Scientia Pro Publica Image: wemidji (Jacques Marcoux).

Once in a while you come across compilations of links that are worth a much larger readership. Scientia Pro Publica blog carnival is one of those. This is a fantastic source of information about current research carried out in a wide array of fields with mainly  Natural History and Medicine explained in simple words, ergo for the People!

The only criticism I have, is that the blog carnival would probably have caught my eye long before if it in fact had been called Science for the people, rather than using a phrase in Latin.

A new edition is out, and I submitted a post for the first time.  I suggest you pay a visit to Mauka to Makai blog of marine biologists Kelsey Abbott and Peter McDougall to scroll through the great reading you find here.

So you participated in a blog carnival! Do you read the other posts in the blog carnival you participated in. What? You rarely have time?  In this carnival there are 23 blogs represented.  How long time does it take to read one? Usually not that long. Maybe two minutes each. Do you have 46 minutes to spare - and maybe half a minute to comment each blog? This is how to read and comment the entire I and the bird in 59 min. Obviously, you may use this same strategy if you are not participating in IATB  to read and comment - or you can use the same strategy to other blog carnivals or my birdbloggers Tweet-club (new edition coming shortly..sorry for the delay).

23 blogs read and commented in 59 minutes.

Materials needed:

• A large Screen so you can have two windows opened at once.
• A mouse or scroll pad
• a timer
• open a note pad on the screen and fill in four rows
  your name
  email
  blog address of your blog
  I really liked the picture of ....

This is to copy and paste fast to the fields in the blog comment form.

Step by step instructions.

1. Open I and the bird #114 by Susan Myers in a new window - not a just a tab.
2. Press ctrl with one finger as you scroll the cursor (with the mouse or scroll pad) over each link and click left for each. One by one the blogs will open in new tabs. Start from the bottom, so my blogpost comes first! (Just kidding!!)
3. set the timer on 2 minutes 30 seconds - and start with the first tab.
4. Check the title and the photos first. Here you get an idea what the blog is about. If the topic is not very interesting to you...give it a very brief treatment ...but still leave a comment of something likable you have detected. Use your notepad to copy and past to the comment section and say something nice regarding one of the photos.
5. Now repeat 3 and 4 with the next tab.'

Let me know if this strategy worked in the comment section below.

The future of "I and the bird" blog carnival

Still, even with this sound approach it is a bit overwhelming with so many blogposts in one place. Also, it is not an easy task to host a blog carnival. There are so many good birding blogs now on Natureblog Network, so in reality there should not be too difficult to find a host for IATB. Still, there are often a bit desperate call for more hosts - and this probably has to do with that many old-timers simply feel it takes too much time and effort to host.

Recent IATB I have participated in have had many weaknesses. First of all, they don't produce that many visits to my web-page. Usually only around 5 hits.  Secondly, some of the material is really dull. The idea is that the bloggers should give examples of their best blogging posts. Hand on the heart, was that your best post you just submitted? Thirdly, there are too many posts included that lose focus of the hosting blog and scare off the regular visitors rather than the other way around.  In the end it is only the same bloggers that will check out if their post made it. Some may read a few blogs - or at least comment that they intend to and never to open the carnival post again.  It is the same circus and participants over and over again and the same people that comment.

Questions to ask yourself

Who are you blogging for and why are you participating in blog carnivals? Was it not because y0u wanted to reach new audiences?

I think, if I may give my opinion, that IATB is in need of some new guidelines. It is not for me to impose of course, but a discussion on the topic may be fruitful. Here are my suggestions. Please give your thoughts in the comment section.

