Final Thoughts on Vendormart

Apparently there was some partying going on at Vendormart, but since I was staying in at my mother’s I missed it. I found this on the table at Champions at the Mariott Hotel in down town Indianapolis. Next time I go, I’ll have to find that group that likes to go out and blow off a little steam.

Here is a photo of Jim Carpenter, the man that started Wild Birds Unlimited. I remember when the first one opened in Indianapolis. Most kids were taken to Showbiz Pizza Place as a treat when they were a kid, I was taken to this store. Hey, Jim, check out that Birds of Indiana Calendar right behind you. I think that would be a perfect product for you to carry in your store. Okay, that’s the last of the shameless self-promotion for the next week, I swear.

I did see lots of intriguing things and I can’t talk about them yet, because they aren’t quite available, but there is some cool stuff on the horizon this fall for bird feeding. Here are a few hints:

GIANT WIND CHIMES! That is Scott Gunther the owner of Wild Birds Unlimited in Paramus, New Jersey being a size comparison next to a Contrabass Windchime. This particular hand tuned chime is 108” and weighs 100 pounds! That’s not even the biggest chime this company makes. Thanks, Scott, for giving us a sense of scale. You know, if I was still managing a store and ordered this in, I have no idea how I would have displayed this. I don’t think the ceilings were high enough.

Droll Yankees is offering a limited edition plastic tube feeder called Celebrate Life!. This goal is to support and nuture birds all while raising money for Breast Cancer Awareness. To my understanding the feeder will be available in October 2006. Droll Yankees have been a trusted brand for years as far as sturdy tube feeders go and it’s nice to see them leverage their power to not only help birds but raise breast cancer awareness as well.

Okay, this just cracked me up. Birders tend to be a “tree hugging” crowd. I know lots of birders who drive a Prius—Birder Blog is a first thought on that. But here, we have S&K Manufacturing with a big yellow Hummer! I’m sure they needed something for hauling, they had lots of martin houses as well as their fabulous colorful finch feeders.

I love the whole “in your face” theme that carries on the vehicle, right down to this sign on the doors. These are not meek little birders in this vehicle, oh no. I do have to knock them down a couple of points on creativity. Granted, bright yellow is eye grabbing for advertisement and the goldfinches on their feeders mix well, however it’s a Hummer. This vehicle should have been bright green with a red grill—for hummingbirds. Get it? Hummer/hummingbirds? It would have been brilliant.

Okay, this bird bath isn’t really new, but I just love it. I love that red glass color. The company that makes it is Erva and they have been doing some beautiful and economic mealworm/jelly feeders.

I love the orange for those who want to attract orioles. I think the blue is to attract bluebirds, but that’s a popular color for bird feeders right now so it’s perfect for those who want to try and color coordinate their feeders. Of course, there are clear dishes as well for the no frills crowd.

I’ve heard that next year’s Vendormart is in Orlando, Florida at the happiest place on Earth. I can’t wait! Hm, bird storeowners in Disneyland, nothing could possibly go wrong there.

I forgot to mention that I met the naturalist for WBU John Schaust. We must have been separated at birth, we were so simpatico on so many subjects when it comes to passions for birds and nature. We clicked when we started talking about getting people interested in birds. He’s done so much for parks and birds wherever he has gone and WBU is lucky to have him.

Mom and Aunt Lorelei and I tried out some new non-DEET mosquito repellent called Herbal Armor Pump Spray. We used it for about three hours and didn’t get bit by a single mosquito and we were in some mosquito prone areas. It smells of citronella but it doesn’t have that heavy, sticky feeling many repellents have and is made of six essential oils recognized by the EPA as insect repellents. I’ve been looking for something since Ugly Bugly went away, and though this stuff doesn’t seem to last as long as that product did, it is very effective for the time it does last.

