Geeks Spoil Their Own Fun

There are some disturbing headlines coming out of England (Note, for those who don't know, a twitcher is the British term for birder):

Twitchers Accused of Bird's Death (BBC News)
Hounded to Death...By Bird Lovers! (The Mirror)
Bird-brained Twitchers slammed! (The Sun)

The story stems from a complaint that a bunch of birders chased a rare starling "to death" and one of the members of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds asking for an investigation. Here's the BBC's version and here's the Sun's version (interesting to note the difference between the two stories).

On the one hand I think it's very uncool to chase down a rare bird at the expense of its health but on the other hand, I get really tired of over protective people getting worked up about one unhealthy bird. This was one bird way off course and probably in questionable health to begin with. Several people chasing a healthy bird for two days would not kill it, a bird in questionable health...maybe (and that's a big maybe). If its health was that bad, it's a matter of time before it dies anyway regardless of how many people were chasing it to get a glimpse of it. I get irritated with someone wasting all the media attention and effort on one bird in an extreme circumstance. Why don't we get that kind of momentum to solving (note I said solving, not whining about) the problem of millions of birds flying into windows and cell phone towers during migration. I think that doesn't get as much play because we know it's a problem and it seems too big to be able to solve. We're not going to stop using cell phones and skyscrapers, so we need to find ways to alert migrating birds that the structures are there and that is not something that's going to be invented overnight.

Offerings for the Sick

I got some fun stuff in the mail today! We got a personalized copy of Letters From Eden. Whoot! I had read the advanced copy and had even gotten a glimpse of it in Julie's studio last spring but now I have it in all its colorful glory.

Here is Cinnamon's favorite water color inside the book. I think my favorite is the turkey vulture story with all the little vulture etchings. The book is like a going through her journal and finding her art, thoughts on life and family all while educating you about the natural world--not just birds but also frogs, turtles, wildflowers. An excellent book that will be a popular gift this holiday season.

The other fun toy I got was the National Geographic Handheld Guide to Birds. I first saw a prototype at the ABA Convention in Tucson in 2005 and got to take a beta version with me to Arkansas on the ivory-bill search. It's now finally available to purchase and it is SO cool!

Essentially, it is a National Geographic Field Guide program for a palm pilot. If you already have a Palm Pilot you can get just the card with the program or you can get but a package of the Palm and the Card. I did not have a palm so I got the complete package. I've had a handheld device before, a Visor so I'm familiar with using one of these.

It has everything the field guide has from the illustrations, maps, distinguishing characteristics and foraging and mating behaviors. It has the most complete bird song library for North American species I have ever seen. Since it's a complete North American field guide, it's not divided between eastern and western regions. A surprise feature that is different than the previous version is that you can now synchronize it with eBird!

Another cool feature is that when you click on the species accounts, you will notice red highlighted words. These are words that a person may not have memorized. So, you click on the red word and bam:

You get the definition. That's pretty darn sweet and very handy educational tool. You can also create search lists with different criteria based on color, or region that you saw the bird. You can also create a species list based on what state you are in and the month you are visiting that state. This is not a cheap gadget, but when you factor in the fact that it is a complete North American field guide with audio for almost all species, bird terminology dictionary, every checklist available all crammed in a tiny device that slides easily in a pants pocket, it is very much worth the price.

What Goes Around My Home During the Day

I am so amazed at my body's ability to sleep with whatever virus has taken hold. I can take a couple of DayQuils and a giant mug of coffee and still fall fast asleep on the couch! How is this happening?

And maybe this is the DayQuil speaking but Chris Eccleston is hot, hot, HOT! Non Birding Bill has introduced me to the Dr. Who series (the old series), so being sick at home I thought I would turn on the tv and I discovered a Dr. Who marathon (the new series) on the Sci Fi channel today. Oh, gone are the days of the lanky man with bushy hair and a long scarf--hallo sexy, dark, broody, well dressed (and did I mention sexy?) Chris Eccleston. Unfortunately, Mr. Eccleston didn't continue the series and ended up regenerating himself at the end of season one (something time lords do to evade death) and the Dr. is now played by David Tennant--a little cheekier, not as broody, but he'll have to do.

Meanwhile when not watching daleks run amok, I watched the warblers that still have the trees in my neighborhood under siege. I assumed my chair at the window and watched the parade of kinglets, palm warblers, butter butts, Nashvilles and Tennessees. Some of them even flew over towards my window and hopped about in my flower boxes. However, I am so slow on the uptake that I couldn't get a photo. Then, an odd looking squirrel caught my attention. My apartment faces the ally and it is common to see squirrels raiding the dumpsters. Then it occurred to me that this squirrel was moving strangely and the tail wasn't bushy, then horrid realization set in:

A rat! In broad daylight, a rat checking out all the dumpsters! I know rats are everywhere and they are not new to me. I've seen them in New York, I dealt with them when I managed a bird store and goodness knows I have hacked up my fair share as hawk chow at The Raptor Center, but it still threw me for a loop seeing it right down below.

"Rats! I don't approve of rats! Keep them away from my food."

Yeah, Cinnamon, I don't care for them myself. It was interesting watching the rat systematically test out the building across the way for openings to get inside. It really didn't seem to be too distressed at being out and about in broad daylight. For some reason I always thought of them as being nocturnal.

The rat then made its way around the corner to a stick pile in my noisy neighbor's yard. I went to the bathroom window to watch and it came face to face with a squirrel. Look at the rat in relation to the gray squirrel in the above photo--I mean really, apart from the bushy tail, it's about the same size! The squirrel kept a healthy distance from the rat. It didn't leave but worked to keep the brush pile between it and the rat. The rat on the other hand just seemed to try and get as close to the squirrel as it could perhaps out of curiosity or maybe just trying to show that it wasn't going to be intimidated. The rat eventually moved on to another area of the noisy neighbor's yard. I was surprised that it didn't make a beeline for the area under my bird feeders, but there's probably tastier pickins in the dumpsters.

I think we need something cleansing after a rat. Happily, a warbler delivered. I could hear some warblers outside my bathroom window, so I quietly pished and low and behold:

This is not digiscoped, as if on cue this yellow-rumped warbler just popped down to check out the pishing coming from the bathroom window. So cute!

Sickchick.com

This young bird about sums up how I feel right now. My nose has staged a formal protest and a strike has been called. Mucus has moved into all sinus cavities and nostrils and is heavily picketing. Any air that tries to pass through is blocked no matter how much negotiating is done with decongestant nasal spray. Non Birding Bill is going to try and help the mediation process by getting some nasal strips. Hurry, NBB, hurry!

I am SO sick. However, being optimist, I am incredibly relieved that my body is getting this out of its system this week. A caravan from Indianapolis is coming up next week that will include my mom and three of my sisters...I think. They've been planning this trip for some time and are very excited--as is NBB (they are not stopping in the Twin Cities but heading straight to Duluth so he gets a pass on visits from inlaws this time around). Mom and my oldest sister Terri haven't been here since the owl irruption, Monica has been here once and this will be Angela's maiden voyage--not sure how she's going to fair being in a blind and being quiet all day. Angela is the loud one of the family. I think it's safe to say we won't be getting any harriers.

Cinnamon is somewhat sympathetic but is happy that I am the one being force fed medicine this time and not her.

Hey, can anyone id that young raptor in the first photo? I have some prizes, either a calendar, lens pen, or Nyquill. Let me know what you want.

I'm gonna crawl under a rock now.

Oh, wait an anonymous bird sent me following press release. Careful what you're watching at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge! We had an area in Minnesota get shut off from public access for a similar reason--it was really too bad because long-earred owls roost there. But the police didn't have funding to patrol the area and so closed and bocked it to traffic. My justification was that if more birders were in there then there would be fewer shenanigans, but that didn't fly with law enforcement. Here's the release:

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 27, 2006
www.usdoj.gov/usao/aln


FEDERAL CHARGES FILED FOR ILLEGAL BEHAVIOR AT
WHEELER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

BIRMINGHAM, AL - Today in U.S. District Court twenty-one Criminal Informations and seven Indictments have been filed charging illegal sexual contact, public lewdness and indecent exposure at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge located in Limestone and Morgan Counties in Alabama. From July 20 through July 23, 2006, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Alabama State Conservation Officers conducted a covert operation to curtail illegal activity in areas of the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge that had generated numerous complaints from citizens using the Refuge. The "Refuge" is an area within the special territorial jurisdiction of the U.S. Government.

