Okay, everyone, I just wanted to let you know that Birds in the News will be back this Friday, as usual. I just hit a rough patch this past two weeks, and have been struggling with absolutely everything, and BitN is, as I've said, a fairly big commitment, so it was easiest to get frustrated with it.
To answer some comments, I have thought about publishing one section each day, rather than all sections together weekly, but the news stories don't pop up in topical aggregates like that, so I really don't know how I would do that. I have also thought about publishing it on a different day (I think I could publish it every Monday morning, for example) but most other days are not consistently workable (so-called "survival jobs" tend to make unreasonable and uncompensated demands on one's time).
I had originally chosen Friday as the publication day because I imagined that people would talk about the news stories with their co-workers around the water cooler, and that they would read it instead of watching TV on the weekends. Then, after I'd been putting it together for awhile, well, BitN just seemed to fit itself quite nicely into my Thursday evenings. And honestly, I liked seeing it on my blog first thing every Friday. It just seemed the right way to start the weekend.
And as PZ said, I should do it because I enjoy it even if it makes readers run away screaming. So of course, the vision of readers running away screaming as hundreds of birds fly out of their computer screen after them is incredibly amusing and appealing. Almost so much that I'd be tempted to make it into a logo for BitN.
As an aside, I truly wish that my Brooklyn reader, NBM, who has that mourning dove nesting in a vine just outside his (her?) window would beg, borrow or steal a camera to get a series of photos of the eggs and chicks as they grow and fledge. What a great opportunity!
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Monday mornings would be good. It would be a good way to start the week, and Monday traffic figures are higher than Friday in general.
That's a relief, GrrlSci, had me worried there! When it all seems too much, hie thee off to Central Park to visit with Pale Male and Lola and their kids (yet?), and all the loving bird nerds watching (and watching over) them.
When dysthymia descends into despair, I dust off Emily Dickinson: Hope is the thing with feathers / that perches on the heart. . . So we need news of birds when we aren't actually looking at them or listening to them.
Are you also going to have a contest for the banner?
Thank you! Thank you so much.
Huzzah! I'll try to take more photos of birds, which you're welcome to use any time. :-)
I am about to link to your old post on hummingbird torpor. Having extra hits on the old blog perhaps does not mean much to you at this point, so I was thinking that you may wish to republish it here again. That way, your new readers get to read a great post, and I get to send you a few hits here instead of the old blog.
oh, that's a good idea. i'll dig it up and republish it here. thanks for that!
The post is still being written - it will appear hopfully tonight, perhaps tomorrow.
I am glad you are not going to stop Birds in the News. I look forward to it and try to read it every week on Friday if I can but at least over the weekend. Please continue to publish it on Fridays.
Thanks
I'd hate to see this series go like the dodo, but I'm sure it's a lot of work (and unpaid labor, ack!). FWIW, I've used much of what you've published to nudge some evilution-denier friends into a deeper interest in birds, hoping that will lead them to, say, Attenborough, and then to accepting and understanding the best answer to one of those two questions which have plagued humanity since we began asking questions. Haven't seen the fruit yet, but the seeds have been planted. Maybe us readers could share the burden and do the grunt work for you, should you continue BitN?
I'm glad you're going to continue BitN. As I said in my previous comment I never commented in the BitN threads because I know so little about the creatures but I do enjoy the photography and your commentary. In any case, the massive work you put into it has always been apparent and also, gaging from the comments in the previous thread, very much appreciated. Maybe Orac is right and you should consider moving it to Monday?
OK, the post is up on Circadiana. Let me know when you republish so I can change the link.
Everyone certainly knows you've been busy of late and taking a break was more than understandable, but I'm very glad to hear you're not giving up permanently on BitN. I always enjoy them tremendously and walk away smarter for it (not to mention enjoying the dazzling photos!).
I am glad to see that you are not giving up. By the way, my computer desktop wallpaper is composed of about 10 bird pictures from your Flickr account. I mention that so you will have an idea of how infectious your passion for birds can be.
I am so happy "Birds in the News" will return. You propbably have more readers than you think on Friday since I, for one, immediately forward BITN to my birder friend at Vinson & Elkins in downtown Houston. She loves your work, too.
I mostly enjoy birds when they take the form of nuggets, but I do like the pics in BiTN.