• Let the host select his favorites and maybe even rank them. If the blog host does not include all posts, there will be more interest from the participant to provide a post that is in the liking of the host and suits his blog well. After all, the whole idea is to get the usual reader of the blog to discover new blogs and this will not happen if there is no connection to the hosts interest and style.
  If the host is Singapore Nature Club, what point is there to have 6 posts about birds at feeders in the US on this blog carnival? Most US bloggers would have a hard time getting selected by the Singapore host.  A blogger from the US would have much better chance of acceptance if he/she rather included a blog post with great photos of colorful or impressive birds such as Cardinal, BlueJay, Bald Eagle and Gold-Finch and a title like "The five most mind-blowing beautiful birds of North Americans".
• Give a tweetable headline and a short url so that the individual reader can re-tweet a post that he/she has liked
• include a picture from each selected blog with the link.
• Maybe, in fairness to the poor bloggers that did not make it to the top 10, 15 or 20 or whatever, one could make a second post containing a list of the blogposts that did not make it, with title and short url, so at least there is a back-link provided. Saying something like: Here is a follow-up to yesterday's IATB with a list of the posts that did not make it to be included in my selection. This does not mean they are not of interest, only that they did fit this time.

Now shoot me!

Related posts regarding Blog Carnivals and the Tweet-club.

• Stumble-upon club for bird bloggers
• Bird bloggers Tweet Club #001
• Bird-bloggers Tweet Club #005 with ideas and extension to a Facebook version of the tweet club
• Twitter-friendly "I and the bird" part 1
• Twitter-friendly "I and the bird" part 2

Here are the posts participating in IATB #104.  Prior to publishing I decided to tweet each post at different hours of the day. The test is dual. First to see how many hits a tweet gets send a link of  the blog to Twitter. Secondly to test which time of day is best to tweet.

The results are presented at the end of this post.

Exquisite photos of the world's most beautiful colorless warbler. 7 sec with a B&W Warbler.

Seven Seconds With a Black and White Warbler by Lynne Schoenborn of Hasty Brook

Forget about monopoly. Here is the ultimate board game for birders.

Good Mourning Dove and other stunning bird photos at first light a summer morning.

Baby Grebe on the back. Photo: Fiona Cohen of Nature Geek Northwest

Flying Jewels on the Texas Golf Coast.

How to paint the Bobolink and a video of its aerial display.

Did you know that pigeons give milk to their offspring?

Baby Grebes ride in the back... err.. ON the back!

Pied-billed Grebe, with baby Grebe on the back. Photo: Fiona Cohen of Nature Geek Northwest

Mama, Feed me now. I can Swallow anything. Wonderful Haiku!

Barn Swallow. Feed me mama. Photo: Wren of Wrenaissance reflections

Have you ever seen 50000 Purple Martins falll from the sky? Check out the video on this site.

Male Purple Martin. Photo: S. Halpin of PurpleMartins-R-Us.com. There are Martins everywhere on the Video. Check it out.

Fantastic flight shots of New Zealand Falcon by National Geography photographer Rob Suisted

New Zealand Falcon. Photo: Rob Suisted of Nature's Pic Images Blog

The Puffin is the Toucan of the Northern seas with that colorful beak. Check these smashing photos.

Here is the punkiest of all chicks. I don't know if this is cute or ugly. What do you think?

OMG!* I am the host. Everyone says this is a great way to get one's blog discovered by fellow bloggers. Cool! But when it comes down to numbers, is it really productive for anyone to participate in a blog carnival? Do you get any extra clicks to your blog, because you participate in I and the bird - or other blog carnivals. UPDATE: Obviously, not complaining as a host.  I am know this will bring some traffic to the blog. I am concerned for the participants.

Here are the brutal facts. My participation in 10 different issues of IATB have provided  less than 50 clicks in total. Fellow bloggers, you are usually fast to comment in the comment section, but do you click through? I know most of you have read many of the blogs before they are published, so OK, you are excused.  Fact remains, blog carnivals do not generate a lot of visits to your blog. Mike Bergin argued that it does give back links which is true, but backlinks are usually most important if you are trying to get good google rating for specific keywords and you actually sell something. If you just want readers to your nature blog you shall find that backlinks in blog carnivals have hardly any value what so ever.
During my short period as a blogger I have also been privileged to be guest blogger both on NatureBlogNetwork and Birdchick. One would have thought that these popular blogs would have brought excellent traffic. But only a handful hits from each. I am not trying to be an ungrateful smart-ass, I am just calling fellow nature bloggers to some reflection. How can we really help each other to better traffic? It is clear that both blog carnivals and guest blogging fail the original purpose.