"The Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge is a place intended for public enjoyment through the appreciation of wildlife and nature in general," states U.S. Attorney Alice H. Martin. "It is not, and will not be used as a place for public lewdness, public indecency or perverted
acts by the public. These covert indecency roundup efforts will continue."

"We are committed to providing a safe and enjoyable outdoor experience for our legitimate visitors," said Refuge Manager, Dwight Cooley. "We will continue to place the highest priority on curbing all illegal activities that prevent us from accomplishing that mission."

The release then goes on to name names (mostly men) and ages and acts which we don't really need to read here. But just an FYI, if you're birding in that area and have to use the restroom, I would double my efforts to find a portapotty and not a bush. You might be in trouble.

Another Ivory-bill Job

This is for the Florida search:

We are currently taking applications for full-time searchers for the 2006/2007 field season. The minimum time commitment is January 2 to May 30, 2007. Searchers willing to work through Christmas and New Year holidays are also especially needed. Stipend is $1200/mo with no benefits. Anyone willing to join the full-time search without receiving a stipend will get special consideration. Searchers will live in a remote camp in a tent or in a bunkhouse and must purchase their own food. Please send resume, contact info for two references, and a page summarizing why you want to be part of the search, your level of physical fitness, and your skills as a kayaker, canoeist, hiker, and birder to Brian Rolek at brianrolekATgmailDOTcom. Applications received before Oct 15, 2006 will get first consideration.

Freelance birders may send descriptions of sightings or sound detections to Geoff Hill at ghillATacesagDOTauburnDOTedu.

Warblers in the Hood

I have no idea what bug hit me in Duluth but now that my GI tract has finally settled, I have a such a stuffy head. Oh well, at least now that I'm free lance writing I can work from home in my pjs.

There were literally hundreds of warblers in the trees this morning--so many butter butts making their "kissing" chip noise that it sounded like quite the lovefest was going on. I grabbed my binos, a big cup of coffee, opened the screen and took them in.

You may not be able to tell from this photo but there tons of warblers in this photo above--they just match the trees so well. They were way to fast to try an photograph, but I did try:

Here's a blurry Nashville warbler...

...and a blurry Tennessee warbler. Look at how much that little dude blends with the leaves. There were tons of yellow-rumps and palm warblers and a couple of vireos.

After I warblered out, I got to work on the City Bird/Country Bird book. We're still in the process of adding photos, so if you sent some, I can't give an answer yet on whether or not your photo has been used. I will have the answer when we go to print and I will contact you via email. Right now we are in the process of adding Apartment Tips and captions. Cinnamon says I need to add bunny tips but they are just ways of feeding bird seed to your pet rabbit.

A Step In the Right Direction

I wish I could go to this! Too bad it wasn't advertised sooner. This is a great first step to solving the problem instead of complaining and blaming about it.

A conference on hazards faced by birds from tall structures such as buildings, communication, wind energy generators and power transmission towers and lines is scheduled for Oct. 13 at the Ho-Chunk Convention Center, Wisconsin Dells.

The conference features speakers representing the power and communications industries, glass manufacturers and wildlife management organizations and agencies. Conference and registration information can be found on the Madison Audubon Society Web Page.

Biologists estimate that more than 1 billion birds die each year from collisions with glass and many more from hitting other man made hazards such as broadcast tower guy lines and power transmission lines.

Organizers of the “No Bird Left Behind” conference are seeking to open new lines of communication and information sharing with those who plan, own and operate tall structures that can affect migrating birds. The conference will offer panel presentations on current knowledge about why birds collide with buildings, towers, wind energy generators and transmission lines.

The conference is open to all concerned or interested citizens and is cosponsored by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative and Bird Conservation Minnesota. The Wisconsin Audubon Council is organizing the event.

Bird Interactions with Tall Structures
and How to Reduce the Risk

New information will be added as it becomes available.

Friday, October 13, 2006

Purpose:

• Create awareness and increase knowledge of the problems migratory birds face from tall structures such as buildings, transmission towers, and wind energy generators
• Gain understanding of the restrictions on owners/operators of these structures
• Bring interested parties together to discuss the problems
• Open lines of communication and foster cooperation to help alleviate the problems

Who should attend:

Industry representatives: building managers, owners; architects, broadcasting station owners, staff (engineers); wind energy equipment owners and operators; government decision makers and technical staff involved in regulating tall structures, environmentalists and bird lovers

Hosted by: Wisconsin Audubon Council
Co-sponsors: Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative (WBCI), Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Bird Conservation Minnesota

Schedule:
FRIDAY, October 13
8:00 a.m. Registration

9:00 Light continental breakfast provided

9:30 WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION
Master of Ceremonies: Peter Cannon, Madison Audubon Society and regional director, National Audubon Society
Keynote speaker: Noel Cutright, Wisconsin Society for Ornithology

10:15 PLENARY PANELS
Birds and Buildings — Daniel Klem, Muhlenberg College, PA, expert on bird collisions with glass;
Rick Voelker, Viracon, manufacturer of glass coatings, Wausau, WI, and
Scott Diehl, Wisconsin Humane Society and “WiNGS,” Wisconsin Night Guardians for Songbirds, Milwaukee. Q&A.

11:30 Broadcast Communication Towers — John Laabs, President, Wisconsin Broadcasters Assn., Madison, and
Joelle Gehring, Michigan Natural Features Inventory, Lansing. Q&A.
12:30 p.m. Lunch provided

1:30 Wind Energy and Electric Transmission/Distribution Lines — Leakhena Au, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Green Bay, WI; and
Rich Carleton, Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, CA. A wind energy representative will be announced. Q&A.

3:00 Break

3:20 FINDING COMMON GROUND
Participants interact in facilitated discussion groups to identify priority issues and action that can be taken.

4:35 WRAP-UP
Report out from discussion groups, dialogue; commitments for the future

5:00 Adjourn for dinner

5:15 Cash bar

5:45 Dinner (heavy hors d’oeuvres) provided

6:30 SPEAKER
Migration & Technology — Albert Manville, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Washington, DC

7:30 Adjourn for the day

Snakes on a Quarter?

Maybe Idaho should put snakes on their quarter instead? Have you read this story? Those who don't care for snakes, might not want to go on:

A home in St. Anthony was sold really cheap because it's infested with hundreds, maybe thousands, of snakes.

The owner Lyman Hepworth said he bought the house in March and didn't know there were 500 hibernating snakes in the basement, though snakes are known to be in the area. The snakes are making their way back to the home to hibernate for the winter.

A Local News 8 reporter even had a snake slither right over her shoe. When the owners discovered they had snakes in the spring, Hepworth said he was killing up to 50 snakes a day.

The snakes are simply garter snakes, but when you get hundreds and thousands of them it creates quite a problem. While Local News 8 was at the home, we saw at least six snakes in a matter of minutes.

This house has stood empty for eight years, and according to Fish and Game, they think the snakes have been using the house as a winter hibernation spot since it was empty. The snakes are just now returning for hibernation so there are not yet hundreds, but the owner says there will be soon enough.

Hepworth says when he first discovered he had snakes, he went down to the basement and reached for the light cord, only to find a 4-foot snake hanging right beside it. They've tried to plug up the holes but there are just too many. He said he also found a big ball of dead snakes in the basement and hundreds more living on the basement floor. Hepworth says he just wants them out of there so he and his wife can have a place to live.

Read the rest of the story here and watch video footage of the home.

Peregrine Controversy in Idaho

For some reason I can't post directly to the link, but head over to WildBird on the Fly's blog and look for the Monday, Sept 25, 2006 entry. A very odd petition has started about the peregrine falcon being removed from the state quarter design for Idaho.

I went to look at the actual petition and I think there is now official proof that people who live in Idaho are a little touched. Several added comments with their signatures and I really have to wonder about people who think a potato is more exciting than a bird that can go over 200 miles per hour in a dive.

Canadians Goin' for the Ivory

Well, to get a preview of the ivory-bills in Florida info, you can read about it in the Toronto Star and also at the search home page.

