Towage and Mansfield Signage

We learned the reason why the trusty Saturn was towed. We left on Wednesday morning. On Thursday morning, the city cleaned the streets and we didn't see the signs since we were gone. I'm sure we could fight it, but it would cost more money to fight it than to pay the $218 to get it home. GRRRRRRR.

So, to lighten the mood, I'm inluding some of the interesting signage that can be found around the fair town of Mansfield, Ohio:


Holy cow, if this is a problem, what's going to happen if the city decides to put a smoking ban into effect? This was on the door to a family restaurant where we had breakfast. I think it's a reasonable request.

This was advertised on a sign outside of Porky's Drive In. Perhaps Mega Pot is the reason the folks in Mansfield are so friendly? Incidentally, there was no request for customers using oxygen tanks to not smoke.

Ratch A Fratch Er Frick A Frack

The title of this entry makes little sense unless you read it with a Yosemite Sam voice.

Cinnamon has chewed an almost escape-sized hole through the bunny gate (left). She has grunted at any efforts to give her a treat. She is very cross and is doing nothing to help my current mood. Meanwhile, Kabuki the cockatiel is angrily ringing the bell in his cage to alert me of his displeasure over our absence.

A half hour ago Non Birding Bill and I exited our airport cab and noticed that our trusty Saturn was nowhere to be seen. We live in a metro area and park on the street with little to no problems and should have seen it outside of our apartment building. I always tend to choose sensible cars like minivans and station wagons because no teenager wants to steal one of those and go joy riding.

Where was our car: either it was stolen or towed. I hoped for the latter as opposed to the former and to some relief that is exactly what has happened. I'm not sure why it was towed, there were no snow emergencies while we were gone. People often park for a week or more in the same spot so I don't think that was the reason, I wonder if our alarm went off and annoyed neighbors? Who can say. I'm a tad irritated but relieved that it wasn't stolen. Better to at least know where it is. NBB is picking it up right now. I'll be curious to learn what he found out about the towage.

Where The Heck Is The Birdchick?!?!

Sorry for the lack of updates for the last few days. I went from being out in the sticks with Bill and Julie and having internet access to the small town of Mansfield in northern Ohio with hardly any internet access--I thought Panera Breads were everywhere. Anyway, we have found some momentary access before boarding our plane home and I promise lots of updates within the next twenty four hours...then it's off to Utah on Wednesday. Sheesh.

NEST ID: I am so sorry to promise to id a nest and then not post for four days--such guilt over a blog. The nest and eggs in the previous entry belong to a song sparrow. Bill found the nest in his yard while we were filming a segment.

I hope everyone had a nice weekend and a note to those who may have sent me an email in the last four days expecting a reply: if you don't get that expected reply by this Thursday, please resend it. My inbox is still downloading mail and it's at 134...135...136...you get the picture.

I am told by our pet sitter that we are in for some major disapproval. Cinnamon has chewed through her bunny gate that restricts her access to mischief in our apartment. She must have found out about visiting Chet.

So, what does a birdchick do in Mansfield, Ohio without hot birding spots and internet access--she takes up Sodoku--and starts referring to herself in the third person (somebody slap me). I am a major puzzle junkie anyway--I have to really restrict myself around cryptograms, but without any kind of mental stimulation, I was weak and picked up a couple of books on Soduoku and can't put them down. It's a sickness, I need help. Fortunately, it's spring migration so I think I can kick this cold turkey...so to speak.

I did get some sort of birding in. I got the following "lifer" this morning:

Quick and Dirty Entry

Some things you may not realize about the famous Chet Baker from just reading about him on the internet:

Chet is a lot smaller in person than he seems over the internet, and fits most comfortably in your lap. That is Non Birding Bill above sitting with Chet. If you have not checked Bill of the Birds and Julie's entries, they are confirming that NBB (above) is an NB. This is the only time NBB has ever visited or hung out with any of my birding pals. And it's all because of Chet. He would not be in this part of Ohio were it not for the chance to meet the internet's cutest Boston terrier.


Chet's fur is a lot browner in person. If he looks a tad remorseful in this photo, it's because he's just been scolded for rolling in something stinky and no longer smells like chocolate covered cherries.

Chet is not used to entertaining guests all day long. He usually spends his days napping unless Julie goes for a walk and then sleeps soon afterwards. However, during our stay he has been bending backwards to keep Non Birding Bill entertained while all the birders enjoy the outdoors. I think he will be happy to finally sleep once we leave. He looks so tired, poor puppy!


Chet NEVER disapproves, no matter how we try and bribe him with treats.

"I don't approve of that!"

I've been having a blast here (it's like my own personal Sharon camp), something new to explore around every corner from trillium, to newts, to birds, birds, birds and more birds! Today I set out the NovaBird Camera hoping to get a towhee but got something even better: a field sparrow, it totally made my month:


Some chipping sparrows also showed up:


Speaking of sparrows, any guesses on who made this nest and laid these eggs?

This will be identified in the next entry.

