Best Laid Plans

Non Birding Bill and I went out today to enjoy the sun and had the best intentions to install several bird houses for a friend and document it via video, but we just did not get that far. I fell into that clever trap that mother nature seems to set for us every March, by giving us a wonderfully warm day when you can smell the wet earth coming alive and snow turns to cold mud. And then you are reminded that winter still has a grip. I tried putting an auger into the ground to mount some 4x4 posts for wood duck boxes and we were only able to get them half way into the ground--grrrrr. We tried all sorts of things: hot water, both of us twisting at the same time, four letter words--it just wouldn't budge. The pond we are aiming for is iced up, so I think if we go back two weeks from today we can get them the rest of the way in, the pond will be open and we should get our friends some wood ducks. I did get the bluebird houses and chickadee houses (that's one pictured right) up and running. I felt like the bluebird was on my back as soon as we got there. I think Lang Elliot normally describes bluebirds as saying, "Cheer, cheerful, charmer" this one was saying, "Where's my freakin' box?"

Even though the ground was frozen solid, spring was definetly making it's presence known. We saw lots of snow fleas and a few Milbert's tortoiseshell--that butterfly was pretty cool, it looked like it had an orange, glowing cat eye on each wing. Juncoes were trilling all over the edge of the woods, almost sounding uncertain if they should head north or just make a go of it a little further south than usual. Woodpeckers were drumming and swooping. The female hairy woodpecker below was listening intently to some drumming of a male hairy.

As we were filming I started hearing sandhill cranes way off in the distance. When they sounded like they were overhead I started searching the endless blue sky. After some searching I finally found the flocks joining into a thermal, high in the air. NBB was getting more impatient and wanted to continue filming. He asked in an irritated tone, "Can you stop birdwatching?!?" To which I gave the automatic reply, "I don't know, can you stop breathing?" I think the snotty/smarty pants tone of voice I used helped bring the conversation up to the next level. Ah, married life.

Lorraine walked by, she was recovering from a weekend of heavy music making, having gigged with the Tim Malloys as soon as she came home from a visit to LA. I excitedly pointed out the sandhill cranes overhead and she groggily, yet cheerily replied, "I'll get right on that" and disappeared behind the garage.

Tundra Swans

Tundra Swans are on the move. Keep your ears open and eyes to the sky in Minnesota and Wisconsin for large flocks of these birds.

I Weigh In on the Ivory-bill Brew-ha-ha

If you can't get to an ivory-billed woodpecker, bring an ivory-bill to you. I give you, the Ivory-bill Cocktail developed by Non Birding Bill:

1 1/2 oz blended whiskey (I used Jameson)
1 oz. gin (Beefeater)
Splash of Grenadine

Mix over ice in a tumbler. Stir. Garnish with "ivory bills" (almond slivers)

I think we should all have one of these, chill out and wait and see what new evidence is presented at the end of the current search.

Eulogy for Hazel, a Disapproving Rabbit

Warning, this is a bummer of a post and not bird related. If you don't want to be bummed out, wait for the next post.

Today, we lost Hazel, our oldest disapproving rabbit. Apparently, El-ahrairah needed her to join his owsla. We got Hazel in 1996 when we first moved to Minnesota as a companion for our little male rabbit at the time, Latte. They were fast friends after some bullying on Hazel's part. Once both had established their boundaries, they were inseparable.

Hazel tended to be on the shy side, and never went anywhere without Latte leading the way. Once he had established that an area was safe she would follow. I remember early on when we had Hazel, we would let both rabbits run around the apartment twenty-four hours a day. Hazel looked somewhat like a ghost or negative space in the shape of a rabbit with her black velvety fur running around when all the lights were out. That all came to an end one night when I woke to a strange sound. Hazel was on the bed, sitting near my face. I didn't think much of it and closed my eyes. I heard the sound again and opened my eyes to discover Hazel eating my hair. Non Birding Bill said that it was the result of my using all those pricey, cruelty-free, all-natural fruity shampoos. I just thought that she disapproved of that particular hairstyle--perhaps a "Rachel" wasn't the best cut for me.