A Bird's Ability to Thrive No Matter What

All the photos in this entry are courtesy of Frank Taylor.

I just got in a weekly banding report from Frank Taylor. In it was a an interesting account of a first year sharp-shinned hawk that had impaled it's wing on a twig. Frank said that it had healed up with a bit of the twig still in the wing!

They didn't try to pull out the twig, just clipped the ends that were close to the wing. The bird seemed to be doing just fine and they didn't want to stress it out with a trip to The Raptor Center down in the Cities. Frank used to be curator of birds at TRC and has been a master falconer for longer than I've been alive. He knows a healthy flight in a bird when he sees it, and with a high strung bird like an accipiter, letting it go gave it a better shot at survival than time in a rehab facility.

The injury was healed, I wonder how long ago it happened? Perhaps when it was learning to fly.

Another fine example of how birds will survive no matter what. It would never occur to this bird that, "Hey, I've got a stick in my wing, I don't feel like hunting and heading south to find food. I'm just going to hunker down and sleep today." Birds just do what has to be done in order to survive. I love that.

Dishwashing Bunny

Cinnamon finishes up cleaning all the acorn squash on my fork and prepares to steal it. Hard to take her seriously as a master thief with buck teeth.

Awesome Sunday At Hawk Ridge

Saturday at Hawk Ridge:

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday At Hawk Ridge:

People...

...hawks, northwest winds, fair temperatures, shining sun--all the things that make hawk watching special.

I helped out at the NatureScape News selling subscriptions and issues and the table became a catch all table for everybody. I was selling shirts and calendars (shirts were a hit to men and women of all ages), and Rick Bowers helped at the table too and was on hand to autograph his books (that's him above with his massive camera, Mammal Guide and shearwater head--I geeked out a little...okay, I geeked out a lot) and BirderBlog hung out and sold some of her books including her new book 101 Ways to Help Birds.

The Eagle Optics table was right next to ours so I got to see my good friend Katie. And, per WildBird on the Fly's request:

The odd thing is that we have Katie here kissing a dehydrated shearwater head and she's healthy, while I came down with some nasty intestinal bug last night that still has not quite left me. Curse you, hot-pepper-wild-rice bratwurst, and everything you stand for! At least I hope that's what it is, I haven't felt this bad since I lived with that party-animal of a parasite, giardia. I really don't want to go through that again. But enough about my digestive problems, you read this blog for birds so:

Look at this beautiful adult sharp-shinned hawk, taking a brief stop in its journey to educate the crowd about migration. They're so pretty when they grow up.

Here are the new counters at Hawk Ridge this year Corrie and Sue. Look at that--they are women--fun and intelligent women too. Paging Kevin Karlson, here are some hot up and coming women should you ever consider doing another list for WildBird. When it's not so busy, I plan on going out for a beer and learning more about them. It's hard to talk and get to know them during the peak of broad-wing migration, they're a little preoccupied. They did request that the next time I'm up that I bring Cinnamon, they really want to be disapproved of.

There was a whole lotta releasin' going on at the Ridge, since they were getting so many sharp-shins at the banding station.

I got some great shots of some of the releases:

Here we have an excited little girl releasing a shin that ended up veering through a surprised audience. Sharp-shins are an accipiter and are well known for their ability to dart around objects quickly and for short super fast bursts of speed. Here's an up close view of the above photo of the shin going through the audience:

Looking at where Hawk Ridge Education Director Debbie Waters has her camera aimed, was she fast enough to get the young sharpie flying away?

This is my favorite photo. There's a sharpie being released right above everyone's head. Here's a closer view:

I wonder if this guy got his photo and even better yet, look at the excited little boy below and behind him.

Ivory-billed Woodpecker Job

IVORY-BILLED COORDINATOR– The South Carolina chapter of The Nature Conservancy is seeking a qualified candidate for a one-year temporary position as South Carolina Ivory-billed Coordinator. Primary activities include organization and implementation of strategic IBWO searches in high priority areas within South Carolina, such as Congaree National Park, Francis Marion Forest, and the Lower Santee watershed. The focus of the position is on coordinating the search effort including supervising field crews and volunteers, maintaining data quality, and data management. The coordinator may also be responsible for managing information related to sightings, follow-up requirements to these sightings, managing statewide data, and other pertinent activities related to IBWO. Qualifications required include: graduate degree in science-related field and no experience, or the equivalent combination of education and 0-1 years of experience, ability to organize data and form summary reports, knowledge of Excel, Access, and ArcView computer programs preferred, and experience coordinating volunteers and/or field crews preferred. The position will be located in Columbia, SC and will begin as soon as a qualified candidate is found.

For more information visit http://www.tnc.org/careers/ or contact COLETTE DEGARADY (PH: 843-937-8807 ext 15, EM: cdegarady AT tnc.org). To apply please send a cover letter and resume via email to Colette DeGarady, (EM: cdegarady AT tnc.org).

Help ID this Russian Raptor

Reader Olga has sent me a link to a Russian site with an unknown raptor. Does anyone have any idea? I'm just not so up to speed on my old world birds of prey and need all the help I can get!

Hawk Weekend So Far

Hawk Ridge: Every autumn come to Duluth, MN to experience thousands of hawks flying over. Live the thrill of goshawks and the agony of harriers!

Not so much today. When I arrived at Hawk Ridge for the big Hawk Weekend I found what should have been a road full of cars to actually be void of people and hawks. The naturalists had some programs planned but they don't have any indoor seating up there so everyone was directed to go to Hartley Nature Center which I have never visited before. Hartley was kind enough to let me set up a table there. Awesome place! Last week they had an albino phoebe. I will make sure to check this place out again in better weather.

Birderblog was hard at work multi-tasking:

Look at her go autographing books, handling a bird, working the crowd--all while sporting a cute new hairdo!

My table was next to a very flirty snapping turtle. I've never met such a charismatic herp.

"Love me, please! Don't say you don't want to, you know it isn't true."

Hartley is a very wonderful nature center...although, a little chilly.

Okay, tomorrow is supposed to be northwest winds so that post should be chock full of excitement and hawks and other various sundry birds and not turtles for blog fodder.

Wet, Wet, Wet, Wetty, Wet, Wet!

Today was the quintessential crap day at the ridge--worse weather possible short of a blizzard. But for me, a crap day at the ridge is better than any day in an office.

Tomorrow!

Sunday! SUNday! SUNDAY! Will be the best winds, perfect weather and no doubt ginormous numbers of hawks flying over since they have been stahled the last two days.

T-Shirts Officially Available

Okay, the Birdchic Boutique is now open and you can order shirts online.

Hawk Ridge This Weekend

Okay, looking at the weather in Duluth, MN for this weekend at Weatherunderground.com, it looks like Saturday morning will be rain and it has a chance of clearing up by the afternoon with winds out of the Northeast (not the best for hawk watching, but for sure better than winds out of the Southeast).

Sunday is showing a very small chance of rain with winds out of the Northwest. If you are only doing one day at the Ridge this weekend, I would recommend Sunday. If you're doing both, I would plan on sleeping in a bit on Saturday--although if you're jonesing for a peregrine they do show up on cloudy, rainy crappy days.

Final House

Here's the finished house:

What does Cinnamon have to say? Does she approve?

"Can I eat some paint?"

Not the reaction I was hoping for. Let's ask a chickadee. Would you nest in here?

Hmmm. Guess not. Good thing I glued a bluebird to the entrance so at least there's a backup bird.

Shirt Preview

Non Birding Bill is busy getting PayPal set up, but here is the preview for the birdchick shirts avialable at Hawk Ridge this weekend and hopefully online soon.

This is the the ladies three quarter sleeve "Pish Off" shirt. For non birders, here is a definition of pishing.


Here is the men's "Pish Off" t-shirt.

And my personal favorite, the women's three quarter sleeve "Hot All-Bird Action" shirt. I wore this into a fancy gift shop and the woman who was working the counter (and was over 55) raised an eyebrow and asked, "And just what is all-bird action supposed to be?" I acted innocent and said, "Why, I'm a bird watcher, what did you think it meant?" She turned three shades of red and said, "Nothing...I just...didn't know."

Hee hee hee.

I do have a couple of men's black t-shirts available in "Hot All-Bird Action" too.

