International Migratory Bird Day 2018 (etc)

It's the second Saturday in the month of May, which means it is International Migratory Bird Day.

The text-image atop this entry (which I created from a memo that I received within an email) from Bird Life International. In it they stated:

"Since its passing 100 years ago, the US Migratory Bird Treaty Act has saved the lives of billions of birds and fined major corporations, such as BP, for their irresponsible actions. Last December, this law was reinterpreted by the Trump Administration, meaning that companies, both big and small, can no longer be held accountable should their actions result in incidental bird deaths.

This leaves millions of birds vulnerable to human threats, such as oil spills, pesticides, and improperly-sited wind turbines. And this is just in the USA. Every country has its own problems affecting birds along the flyway, and each presents unique challenges for the people working to protect wildlife there. But, there is little point working to save a bird in one country, if it will meet its end in the next.

We must work together to protect migratory birds in every country, and the BirdLife partnership is uniquely placed to do just that."

Bird Life International goes on to state many ways that people can work together to protect birds.

I strongly feel that if the general population were introduced to members of the avian community, in a personal way, they might get to know these creatures in a manner which would ultimately cause them to be more proactive in efforts to protect fauna.

One way people can get to know birds on a personal level and from a unique perspective is from the book series, Words In Our Beak (pictured below):

VOLUMES ONE AND TWO

The stories in these books are told from the perspective of a female cardinal (Cam) who knows a thing or two about the challenges of life.

I guess I also know a thing or two about the challenges of life, two years ago, the second Saturday in May (when International Migratory Bird Day is always celebrated) occurred on May 14th, which happens to be my niece's (who is an adolescent) birthday. I never hear from her, but she was kind enough to write a review for a 2015 iBook version of Words In Our Beak.

In any event, two years ago, on International Migratory Bird Day, a cousin of mine (TW) came to NYC and I took her to The Wild Bird Fund to meet Super, a Northern Flicker (who I had rescued) that was recuperating there.

I had planned to phone my niece after TW left, but. unfortunately, I was unable to do that because I had a freak accident while I was with my cousin and I needed urgent medical care. Nine stitches were required to close a gaping gash on my forehead, a gash I sustained upon falling on concrete that evening. The other injuries I endured on that day were a broken nose as well as a bruised elbow and bruised breast bone. Moreover, my eye-glasses were destroyed as you can see in the fourth picture.

Fortunately I did not break any bones that would require physical therapy and impede my getting around; but it was most difficult navigating without glasses; this is one reason I just stated that like Cam, I know a thing or two about the challenges of life.

I've also had some recent challenges as discussed in a previous entry here on Blogger, which you can refernce by clicking here. But in my case, because I'm human and not a bird, I can have access (finances to do this are a whole other matter, but that's not the point here) to medical care and injured birds do not always get the help they need, as there are not enough bird rehab facilities, and the ones that exist, never cease to be in need of resources.

Perhaps upon reading the Words In Our Beak book series, people will be inspired to take action re caring for and protecting our wild birds.

For as one reviewer stated: "If you are not yet a bird-lover, you will be after reading this book. Words in our Beak is so enchanting as it follows a little cardinal named, Cam, through the rooftops of NYC and beyond. Cam has so much to share from a bird's eye perspective, it was hard to put the book down. I became enveloped in Cam's world by imagining what it is like to live on a rooftop, choose the right flowers to eat, and listen to the world around in the most intimate, gentle and fascinating ways. Thank you, Cam! I hope to read ever more of your travels in the new year!"

And, with that dear reader, I conclude my musings for International Migratory Bird Day 2018.

ADDENDUM FALL 2018: 

Hardcover versions of Volume One, Two and Three can be found wherever books are sold.

MY BOOK SERIES

Please click here to go to my blog post that provides details as to where you can get these books. Additionally, I have rendered some images from these books into other formats and they are available via Fine Art America (FAA). Some of my other photographs (Black & White Collection, Kaleidoscopic Images and the famous Mandarin duck who visited NYC) can also be found on my FAA pages.

ADDENDUM SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER 2021:

When the third volume of the hard-cover version of Words In Our Beak was released, I withdrew from promoting my former versions of Words In Our Beak. 

The very first one is an iBook and went into Apple's book store in 2015.

This was followed by an ePub version...

... that is available on Amazon and was also published in 2015.

Subsequently, Words In Our Beak's digital versions were published as a soft-cover book (with slight variations) by MagCloud in 2017.

Its press release can be read by clicking here.  

Now with the release of BIRD TALES....

... I've been advised to make mention of my early versions of volume one of Words In Our Beak, they do vary ever so slightly in content from the hard-cover version of volume one.

As of this addendum, I do not intend to create digital or soft-cover versions of Words In Our Beak Volume Two or Words In Our Beak Volume Three.