John over at A DC Birding Blog is hosting the current installment of the I and the Bird carnival. He's done a bang-up job organizing birding- and bird-related stories submitted by amateur, avid or professional bird-sorts.

Today's edition is presented in a 'conference-schedule format' (I wish I'd thought of it first!) complete with coffee, donuts, and lunch and dinner breaks. Submitted posts include tales of hummingbird wars, whooping crane flight training and a chimney swift family in a fireplace.

Go, read these beauties for yourself...