One day Hazel took her disapproval to NBB's writing, she opened his bag and started whipping out pages of his notebook and chewing them. NBB was horrified and amused all at the same time. There was also the time NBB almost got electrocuted by Hazel, which he re-enacted with her last week.

When I used to work at the Minnetonka Wild Bird Store, I would take both Latte and Hazel and they had a great time eating birdseed and parsley from the customers. I remember we discovered Hazel's favorite toy in the form of patina copper wall hooks. One had fallen on the floor, and Hazel grabbed it and flipped over and over. I bought a few and kept them on hand at home for her. Hazel suffered from chronic respiratory problems and we always knew when she was feeling bad because she wouldn't play with her hooks. We learned of her respiratory problems not long after we brought her home and she started making a wheezing/snuffling sound. We took her to the vet and got some antibiotics. She would wheeze worse when we picked her up so we avoided doing that. After that infection subsided, she would still make the wheezing sound anytime we picked her up. She had learned that we would leave her alone if she made that noise--clever bunny.

Though Hazel was shy, when she felt comfortable and in her own territory, she would fight like a tiger. As fast of friends that Latte and Hazel were, Cinnamon and Hazel were just as fast of enemies. I have never seen anything as violent as two female rabbits. They fight dirty! They rolled around the apartment, knocking into chair and table legs with little tufts of fur flying up in the air, as they would bite, kick, thump and grunt (yes, that's right, grunt). We tried everything, but those two just would not get along. We had to keep them separated and both would try everything they could to irritate each other. Hazel would skip the litter box and go to the bathroom right in front of Cinnamon's hutch. Cinnamon would sneak up on a snoozing Hazel as she was leaning on a partition and nibble her fur.

Hazel was quite the bruiser. In her hey day, she reminded us of that black bull in the Bugs Bunny cartoons that annihilated anything in its path and snorted. We used to let Latte and Hazel play in our building's hallway with our neighbor's cat Milo. Milo would playfully bat their ears or cuddle up to them. I guess Hazel had enough and once when Milo went to bat her ears, she lunged towards him in a single hop, pinned him and then chased him down the hall. The neighbors moved not long after that...I wonder if it was because of Hazel?

When Latte died in 2003, I wasn't sure how long Hazel would last. She didn't like Cinnamon, and she never went anywhere without him. I retired her from going to the bird store and she seemed content to stay at home. Her respiratory condition has been getting a little worse in the last year and recently our vet found an inexplicable mass in her abdomen. Tests couldn't determine for sure what it was, only surgery would do that. Since she was ten and in touchy health we decided against it, to just make her remaining time as comfortable as possible. This morning after a hearty breakfast of her favorite foods she had what appeared to a seizure. We took her to our vet and after discussing options made the choice that every pet owner dreads having to make.

I hate the whole process. Rabbits take longer to put down than dogs or cats. Our vet has explained the reason why and I can never remember why, but it bites. It takes forever. I hate the whole process: the decision, the vet seeing me bawl like a baby, waiting for the last breath, having to walk out in the waiting area when you are finished with an empty carrying case or leash while everyone else knowingly looks at you and feels grateful that they are not you that day, the nice and sincere card we will get from the vet with the "Rainbow Bridge" poem. The worst is still yet to come. Tomorrow when we wake up we will temporarily forget and then be reminded when the morning routine starts and discover that it is disrupted because our household is one member short.

There's also the bummed mood that will last for a two or three days and if someone asks, I have to gauge if they will understand if I say, "I just lost one of my rabbits." Sometimes I worry that I am someone who is too involved with her pets.

So, now I think I will lay low and avoid the listservs. There's some debate going on about duck stamps on the Minnesota bird listservs and I worry with my mood, I may forgo eloquence or what I hope is my easy going email demeanor and just start calling people buttheads.

Goodbye, Hazelrah, Disapproving Rabbit & Chief of Owsla at the Stiteler Warren. You will be deeply missed.

Cockatiel Muffin Addition

Okay, here is the whole recipe for the cockatiel muffins:

1 box Jiffy Cornbread
6 eggs, shells included
1/3 cup milk
1 cup bird pellets
1 jar of Gerber Baby Food in the form of carrots, sweet potatoes or squash
1/2 cup applesauce
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables, cooked
1 cup sunflower hearts

And I follow the bake time instructions on the Jiffy Cornbread box.

