Saturday, December 27, 2008

Springtime...for a day...

What a great day for a walk in the woods! The end of December and 65 degrees, we all thought it was spring, for a moment at least.



I went to Sandy Ridge Reservation in Lorain county for a little walk and some fresh air. Quite a few others had the same idea and I met a number of birders getting out and about. Everyone was having a good time and enjoying the sights and sounds and the smell of fresh air.



As you can see, I saw a Great Horned Owl, always a neat surprise. It was pointed out to me, after a lot of direction by, what a coincidence, relatives of my neighbor. Small world! After I took a few photos, of the back side of the Owl of course, a more mature (a nice way of saying 'older than me') birder came up to see what I had found. He had been coming to the park for a long time and has heard about the Owl but, had never been able to locate it. After more pointing and describing of limbs and trees and forks and branches and, not the Nuthatch, to the left and up a little higher, no not that high, you're getting closer, no to the left, up, up, there!! At long last he has a Great Horned Owl to add to his list.



Everyone I bumped into had a story of birding, whether it was just the darned Sparrows at their feeders or of Cooper's Hawks, also at their feeders, cutting back on the Sparrow population or trips to exotic places for exotic birds, all great stories. That's one of the best things about birders, they are all friendly and will all have a good story and a smile to share.



Oh, I also saw a few birds today...



Yes, there is a bird in there! I'll give you a hint, it's from behind(of course!)...

Friday, December 26, 2008

Butts...

Do you ever REALLY look at birds from the wrong end? I get a lot of harassment from our bird buddies because most of the shots I seem to get are from this angle. Actually, I'm getting better at shooting fronts and profiles, but(pun intended!), I will go out of my way to get a good butt shot. I even have our bird feeders backwards.

You can learn to ID birds better when you know them from more than one angle, plus I think it's fun to send them to friends! Maybe one day I'll have enough for a "Field Guide to Birds from Behind". Maybe co-authored with Kenn Kaufman(hint-hint).

Next time you're out birding and complaining that the birdies are facing the wrong way, don't be embarrassed, take a closer look, you might learn something!

By the way, what is that butt up there?...I know, butt I'm not tellin'.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Warm Memories






















As I watched the temperatures falling to near zero the past few nights, I thought of warmer places to be.

Two years ago Laurie and I were at the North Coast Nature Fest in Cleveland's Metropark system (http://www.clemetparks.com/). Among the displays, we saw this very excited young woman(Kathy Krynak) speaking about Ecuador. Laurie saw a print of a Andean Cock-of-the-Rock and took one right away. After we listened to what she had to say, and buying a few souvenirs, Laurie said "We're going there!". I've learned never to doubt what she says...


Six months later, after many emails and a few phone calls, we were at the Hotel Quito! The morning after our flight arrived we were picked up by our guide, Edison Buenano. We were looking for the rest of the group, but we were it. What a way to go birding, with your own private guide.


On our way to Reserva Las Gralarias (http://lasgralariasfoundation.org/), we birded the Yanacocha trail and Old Mindo Road. Edison's eyes and ears were amazing! He would spot things through trees, out the window of the 4X4, or through fog, nothing seemed to get past him. And he was very insistent that you got a good view of the birds too. I came home with over 1600 photos, some of which are pretty good!


We ended our 6 days of birding with 308 species including the Swordbilled Hummingbird and the Giant Antpitta. If you're feeling 'under the weather' I highly recommend looking up this lodge and Ecuador. Warm weather, warm people and great food.


We enjoyed Las Gralarias so much, we donated an acre of land and have put on presentations showing the beautiful scenery and birds found in the Mindo valley.
Now I'll go back to dreaming about being warm...




The photos at the top are, left, Broad-billed MotMot and, right, Flavescent Flycatcher.
The photos below are, left, Giant Antpitta and, right, my favorite, Velvet Purple Coronet.


Sunday, December 21, 2008

Gifts received

Green Heron

With Christmas just around the corner, I was thinking of past presents. One of the best was my first bird trip that Laurie took me on to visit her Aunt Ginnie and Uncle Bruce at Sanibel Island.



What an amazing place to go (especially in January) for your first birding experience. The birds were so easy to see and approach. I took quite a few pics that trip! It was also the first time I used a digital camera. It takes away the questions of "Should I shoot this one or wait?" that came with the cost of film.



The photo above was a Green Heron that was in front of the condo we stayed in. Uncle Bruce was searching for a Green Heron (his favorite bird) while we were there. Laurie and I went out one morning for a little walk, and lo and behold, there he was right in front of us. When I showed the photo to Uncle Bruce, he was surprised.



Anyway, thank you Laurie! for giving me this gift of birding. You certainly started something, didn't you?







Little Blue Heron, Sanibel Island, Fl