Rainy Morning Entry
Some random photos of cranes, because, hey, that's about all I got.
Sometimes you just can't help but take pride in your work--I had that moment in spades yesterday. I really enjoy leading bird trips, they are exhausting but it's so much fun. It's kind of like hosting a mobile party that lasts all weekend. Many people don't realize that bird identification is the smallest part of the job. A more important factor is customer service and anticipating the groups needs and being sensitive with their comfort. The number one priority is not the bird, it's food. People will be forgiving if a target bird doesn't show or if you were planning on seeing 600 swans and only 4 are present. They know that you cannot control the birds. However, you can control food and if you don't have enough and people get hungry. If they don't get fed soon they get hangry (deadly combo of hungry and angry).
Having led a fair share of birding tours of the years, I've picked up on some little tricks and tasks that need to be done. I usually lead tours with my friend Amber and she is the best organizer. We have our trips planned down to the minute. Doing this trip with Stan has been very different, he's very...shoot from the hip, keep the schedule flexible and just do whatever. I think we're making a good combo as I play Julie to his Gopher (yes, that was a Love Boat reference).
The breakfast situation on Friday morning was up in the air, I knew we were going to Perkins, they don't really do reservations and I wasn't sure of our exact arrival. We have to stay in the crane blind until all the cranes take off which can be anywhere from an hour to two hours. I did call Perkins last week and say "Hey, sometime between 8:30 am and 9:30 am nest Friday you will have a group of about 13 people come in for breakfast. I'll give you a call a half hour before we arrive so as not to overwhelm your staff."
They appreciated the heads up. Yesterday we left the blind, I called, they said the were ready. As soon as our group arrived we were whisked away to a table and the waitress was pouring the coffee--and they were busy too, almost all the tables were full. Just as the last of our group came in, another tour bus arrived with 21 people who had been to a crane blind and they were ready for breakfast--but the tour leader had not called ahead and they were turned away. I smiled to myself and thought "Amateurs." I pitied the tour guide, the bus was looking a little hangry and restaurant options for a large group with no reservations are tough. We've seen the group a few times and they've been having a few glitches here and there. Even if you get great birds, a hangry group can be brutal.
As I'm typing this, it's pouring down rain--the worst weather for bird watching on minimum maintenance roads. According to Weather Underground it's not going to stop until tonight. Prairie chickens are not Gene Kelly and will not be singin' and dancin' in the rain. We're contemplating canceling the dawn prairie chicken watch this morning and perhaps even heading back to Minnesota today instead of tomorrow. From my table in the hotel lounge I can see the group with the glitches loading onto their bus...surely they are not going out birding in this weather? Not only is it hard to see the birds, but the gravel roads are much too dangerous and slick. Another part of being a tour leader is to "know when to fold 'em" as Kenny Rogers is known to sing.
Sometimes you just can't help but take pride in your work--I had that moment in spades yesterday. I really enjoy leading bird trips, they are exhausting but it's so much fun. It's kind of like hosting a mobile party that lasts all weekend. Many people don't realize that bird identification is the smallest part of the job. A more important factor is customer service and anticipating the groups needs and being sensitive with their comfort. The number one priority is not the bird, it's food. People will be forgiving if a target bird doesn't show or if you were planning on seeing 600 swans and only 4 are present. They know that you cannot control the birds. However, you can control food and if you don't have enough and people get hungry. If they don't get fed soon they get hangry (deadly combo of hungry and angry).
Having led a fair share of birding tours of the years, I've picked up on some little tricks and tasks that need to be done. I usually lead tours with my friend Amber and she is the best organizer. We have our trips planned down to the minute. Doing this trip with Stan has been very different, he's very...shoot from the hip, keep the schedule flexible and just do whatever. I think we're making a good combo as I play Julie to his Gopher (yes, that was a Love Boat reference).
