Start Placing Your Bets

Will I leave Nebraska today or will I have to stay another day? "Mom, I'm so booooooooooored!"

I-80 is still closed. Rumor has it that might open within the next four hours. Many of us at the hotel are playing a waiting game to see if we get to check out today or have to stay another night. That's my window on the left in the above photo. I was half tempted to tell you that I'm on the second floor of the hotel, but I won't, I am on the first floor. Apparently we got 17 inches after the snow stopped.

The hotel staff has been joking with us that even though the interstate may open, we may not be able to get out of the parking lot. I'm lucky, my car isn't as wedged in as the one above, but will require some shoveling. I'm really kicking myself because I didn't bring my snow boots. Since I do more traveling, I've been trying to cut back on my packing--especially if I take a car and not a plane. I remember last week as I was loading the rental car and I looked at my Saturn and realized my snow boots were in the back. I started to grab them and then reminded myself that when I go to Nebraska, I bird almost entirely by car--I told myself that I didn't need them. So, I left them behind. DOH!

Non Birding Bill

In the previous post I showed how I was spending my time, but some are curious about Non Birding Bill. Here is what he's been dealing with. It's only about two minutes long, but highly worth it.

For those curious, that is Hazel of Disapproving Rabbits fame in the video. She is ten years old, half blind and incredibly set in her ways which is why she isn't featured in the blog too much. We put her in retirement a little while ago. She's a rough, tough cream puff. We used to have a neighbor in our apartment building that would let their cat Milo run around in the hall. Occasionally, the rabbits would play with him, until one fateful day when Hazel attacked him, knocked him over and chased him down the hall. The neighbors moved not too long after that incident.

An Entry To Pass The Time

I'm excited to learn that my blog is on the Blogs of Note list on the blogger start page--I'm so excited, I feel like I'm sitting at the big kid table. It's certainly a silver lining to my snowed in, stranded day in Nebraska. The local weather man is saying that we are getting an average of an inch an hour. Check out one of the hotel snow drifts:

So, how am I passing my time?

By fighting over a bag of almond salad garnish with my bunny while watching reruns of Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman and Walker Texas Ranger. I just discovered that Little House on the Prairie will be on later this afternoon--my life is complete. Actually, I am getting quite a bit of work accomplished since the hotel has internet access and I can work on processing some of the booth receipts from the Rivers and Wildlife Show. Plus, I have a couple of articles due (okay, make that a tad overdue) and I will for sure finish those today.

I have to hand it to the Fairfield Inn in Kearney, they are taking good care of their stranded guests. The restaurant next door, Carlos O'Kelly's (potato tacos anyone?) decided to closed for the day, but worked with the hotel to provide lunch and dinner for us. I asked at the front desk if it would be possible to get some fresh veggies for Cinnamon and extra lettuce was provided.

I wonder how all the cranes are doing? I would imagine that they are sticking pretty close to Rowe Sanctuary. The crane cam is running, but I'm not getting any sounds from it. It'll be interesting to check at dusk to see what they are doing on the camera. Today is the first time since I've been here that I can't hear them when I am outside. The wind is just too strong and again, I don't think they are straying to far from Rowe. I know birds have nictitating membranes over their eyes to protect them, but it still must be a pain to fly in this weather.

Speaking of birds, I got a response from Bud Anderson about the long-billed red-wing blackbirds we say yesterday. Here's what he had to say:

"Incidentally, Pat Redig says there is another long-billed peregrine currently breeding in downtown Minneapolis.

As you can see, I have forwarded your message on to the people most involved in the long-bill work, Colleen in AK, Julie in MI and Chuck in OR. Colleen is collecting records of all LB birds in AK and now further afield, Julie has been working with LB passerines for over 10 years (and wrote the first comprehensive article on the problem) and Chuck is currently trying for funding from USGS to study it here on the west coast. I am getting about a record a week now. Although I have not counted them up in 6 weeks or so, I think I am around 115-120 raptors, mostly here in WA where I live."

Incredibly interesting and disturbing all at the same time. Again, if you notice any long-billed birds at your feeders or anywhere, let Bud know at bud@frg.org or let me know and I will forward it along.

I forgot a couple of highlights of the Rivers and Wildlife Celebration. I met Gary Lingle, (pictured above) who helps surveys the cranes in the area. If you ever plan on birding this area on your own, I highly recommend his book, Birding Crane River: Nebraska Platte. I learned from him that a whooping crane has already been spotted in the area this year (which is very early) and another group found a common crane (also known as Eurasian crane)--highly unusual to get this Asian species here on the Platte River any time of year. Gary is tough on binoculars, he accidentally melted a pair (and I thought I was tough on binoculars). Apparently, he was working a controlled burn and accidentally burned his truck. He ended up buying two pair of binoculars, an Audubon HP 8 x 42 and a Vortex DLS 10 x 42. These at least have a good replacement warranty.