My Artistic Process

For some odd reason certain readers of this blog seem to be gluttons for punishment and like my oddball drawings. So, I'm going to take a cue from the great Zickefoose and go through MY artistic process:

First, we start with a blank canvass, full of possibility! What will the muse guide me to do (oh, how I hope that muse is Kira).

There it is, the first hint of an idea, a message, a voice from the great beyond guiding this deep emotion onto the paper!

Now, it becomes clear. You may not be able to tell, but I can see that this is the outline of a rabbit.

This is the really, really tricky part. You have to get the mouth just right, you must make sure to have the "Y" upside down and not rightside up.

Once you have the mouth in place, you have to carefully get the eyes in. The eyes are the window to the soul and I must make sure to convey what this bunny is trying to say.

Now, at first glance it looks like this bunny is complete, but there is one small detail that will really make it come to life:

There, now it's complete! Wow, that was a harrowing 4 minutes. You know, I don't know why it takes Julie so long to get her paintings done. It only took me a few minutes for this masterpiece.

Seriously, I do have some "art" to do tonight. I have a bird house that I am supposed to paint. A charity for homeless people asked some local celebrities (can I say how weird it is to be considered a "local celebrity"--it's very weird, but cool because sometimes I get free drinks).

My original plan was to have commentors guide me through the process, but that got put the wayside with recent events (ie, I forgot). So, I'm going to paint it tonight (and I may add this bluebird I stuck in hole for fun). If anyone does have any last minutes suggestions, let me know. I have to have this ready to go by 1:30pm tomorrow.

New Take on Bunny Ears in Photos

Remember the fun of giving bunny ears in class photos? Well, now there's a new craze sweeping the nation. Disapproving Rabbit Bunny Ear Photos.

Go Cinnamon!

Boy, something wonky is going on with blogger. There's an outage today at 4pm and I'm still having trouble uploading photos. Hopefully this scheduled outage will fix whatever is wonky.

Fun posts coming soon!

Party At The Ridge!

This could be you this weekend!

Don't forget that this weekend is THE big hawk weekend at Hawk Ridge in Duluth. It's going to be a veritable who's who of birders and raptors and one heck of a party. I'm very excited, as one of my good buddies from Eagle Optics, Katie will be up there. A group from The Raptor Center will be there too. I will be there selling birdchick shirts (just the bird ones, the Disapproving Rabbits shirts aren't ready yet), my bird calendars and subscriptions to NatureScape News. Any blog readers heading up that day?

Hm, maybe I'll bring the shearwater head? And no, I will not bring Cinnamon to an event where thousands of buteos will be flying overhead.

Fred the Colonless Cat

Non Birding Bill and I are currently keeping an eye on Fred the Unlucky Black Cat who recently had his colon removed while his peeps are out of town. You'll be surprised to learn that he did not come home with a colostomy bag and is doing very well. Poor Fred, he must be on his 10th or 11th life. Infections, injuries, digestive problems--everything happens to pauvre, pauvre Fred. When he first came to his current home he had an injury to his hind quarters that the vet thought was the result of an animal attack--probably a coyote. Since Fred was a kitten at the time and much smaller and the puncture wounds form a square on the side of his haunch, I firmly believe that Fred survived the talons of a great horned owl.

I checked Mr. Neil's feeders yesterday and some may recall that Ed offered in the comments section a trial of Feeder Fresh because the feeders are often a big fungusy mess when I check on them. I must say, this product works really, really well! The feeders were not clogged like normal with the Feeder Fresh. The finch feeders that had thistle and sunflower chips were a little clumped around a couple of the ports but not nearly as bad as they can be after a good downpour of rain. So, Feeder Fresh gets my approval and if you are having fungusy feeder issues, pick some up at your local bird store.

The birds are oh so forgiving out here. We didn't feed all summer long because of a spring bear issue and when we put the feeders back up in August, normal feeding activity resumed in less than a week. Most birds in back yards are not so forgiving. Just goes to show that every yard is different when it comes to attracting birds.

Freaking Blogger

I have a camera. I have photos. I have blogger...

... which won't let me upload photos. DOH! Actually it uploaded the photos, but they won't show up in the entry. This is confusing my little budgie mind.

Somebody Let The Air Out Of My Rabbit!

Result of this disapproval: deflated rabbit! Cinnamon lies in sheer exhaustion having read my latest manuscript.

Carpenter Puts the FUN in Fundraiser

Carpenter Nature Center is having an awesome fundraiser on Thursday night. If you don't have much to do, sign up for a cruise along The St. Croix River.

Another Day at Hawk Ridge

FIRST!

If I were the type of person who needed to call in sick to work, I would totally be taking sick days on Tuesday through Thursday this because it's been nothing but southeast winds at
Hawk Ridge in Duluth right now (the worst for hawk watching) and according to Weather Underground Tuesday afternoon they are supposed to switch to northwest winds (the BEST for hawk watching) and stay that way at least until at least Thursday. Hawk watching hasn't been too spectacular so far so I bet on Tuesday afternoon, all hell will break loose.

SECOND!

I spent this past Saturday helping Kim Risen and Ed Colosky with their day trip to Hawk Ridge. It was kind of a last minute decision for me to go otherwise I would have put the word out on the blog.

This was my favorite moment of Saturday. All of these kids were on the bust to go hawk watching. What could possibly have them so enthralled? A Hawk Ridge Naturalist was about to unveil a sharp-shinned hawk that was netted at the banding station:

There's a wealth of information that can be gained from banding birds, but when you open it to the public, this is where the real value comes in. Look at the faces of all of those kids, they are totally getting interested in birds. There is our future, ladies and gentlemen. The more kids we get excited about birds, bet better chance those kids will be interested in keeping those birds around in the future.

Many of the kids got to hold hawks or release them throughout the whole day. It takes me back to the first time I got to touch a sharp-shinned hawk (like the one pictured above in the very capable hands of Laura). That was a life changing experience and still is in the top five moments of my life. I remember thinking how incredibly lucky I was to touch a creature in the middle of a long migratory journey.

Here is young Trevor letting a recently banded sharp-shinned hawk go, continuing on its journey south.

We did have just about the worst possible weather for our bird trip to Hawk Ridge (the only thing that would have made it worse was pouring down rain) but we fortunate enough to get some great fall color and beautiful views from Hawk Ridge. I kept telling everyone that even though the weather was not promising, there was still a chance for great birds: cloudy days at Hawk Ridge are almost a guarantee for peregrine falcons. While I was taking a group on the Summit Overlook trail I heard a distant shout: "Peregrine Falcon!" We looked up and sure enough there was a peregrine right overhead!!

We did have a couple of programs for our tour group to watch and I have to say if you are at Hawk Ridge and a woman named Willow is about to give a presentation, pay attention. This chick is REALLY good at giving programs! She wowed our audience and did a great job of making sure everyone understood what she was talking about. What really separates her from the rest of the pack is her passion for the subject. I don't know how long Williow will be at Hawk Ridge, but it wouldn't surprise me if in years to come we see her on a list of great birders.

Another highlight of the day was seeing a Franklin's ground squirrel. Which we did see, almost as many as we did of hawks for the day.

They were able to bring a couple of birds out from the banding station so the day wasn't a total wash. I was glad about that, I really wanted the kids to get a chance to see the birds up close.

At the end of the day the group was tuckered out. Here is Sam, the youngest member of our group who behaved really well all day and slept almost all the way back to the Twin Cities.

Don't forget that this coming weekend is the official Hawk Weekend at Hawk Ridge and tons of people will be up. I'll be there selling calendars, official birdchick shirts and subscriptions to NatureScape News. If you're up there Saturday and Sunday stop over and say "hi!". If not, try to get up sometime mid week to watch those broad-winged hawks move through.

Squash Soup Recipe

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned a squash soup recipe that I made. I had a couple of requests for the recipe, so here 'tiz. I waited to blog it because I wanted to see how much of the actual recipe I followed. My mother taught me to cook more on feeling and taste as opposed to exact measurements. The original recipe is from The Joy of Cranberries (this is an awesome series, I also have Joy of Rhubarb and have learned that you can get Joy of Cherries, Joy of Apples and Joy of Blueberries too).