Nature Additions

Ack! I've been so busy with Wild Birds Unlimited Vendormart, I found a few photos from Maine that I forgot to include:

Okay, black-backed gull, not that excited for some, but to a land locked Minnesotan, it was cool--cut me some slack you east coasters.

I think Wild Bird on the Fly talked about this a little bit already but I had a great birding moment in Maine at Acadia. We went looking for a king eider and I didn't pay attention and get proper directions and just didn't find the location where it was supposed to be. We ended up on a minimum maintenance road where we could not hear traffic and could hear a lone hermit thrushing singing--that was worth more than a king eider to me on any day. Oh, they sound so magical and not quite of this earth in the woods. I love them.

We also stepped out and must have been close to a junco nest, because a pair of them totally freaked out and started chipping at us. Without thinking I pished and that just made them worse.

Before I knew it, a red-breasted nuthatch got in on the scolding action. Amy had never seen or heard one before and she was really digging that excited nasally yank call. It it pretty darn cool. Although it is hard to take a bird making a sound like that seriously.

On a separate field trip I finally got to see a luna moth live and in person. I had only ever seen parts of wings on the forest floor or in nature centers before this. That was pretty darn nifty. It was sitting at a check in point at Reed's Beach. The bus was very excited and even though we were running late on that trip, we asked our guides if we could stop and take a few photos. They told us to be quick or we wouldn't get any piping plovers. We were and we got the moth and plovers. Sweet. Speaking of which, I just found a really cool luna moth necklace.

Mom Mixin' It Up

So my dear, "sweet" 67 year old mother came out with the gang from Eagle Optics and the folks at Looker Feeders for dinner after working the trade show last night. I thought she would be the model of decorum:

Non Birding Bill had often described Mom as "Sharon Squared". I think the photo above is deceiving, she rarely drinks. I think she just sniffed that from time to time to get a little buzzed. She's four eight and has the tolerance of a flea. She had a great time. She told me that she took a nap so she could stay out with us until the wee hour of 9pm. Two favorite moments of mixin' my mom with my work crowd:

1. Meeting My Publisher, Adventure Publications:

Birdchick: Mom, this is Gerri and Gordon who own Adenture Publications.

Mom: Oh wow, aren't you a handsome man!

Birdchick: Mom, Gerri is Gordon's wife.

Mom: So! I'm sure she knows how lucky she is to be married to such a handsome man!

Birdchick: Mom.

Mom: He's so burly!

2. Meeting My Boss:

Mom: Sharon, thanks for letting me take your Razor out today to watch the eagles, you know that's a really nice binocular. I like it better than the others in your suitcase.

Birdchick: Great, you should tell Dan that.

Mom: Who's Dan?

Birdchick: The guy at the end of the table.

Mom: Why should I tell him?

Birdchick: Because he designed them.

Mom: You mean...?

Birdchick: Yes, he's my boss.

Mom: He is?! I thought he was just an interloper like me, just hanging out to have a good time. I didn't know he was your boss. I thought a guy like that would look all Madison Avenue and have a pin stripe suit!

At this point, poor Dan was engaged in conversation at the other end of the table and my mother leaned across and started waving her hands.

Mom: Dan! Daaaaaan! Yoo Hoo! Dan! Hey, I really like those binoculars. I didn't know you were Sharon's actual boss!

Everyone was very entertained by Mom and at the end of the evening I overheard Dan tell her:
"Now I think I understand Sharon a little better."

I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not. Oh well, I heart my mom.

I saw these bunnies at the Wild Republic booth. I miss my disapproving rabbit!

This was a surprise, Marie Reed (the pronunciation of Marie rhymes with starry) was at Vendormart. I got her book that she did in conjunction with Lang Elliot, Common Birds and Their Songs for my mom since she was such a good sport to go out with us and let me blog about it. That book is a great gift for someone just getting interested in bird song.

