Birding Edition !

Editor's Desk

A bird in hand is worth two in bush!

"I once had a sparrow alight upon my shoulder for a moment,
while I was hoeing in a village garden,
and I felt that I was more distinguished by that circumstance
that I should have been by any epaulet I could have worn."
- Henry David Thoreau

Birds are one of the most envied living beings by humans. Birds represent beauty, music, freedom, flight and the on set of spring. As someone said, "My favorite weather is bird chirping weather!". There is nothing like waking up to the sound of birds in the morning. The sound of birds makes you feel part of a larger earth's family. There are many, especially poets, who wish they were born as birds so that they can soar great heights and can fly across countries with no passports! Sounds like a beautiful thought from a human perspective. Have you ever looked it from a bird's perspective?

Birds have been facing a continuous decline due to on-going urbanization, de-forestation, pollution, hunting and global warming. The most vulnerable appear to be ground nesters, birds that eat insects on the fly, and grassland, shrubland, and freshwater marsh species that are directly losing habitat. With rapid urbanization and de-forestation, the ground nester ecosystem is completely shaken. In certain states, these species are declining at a rate of 30%. The status of migratory birds are a worry too. Interestingly, 2013 marks the 100th year of the Weeks-McLean Act or Migratory Bird Act which places our avian friends under federal protection and jurisdiction to prohibit their killing without permission of the US government. This helps birds to move freely across the country without any fear. Unfortunately, the migratory birds are impacted primarily due to the destruction of sanctuaries and pollution along its migratory route. A larger percentage of species setting out on migration never return back. However, everything is not doom and gloom. There are many legal acts and government and non-government organization which are actively working to protect these beautiful creatures of earth. Let us wish them all the success for the benefit of our future generations. After all, a bird in hand is worth two in bush. Let us not lose what we have today.

In this Spring season, get outside and watch our beautiful avian friends. Visit one of the state office, sanctuary, center or local chapter of Audubon for help. It will be a good refreshment to your daily rigor!

Coming to this edition, we have covered multiple topics and kept it light hearted. In the English song section we have paid tributes 2013 Boston Marathon victims with peace and inspiring songs. In the health section we have covered information on body shapes and danger lurking under imported rice. In the brain-tickler section we are introducing you to 'leetspeak' and 'txtAcronymns' to stay informed about your teen's texting messages. In the Tamil song section we have captured the sound of birds - songs with bird themes. Now, read, enjoy and share the magazine with your network!

• In the Brain-tickler category:
  • Learn to read your Teen's txts! Intro to 'leetspeak' and 'txtAcronymns'
• In the Health Topic section:
  • Learn about Eating disorder in the article "No BODY is perfect!"
  • Know about the latest findings, "Dangerous level of lead in imported rice in US! Beware of rice imported from Taiwan, India and other countries ..."
• In the English Song category:
  • Listen to our English song Picks - Tribute to 2013 Boston Marathon Victims.
  • Listen to the picked songs continuously with our Jukebox!
• In the Seriously Funny section:
  • Watch the clip - "Just Kidding Prank!"
  • Read the humor, "How can you be sure doctor?"
  • Read the humor, "Life will get better, Albert!
• In the Surfboard section:
  • Read the story "A meeting with God!"
• In the Tamil Picks section:
  • Enjoy the 10 Tamil songs picked out of 20+ songs we reviewed for "Sound of Birds - Paravai, Kuyil, Mayil ..."!
  • Enjoy the video picks continuously, on-demand in our new video channel.
  • Listen to the song picks continuously in Jukebox.
  • Read the tamil poem picks "Iniya Suvai"
• In the Recipe Spot section:
  • Learn how to make "Vaangi Bath" at home.
• Nuggets:
  • Enjoy our humor nuggets in various section of this edition
    - "Where did the sun went?"- in Editor's desk section
    - "Cross questions...", "Your Honor, I need a different attorney ... " - in Health section
    - "A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H-I-J-K ..." - in Surfboard section
    - "Yes, he could be practising law ..."- in Reader's footprint section
    - "For Sale by Owner ..." - in Your feedback section
    
• Get Inspired by watching the video "Flying car-It is not a dream anymore!"

As always, we are very confident that you will enjoy our picks. Write your feedback about this issue by clicking on the email icon or feedback icon. We truly value your opinion, thoughts and time.

Where did the sun went?

Image credi:blogs.msmvps.com

I stayed up all night to see where the sun went. Then it dawned on me!

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