Mental note: avoid scheduling Birds and Beers during the MN State Fair, Barak Obama's historic acceptance speech, and when a swallow-tailed kite is reported in Minnesota. It was an intimate group, so small that even Non Birding Bill came over and joined us. I think a total of six showed up. It was still fun and we all ribbed Dingley that he was the one who released the kite.
Here is some video of our bees coming and going from the hive entrance. You'll hear an eastern peewee singing in the background:
Don't forget that this Thursday is Birds and Beers at Merlin's Rest at 6pm - an informal gathering of anyone interested in birds: from the hardcore county lister, to the backyard bird feeder, to someone has heard of this birding thing and wants to learn more. It's a chance for people to get together, have a beverage and talk some birds. It's a great way to meet other birders. We can talk about Birdola's attempt at a world record by creating a 700 pound seed cake.
Boy oh Boy. There's a lot goin' on for me the next week--but it's all FUN!
Tomorrow, Saturday, August 23 is my book signing/release part for my second book City Birds/Country Birds at Cardinal Corner (both locations) and Cinnamon the Disapproving Rabbit (and Non Birding Bill) will be there too: Book Signing Times: August 23, 2008: 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. - Cardinal Corner in West St. Paul Store (651-455-6556) 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. - Cardinal Corner in Newport (651-459-3880)
I'll be back at the State Fair on Thursday, August 28 joining the Ian and Margery Field Trip. We start at the fm107 booth (I think you have to be signed up by 10:15am) and then we go on the Sky Ride. Maybe we'll see the resident Cooper's hawk or we can pretend we're soaring red-tails trying to grab the prey below with our feet!
Then, Thursday night, it's Birds and Beers at Merlin's Rest at 6pm! Birds and Beers is an informal gathering of birders of all ages, if you're a hardcore lister or a casual backyard birder or someone who just wants to know what this whole birding thing is about, then you're invited.
Somewhere in here I have to do the usual park ranger stuff, my usual shift at TRC, and tend to my bees...oh yes, and maybe spend some time with my husband.
Here is the Twin Cities Live link to my segment if you would like to watch. Note that I'm about three inches taller than usual--they made me stand on a stool. I'm not sure how long it's going to be up.
And, how about a Birds and Beers on Thursday, August 28 at 6pm. I was thinking we could do Merlin's Rest...or we could do the State Fair?
The next Birds and Beers is Thursday, July 24 at 6pm at Merlin's Rest.
Birds and Beers is an informal gathering of birders of all abilities--if you're interested in birds, you're invited. You can meet other birders--maybe find a carpool buddy, talk about why people get weird on bird listservs, ask about where to find target birds, share cool research projects you might be working on, ask a bird feeding question, share life lists--the sky is the limit. It's low key and it's fun.
Birds and Beers is back! It will be held at Merlin's Rest this Thursday, June 19 from 6pm - 8pm. Birds and Beers is an informal gathering of birders of all abilities--if you're interested in birds, you're invited. You can meet other birds--maybe a carpool buddy, talk about why people get weird on bird listservs, ask about where to find target birds, share cool research projects you might be working on, ask a bird feeding question, share life lists--the sky is the limit. It's low key and it's fun.
First off: I have spent the morning updating my appearances on my Google Calendar page (all the way into March 2009) and have even included the next Birds and Beers on June 19 at Merlin's Rest. Birds and Beers is an informal gathering of birders of all abilities to connect and share birding stories and info. If you are remotely interested in birds, you're invited.
I love, love, love birding in North Dakota and love the Potholes and Prairie Bird Festival. But, every year there is always a day of cold rain and harsh winds that make even the most fervent bird enthusiast wonder, "What the heck am I doing with my life?"
But then you get the clear, crisp mornings at dawn on the prairie and all is forgiven and you realize that as a birder, this is what you live for. I'll blog that later, now it's time for the crap weather birding. One morning, I woke up at 4:15 am to the sound of heavy rain. I had to get ready for my 5am bus to Chase Lake NWR, so piled on the layers and rain coat and headed to the hotel lobby. It was silent, but when I turned the corner, I found this:
Field trip participants gathered round a muted tv desperately watching the weather channel and hoping against hope that the 90% chance of all day rain and strong winds predicted the night before was really going to stop at 5:05am. I laughed at the silence and intensity of the scene. Mental Note: Don't laugh at birders before 5am and before they have had a serious cup of coffee.