So here is the basic ingredient list from the book:

Because cranberries aren't yet in season, I omitted the cranberry part and just made the soup itself. I also changed the quantities of some of the ingredients. I used one butternut squash that was not a pound and a half worth like the recipe calls for (I tried it a second time with the called for amount and didn't like the result). Here's a photo of Cinnamon for a size comparison on the squash:

"I resent the accusation that I have a face shaped like a butternut squash!"

Here are the main ingredients that I used. One medium sweet potato, the Cinnamon sized squash and instead of using 3 large carrots, I used 14 baby carrots. I peeled and cubed the squash and potato and halved the carrots. I put all of that in three cups of chicken broth, added a half teaspoon of ground sage, a pinch of ground ginger and a pinch of mace (if you don't have mace you can use nutmeg in its place).

You boil all of that until it gets tender. Once everything is tender I put it all in a blender (or you could use a food processor) until it's pureed:

This is the end result. It is a very filling fall flavored soup and goes well with a spinach salad (whenever you can get fresh spinach again) with a raspberry vinaigrette.

The recipe said that you can add a teaspoon of hot pepper sauce, which is an excellent addition. I'll be curious to try this with the cranberry bit that the recipe calls for, but I have to say the soup is quite nice on its own and I like to try squash recipes that don't call for copious amounts of sugar and butter (not that I have anything against sugar and butter but squash can be more than just a vehicle for those two ingredients).

Warbler ID

Susan Gets Native correctly identified the Tennessee Warbler first so she wins the lens pen.

Email me your snail mail address! Congrats!

Fill In Because I'm Too Tired To Blog

Red-tailed Hawk Wing Cam

Snowy Owl Wing Cam!

Larry Saves The Day

You guys are the best, you're my think tank coming up with great suggestions and chuckles and even temporary solutions. Presently, the photos in the blog are brought to you by Larry Sirvio who offered to let me borrow an extra camera that he is not using. Apparently, he says that the blog is in serious trouble if I'm cranky. Thank you, Larry, for helping me keep the photos in the blog and sparing the readers from my "art" work. Yes, without Larry I wouldn't have been able to bring you breath taking photos like this:

Yikes! This cardinal is still a bit scary looking and seems kind of angry. It's a young of the year bird still growing into his adult plumage. I didn't find out if it was the same male that was banded earlier this summer. Should have paid closer attention.

Okay, after a scary cardinal, we need something cute. So, how about this:

"With a simple cock of my head, my cuteness renders you powerless against me."

Any guesses as to this warbler? It's in fall plumage. Here are a couple of other angles:

Here's a profile shot. First correct answer and answer in the comment section wins a lens pen.

"I am proud to be part of this blog."

Stupid Digital Camera

The blog might be a little sucky over the next few weeks.

So, the latch that holds the battery on my Nikon Coolpix 7900 has been giving me problems for the last month. It's been slightly ajar. Something I should have gotten fixed sooner, but who has time to send the camera away for two to six weeks with the blog? Well now it's completely crapped out and there's a problem with the lens. Of course this happens right when hawk banding is underway.

I have no idea what I'm going to do, I don't want to buy a new camera while it's being fixed but at the same time the blog is so much more fun with it. At the moment all I can do is sit in a big pile of frustration.

For Those Who Aren't Getting Any Birds Right Now

Roy Harvey has alerted me to some birds you can purchase from Lillian Vernon, I think they are for Halloween but who says the fun has to stop October 31? The vultures are my favorite but the young crows and the LED light crows are pretty sweet too.

Because A Dead Pigeon Falling On You Isn't As Bad As Pigeon Poop Falling On You

TEXARKANA, Texas (AP) -- Poisoned pigeons began nose-diving into pavement and dying on downtown sidewalks, marring the city's annual festival.

Authorities cleaned up more than 25 sick or dead birds that apparently had eaten poisoned corn from the roof of a nearby bank branch.

"The death of these pigeons was more than an unfortunate accident," local CapitalOne Bank President Lacy McMillen said in Tuesday's online edition of Texarkana Gazette. "It was not the intention of the bank to harm any of these birds."

McMillen said the bank hired an exterminator to handle its pigeon problem after a bird entered the bank and defecated on a customer.

The company, which hired Anti-Pest Co. Inc. of Shreveport, Louisiana, said its goal with the treated corn was to sicken pigeons, so they would leave the rooftop. Death was sometimes an unfortunate side effect, company president Jarrod Horton said.

The full story is here.

Wow, that's news to me that sometimes death is an unfortunate side effect of poisoning--WHO KNEW? The best part of the story that was omitted at CNN.com can be found at Metro.co.uk:

CapitalOne – which amusingly was one of the sponsors of the pigeon-blighted festival – has apologised for raining dead pigeons upon the city. Reports suggest that the birds continued to sicken, plummet and die throughout the course of the weekend.

That just ties it in a nice little package, doesn't it? CapitalOne was the sponsor!

Anyone Want To Go Look For an Ivory-billed Woodpecker?

While sifting through a mountain of email I came across a request for volunteers for another Cornell ivory-bill search season:

We're gearing up for another season of IBWO searching and would like to invite you to become involved in a volunteer capacity again this season. We value your expertise and hope you'll consider continuing with us. Please visit this web page for more information. It should tell you all you need to know initially. You'll see that there is also an opportunity to volunteer in South Carolina this season. I do not have any information about the volunteer situation in this state. I am merely sending all the applications from interested people to their IBWO state coordinator. He/she will be in touch with you separately if you choose this state instead of Arkansas.

If you're interested in volunteering in Arkansas, please go to the application and fill it out again. For questions #7, 8, and 9 you can simply write returning volunteer since we're familiar with your qualifications. This will shorten the process dramatically. We do need an application on file for you so we have your updated contact information and preference for volunteer period. If you're applying to South Carolina you should complete the entire application to the best of your ability.

I will be in contact with you sometime in November to discuss dates and send out more details about Arkansas.

Interesting that they are searching South Carolina this year and there is no mention of Florida. I say that because of Birding Is Not A Crime's post about the Florida ivory-bill rumors. I have heard about this rumor in various forms from various sources (one VERY credible) all year and was threatened to within an inch of my life not to blog about it. However, since BINAC already has it out there, and I have had three people in the last month who shouldn't have heard about it ask me what I know I figure the cat is out of the bag.

This rumor has nothing to do with the crazy guy who was putting decoys in trees and calling it an ivory-bill, this is pretty credible. I wonder if this means Cornell is not part of the Florida bit or if it really is a "ground zero" and they are only sending staff and not volunteers?

Expanding Your World List

In case you have not heard, a new bird has been discovered in India--just goes to show, there are still great birds to be found and by amateurs no less. Hmmm, wonder if there will be blogs started about how this is a hoax?

An amateur bird-watcher has found the first new bird species to be discovered in India in over 50 years.

The strikingly colored species was identified from feathers and photos taken in remote forests in the northeast part of the country.

No specimen was taken, because "we thought the bird was just too rare for one to be killed," said Ramana Athreya, the bird's discoverer, in a statement.

Named Bugun liocichla, the small bird is described as a type of babbler, a diverse family of birds that usually live in tropical forests.

You can read the rest of the story here.

Bunny Naughtiness and a Gull

I know Cinnamon has this rep as the conservative disapproving rabbit, but she is after all only a lagomorph and therefore not the brightest bulb on the tree. Case in point:

Sitting on the lid of a container of bird seed that she wants to open. It took a good ten minutes for her to finally give up. Sigh. On top of that, she keeps tripping all the "cruelty free" mouse traps around the apartment (I have to use those so a certain bunny butthead doesn't get caught in any of the other kinds: no poisons, no snap traps--bunny nose and ears are a big risk, no sticky traps--I've never cared for those anyway, not to mention I don't want to deal with a sticky disapproving rabbit).

I wonder if the mice are bribing her?

"I disapprove of my naughty behavior being displayed to all my fans on the internet!"

We had a ring-billed gull dropped off at The Raptor Center today. TRC doesn't generally take non raptors but the person who dropped the gull off thought that the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center was still right across the street from us. Someone at TRC took the gull over at the end of her clinic shift.

You will note in the above photo that there is a hook sticking out the side of the bill. Here is the lure that was attached to that hook:

That is my hand next to the lure for a size comparison. The gull has not eaten since it had this blocking its mouth. It looked like someone snipped off the lure and placed a can of cat food in the crate with the gull. Though well intentioned, it's never a good idea to feed an injured bird or animal. Number one, they may need surgery and the stomach should be empty and number two as in the case with the gull, it thrashed around so much it was now covered with cat food that will at some point have to be cleaned off its feathers.