Of course, a festival, just isn't a festival unless I buy some souvenirs. Cinnamon helped me realize that I wanted one of Mark Urwiller's photos by nibbling the frame. I didn't know it, but I really wanted this snow goose image. I really do like it, it reminds me of the massive bird traffic you see during migration here. He also had a really cool western meadowlark photo too. There she is in the above photo, lurking under his table. Poor Mark, he thought she was being friendly, but she had sinister intentions. Perhaps she was getting even with him for picking her up the day--her disapproval knows no bounds. Anyway, I'm very happy with my snow goose photo. Thank you, my naughty bunny.

Yeah, I'm Not Going Anywhere Today

I don't think I'll be driving from Kearney, NE to Minneapolis today. Word at the hotel front desk is that the roads will be officially closed within the next two hours. The radio station I'm listening to is reading the list of all that is closed (schools, malls, clinics, weightwatchers, etc). He's been going nonstop for the last twelve minutes, I think it would have been faster to read what is open. Many restaurants are closed or will be closing soon, but the hotel is making food arrangements for us.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love the hip exciting lifestyle of an optics rep.

To Pack Or Not To Pack

Hmmmmmm, I'm not sure I will be leaving tomorrow morning with the predicted record snowfall that's supposed to start in earnest around 9pm tonight. Traffic was more than a little slow at the booth today. I think many people left early to try and get home before the big storm hits tonight. This morning there was a layer of ice and about two to three inches of snow. The main highway was not plowed, so instead of going the posted 75 mph, I went 30! The gravel road to Rowe Sanctuary wasn't plowed at all and I was beginning to wish that I had rented that SUB instead of the lower riding Stratus, but I made it there and back in one piece. I'm half heartedly packing, think that there isn't much chance that I will be able to drive to Minnesota tomorrow. On the bright side, the cranes look beautiful in the snowy landscape (but there is no way I can photograph them in the ice that pelts you and stings like a sand storm when you are outside). Today while demonstrating some digiscoping, I noticed two long billed male red-winged blackbirds feeding on the ground at Rowe Sanctuary. Early readers of this blog may remember the long billed peregrine we got in at the banding station in Duluth, MN. Not long after I posted that entry, I got in contact with Bud Anderson who has been tracking what he calls the long billed hawk syndrome. This is also prevalent in passerines as well and I found that Julie Craves at Rouge River Bird Observatory is compiling deformities as is Colleen Handel.

There is so much we're learning but so little we don't know. Part of me was excited when I saw the birds, realizing that this is part of a great mystery, but then I felt sad that this a problem that we don't know the answer to and these birds are going to have a rough go of it as their bills continue to grow. A friend had given me a copy of Bud's PowerPoint Presentation on the long-billed hawk syndrome so I showed some of the examples of birds to the staff at Rowe Sanctuary, there was even a photo of a male red-winged black bird looking just like the blackbirds in my photos.

If you see a long-billed bird, please report it to Bud at bud@frg.org.

More Bunny Indignity

Are these goldfinches feasting at the Rowe Sanctuary a sign of the storm to come?

Oh dear, Kearney is officially under a winter storm warning and currently rain is shifting to snow. Tonight at the banquet at the Rivers and Wildlife Festival it was announced that the prairie chicken blind trip tomorrow morning is cancelled, since the chickens will not be "workin' the lek" (mating) due to the impending snow. The crane blind trip is still a go since the cranes landed on the river tonight to roost and when they wake up in the morning, they can't really "sleep in" on the water so that experience should still be magical and worthwhile. Wussy prairie chickens. I wonder if Cinnamon and I will be able to make the 18 miles from my hotel to my booth at Rowe Sanctuary tomorrow?

Speaking of Cinnamon, when I take her outside, you can tell she is not sure what to make of all the crane sounds. When I am carrying her from the car to the booth, she gets very tense and is trying to figure out the source of the sound, but just doesn't know what to make of it.

Cinnamon is earning her pay by being the model for testing out close focusing of binoculars at the Eagle Optics booth. I made her wear a harness and leash while at the festival because I realize that just because I enjoy the company of the bunny, doesn't mean all the vendors around me do.

She's certainly a hit and everyone loves her. Her leash is about sixteen feet long and during lulls in foot traffic, she will take a few moments to check out the other booths.

Here, Cinnamon is taking a visit to sculptor Gary Ginther's booth on the left to check out his pewter eagles and cranes. Gary's work can be seen around Kearney and he recently did a ten foot buffalo sculpture for Ted Turner. Cinnamon was also very interested in the wooden frames surrounding the photos of Mark Urwiller. At one point Cinnamon got a little tangled in her long leash and Mark was kind enough to lend a hand. He picked her up, which normally Cinnamon hates, but she was fairly relaxed in his arms and allowed him to pet her--she didn't thrash at all, she must really like him, either that or he is some sort of bunny whisperer on top of photographer.

True to form Cinnamon gives Mark a disapproval. He's now part of a very illustrious club. I think Cinnamon is enjoying the attention overall. She's been getting tons of treats and lots of head scratches. The only big problem she has is wearing the harness:

"I disapprove of this dignity robbing harness. I am a force of nature who cannot be tamed by some mere human."

