Zaps are notes of awareness and pleas for action that appear in the corresponding print edition of Bird Observer. Here they are from the current issue.
June 1, 2026
1 MIN READ
Zaps
New USPS Bald Eagle Stamps
Bald Eagle: Hatchling to Adult. New stamp series with illustrations by David Allen Sibley. Source: USPS.
IF YOU CARE, LEAVE THEM THERE!
LATE SPRING TO SUMMER IS BABY BIRD TIME.
REMEMBER:
- Only people who are licensed rehabilitators, or veterinarians who occasionally treat wildlife on an emergency basis, may legally care for wildlife.
- Many backyard birds leave their nests days before they can fly. The parent birds will continue to care for their young, even away from the nest, so leave the young birds alone.
- If you find a bird and have already handled it, place the bird back in the nest or in a shrub close by. Birds will not reject a youngster placed back in the nest.
- To protect the young birds, keep cats and dogs away or move the chick to the nearest shrub or natural cover. Then leave the area and allow the parent birds to respond to the food-begging calls of their young.
For more information, see: <https://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dfg/dfw/fish-wildlife-plants/wildlife-rehabilitation.html> and <https://www.massaudubon.org/learn/nature-wildlife/birds/baby-birds-out-of-the-nest>.