Non Birding Bill has found a companion in Bill and Julie's youngest, Liam. Here they are at the computers, my little Mac Boys:

Thompson and Zickefoose Like It Rough

Is this Non Birding Bill or Fredo from the Godfather? It's actually NBB performing at the Minnesota Fringe Benefit.

Non Birding Bill and I are in Ohio to film a segment on a big sit and poor NBB thought it would be fun to do an extra segment and accompany Julie and Bill on a walk in their woods. For an intense bird watcher, this is the time of your life--scrabling over hills, splashing into streams, sliding down in mud--let me tell you, those two like rough in the woods. But for folks who are mildly interested in the outdoors, it's pretty "hillish" as NBB would say. Holy cow, we are pooped--even Chet Baker is tired. Bill of the Birds is now making us some tasty grilled cheesy salami sandwiches.

It was fun to see things they had talked in their blogs like the tree from 1902, the ice cave and general Chet Baker wackiness, but it was work trudging up and down hills and NBB had the video camera and tripod. Julie is a wealth of knowledge in the woods pointing out not only birds but butterflies and wildflowers. NBB was a trooper and did survive, as did the camera. The sun filtered through the naked trees giving the woods a mystical glow. The weather here is absolutely gorgeous, sunny and in the 70s and new spring birds showing around every corner--gnatcatchers, wood thrushes, bluebirds, I'm getting the biggest kick being able to listen to towees and field sparrows from the deck. I told NBB that I probably was not going to come home with him, that we've given it our best shot being married eight years and all but I think I'm going to stay here in southern Ohio for the rest of my life.

The pond right outside the guest room is chock full of toads and we listened to them trill as we fell asleep last night, it's like having a live relaxation tape. That is until the very intense thunderstorm rolled through, the lightening was spectacular. The toads are pretty mellow and I was able to photograph them flirting with each other and few other unmentionable activities. There are now long strings of toad eggs floating near the pond surface.

Okay, not time for a shower and to film another segment.

A Great Day To Be Alive

A quick request to readers of this blog. I discovered over the weekend that a mutual friend and I share a dream of starting an apiary. The discovery comes about a month too late. I can't find any honey bees for sale. If anyone in the Minnesota or Wisconsin area knows of any resources for helping me start an apiary--preferably with Italian bees, please send an email to sharon "at sign" birdchick "dot" com.

Thanks!

Today was just an awesome-oh-my-gosh-it-feels-so-good-to-be-alive day. It was our first 70 degree day in the Twin Cities and I had a morning meeting with some of my favorite people today. One was with Carrol Henderson from the DNR's Non Game Department. If you haven't done your taxes yet, don't forget the Chickadee Checkoff. And if you are saying, "How can I think about the checkoff when this week is tax week and I haven't filed yet?" I sympathize, we haven't filed yet either. I just found out the damage from our accountant tonight--it's part of my euphoric mood. I LOVE my accountant. Because Non Birding Bill and I both do freelance and are arty types who don't pay as close of attention to money as we should, when we have filed on our own taxes the last several years and have had to pay large sums to the government. This year we decided to get professional help, because let's face it, would you go to an accountant for birding help or theater advice? No. So why should a birdchick and a theater director/writer do their taxes--we're not money experts? Our accountant is getting us a federal refund--a refund for cryin' out loud! I actually had to sit down when he used that word. We will have a very minimal state tax payment, but it is so miniscule compared to the past few years. I'm so happy, I feel like an eagle that just found a roadkill deer! Dan the accountant is so wonderful! I love him as much as is humanly and legally possible for a married woman to love an accountant. Dan, you rock, you rock big! Cinnamon was so shocked when I told her the news, she couldn't even disapprove:

My other meeting was with Mark Martell of Minnesota Audubon. Mark and I are hatching a couple of plans, one is an event in July that will be a "Buy a Duck Stamp Day" at a National Wildlife Refuge. I'm thinking of this as more of a party with music, birding and booth displays. Since it was so gosh darn beautiful, we decided to take the meeting out to the Chain of Lakes and TS Robert's Bird Sanctuary. It's a fun bird sanctuary that is relatively close to my home. While there we found some horned grebes and shovelers out on Lake Harriet. We ran into a couple "lunch break" birders--with decent equipment and binoculars. (I used to go around and ID bird feeders "That's a Woodlink Hanging Copper Top Feeder on a Hookery Shepherd's Hook Pole and an Erva SB-1 Domed Squirrel Baffle and now I beginning to ID binoculars, "Hey, Mark, that dude has a Nikon Monarch 10 X 42.") Mark mentioned that years ago when he was trying to erect an osprey platform on Lake of the Isles, that if you were walking around with binoculars and scopes, people thought suspiciously of you--were you a pervert looking into people's homes? Now, in less than 25 minutes we encountered two people birding with Nikon and Swarovski optics.