Poetic Staff at Rowe Sanctuary

The staff certainly is creative at Rowe Sanctuary in Gibbon, Nebraska. There are little poems all over in the ladies room informing you how to use the facilities. The photo on the left is a warning on the mirror telling you not to abuse the toilet paper except for your "tushies" and "nose". I bet toilet paper would argue that using it in those areas of the body could be considered abusive. What I'm really curious about is the last line reading that the air drier is really all you need for your hand and toes. I've never had a need to towel try my toes in a ladies room. And on the off chance that I'm abnormal and there are legions of women desperate to dry their toes, how the heck do you hold them up to the hand drier? Do you lay on the restroom floor and lift your legs? Eww. The poetry (or should I call it "pooetry"?) didn't end at the mirror. Here is the epic that was on the stall door instructing you how to flush the toilet:

The Toilets From Weird

Though this toilet may look a little queer There really is nothing to worry or fear.

Each button does serve a most wonderful purpose And this is how it works for us.

When the task you do is number one, potty, or pee Push the white and black button is our plea.

But when the duty is poop, poo or a number two The black button is the one for you.

Now this may sound crazy and even insane But it really is very easy to explain.

If liquid is all that needs to be removed Using only half a tank of water is very shrewd.

But for a solid job it is a must To wash it down with a full flush.

And in a small but significant way You have saved some water for another day.

Working the Booth in Nebraska

Today was fun. The drive from the hotel to Rowe Sanctuary to set up the Eagle Optics booth was beautiful. It was in the 40s and bright and sunny. The cranes were taking advantage of the thermals and soaring high in the sky and created what looked like crane tornadoes. Swarms of blackbirds were moving around the trees too, it's a regular bird rush hour. When you aren't in your car, sounds of spring are everywhere: cranes (of course), killdeer, bluebirds, western meadowlarks, blackbirds and geese, I feel so invigorated, especially since I got snow in Minneapolis and Madison this week.

The big excitement came today when an adult bald eagle took out one of the sandhill cranes right on the river in front of the viewing area at the sanctuary. The crane was probably injured to begin with, because a healthy sandhill is too much even for the most macho of eagles to take on. After the eagle finished off the crane, it started plucking the feathers. Something got its attention and it flew off. It wasn't gone ten minutes when a red-tailed hawk flew in and took advantage of the dead. It was pretty sweet.

Speaking of sweet, check out the shirts we are selling at Eagle Optics. The shrike was drawn by Julie Zickefoose. Even Cinnamon approves.

On The Road Again & Bobby Update

I and the Bird is up and running.

Well, blogger is now uploading photos but spell check isn't working--not that it helps me all that much anyway. Non Birding Bill says the typos in my blog proves that it's written by a real person and not just some corporate blog. I'd like to say that the real reason I do it is to get WildBird on the Fly's goat(since she's an editor and gets an odd sort of glee from correcting and editing--one of the many reasons I love her), but in reality, it's just not my forte.

I think the snow is following me. We had a few inches drop in on Monday in Minneapolis and this morning when I was leaving the hotel in Middleton, I saw this out the window:

As I was leaving all the local radio stations were predicting gloom and doom and a snow storm warning all day. I was out of the snow about 80 miles south and everything was mostly brown and dry in Iowa. Word on the street is that a snow storm is hitting Nebraska on Sunday. Sheesh. I'm driving back on Monday, hopefully it will be clear. I'm giving a program on falconry at The Raptor Center on Tuesday morning and I don't want to miss it.

Cinnamon and I saw LOTS of red-tailed hawks, at one point on the trip we passed a red-tailed hawk nest every 8 to 10 miles for 100 miles--it was pretty sweet. I saw my first spring turkey vultures in Iowa and lots of kestrels pairing up.

Part of the fun of travel is all the unique and unusaul things found on the road. I stopped into a bird store in Nebraska and met the biggest cat I've ever seen:

How they keep the cats from eating the other employees, I will never know.

When we were outside of Grand Island, I showed Cinnamon her first snow geese. Then, as we got closer to Kearney, I played the theme to Out of Africa in the iPod. I don't know why, but the wide expanses of the area and the large number of cranes and geese always remind me of that movie. As the John Barry soundtrack swelled, I started saying in a mock Meryl Streep voice, "I had a fahm in Nebwaska..." Cinnamon was not impressed:

I'd like to think that she is so overwhelmed by the thousands of cranes in the field, she had to run to her litter box, but I know that the real message is, "I disapprove of your Meryl Streep impersonation...and your driving."

I had dinner with Bobby Harrison tonight, he's doing well but is very tired from his time in the swamp as well as speaking schedule. We have some new audio of Bobby at Eagle Optics.com about some of the video he has taken. I watched it tonight, and quite frankly, it's more compelling to me as ivory-bill evidence than the Lunneau video. I wonder why Cornell isn't promoting or using it more as part of the ivory-bill research?

Test

This is a test of your emergency broadcast disapproving rabbit. Do not take emergency precautions, this is only a test.