We need to help each other to get readers. This is not a narcissistic cry for help screaming "look at me"! (I know I come across this way sometimes!!).  I want more readers to find the great variety of nature related stories that are being told. Why? This is part of a religion if you like. It is ultimately about saving souls. We need more souls caring for nature. We need to inspire more people to discover the wonders of nature. We need an army of nature lovers. Only then can we build a better and greener future. We are living on the edge of ecological catastrophe. That is the reason why your blog needs more readers. Even if you are only writing and posting pictures for your own enjoyment and those closest to you, you are still part of this movement. And if you decided to participate in this issue of "I and the bird", was it not because you were thinking some more people should read what I have written?

Message to all other people who find their way here.

This is a collection of articles by naturebloggers about birds. I and the bird is given every 2 weeks and presents some of the finest bird blogging there is. It is  like a "Bird Bloggers digest" and something of an institution. But as an old institution, this is issue #104,  it is also perhaps getting a bit dusty. I decided to put some live into this issue and to modernize it somewhat. I am  interested this time to find a new way for the participants to get visitors to their blogs.

Here is the strategy.

1.  Use social media to let people know about your blog. Each participant will be tweeted, facebooked, stumbled and dugg.

2.  A great title for each blog. When tweeting not many people will check out if one only writes: "New Blog post...check it out here!". Try some superlatives. Such as "The world's most beautiful colorless Warbler"

3. I am not going to try to outsmart all the previous "I and the Bird" deliveries. I am not writing this in my native language and therefor I don't have vocabulary to impress you with a very literate piece. And I don't have a smart thread or story to tie around the contributions. This is going to be remembered being the most boring "I and the Bird" in history. But if I can help it, you shall get some visitors to your site.

4.  A great clickable photo from each article will hopefully invite to click through. Click on the photo and you will arrive at the blog. This is getting a bit long (so the photo section will be presented in the part 2 of  I and the bird #104.

Here are the participants presented one-by-one in a twitter-friendly format. Your job is to:

1. Read every blogpost. When you have read it - please Digg it and/or Stumble-Upon (preparing another blogpost on the social bookmarking services)
2. Retweet the headline of each blogpost together with the short link. You could just copy and paste of course...or try to come up with a catchier title than mine. Remember you have 140 characters to use.

