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

<