WBU Vendor Mart Well Behaved

Well, no lampshades on the head yet at Wild Birds Unlimited Vendormart so instead, I offer strange photos of me from the ABA Convention that fellow bloggers are posting:

Me eating lobster or eating donuts or eatingwhile driving at Wild Bird on the Fly blog.

Me getting close to a lobster with Wild Bird on the Fly at Bill of the Birds blog.

What is it with me and food?

Wild Birds Unlimited Vendor Mart

Here is Cindy with our completed Eagle Optics booth! We just learned this morning that our new Ranger SRTs were voted a “Hot Product Pick”. Whoot!

Oh how handy! Adventure Publications (who are debuting an awesome new loon book--amazing photos and loon cd--just loon sounds and nature to relax to), the people who publish my calendars has a booth right across from the Eagle Optics booth at Wild Birds Unlimited Vendormart! So, being the shameless self-promoter I am, I have been sure to note name tags and store locations. Any store I see in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Illinois or Indiana gets the pitch.

“Oh, I see your store is in Indiana. Did you see that calendar across the way? It’s got Indiana bird information and trivia and it’s written by one of our staff so it has to be good!”

Shameless, I know. I’m not just out for me. Houghton Mifflin is kitty corner so I of course have popped over and promoted Letters from Eden too. That is a great book, I had the pleasure of reading half of it at the Bangor Airport when Northwest Airlines’ computer system quit working for an hour. Right now, my mother is reading it while I’m working, I’ll probably have to finish it on my flight home on Thursday.

Speaking of things Thompson, the Bird Watcher’s Digest booth is just to our left. I stopped by to say hello to Elsa, Andy and Nat. No BT3 at this one, he’s home sensibly resting. I did however get to see a new side to Thompson family talent. I was aware of the writing, artistry and music, but I was not prepared for this feat. Here is young Nat rockin’ this odd ear trick of shoving his outer ear into his inner ear:

Before:

Yeeeah! It's incredibly disturbing, yet I can't look away. And with a quick blink of his eyes, here comes the after (you have to watch him do it, because he can do it so fast. If you blink you miss the ear popping out):

Hm. Who knew? There appears to be a hint of carny in this family. If anyone attending Vendormart is reading this blog, stop by the Bird Watcher's Digest booth and have some chocolate and ask to see this. It's...well it just has to be experienced.

Some my have heard me poking fun of Tilley hats. I think they had an ad campaign saying they were durable and stylish (I had issues with the stylish aspect). They have some new models, you be the judge:

Hm, I wonder if this hat will inspire Non Birding Bill to sing the Tom Jones version of "You Can Leave Your Hat On?"

This one reminds me of Duran Duran circa "Her Name is Rio and she Dances on the Sand."

More product photos coming in the next day or so...Woodlink is working to be more colorful and arty with their feeders. The ones they debuted in January at Birdwatch America were...odd (orange with yellow and green polka dots just reminded me of the morning after of a frat party). But here it looks like they've gone back to the drawing board and come up with some very creative feeders. Here's a hint:

This, I like. It's modern, stylish finch feeder. Go, Woodlink, for pushing those creative boundaries!

ABA Autographs

I'm apologizing for typos up front, I'm stealing wireless at a hotel near Mom's house and must be quick. I have the go ahead for the vendormart updates and those will start on Monday. I did find a company that makes these intriguing bird whistles, including a whistle for a great tit. They got nervous when I wanted to take a photo and didn't like the idea of me putting in the blog but I'll work on them some more tomorrow. I think I may have come off a little strong when critiquing the authenticity of some of their North American bird calls. Curse me and my overwhelming need to correct bird inaccuracy. It can prevent me from making friends.

I am having a great time meeting bird owners from around the country. I'm keeping tabs on names and states. There are a few owners that I've talked to that I can see just have the spark and knack for running great stores and want to check them out when my travels bring them my way.

That's our Vortex crew at the ABA Convention. We have from left Bruce Mercer, Don Stokes, Lillian Stokes, me and some excited customers trying out the Stokes line of binoculars.

