So, no time for a full-out blog post today, as much as we might wish. But there’s lots coming down the pike.

First, the Great Backyard Bird Count is just around the corner, February 13 through 16.

Last year, nearly 86,000 checklists were submitted, with 9.8 million birds of 635 species counted. So stock those feeders - the weather here in Maryland and everywhere north is cold.

Next, in the days ahead, Lisa and I will be blogging about some really interesting stuff, including a California vineyard dedicated to dealing with the problem of birds killed by powerline infrastructure, as well as the troubling question of why there are so few minority birders.

So stay tuned.

Finally, in writing the post below on Brown Pelicans, Warren stupidly neglected to note that one of the McClatchy Newspapers (his employer) has also been on the story. The San Luis Obispo Tribune says that an estimated 270 dead or sick pelicans have been found from Washington state to Baja California.