I really have to hand it to my boss, Dan at Eagle Optics. Right after he hires me I tell him, "Hey, you know I kind of have to leave for two weeks during the busiest shopping season of the year to go look for a really elusive woodpecker in the swamp." Instead of saying something along the lines of Yosemite Sam he says, "Cool!" and offers to help me with some of the expenses.

UPS made and unexpected stop today with a box from Eagle Optics and inside is a camo hat with the Vortex logo on it to go with my Stokes binoculars. Sweet! I'm really getting into all this camo clothing, I can really see myself incorporating it into my daily wardrobe.

I got a call from Darci the producer of A Balanced Breakfast with Ian and Margery on fm107. I had warned her that I would be gone on Tuesday when my next scheduled segment is and trying to get hold of me was pretty slim. Ian, ever the optimist wants to go for it. So, we're going to try and do a report bird report in Arkansas from Sharon (not the birdchick, because that will be Julie while I'm gone). There's levee nearby that I should be able to get cell reception. If you're curious try listening Tuesday morning at 5:45 am on 107.1 fm in the Twin Cities or you can listen to it online at the fm107 website.

The pigeons are laying low today. There's a new raptor in the neighborhood, an adult red-tailed hawk. I noticed that when I was getting out of bed the crows were going a little bonkers but I don't go birding in my PJs when it's in the single digits. Later in the morning I stepped up to run some last minute errands and heard the crows again. While waiting at a stoplight on Lake Street and Pillsbury in Uptown the adult red-tail followed by about eight crows, flew right over my car and then headed straight to where my apartment building is about four blocks over. I set out the NovaBird Camera to see if I could get some other birds on the window ledge instead of pigeons and sure enough a female cardinal is taking advantage of the sunflower hearts.