Part of the fun of birding in my neighborhood are all the signs making sure you enjoy the outdoors so it doesn't bother others in the outdoors:

I did violate this sign a tiny bit. When Mark and I saw the grebes, we couldn't remember off hand how to distinguish red-necked from horned grebes. Both had been recently reported on Lake Harriet. Neither of us had a field guide, so I called NBB at work and had him google the info. The were horned grebes.

Here was another sign:


I don't think the sign means the area is under surveillance by birders looking for warblers. I think it's to warn that no shenanigans should be happening in the woods, just wildlife viewing and maybe a little jogging.

When we wrapped up our meeting and started heading back, we found a large raptor sitting in the sun on a low branch of a tree in a cemetery. The sun washed out the bird and it was fluffed a little. At first glance, it could have been dismissed as a light red-tail, but we don't have too many of those regularly in this area. Binocular and scope revealed it to be a fat and sassy female Cooper's hawk. Check out the bird's chest, you can hardly see any of the orange that should be there:

Okay, now enough of all this celebrating, I need to start packing. We head out of town on Wednesday. We're spending Easter weekend with NBB's parents and stopping to visit a couple of friends on the way.

Girl Bonding Over Woodcocks

Last night was the best night of woodcocking yet this year. Went out with my friend Amber, it was last minute. The moon was bright, and not only did we hear woodcocks, but we heard Wilson's snipe and coyotes (fairly close coyotes at that). The male woodcock we were watching really put on a show. Another male came in, and there was a slight tussle. Our guy was peenting away and as soons as the other male dropped in, his peent changed tone. It's hard to take woodcock machismo seriously since they wobble like Weebles when they walk, but they give it their all. At one point, our dude shoved his tail in the air like a wren, dropped his wings and wiggled them up and down. He then gave a sputtering call that sounded like Burt from Sesame Street if he were laughing after inhaling some helium. H chased out the rival male and gave his flight display. You go, boy!

Wood Duck Boxery

Non Birding Bill and I managed to finish filming our wood duck installation segment yesterday. I'm not sure if I like it as much as the woodcock one, but I think it's short, informational and enough to get someone started on their first wood duck house.

We put them up in two places on Mr. Neil's property. We had a pretty good idea of where to put the first one, near a small pond near the driveway, but the second one I wanted down by the creek, I just didn't want it too close to trees so squirrels would take over. But I also didn't want to haul a seven foot 4X4 post and large cedar box down hills and through the woods. Mr. Neil had a good idea of where we could go and offered to take us in his new convertible mini--then he took it off road! I had no idea you could take those tiny cars off the road. I really like the covertible one, with the top down you can watch all the raptors thermalizing overhead. I complimented him on getting such a great car for birdwatching passengers.

As we were trying to find just the right spot, we came across some ripped up feathers. They were large and soft gray. Some bones were mixed and were very large. Hmmm, gray? Grouse? No, too big for grouse and too uniform. Wild Turkey? Hmmm, too gray...

Then it suddenly hit me--sandhill crane! By looking at the state of the feathers, they had been ripped with mammal teeth, taken out in clumps and some holes were consistant with a mammal bite. I know there are fox and coyote around. Sandhills do nest nearby, and they are migrating through right now. I wondered how this one came to be attacked and dragged into the woods. There's a road nearby, did it get hit by a car and was dragged in and eaten? Was it exhausted from migration and finished off by a coyote? Tough to say, but this was certainly an interesting scene for me to ponder for the rest of the day.

We found a perfect spot for the wood duck box. It's actually a spot that I always thought would be ideal for doing a big sit: on the edge of woods, looking over a pastures with a creek running through. I think this house will get duck right away, since some wood ducks are bound to be floating down the creek and will see the box and think, "Wow, look at that nice hole up there. I bet I could fit in there and lay some eggs." It's open enough around the box so the hen can fly in and out with no problem and the trees are far enough away so squirrels won't jump in and take over the box. We have great raccoon baffle on the post, so it's protected from most predators.

After we finished filming I stared exploring the woods. Mr. Neil's place is one of my favorite birding spots. I walked around and found three ruffed grouse territories. I love hearing grouse drum...or should I say feeling them drum? That drumming sound just seems to pass right through you. As I was walking I found a huge turkey feather. I picked it up and heard leaves rustling. I looked up, and there was a huge tom turkey running ahead trying to get away from me.

When I got out to the road, I found a turkey vulture sitting on a fence post eyeing a roadkill possum. The bird flew down and started eating away. A pickup truck went by and startled the vulture and fortunately it just flew away and didn't barf. As it took to the air, it dropped a feather. Wow, what luck: a wild turkey feather and a turkey vulture feather all in one day.

The turkey vulture feather is the one on the left and the wild turkey feather is the stripey one on the right. The vulutre one smelled just like a vulture should-a slight hint of vomit, just like the turkey vulture at The Raptor Center.

As I have been writing this entry, Kabuki has been lurking about and for some reason has decided to pull out one of my American Birding Association Brochures and chew it up. Apparently, he doesn't want me to go on that trip. Can't wait to see his reaction when he finds out that I'm going to the June convention. Look at that bird--no remorse.