://bit.ly/LGxzBKCheck it out and see what you think. I'm sure that some "serious" field ornithologists will be put off by it, but so far I've heard from hundreds of keen birders who loved the video and wanted to share it. One thing's for sure, it's a definite departure from the old stereotypes of bird watchers that were so pervasive until very recent times.

And, hey ... I DO like birds.


Kenn Kaufman
Oak Harbor, Ohio




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