• Exquisite photos of the world's most beautiful colorless warbler. 7 sec with a B&W Warbler. http://bit.ly/imnvC
• Forget about monopoly. Here is the ultimate board game for birders. http://bit.ly/mzQbt
• Good Mourning Dove and other stunning bird photos at first light a summer morning. http://bit.ly/qCY0L
• Flying Jewels from Texas Golf Coast. Hummingbirds at Quintana Neotropical Bird Sanctuary brings memories from childhood. http://bit.ly/F7cz1
• How to paint the Bobolink and a video of its aerial display http://bit.ly/14feaC
• Did you know that pigeons give milk to their offspring? http://bit.ly/6ZIL2
• Baby Grebes ride in the back... err.. ON the back! http://bit.ly/18Q37S
• Mama, Feed me now. I can Swallow anything. Wonderful Haiku! http://bit.ly/o3Z9k
• Have you ever seen 50000 Purple Martins falll from the sky? Check out the video on this site. http://bit.ly/GdMEN
• Fantastic flight shots of New Zealand Falcon by National Geography photographer Rob Suisted http://bit.ly/tfdh4
• The puffin is the Toucan of the Northern seas with that colorful beak. Check these smashing photos. http://bit.ly/wYwbq
• Here is the punkiest of all chicks. I don't know if this is cute or ugly. What do you think? http://bit.ly/U7QGJ
• A crow is never just a crow. Hand on heart - do you recognise the Fish Crow? http://bit.ly/ee88I
• Absolutely one of the prettiest North American Warblers. Hooded Warbler. Good photos. http://bit.ly/XpBGv
• Birding in Britsh Columbia - vast views of fjords and forest. http://bit.ly/mLjns
• Reading Larry Jordan's report with lovely photos from Audubon Outing To Lassen Volcanic National Park http://bit.ly/lEGzy
• Birds out my office window may not sound very exciting, but believe me it is! David Ringer's office is in Nairobi http://bit.ly/YEpEa
• I want to band birds, be a waitress, and teach says Reina 5y after a visit to a banding station http://bit.ly/ykVWe
• Who done it? Want to play detective? Who killed the White-winged Dove? http://bit.ly/EOrqB
• It may be common in North America, but nevertheless the vibrant red Northern Cardinal is eyegasm http://bit.ly/t37Rl
• I am Cerulean with envy in spite that Mike keeps on posting BAD PHOTOS OF GOOD BIRDS - I still need it. http://bit.ly/aUwiy
• Red-winged Blackbird courting and posing. http://bit.ly/X8k4o
• White-headed woodpecker swoops Clings to corneous bark of stump Disappears before my eyes - Excellent photoblog http://bit.ly/f4bka
• Barred Eagle-owl takes a monkey in Singapore. Impressive! http://bit.ly/hTzF4
• Delaware’s first record Roseate Spoonbill was Tweeted! What a great bird. http://bit.ly/3nf6f
• Great shot of Brown Thornbill - a tit-like bird with a pointed fine bill from Australia. http://bit.ly/12PlXD
• Birding Gamboa and Pipeline road in Panama. http://bit.ly/IIh1K
• I bet you never seen a Yellow-breasted Grosbeak. It's not in the book, yet here is a photo. http://bit.ly/3MbcA4

If you liked this article, check out these Twitter and blog related articles:

• Bird bloggers tweet club. Promoting the blog on Twitter http://bit.ly/HVd1X
• Twitter for birders – Part 1. An introduction http://bit.ly/ZNazd
• I twitter therefore I am http://bit.ly/14WxtK
• Do you want to start a blog about nature or birding? http://bit.ly/QYfXd
• Fear of Twitter? Do a 2 week test run http://bit.ly/MzOsG
• What is ecomonday? http://bit.ly/904r9
• You’ve seen #followfriday and #ecomonday. Now it is #birdsaturday http://bit.ly/CgDke

I and the bird #102

Published while I was in Northern Peru birding and consequently I missed doing a proper announcement. Hosted by Amber Coakley at the Birder's Lounge, Amber brings geo-location to the participants of this fortnight's I and the bird. We get a feeling where the participants are. And to know better we click on the google maps to zoom out...

Smart move Amber. It doesn't zoom out at all, but take you straight to the site. So soon you find yourself reading several articles.
I like the layout and the short summeries.
And yes, yours truly is also participating - on the run - so to speak!

I and the bird #103

HELP! Once a Brit tried to explain to me how cricket works and the charms of the game. Yawn! I did not get it. Too slow to be fun.
Birdfreak has put the I and the bird #103 carnival in an "exciting" baseball frame.  When the American tried to explain to me how baseball works, I did not get that either.  How can there be innings on a baseball outing?

Last Christmas my nephews got baseball gear as presents by their parents. And on Christmas day we were to play. I tried to convince everyone, that the only real game  worth playing with a bat and a ball is the all Swedish classical game "brännboll". After only 2 minutes, I realized that it was as futile for me to try to explain the "real simple rules", as it had been for the English and American friends to explain their ballgame to me. Cada loco con su tema!

So Birdfreak, you are forgiven. And to make my post as the extra inning and passing the ball over to me...was like an act of a cricket gentleman.

Guess who is hosting next time?

Yes, I am hosting "I and the bird #104". Creativity Angst!  I can't do this. All these "I and the bird" I have participated in, have had great themes. HELP!!!