Here are a couple websites that inspired my recipe:

Me and My Budgie Recipes (works for other birds besides budgerigars)

or

Cockatiels.org

Meanwhile, our cockatiel has been doing her general excitement sqwuak all morning (not the irritated sqwaud of Thursday, but still loud and tinnitus inducing), I couldn't figure out what her damage is, there is an ample supply of muffin. Then I saw it: crows working on a nest a block away but still a direct view from her perch. For Non Birding Bill and I, it's a perfect view from our couch. This nest is an old squirrel nest, so I wonder if they are just pilfering some of the nesting material or refurbishing it for our needs.

In House Birding

Well, we had a minor cockatiel meltdown yesterday. After a long night's sleep, I woke Thursday morning to get started on a massive to do list. Non Birding Bill mentioned in passing that our cockatiel was out of muffin. I thought he meant that Kabuki was eating the last piece, oh no, Kabuki had completely run out and I am the keeper of the recipe. And, when our darling little cockatiel is unhappy, he has a very particular screech to let us know. So, I had to make muffin right away to restore calm to our little home.

Our cockatiel is a home body, doesn't like to get too adventurous and really doesn't like anything new. The first time I ever heard of cockatiel muffins was from a bird store customer who brought in some she had made for me when she heard I had a bird. I thought the gesture was sweet, but that our cockatiel would avoid them. It was unlike any food we had given him before and usually when something new is introduced to his environment he stares at it for a good two days, intermittantly bobbing his head up and down as if to get a clearer focus on the potential danger. The first time I put muffin in Kabuki's treat dish, he looked, bobbed his head up and down and made a bee line for it and has been eating muffins ever since. I can't help but wonder if the breeder who sold him to the pet store we got him from fed him muffin. There are various incarnations of the recipe on the internet, and I have made up my own recipe based on Kabuki's likes and dislikes. Here's break down:

1 box Jiffy Cornbread
6 eggs, shells included
1/3 cup milk
1 cup bird pellets
1 jar of Gerber Baby Food in the form of carrots, sweet potatoes or squash
1/2 cup applesauce
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables, cooked
1 cup sunflower hearts

Sometimes I'll mix it up a little and put in some canned pumpkin or peanuts or raisins. The best part of this muffin recipe is that it gets our cockatiel to eat his pellets. Before the muffin, Kabuki would only eat the pellets if he was really desperate. Now, muffin is the first thing he eats in the morning, so I know he's getting his nutrition.

I've tried crumbling up this muffin concoction and putting it in a tray feeder for the wild birds, but even the starlings and house sparrows won't touch it. That's okay, it's one thing to bake periodically for Kabuki, I couldn't imagine doing it for all the birds outside. Well, Kabuki is now singing the Andy Griffith song, so all must be right in his world.

A friend from The Raptor Center sent me this link. I've never before seen an interpretive juggler capture my frame of mind when working on several projects at once so completely and eloquently as Chris Bliss. It's about four minutes long and well worth it. Thank you, Jake, for sending this along...you know me so well.

Loss of a Dedicated Ornithologist

I just learned that Dave Stemple has died. Wish Non Birding Bill and I live a few blocks from his son Adam, and I'll never forget the first time we met at Mr. Neil's and Adam came up to me and told me that since I was into birds that I should meet his father who was an expert in the songs of ring ouzels--boy did he have me pegged or what?

There is a touching note at Jane Yolen's site, Dave's wife. They are such a warm, funny and talented family, Dave an ornithologist, Adam, a singer/songwriter and now author and many are familiar with Jane's writing. I remember last fall when we were all at World Fantasy Convention and Jane saying how excited Dave was to be able to do the Christmas Bird Count even with his illness, that it really kept him going.

I'm so sorry for their loss and sorry that I never got the chance to help Dave further in his work.

I’m Back At Chez Stiteler

If you are still having problems using the blogger photo upload button, I feel for ya'. Sometimes I can use it, and sometimes I have to use Cyber Duck. One thing I have noticed: if your issue is after you have selected your photo and hit the download button, it starts to load and then shows a blank box with a little "done" a the bottom. Try again, sometimes by doing it four or five times, it will finally show the right box. Also, if you keep numbers out of the name of your photo, that seems to make a difference too. That's how I got photos in this entry. It's a pain, but it's an option. Spell check is still not working. Whoa is me (har har).