Hopefully the gull will be okay and it has an excellent chance at the WRC.

Ack--Too Distracted

I'm trying to get ready for my shift at The Raptor Center and my neighborhood is covered this morning in robins and cedar wawings. They must have come in last night. This usually happens every year, but I didn't see the waxwings last year.

The apartment building right behind ours has a really bad roof that always has a puddle. It works as a great makeshift bath for this apartment dweller.

I'm trying to digiscope, but the morning light is still to dim and my images are dark. The waxwings and robins should be here all day so hopefully I'll get better shots this afternoon. Even Non Birding Bill looked through the scope to admire the waxwings.

Waxwings look like female cardinals with heavy make up on. Here's an adult and a young of the year.

Isn't this a lovely fall picture? Okay, I really am running super late to TRC. Good thing we don't have programs scheduled this morning. The crew leader will begrudge you being late for a good raptor sighting but not songbirds. Maybe I'll say the Coops came in and that will get me a get out of jail free pass.

Traveling With The Pets

Reading the Zickefoose saga about being booted due to Chet reminds me of a problem I encountered with Cinnamon in the last few months. The hotel chain I had a problem with has always been great, but I got the butt end of a doofus manager so I don't want to blame the chain for this one incompetent employee.

I generally prefer this chain because they allow pets. Some locations require notification of said pet, but most just waive past without a care to a rabbit. When I checked into this location with Cinnamon, I didn't see sign requesting a that pets be registered and made a point of walking through the lobby with Cinnamon's carrier for the staff to let me know if I should register her.

On my second day at the hotel, I came back to the room after a long day in the field and at the booth to find a letter taped to my door with my name and contact information and a stern note alerting me house keeping was in my room and discovered that I was hiding a pet in my room and they were on to me and that I would be expected to pay a fine for this. I was reprimanded for trying to hide my pet and risking spreading allergens to other guests. Also, I would of course be expect to pay for any damages Cinnamon should incur to the room.

Okay, let's set the record straight. Here was my bed in the hotel room:

Can you see a bed under that mess?

Here was Cinnamon's area:
You will note the green towel. I bring my own towel for the bunny so that way the hotel staff doesn't even have to put one of their own towels in the washer and dryer.

Here was the bathroom in the hotel in question:

Coffee, bird publications, various hair products, towels, etc...Here's Cinnamon's area:

You will note some towels and socks on the floor behind Cinnamon, those are mine as well.

"I disapprove of being blamed for Sharon's general slobbishness!"

I was angry for several reasons: 1. the hotel allowed pets, there was no sign that read she had to be registered and I went through the lobby with her, so staff had ample chances to say, "Yo, register your varmit!" 2. my name and contact info was on the note that was taped on the door for anyone passing by to read--this may be overly paranoid, but at the time I was traveling with several thousand dollars worth of optics and I do lead a somewhat public life and it is possible that someone might try to break into my room 3. I had put the Do Not Disturb sign on my door and for some reason housekeeping came in 4. The manager left an unreadable signature and no printed name so I had no idea who to talk to.

I was livid. I waited ten minutes to calm down and called the front desk. When the attendant answered I asked for the manager. She said he wasn't in. When I asked when he would be in, she answered, "Whenever he feels like it." That did not bode well.

I decided to google the corporate headquarters for their contact info and speak to them--they were very friendly and helpful when I explained my irritation with the staff. They understood and said they would deal with it right away. Incidentally, if you are worried about items in your room, always ask for a safe in your room, that way you are not responsible if housekeeping steals your stuff, otherwise the hotel is not liable. I have had stuff stolen out of a hotel by housekeeping. Years ago when I worked for a children's theater company and we were on the road, and I had my birth control pills and binoculars stolen out of my room (I wonder what kind of party they were planning with that combo). That hotel said they were not responsible.

The next day when I came back to the room there was an apology note from the manager and a present for Cinnamon of salt and mineral blocks. I did chuckle when I was checking out of the hotel that there was now a HUGE neon sign at the front desk reading: "Please Register all Pets!"

Hap wins the fleece

It looks like Hap is our winner with the first correct guess of red-necked phalarope. Hap, email your snail mail address to me and I will send the fleece--please specify if you would like it with extra bunny hair.

sharon at birdchick dot com

Congrats!

Monday Mornin' Photo Quiz

This morning's photo quiz is brought to you by Veronica B. in Sherman Oaks, California. She had a long Labour Day weekend hanging out with raptors (Ojai Raptor Center) and domestic parrots with fellow bird lovers:

"This little guy was brought to us on Monday and until we got it to rehab, we didn't have a clue what it was. Oh boy do I need that bird i.d. book! Anyway, I don't know if it's useful for your contest or not."

Veronica B., it sure is! Plus, this helps keep the contest from being to eastern region centric.

In honor of the fall temperatures in Minnesota, the prize is a size large unisex sage green Vortex pullover fleece. As an added bonus, if the winner would like, I can wrap Cinnamon in the fleece before I send it, so you can have some genuine disapproving rabbit fur on your shirt.

First correct answer in the comments section wins the fleece (Large is the only size I have).

Mis Pishification

We had our first cold front hit the Twin Cities this weekend. It was in the upper fifties, lower forties this weekend and rain moved in for a good chunk of it. This is my favorite time of year--nothing like breaking out the sweaters, taking a shot of scotch to warm up and my most favorite, stealing a few extra minutes in the morning to snuggle with a warm husband under the covers--all this when not spend hours on end watching hawk migration in Duluth. I even tried out a FANTASTIC squash soup recipe this weekend that I found in a cranberry recipe book (I omitted the cranberries and still really enjoyed the soup).

Warblers were passing by throughout the weekend. Sunday morning I heard few chips and looked out the window to find a mixed flock of Nashvilles, redstarts, Tennessees and a lone magnolia warbler! I started pishing before I could help myself and the magnolia (above) was very interested in the sound (I wonder what my neighbors in nearby apartments think when they hear me doing that?).

The magnolia flitted about by the living room window and then darted around the corner towards the bedroom and bathroom and I followed. I dashed to the bathroom window and started pishing. Just as I was focusing the camera on the warbler, a squirrel popped into view (above)! The more I pished, the closer it came. I have never, in all my years of pishing, had a squirrel come to check it out. Two squirrels actually came within a foot of the window to inspect the sound, but then noticed each other and started fighting.

Patriotic Squirrel

Groundskeepers at Forest Hill Cemetery thought it was kids who were stealing dozens of American flags. That is, until one found a giant squirrel's nest.

You can read the full story here.

How Is This Pigeon Still Alive?

I'm trying to get photos with the NovaBird Camera of a bald blue jay and cardinal but I keep getting massive amounts of rock pigeon photos. This morning the ledge was full of hangry pigeons (they were hungry and angry). So I opened the screen and filled the feeders and turned on the Squirrel Twirl which keeps the pigeons off at least one of my feeders. As I was filling the feeder the dude pictured below kept trying to land on the ledge--very brave for the pigeons on my block--they usually wait until after I close the screen to land:

This pigeon sticks out in my neighborhood because he looks like a garden variety pigeon, not the panoply of colors all the other Uptown pigeons have. I just got fascinated by him. The rest of the flock stayed at the top of the apartment building impatiently cooing for me to finish. This guy flew to the ground below to go after all the seed that I spilled. He completely ignored the squirrel which the other pigeons avoid. Suddenly, a loud clap startled me as all the pigeons took off overhead. "That was pretty urgent," I thought to myself, "there must be a Cooper's hawk flying around."

My little friend continued to feed as though nothing had gone wrong. Even the other birds on the ground around him took off and still this guy stayed. I thought to myself that this guy is not long for this world, if he's not paying attention to all the other birds around him. After a few minutes, he did fly up to the window just below mine and looked for more spilled seeds. Sometimes, if I drop a few seeds on a pigeon, it startles them and they fly off. I sprinkled some seeds down and they bounced off its back without much reaction. Another armada of pigeons took off in a panic, still this guy stayed on the ledge looking for food. As I watched this oblivious pigeon with wonder, a large, fast form zipped past my peripheral vision: there was the Cooper's hawk. The pigeon finally took off and darted right for the clustered trees, followed in hot pursuit by the Coops. I could tell already the Coops was too far behind and would not get this pigeon. On a hairpin turn, the pigeon dropped to the ground and banked hard to the right. The Coops got caught up in the foliage and when it darted to the right to get to the pigeon, it was flying too high to be able to catch up to the pigeon.