I am often asked what are the best bird festivals to go to. The answer depends on many factors and I have a top five that I recommend, one being an ABA Convention. I admire the folks that run the ABA. A festival in the same town year after year is tough enough to pull off. But doing a festival in a different city and state every year is a monumental challenge. Do things go wrong on an ABA convention? Yes, sometimes they do, but the staff is very responsive and dedicated to giving participants all the bang for the buck that they can. If you are looking for great birds and top guides this is the place to go. You get some of the best local and international guides on these trips and they work and bend over backwards to get you the birds. It’s also the best place to network and meet well known authors and artists. If anyone is remotely planning on trying to get a job in the birding industry (birding not bird feeding, there is a difference) this is the place to make your presence known.

There were twenty-five bird authors at the ABA all set up at a big table for autographs! That's a lotta writers crammed into one room. Here we have Steve Howell who helped illustrate the Pyle book I was so excited about (and also gave me a shearwater head) and on the right is that big hunk of burnin' author of bird song, Don Kroodsma.

Here was another fun quote overheard at the convention: "Hey Lillian, you get him from the front and I'll get him from the back!" That was me shouting as I was grabbing a photo of the two of them. I have to say, I had a fun dinner with the Stokes during the convention. Of course, it's not hard to have a good time when lobster and a few beers are involved, but I discovered that we have something in common--we all like scotch--particularly 18 year old Glenfiddich! They already had cool points in my book, but that certainly advanced them several notches.

Here's Jan Pierson on the left laughing it up with Doug "he's really not a" Pratt. Jan went out with the karaoke posse, he didn't sing but lended lots of moral support. Poor Jan! The first time I met him, I think I came off a little crazed. It was during the part of the convention when I didn't have my chord for my Powerbook. That night he was supposed to give a Powerpoint presentation and I saw he had a Powerbook. I made a beeline for his dinner table and completely interrupted his conversation to beg to use his chord. He of course needed it for his presentation and I tried in vain to negotiate using it just during mealtime. I'm sure I came off as deranged as Elaine from Seinfeld when she was asking a lady in a fellow bathroom stahl if she could "spare a square".

Now, here's something interesting. All the authors were at one giant U shaped table setup, except for Pete Dunne (above). He had his own table. Does this mean Pete can't play nice? Or does it mean that he smells bad? No, this prolific guy has two new books out, one is his Essential Field Guide and the other is The Art of Pishing (a note to non birders, that book is not about wee, but about making a pish sound with your mouth to attract birds). Because Pete had two new books his table was extra busy and that was why he was separated, I've met him and I can say with authority he can be quite nice and smells pretty good.

Ode to Moms

That's a couple of female common eiders. If you look in back you can see a floating ball of puff--that an eider duckling!

I was just a zombie yesterday on my flight from Bangor to Indianapolis. All those late nights and 3:30am wake up calls at the ABA Convention had finally caught up to me. It also didn't help that I had one nasty canker sore on my tongue--in one of the worst spots too. It's right on the side in the back and no matter what I do, it rubs against my molars. It hurt to talk and especially eat. I used to get them constantly but thanks to my dentist I have eliminated the toothpaste and foods that trigger them, so I rarely have one. This one was the result of Jolly Rancher candies. I think some of them are flavored with pineapple which is a guaranteed canker sore for me and I remember absent mindedly eating a couple at the ABA.

By the time I arrived at my Mom's yesterday I was tired, hangry (hungry and angry) and just plain sore. Mom worked her magic: I got some good mouth numbing products on the sore, she made some of my favorite food (fried green tomatoes) and she did my laundry! Go Mom! Thanks! After finally getting a full eight hours sleep I am feeling human. From now on Mom goes on all my long trips.

This morning was such a treat. Instead of waking up to a double alarm of a hotel wake call and annoying clock radio, I woke up naturally to the sound of tufted titmice, Carolina wrens and cardinals.