I'm Home! No thanks to Cinna-bunny-butthead. Apparently, she disapproved of leaving the carpeted hotel room with a king sized bed to hop on and hide under. I got a late start anyway, and then on top of that it took me a half hour to corral Cinnamon and get her in the car. It was the first time the whole trip that she was really naughty. Rabbits are a lot like cats, they have their moods when they want to be cuddled and moods when they want to be left alone, moods when they want to explore and play and moods when they want to hide. This was Cinnamon's mood to not travel in the car. Once we were in the car, she wedged herself between her litter blox and the insulation on the floor of the passenger seat and pouted all the way home--the whole 600 miles. When I pulled up out in front of our home, I couldn't get her out of the car, she somehow managed to thump and splash hay all over me. She must have enjoyed the cranes more than I realized...or the ladies at Red Lobster who spoiled her rotton with veggies and parsley.

The drive home was GORGEOUS! The sky was a vivid blue, enhancing the snowy landscape. Roads were very clear so I could still notice all the raptors on the way home. During a mile stretch I saw an adult red-tail soaring, then a dark morph adult red-tail sitting on a fence post (it looked like a life sized chocolate hawk), then a perched red-tail so light, at first glance its head looked like a ferruginous hawk (unlikley for central Iowa) and a couple of kestrels.

During a four mile stretch in southern Minnesota we counted 9 red-tailed hawks, one harrier, one rough-legged hawk and five kestrels.

So, now I must tackle my massive to do list. Thanks for all the well wishes for a safe journey, they worked, we arrived home without incident.

Ultimate Rabbit Disapproval?

These guys might be giving my rabbits a run for their money.

Did I Stay Or Did I Go?

I'm staying another night! They finally opened east bound I 80 after 4pm and I took a quick drive to test the roads. However, they still were quite slick and as I was driving I started hearing a list of accidents being reported on the newly opened I 80. So, I'm in Kearney for another night. I have to say, the folks in Kearney are all being very kind and patient with their stranded travelers. The staff at the Fairfield Inn extended our checkout time so we could listen to road conditions and see if and when I 80 would open. After this trip, the Fairfield will be my number one choice when staying here. I used to stay in a different hotel, but they lost points when two years in a row either I didn't get a wake up call or participants in my tour group didn't get them and that's not good when you have to be at a prairie chicken blind at 4:30am. All the restaurants I've been to have graciously given me extra vegetables for Cinnamon--she's like a celebrity. The girls at Red Lobster pictured above really spoiled her by sending me back to my hotel room with a healthy serving of parsley, carrots and spinach. They really wanted to meet her but I didn't want the restaurant to get in trouble for having an animal running about so I brought her over and met them in the door way. In the photo the girls look so cute and Cinnamon looks so focused on the parsley.

While I was out testing the roads I managed to see a couple of cranes. This flock pictured above had a few snow geese and greater white fronted geese mixed in. It just seems to stretch for miles. In the distance, the dark lines are more cranes.

It was fun to watch them move against the snow, especially when the danced. It made me wish that I hadn't already packed up all my digiscoping equipment and do the cranes and the landscape justice.

Horned larks and western meadowlarks were all over the sides of the road (pictured above). The snow really made the horned larks easy to pick out in the fields. All sorts of birds were hanging out right on the roads. At first I thought they may have been after the salt, but I saw more than one meadowlark flying away with some kind of worm hanging from their bills. Other highlights included seeing a kestrel fly off with a horned lark and a female bobwhite sitting on top of a snow bank.

So, cranes, trumpet away. Tomorrow morning, Cinnamon and I head bravely back to the Twin Cities. I just realized that I have been blogging about snow for the last week: first in Minnesota, then in Wisconsin and now in Nebraska. Hopefully, this will be the end of it.

Oh, one quick word of warning: avoid the Lobster Bites at Long John Silvers. I love the LJS, their chicken and fish makes me salivate. However, the Lobster Bites are the worst thing I've tasted since that one time in college I tried to make tuna helper (yeah, I know, but it's okay, I didn't inhale).