Hey, Twin Cities Naturalist made a really cool video of our last Birds and Beer's at Joe's Garage. Follow this link to check it out--cool crow footage. Here are a couple of follow up links for Birds and Beers: for people interested in more info about the guy at Birds and Beers who was leading the trip to Nebraska to see sandhill cranes follow this link. Also, here is the link for the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center's search for volunteers for the Avian Nursery.

I'm about as packed for Panama as I can get and watching a couple episodes of old school Dragnet with Non Birding Bill. I love travel. I knew as a kid that I would find a way to visit as many parts of the planet as I could. Even if it's going to someplace as small as Jamestown, ND I love it. I love being someplace new. Although, I hate the night before travel: my apartment is a mess as I figure out my suitcase situation and knowing that I will not be seeing NBB and my pets for awhile. NBB is rehearsing for Theatre Arlo's next show and attending MacWorld Expo. The next time we see each other will be February 14. I expect that we will have a rather exciting Valentine's Day.

I think that I should be able to blog from Panama--that's my goal. I'm able to email Raul and Carlos (the best smelling man in Central America) so I think that I'll be able to send some quick entries and videos of my Central American adventures.

Oh, and my buddy Doug Buri is offering his sparrow and shorebird classes again. I've signed up for both of them. I've done the shorebird workshop and I have to tell you--if you think that you are hopeless when it comes to learning your shorebirds--you need this weekend course. Doug makes it easy and fun. Years ago when I struggling he shook his head and said, "Sharon, your problem is you're not close enough. You come with me and I'll have least sandpipers within five feet of your shoes."

And he did. It's not only a great chance to learn common Midwestern shorebirds, but it's a great photography opportunity.

I've never been in town to take his October sparrow workshop but I love sparrows and I love Doug--and I'm sure he has lots to teach me when it comes to little brown birds.

Doug is awesome, he will not make you feel like a loser if you don't id a bird after the sixth try. He'll really work with you. His workshops are worth every penny.

I posted this originally on my Facebook page because I thought it was way too gross to put on the blog. But word of it spread at last night's Birds and Beers and people want to see it.

WARNING--THIS IS A TOTALLY GROSS VIDEO! DO NOT EAT ANYTHING WHILE WATCHING IT! Don't watch it if you are remotely squeamish about gross and nasty parasitic bugs.

But if you are like me and interested in all things natural history and creatures that are willing to knock us down a peg or two on the food chain (or at the very least, use me as the piece of meat that I am) then you will love this video.

Dear blog reader Roy H. sent me this as a warning to be careful while in Panama. Heck, how did I not get one of these in Guatemala last year? It's a video of a woman who has a bot fly larvae in her scalp showing you how they got it out. It also has a lot of great info about bot flies but chances are good that you will be squealing so loud while you watch it that you won't hear it.

Hasty Brook was at Birds and Beers and she's encountered these in her work as a nurse. She warned me not to scratch any mosquito bites. She spent a good portion of the evening reminding me, "Don't scratch!"

So. Here it is. You have been warned. It's GROSS!

Here is the link to The Bot Fly Removal Video.

And here is a photo of a cleansing Trumpeter Swan photo that I took Sunday afternoon:

1 trumpeter swan.jpg