The Coops landed on the power line right outside my bedroom--where was my camera!? The hawk gave its kek kek kek kek kek kek kek call--I wonder if it was in frustration in having missed such an easy mark? I dashed for my camera, but a truck coming down the ally startled the Coops and it was away. It was not an adult like the one pictured above, but this is all I could find in iPhoto. Plus, it looks cool.

Pitchin' ' a Book

One of my problems has always been saying yes to everything that sounds fun and interesting and then discovering too late that I don't really have enough time to go around for everything I said yes to. At the moment I find myself with a little more time than usual and decided to pitch some ideas to my publisher.

I had to go out today to look over photo choices for the City Bird/Country Bird book. It's so exciting now that all the photos are going into it! It's been educational to learn about how long it takes a book to go from idea to print. This has been going for almost two years. I'm glad we're taking the time with it, I would much rather get it right and than get it fast. I really do think this book will be helpful for anyone to attract birds, even apartment dwellers like myself.

After we got the current book out of the way, I started pitching other ideas. One is for a peregrine book and I'm very excited that it's a go and will probably end up being series! Whoot! That one I thought would be an easy sell. I was nervous, I had sent a chapter off to one of the owners of Adventure and she did not receive that email and I had to read it aloud in the conference room. I normally have no problem with public speaking, but as I read the excerpt I found myself transported to fourth grade reading out of my Living Indiana History Textbook (shudder). What is interesting about pitching a book is that you have a sense of the market for the book you have a shot. If you can ease the publisher with sales numbers, you have a fighting chance. With bird books I have a pretty good idea. I have a good idea of what bird books sell and why good bird books don't sell better (one reason is that customers do not buy photoless bird books--they want lots and lots of photos).

So, then came the Disapproving Rabbits pitch again. The publisher is nervous. I can quote website traffic, emails and links but it's not enough. They ask if I know how many rabbit owners are out there? Do I know if there are rabbit specialty stores like bird stores. What's the rabbit market? These are not questions I can easily answer. I'm going to try and come up with a mock up of a book but there's still a chance that this publisher will say no. I know in my gut that this book will sell, but I just can't prove it like I can bird books.

Cinnamon was ready to lay down a heavy disapproval to the publisher, but a mouthful of carrot tops saved many lives today. You can still see a distinct harumph on her face.

Spidey Cleansing

When rabbits are completely relaxed, they flop and sometimes it looks like they suddenly had a heart attack or were shot by a sniper. They will be standing and looking around and then Bam, in an instant they fling themselves to the floor. Non Birding Bill and I always announce, "Oh no! Somebody shot my bunny!" If you look at NBB's blogger profile photo, that's Cinnamon in mid flop. Kinda disturbing, isn't it?

Well, thanks to the wonders of Cute Overload, someone has captured a bunny flop on film. Be sure to check it out, especially if you need a good cleansing from all the spider madness.

Spidey Senses Tingling?

One of the challenges of this blog is that I have people who read the blog saying, "I don't get the rabbits, but I do enjoy the birds." Or I have people telling me that they disapprove about all the birds and demand more bunny. You know, I have had two people in two separate states tell me they are president of Cinnamon's Fan Club and have had no one ever tell me they are president of the birdchick fan club. So...how on Earth shall I toe this tenuous line of birds and bunnies in this blog entry?

With this:

Warning! If you didn't care for the post about the spider in the wren house last week, you are indeed not going to enjoy this post at all. Scroll down at your own risk. I do have to chuckle, I have been having trouble loading photos into this post all day--perhaps blogger is not happy with spiders as well? This entry is not for the faint of heart.

I think I'm getting past my spider discomfort from writing in Mr. Neil's Gazebo. They are everywhere in there! I found a photo card from last week that I forgot to download and it was chock full of spidey photos that I chronicled. Since he writes in here, I can see why spiders are so prominent in Anansi Boys (also lots of good bird references in that novel too).

Webs are everywhere and one night a spider covered the door knob with a fresh web. I had a heck of a time as I tried to get the door open without touching the web.

When I finally opened the door, the spider popped out from under the knob and dropped on the ground--with a THUD. It was big enough to create a thud sound--eeeeew. There was a green crayon that I tried to put next to the spider for scale, but it didn't seem to care for the crayon and I didn't want to anger it. Speaking of big I noticed that there was a ball in one of the corners of the gazebo.

Upon closer inspection it revealed itself to the the exoskeleton or outer layer of a spider. Here you can see where the legs fit inside.

Here the exoskeleton is attached to a twig and that is my pinky finger next to it for a size comparison.

This was about the time I realized that if the exoskeleton was this large, how big is the spider now...and where exactly is it lurking in the gazebo? Ack! Above, you can see the hatch popped off and you can see the eyes, it looks like there are four. I'm fascinated and grossed out all at the same time.

While searching through photos for the Adventure Pages I came across this wolf spider carrying hundreds of young on her back. I had heard of this, but had never actually seen it. I took this photo from one summer when I volunteered to help Blanding's turtles cross the road during egg laying season. We would encounter box turtles, map turtles and snapping turtles on their way to lay eggs besides just the Blanding's. At one point, this spider decided to cross the road. I decided to apply the snapping turtle rule to the wolf spider--hands off!

That should be the last of the spiders in the blog for awhile.

Disapproving Rabbits Shirt

Okay, we're coming out with some shirts. Which images of Disapproving Rabbits and captions are your favorites?

Merlin - Contest Winners

Okay, our correct winner is Caroline in SD who wrote: "I'd guess it's a merlin kid" - who gets a lens pen and the tickle my funny bone winner (again was a tough decision) was elizabird with "is it a booby" who gets a harness. So, ladies email me your snail mail addresses!

My adventure area is in dire need of updating--I've had a ton of adventures but no time to put them in. So I've been going through iPhoto and digging out past adventures, like banding merlin chicks around Minneapolis. The contest photo was me learning the hard way how to properly handle raptor chicks. Thank goodness it was a small raptor and that Victoria's Secret makes some very sturdy bras! You should have seen the volunteer's face when I said, "Hey, here's my camera, can you get a photo of this?"

We didn't have merlins nesting in the metro area until five or six years ago--thanks to the crows. Merlins take over old crow nests.

Identification Contest Sept 5

Identify this bird--first correct comment or best laugh gets either a binocular harness or lens pen.

*Please keep it PG-13.

Another Albino Hummer

Remember the albino hummer in Hudson, WI? Now there's one in Ohio according to the Ohio Ornithological Society Blog. I wonder what the possibility is that this is the same bird?

Final Day at the Fair

Well, it's time for the Great Minnesota Get Together (aka State Fair) to wrap up. If you didn't go, you missed such textile wonders as the sock monkey dress featured here and for the more daring here. Yo, WildBird on the Fly, I dare you to wear that second one with your latest footwear purchase!

Did I mention to the readers who do not live here that we have a princess for the State Fair? That's right and we call her Princess Kay of the Milky Way and the big fair tradition is that she gets her likeness carved in butter. Yes, I said butter.

This morning I went to do my segment for Showcase Minnesota and I just don't know why I even bother to wear white. I am just not they type of person who had a white shirt lifestyle. We got to the fair grounds well before my scheduled call time so Non Birding Bill and I meandered and got him some mini donuts and me some good sturdy coffee. We also stopped by the fm107 booth to grab one of their shirts--they had really cute pink ones--in girl sizes no less. Little did I know how grateful I would be for that purchase a little later!

We headed back and took our assigned seat in the audience. Once people realized I was the "bird lady" I was getting questions from all sides. NBB tried to act as my handler and kept saying--hold those questions for the segment so she has something to talk about--as if I could ever run out of things to talk about you silly boy. We shot a tease of me waving in the audience.