I shall go through some previous editions to see how it is done. Or maybe I will just do a Friday's Ark type carnival and just list the participants and get it over with. After all, in my experience there are very few click-throughs to the individual blogs anyway.

My goal for the upcoming I and the bird #104 is that every partipant shall boosting hits to their posts. Have to think of something smart. If I may suggest a theme for the I and the bird by the bloggers that are posting, I would really appreciate you to choose a post of yours that invites non-birders to become birders - for an hour, for a day, for a holiday or for a lifetime. My job is to recruit new visitors to your blogs.

Until then, that is July 9 publishing date, you may study the rules of the Swedish bat/ball game brännboll here.

Simply the best - for anyone interested in birds. Your favorite collection of birding blogs is back with isssue number 101. And our favorite top of the charts Science blogger grrlScientist, who gets on average  9000 visits to her blog daily, is host. What more can you ask for.  Jump right in!

To me it is an honor to be participating on this blog. Being on the first page of the number one Natureblogger is almost like making it to  the first page of Digg!

Click like mad, and give the participating bloggers some traffic.  It works great for the self-esteem and which in the end ensure more top blogs coming.

As mentioned in a previous post I have been testing submitting to several blog carnivals at the end of April as an experiment if they really bring in any substantial traffic to my site. I am not going to reveal the results just yet, but instead present yet another travel Carnival (the first one Inspiring  Travel Blog Carnival I review here on May 4).
Living in Peru - a popular tourism destination - not only for birders (Machu Picchu may sound familiar??), I decided to submit my post on The best 11 birds as tourism attractions in Peru to some travel blog carnivals. After all some birds are not only for birders and these make excellent poster species - and tourism attractions.

I was happy to today recieve note of acceptance in yet another travel blog carnival. Nomadic Matt's Travel Blog Carnival in its 18th edition.  While Inspiring  Travel Blog Carnival was for  a more comfort demanding public, this blogger is quite obviously targeting a public of backpackers and long haul vagabonds. It does contain some very cool blogs, which I will not link to from here, but mention so you jump over to Matt and check them out.

• The l0ngest way home: about a guy on his way "home" - if he can find it - and has walked - yes walked from Portugal to China the last 4 years!
• How to take a cab in Instanbul without being cheated
• 8 signs that you are in Panama.

Matt's blog is a gem btw. Especially, for budget travellers. Wish I had this resource during my own vagabonding some 15 years ago.

Hosting the 100th I and the bird Blog Carnival is "Quite a milestone"! Nate of Nature Blog Network  is presenting it as the Oscar's of Nature Blogging. I am sure the Academy will call him after this to be legendary presentation to also do the Academy's Awards next year. Nate is a natural. A real talent for this kind of work. Over 80 awards given away with justifications and working links to this fortnight's best nature blogging.  No wonder Nate is loosing it in the end. Great show Nate. I enjoyed it.

Finally, a blog carnival that brings some traffic to the participants. Carnival of the Blue is published once every month. I participated for the first time with my blog, being one of the many carnivals I submitted to recently. This issue is hosted by Monterey Bay Aquarium, which I suspect get quite a bit of traffic.
My posts have gotten many hits from this carnival. I have not even promoted it myself yet.

There are 25 quality postings in this issue. I am amazed to the quality and will come back and read more of them later.  Check this one for example: Sharks are mean, but doplhins are cute, right?. Particularly, read the long interesting discussion afterwards. Now jump over to read all the other stuff on Carnival of the blue 24.

Monument valley. Forrest Gump road. From Jaime Compos blog "Down the Trail"

As mentioned in the previous post I have submitted to several carnivals this week.  I shall write up a summery in due course.
A travel blog carnival is a great idea. There is some great articles in this edition of the "Inspiring Travel Blog Carnival".  Traveling can be done very nicely and comfortably on the Internet. Participating in  this particular edition there are several eco-tourism destinations.  I have enjoyed reading several posts so far.

Check out categories in the sidebar for other blog carnivals.