The breakfast situation on Friday morning was up in the air, I knew we were going to Perkins, they don't really do reservations and I wasn't sure of our exact arrival. We have to stay in the crane blind until all the cranes take off which can be anywhere from an hour to two hours. I did call Perkins last week and say "Hey, sometime between 8:30 am and 9:30 am nest Friday you will have a group of about 13 people come in for breakfast. I'll give you a call a half hour before we arrive so as not to overwhelm your staff."
They appreciated the heads up. Yesterday we left the blind, I called, they said the were ready. As soon as our group arrived we were whisked away to a table and the waitress was pouring the coffee--and they were busy too, almost all the tables were full. Just as the last of our group came in, another tour bus arrived with 21 people who had been to a crane blind and they were ready for breakfast--but the tour leader had not called ahead and they were turned away. I smiled to myself and thought "Amateurs." I pitied the tour guide, the bus was looking a little hangry and restaurant options for a large group with no reservations are tough. We've seen the group a few times and they've been having a few glitches here and there. Even if you get great birds, a hangry group can be brutal.
As I'm typing this, it's pouring down rain--the worst weather for bird watching on minimum maintenance roads. According to Weather Underground it's not going to stop until tonight. Prairie chickens are not Gene Kelly and will not be singin' and dancin' in the rain. We're contemplating canceling the dawn prairie chicken watch this morning and perhaps even heading back to Minnesota today instead of tomorrow. From my table in the hotel lounge I can see the group with the glitches loading onto their bus...surely they are not going out birding in this weather? Not only is it hard to see the birds, but the gravel roads are much too dangerous and slick. Another part of being a tour leader is to "know when to fold 'em" as Kenny Rogers is known to sing.
Labels: Bird Trips, digiscoping, Nebraska
posted by birdchick at 5:54 AM
11 Comments:
Hi Sharon,
You have some awesome crane pictures.
I am wondering what you used to photograph them With, Digiscope or camera and telephoto lense. I was down at Rowe for a week in early March and got some pictures but, not nearly as good as yours. :) You can contact me at fsholbrook@yahoo.com
Hi Rick,
The photos were digiscoped. There's a link on my blog page to my digiscoping set up under the Swarovski logo. Just click on "My digiscoping setup" and that will the scope, camera, adaptor, etc.
Thanks, I figured that the digiscope method was what you used. I used a 800mm lense, but, the Swarovski probably has better optics than Canon.
"Know when to walk away...know when to run.
You never count your money,
When you're sittin' at the table.
There'll be time enough for countin',
When the dealing's done."
I had to get that out, or I wouldn't have been able to sleep.
I wanna go birding with BirdChick! (said in a whiney voice)
"Hangry." An excellent word. I always take snacks along, so I avoid major hangry problems, but I need a word for "anxious and with a full bladder."
Food is important, but equally essential are well-timed bathroom breaks. Often, birding trips are in remote areas, and even in state parks, bathroms can be hard to come by, or are closed for the winter season. It is hard to focus your attention on identifying a little brown bird when your body keeps saying, "I gotta go potty!"
All in all, I have had good field trip experiences, and have been impressed by the organizational skills of my trip leaders.
"I wanna go birding with Birdchick, too." (also whiney voice)
~Kathi
I've been hangry before, and I can't imagine a tourful of people with the hangries. Also been on a tour doing the "gotta potty" dance. Not fun. So I can appreciate the thought you give to planning your tours.
Weather issues aside it sounds like a good trip.
Of course, since I'm deep in the throes of homework avoidance right now, your Love Boat reference has me tempted to start photoshopping the picture I have of you and Stan together... hee hee
~other Sharon
Hey Kath! How about "Bladxiety"?
Sharon, Do you or any of your birding expert friends have a cool name for a Greenwich , CT. Red-Tail Hawk ? The Greenwich Time Newspaper Web Site is having a naming session for some red-tails that are now living on Greenwich Ave., which is the main street in this Connecticut Town. Check out these pixs and maybe come up with a name. Thanks RA
here's the link:
http://blogs.greenwichtime.com/currentevents/?p=44
that link is:
http://blogs.greenwichtime.com/currentevents/?p=44
or go to:
www.greenwichtime.com
and click on forum section red-tail hawk..
cool photos
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