Alas, it rained for most of the day. At some points it was an "honest rain" as someone referred to it, others it was accompanied by unforgiving winds. And yet, at other times, it would stop while we were on the bus, and suddenly begin a light drizzle as soon as people started getting off the bus. Doh! I traveled to Potholes and Prairies with my friend Kate from Eagle Optics and we chose to sit in the back of the bus to not only help point out birds for people in back, but to try and provide some comic relief. I was so glad to not be an official field trip leader for this trip since that would mean getting off the bus at every stop to find the target. Bless poor, wet guides Kim Risen and Stacey Adolf-Whipp for doing that hard task. The big upside for Kate and I was that we got to hang with Rondeau Ric (although sans stache, but apparently it was not the source of his comic power, so he was still funny).
One morning, Kate and I had a couple of hours and we checked out Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge on our own. We were excited to see the bison on the refuge. I love the above sign warning about what you should do around the bison that can roam on the road. Helpful things like "Do No Disturb or Chase" or "Tails Up! A Raised Tail is a Warning Sign to Stay Away!" You may think the sign is overkill, but after the dork wad I encountered at Antelope Island a couple of years ago in Utah, I'm not so sure.
We found the small herd on a hillside far enough away that we could safely digiscope them.
The baby bison were a trip. Some were frolicking, some were nursing. We saw no "tails up" unless you count the bison that were...evacuating their backside. However, our buddy, the Zeiss Rep, Steve Ingraham had a much closer encounter with the bison than we did--they completely blocked the road once he drove into their paddock. He made it out okay without any headbutting dents to his his rental, but I'm glad it was him and not us.
Speaking of Zeiss, I have to give them some props for their freebie at their booth--gummy binoculars--genius! Not quite as genius as the bag 'o gin from Bird Uganda Tours given away in Texas, but a mighty close second. They did taste really good. Especially the red ones.
One of the coolest things Kate and I found at Arrowwood was a large flock of cliff swallows swarming around a bridge. I'm sure they were nesting beneath it. This flock was already swirling over our heads. Then, for some reason, I bent down on the side of the bridge to see if I could see any of the nests and they skies doubled with more birds fleeing the nests on the bridge. It was pretty cool! We left soon after that in case any of the birds needed to get back to incubating or brooding chicks on this cool day. I did get a video to try and capture the experience:
Last night's Birds and Beers was awesome! It was a huge crowd full of regulars and first timers. I think we're all ready to get out and do some spring birding--someone was even trying to start a pool of what the warbler seasons was going to be like. Thanks to everyone who came!
Right on schedule, our early spring snow storm has arrived--whoot! So, to let's ignore the snow and focus on what's ahead. One of my many jobs is working for a bird trade publication called Birding Business that is geared toward manufacturers of birding products and people who run bird specialty stores. One of my newer duties is doing a blog called Birding Business News where I plug in news stories pertinent to the industry (like sunflower prices) or cool new products coming down the pike. You're not gonna believe this one.
Hummingbird nesting material. Yep, that's what I said, hummingbird nesting material. It's called the Hummer Helper and was started with the folks at the Hummer House and is made up of natural fibers "to take the place of ever-harder to find spider webs." (Seriously, it's getting harder to find spider webs? Cause I feel like I see them everywhere.) Anyway, it was picked up by a company called Songbird Essentials and should be available at a bird store near you. On the off chance your local bird store isn't carrying it you can call 1-800-269-4450 to find out where you can get it.
It looks pretty cool and is made of natural fibers. Other birds will use it besides the hummingbirds, including finches, titmice, orioles, and waxwings. I think I might give it a go in Mr. Neil's yard. I think it'd be fun to set it up with the Wingscapes motion sensitive camera and see what all birds are coming to it. You can read more about The Hummer Helper here.
Thanks to my Google Calendar reminder, I need to tell everybody that this Thursday, March 20 is Birds and Beers at Merlin's Rest at 6pm.
Birds and Beers is a gathering of anyone interested in birds at any level from the hardcore lister to the mildly interested backyard birder. We just get together and talk some birds. If you are interested in birds, you are invited.
And for the record, there is no business behind Birds and Beers. I'm not paid by anyone to do it (in fact, I lose money on this since I like really good scotch). Birds and Beers is an idea that I came up with at the Minnesota Ornithologists' Paper Session one year because I would meet so many interesting people working on different projects and realized that there wasn't any kind of club where birders got together to just talk--especially outside of the Internet. If people are field trip leaders they are welcome to come and promote their services. If people are curious about where to go birding, they can come and ask questions. If people optics, or cameras, or bird feeding, they can come and ask (no guarantees on the qualities of the answer). If someone is working on a research project they can come and share it. This is meant to be fun and a chance for people to socially network face to face.
Birds and Beers is this Thursday at 6pm at Merlin's Rest.
I'm laying low at the moment, hoping to clear my body of this virus before tomorrow night. It has gone from my chest straight to my nose. Yesterday, I lost my voice and thought I would still volunteer at The Raptor Center feeding birds--being birds, they can't get my cold and we had three programs. However, we have a doctor who volunteers on our crew and he sent me home.
