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BIRDING ADVENTURES TV NEWS Greetings!
The BATV crew have just returned from filming at High Island Texas. Although Spring migration is nearly over, the season has been late this year and there were still loads of great birds at both High Island and at Sabine Woods. We had a nice weather change with a fairly strong north wind blowing that helped our cause. Some notable warblers included Golden-wingeds, Blackburnians, Prothonotarys, Canadas, Tennessees, Magnolias, Black-throated Greens, Black and Whites, Chestnut-sideds, Bay-breasteds, Hoodeds, American Redstarts, Common Yellowthroats and Yellows. Also in abundance were Scarlet and Summer Tanagers, Bobolinks, Cedar Waxwings, Indigo Buntings, Northern Waterthrush, Swainson's and Wood Thrush and many more. A non-avian highlight of the trip was a magnificent Speckled King Snake. What a beauty!! 
A beautiful Speckled Kingsnake at High Island, TX We are off to Portugal on Sunday to do a show on Great Bustards - should be fun!! Be sure to catch the re-run of the Western Bowerbird show in Northern Territory, Australia when it airs this week on Fox Sports Net. And remember we are offering unbeatable packages for an exceptional birding trip to this special part of Australia. So please click on this link to learn more. Join our Facebook page where you will get sneak previews of shows, updates on our travels and much more!
Congratulations to the winner of our last quizz, Bob Becker of Boise, ID! And be sure to enter this week's quizz. Stay tuned for another Birding Adventure! 
THE TV SHOW WHERE BIRDS OF A FEATHER ADVENTURE TOGETHER
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WESTERN BOWERBIRD! The Western Bowerbird is smaller than the other bowerbird it shares its range with, the Great Bowerbird. Both sexes are similar in size and dimensions, except that the tail of the female is slightly longer. The Western Bowerbird feeds on fruits, particularly those of the rock fig, sandalwood, snake gourd and mistletoes. They will also enter farms to feed on cultivated fruits. Other items taken in the diet include nectar, flowers, insects such as ants, moths, beetles and grasshoppers, and spiders. They need to drink regularly and are rarely found far from water. Like most bowerbirds the Western Bowerbird is polygamous, with a male mating with several females over a breeding season and the female undertaking all nesting, incubation and chick-rearing responsibilities. As is typical in the family the male constructs an elaborate bower with which to attract females. Western Bowerbird bowers are paired avenues of sticks, 20-25 cm tall, and 25-35 long placed on top of a platform of sticks. The bower is decorated with green and white objects, including berries, fruits, shells, pebbles and bones. Man-made objects may also be used for decoration, including glass, gun casings and metal objects. Each bower may be used for a number of years and when new bowers are constructed material from the older bower will be recycled. The male advertises his bower with calls, when the female arrives to inspect he will perform ritualised dances, fanning his tail, jumping and wing flicking, as well as further calling. Decorations will also be held in the bill and shaken vigorously, and the pink crest on the neck will be erected.
The female constructs the nest, a shallow cup of small twigs nested on a larger platform of sticks, around 2-6 m up a tree or shrub, often in a clump of mistletoe. The clutch is usually one or two eggs, which are green to buff, glossy and covered in dark scribble patterns. The incubation period is unknown.
Catch the quest for this beautiful bird this week on BATV!  Western Bowerbird at bower |
BATV WEEKLY QUIZZ
Correctly identify the mystery bird in the photo above and win a comprehensive Nikon lens cleaning kit and handy lens cloth. Email answers to info@BirdingAdventures.com and title your email "Quizz". Clue: A North American Flycatcher! The winner (first correct entry drawn) will be announced in next week's newsletter. Congratulations to our last winner, Bob Becker, who correctly identified our last mystery bird as a Lesser Scaup! Bob won a Nikon lens cleaning kit. |
TV SCHEDULE We will be airing the following new shows and re-runs this week on Fox Sports Net. Our upcoming immediate schedule is as follows: Week of May 13 Western Bowerbird - Northern Territory - RE-RUN Week of May 20 Top 10 Golden Birds - "Best of BATV" Week of May 20 Top 10 Golden Birds - "Best of BATV" Week of May 27 Ridgway's Hawk - Dominican Republic 
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Happy Birding,
The Birding Adventures Team PS - Check out the awesome deal Nikon is offering. Click on the "Take it to the Edg" banner below. 
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