I'll be getting more entries up soon. Mom doesn't have any internet whatsoever and I have to upload on the fly. I hope to have more up tonight.

I'm currently working a convention for Wild Birds Unlimited Stores. It's not open to the public so I don't know how much I can mention of what happens here, but I still have some fun stories from the ABA coming.

ABA in the News

Yesterday on our field trip we were followed by a film crew from WGME. That's one of our field trip leaders, Steve Howell using a field guide to show Amy Sinclair and the camera man some of the birds we were seeing on the trip. Amy was wearing some, shall we say "antique" binoculars. I couldn't stand it and loaned her my 8x42 DLSs. I even put my harness on her so she could see how comfortable binoculars can be. She was really impressed with how well she could see through them. Perhaps we have converted her to birding? You can watch the segment here, just look for and click on "watch streaming video".

She came with us on a great day, people were getting their 500th or 600th bird. I loved finally being able to see the adorable piping plover (above) and we saw two unusual terns, an elegant tern and a gull-billed tern. Thanks, Amy for putting birds and birders in the news!

I owe Steve a huge debt of thanks. We found a dead sooty shearwater on the beach (above). Steve was having trouble getting his macro function to work on his camera and since I love taking photos of dead stuff, I was happy to oblige. This is a tough enough bird to see out on a boat in the middle of the ocean. You just don't get a chance to appreciate a shearwater in the hand very often. You can really see that tube nose and fabulous hooked bill.

The wings of the shearwater are very long and thin, perfect for it to fly right above the waves on the ocean. I have to mention that while I was taking all these photos and posing the bird, a little boy was hovering nearby. His mother saw it and said, "Don't touch, you shouldn't touch dead things." Of course, here I am with Steve doing everything but kissing the bird. You could see the little boy was barely able to keep himself from touching it and asking his mom why we were touching it. The mom couldn't come up with a good answer and probably suspected Steve and I were nuts and shooed the boy back to their spot on the beach.

Being an expert on seabirds, Steve opened the shearwater's mouth and showed us the jagged edges on the tongue and on the upper part of its mouth that are used to push slippery fish down into its crop. I was lamenting that I wanted the head for my collection of bird parts. Since I was kind enough to take photos for Steve, he was kind enough to release the head from its body and now I have a shearwater drying out in my room. Should be interesting getting that past airport security this weekend.

Quick Notes

Today's pace was just nuts but I had to share this quote overheard at the convention:

"We're leaving today. We had to make a decision as to which meant more to us: a Bicknell's thrush or our grandson's high school graduation."

Also, I noticed that the National Geographic Handheld Guide to Birds now has an interactive website where you can test and play with the software. Another new feature is that it will now sync up with ebird.

I will have lot's of photos coming soon. Hopefully, I will get to upload and update them on Saturday.

I and the Bird

Patrick Belardo of The Hawk Owls' Nest served up a World Cup-themed I and the Bird #26.

For those new to this blog, I and the Bird is a collection of great blog entries of bird themed blogs. Are you new to blogging? Are you in the mood to find some fun and new bird themed blogs, here's your chance to sample some of the finest!

Here is a special note from Mike Bergin of 10,000 Birds who founded I and the Bird:

As I mentioned in my previous missive, the next edition of I and the Bird marks the first anniversary of our happy carnival, a year of collective bird blogging greatness. To mark this milestone, I'm hosting the first themed edition of IATB. To participate, send me a link to a post you've written addressing at least one of these three burning questions: Why do you blog? Why do you bird? Why do you blog about birds?

This special edition is intended as a celebration of the amazing aggregate talent encapsulated in our last 26 installments and is therefore only open to previous participants. Also, only posts on why you blog, bird, or blog about birds will be included in this edition. I and the Bird #27 will appear on these pages on July 6, so get those links to me by Tuesday, July 4.