You've Got Mail ...

... just as soon as the President of the United States is finished reading it!

The New York Daily News reports:

Daily News Exclusive: President Bush has quietly claimed sweeping new powers to open Americans' mail without a judge's warrant, the Daily News has learned. The President asserted his new authority when he signed a postal reform bill into law on Dec. 20. (Full Story)

Grandma's of the nation be warned ... it's no longer a given that your grandchildren will actually receive that crisp new $10 bill in their birthday card.

It's Official!

The marble ceiling has been broken!
Nancy Pelosi sworn in as first woman Speaker of the House!

First bird of 2007

Being a beginning birder (I wonder how long I can consider myself a beginner?) I am only now becoming aware that it's a "thing" to record your first ID'd bird each year. I've seen such entries on Birdchick's blog, BOTB's blog, etc., so I need to add this practice to my birdy ways.

Luckily, I remember what happened when I went outside on Jan 1 to fill my feeders and watch birds. My first bird of 2007 was a downy woodpecker (male), on our tamarack tree, feeding on suet. He ended up coming back several times during the rest of the afternoon, making a complete piggy of himself. (Well, I suppose it could've been several different males, actually.)

Not a bad first bird for 2007.

I have a few bird-related goals for this year, too:
1. Bird more, including taking a vacation to someplace on the coast (East) where I can see some pelagic birds.
2. Keep practicing my digiscoping and photography.
3. Learn to ID at least ten birds I have not yet seen, so that when/if I hear them, I'll know to look for them so I can get more lifebirds--such as

a. scarlet tanager
b. barn owl
c. Cooper's hawk (I've never made a positive ID on one of these)
d. cinnamon teal
e. red-breasted nuthatch
f. wood thrush
g. bobolink
h. horned lark
i. eastern pewee
j. eastern kingbird