If you look on the left you can see NBB holding up the camera to get this shot of me on one of the monitors. Note, I am wearing a white shirt. Right before my segment I wandered towards the stage and someone pointed to my chest and asked if I was lactating. I looked down--big ole honkin' coffee spot right on the chest! I scrambled in my bag in the fm107 shirt and dashed behind the stage. There were several people waiting for their segments there and I threw modesty to the wind along with my soiled white shirt. Grateful I was wearing one of my prettier bras I quickly changed into the fm107 shirt and high tailed it out for the segment.

I was kind of all over the place as I was watching the cameras. Normally, the stage manager waves his hand towards the camera you are supposed to watch but there were waving hands everywhere as people wanted their questions answered and I got a tad confused. Got some great questions--how are bird populations in Minnesota, how much does a hawk need to eat in a day, what do I think about having a bird as a pet.

Afterwards, NBB and I unwound by taking another stroll through the chicken barn...just in time for the rooster crowing contest. Lucky us!

A rather magnificent fellow.

Yeah, I think that one just speaks for itself.

Yeah, um, again I think this one just speaks for itself as well.

Here's another demon chicken--complete with requisite devil horns. He may not have won the crowing contest but he did win the stare down with me.

janet--contest winner

Yo, janet, you won the goose caption contest. Don't forget to email me your snail mail address so I can send you Pete's book!

sharon at birdchick dot com

Cinnamon on the Move

Per Ed's suggestion, we stopped at his store and picked up some Feeder Fresh for Mr. Neil's feeders. Ed wasn't there, but Cinnamon got to meet one of his employees named Jake. He was very nice and helpful, but what does Cinnamon say:

"I don't approve of facial hair."

Well, Jake, you tried. Non Birding Bill and I appreciated your service, though. Note the calendar on the wall in the back of the photo under the clock (mine--whoot!)!

Feeder Fresh is absorbent sand that you put in the bottom of your feeder that prevents moisture from making the seed all moldy. We put it in just in time, right after this photo was taken, it started raining...for the rest of the day. We'll see if works when I return in a few days.

Mr. Neil has some nice ledges around his kitchen windows, so two weeks ago I set one of his extra hummingbird feeders on the ledge. I think at first there was concern I was leaving feeders around willy nilly, but there's a method to my madness--hummers at the window!

Keeping in my theory that the smaller a bird is, the less it fears humans, the hummingbirds don't mind striking a pose while I snap photos. I tried the motion sensitive camera, but the hummers weren't triggering it...I wonder if the low light caused that. I've photographed them before with the camera.

We then headed up towards Duluth. We stopped to say hello to Birderblog, but she wasn't in. When we stopped at her desk we found:

Cinnamon at the keyboard! Wait, is this blog really written by a rabbit and not Laura Erickson? Hmmmm, I've never seen Laura and Cinnamon in the same place at the same time...Cinnamon does go for long absences through the day...I thought she was napping under the bed...is she really Birderblog?

"You brought me to a hot spot for hawks? Are you insane? I don't approve!"

Since it's early in the hawk migration and winds were out of the east today, I thought it safe enough to drop by Hawk Ridge with Cinnamon. She was not amused.

Ah, here I am showing the majesty of the views from Hawk Ridge to Cinnamon. Isn't it beautiful? Look at Lake Superior! Aren't you just the luckiest bunny on the planet?

I love this photo--it about sums up the afternoon. Both Non Birding Bill and Cinnamon have this pained expression that begs, "Can we go home yet?" This is the second time I've gotten NBB to come to Hawk Ridge--last time he ended up napping behind the t-shirt booth. A sharp-shinned hawk and osprey flew over today and NBB asked while chuckling, "You've seen your two specks that are supposed to be hawks, are you done now?"

I will be back, Hawk Ridge, very soon to enjoy your splendor unfettered by pet and spouse! Yes, I will be back!

I need to get to bed, one last day of State Fair with a Showcase Minnesota appearance Monday morning. This is one of my favorite segments to do because of the audience. Everybody is cheering and is in a great mood. I also answer audience questions--which is hands down my favorite thing to do live on the air. You never know what people are going to ask--it's fun challenge!

Absolute Sandman

"You expect me to approve of this?"

Migration in Action

Thursday night I slept in Mr. Neil's attic. It's a kind of frightening area since any movement in the whole house creates creaking sounds that make you think someone is walking right outside your room. There's a large ceiling fan that circulates the air very well and is loud enough to block out any sounds of a ghost or axe murderer that might be waiting for you to sleep so you can be properly killed. But, knowing that migration is underway and since the tops of trees are right outside the window, I left the fan off. I really like to wake up by the sounds of birds so I decided to risk scary noises and leave the fan off.

The creaking commenced. Boy, it really didn't sound like one of the many cats that call this place home...some of it certainly did sound like a biped...I could get up to turn on the fan, but I don't want to attract whatever is out there's attention...

Then I heard it, a distinct high pitched chip call note, then another in response--night migrants!

I had heard of people hearing birds migrating at night and I always wondered what it sounded like. I heard it for the first time when working late at the Minnetonka Wild Bird Store years ago. I was shocked , you could hear dozens of high pitched peeping all around above your head--I had always wondered what it sounded like, and I still wasn't prepared. It's a furtive and quiet sound. I've heard it several times since--mostly in the fall in Duluth. It's eerie and sends chills down my spine but I never tire of it.

From the sounds of it, these weren't huge flocks but they were enough to keep my attention off the ghost in the attic. The next morning I drove to Carpenter for banding and here was the first bird I took out of the net:

"I see you lookin' at my rump, my rump, my lovely yellow rump! Check it out!"

If you weren't sure from the first photo or the above obnoxious clue, we have here a butterbutt aka yellow-rumped warbler (a bird named for what it looks like--I'm shocked). Some people also know this bird as a myrtle warbler too--how many names does this bird need? I like listening to chip call these guys make. It sounds like a kiss to me.

As you can see from the oodles of photos of this male, I couldn't get enough of him. Not all fall warblers are so eye catching and again, you don't often get a chance to appreciate these beauties up close--most of us get fleeting glimpses (often without binoculars).

Okay, one final shot of the butterbutt...speaking of yellow rumps, check out another warbler we got in the net:

Not the bright buttery yellow of the above bird, but more of an olive-rumped bird. When it was brought into the station, everyone was trying to confirm the id--it's a fall warbler...then it gave the ultimate clue. It started pumping its tail...

Palm warbler! I wonder what's up with these birds that they have the need to pump their tails up and down like little Beyonces? Waterthrushes and spotted sandpipers do it too. Does it help get food? I wonder how that evolved and came about?

Incidentally, we found a hummingbird in the nets three times on Friday. We did not band them, but got them out and on their way.

A Previous Life--not bird related

Here is the Art of Sean Scott. Be sure to check out the video of the Margarita XL. Why the heck am I posting this? I went to high school with this guy! I was even his assistant once or twice, (I think I even briefly entertained the idea of magician's assistant as a career). Sean was really good at illusion then, he practiced at it constantly and now he's doing it full time, I can only imagine how good he must be now.

Looking back, I don't think he knew I was into birds...I kept it way under wraps between 7th Grade and mid college.

A Teaser...

Ah, if only we could get views of warblers like this all the time. (Sigh).

More later.

Cinnamon vs Annie's

"Hey, what's in this box? It smells kind of interesting. Is this for me?"

"It's from Annie's? Harumph, I don't approve of that, they have that cartoon rabbit they claim approves all their stuff. I doubt that rabbit has been certified!"

"What is all this stuff? You're not gonna eat it are you? What, are you mad? I don't care how good it smells you must not eat this, I don't approve!"

"Now listen to me, I said stay away from this. This is not good, they are just bribing you. Hands off! I disapprove! (crunch crunch) Oh my! Well now, this is crunchy."

"Hey, this isn't bad (crunch crunch). Let me double check it and make sure how I feel about it (crunch crunch).

"I can't quite reach the food inside, let me get back on the big box to get at all this crunchy goodness!"

"Let me try and shake the box..."

Birdchick Note: Cinnamon lifted the box off the floor several times and tried to flip it to get the Bunny Grahams out. I haven't seen her like this since the time I hid her mineral block. So, does Cinnamon actually approve of Annie's? She would not commit but I did catch the photo below...could this be the first documentation of bunny approval?

Blurry, I know, but intriguing...