For those interested, the NBC affiliate in Philadelphia has a caption contest going for a lounging squirrel photo.
I was supposed to fly into Philadelphia today and then make an hour and a half drive to Cape May, NJ. While waiting for my flight at the Minneapolis Airport I realized I left my Mapquest directions from the airport to the hotel at home and called Non Birding Bill. He got me Google Map directions and for an extra precaution I got directions from the rental car place. I started at around 2pm and didn't make it to the hotel until after 6:30pm. Never have internet directions failed me so hard before. I called NBB at least five times tonight--at one point I found myself at Trump Plaza in Atlantic City! (Do I have a secret ambition to audition for the Apprentice that I've had buried in my subconscious?)
I finally found some peace when I made it to Cape May county. My directions to the hotel still sent me in the opposite direction of the hotel and I had to call WildBird on the Fly to give me step by step instructions. I finally got out of the car, walked the parking lot, saw WBotF open the door and there was Clay Taylor and his work partner Mark walking across the parking lot too--the gang is all coming together! They invited us to dinner to this lovely little restaurant called Freda's Cafe. Since the cafe doesn't have a liquor license Mark asked if they could pick up any wine for us. I said that that I only drink scotch, usually something with a "Glen" in the title.
When we got to the restaurant Clay and Mark had a beer bottle sized bottle of Glenlivet. Maybe my timing wasn't so bad after all? The food was amazing and the dinner was fun because I got to meet with some of the Cape May volunteers and staff--hopefully I'll remember their names tomorrow...I remember a Ray...a Bob...and was there really someone there named Flip or is that a scotch memory? Hm, guess I'll find out tomorrow. I met a Pete (not Dunne) who had an amazing story about seeing a million and a half robins fly over Cape May--people who had been up since 6:30am for field trips stayed out past 2am to watch a million and a half robins--sweeeeeeet. I heard today was a good raptor flight day with 5 golden eagles seen--a good number for this part of the country and last Sunday an area called Sandy Hook had sixteen speices of sparrows in one day! Can you stand all the brown birds--I heard that sniggering NBB!
Tomorrow is supposed to be very exciting with just as many bird authors as bird species: Kenn Kaufman, David Sibley, Kevin Karlson just to name a few. Should be interesting. I have to meet up with the booth I'm helping with at 9am, but Clay offered to take me out for a few hours of birding before hand. Ah, I'm with my flock! Speaking of flock, birds are everywhere, zipping in front of cars, zooming over the water. Should be a very birdy weekend.
I promise, bird photos coming soon.