Misidentification of a bird species is always embarrassing, but when it is one made on a group of birds very difficult to separate, it is not quite as bad.

The time has come to write my annual piece on what to do with young critters, either feathered or furry, that you come across. Last weekend Prudy Whiting and I were walking on Hancock Beach and came across a young gray seal. At first we thought it was dead, but as we approached the youngster raised its head. We kept our distance and watched it for a while. The seal didn’t have any wounds or obvious problems except perhaps a gimpy left flipper. What to do?

My thanks go out to all the birders and feeder observers that either went out into the field or watched their feeders last weekend and reported their finds. Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary was able to raise close to (and maybe by now) $2,000.

Burning Noman’s Land in May? What is that all about? This is nesting season. There are birds on eggs and some with young over there already. Did the Navy want scrambled eggs for breakfast or perhaps squab? And doesn’t Massachusetts Fish and Wildlife have control over Noman’s? It seems they should know better than to burn in May.

Joe, Elizabeth, Ingrid and Ian Jims, along with their dogs Brillo and Brawney, were walking on the land bank property at Farm Pond in Oak Bluffs when they spotted a weird purple bird.

Those mighty mites are back and a few days early at that. Ruby-throated hummingbirds have been reported in Chilmark and Ocean Heights so wash your feeders well, fill them with sugar water and hang them up! Don’t forget that the feeders should be cleaned frequently, especially in warm weather.

The weekend of May 16 is the annual birdathon, a competition that Massachusetts Audubon has been conducting for 25 years. Felix Neck will be involved this year for the second time and we need birders and sponsors to help out.