The Birds

[altivo]

No, not the ancient Greek play by Aristophanes, nor the weird but classic Hitchcock film.

I, utterly amateur "birder" that I am, was talked into joining a group doing a survey count of birds in the western part of our county today. I'm glad I went. I actually was able to help somewhat, not so much by identifying birds as by finding them once we heard them.

I learned the songs and calls of several species new to me, and actually saw quite a few of them, including the great crested flycatcher, the blue winged warbler, the Tennessee warbler, the black and white warbler, and the gnatcatcher. We also saw a pair of scarlet tanagers, only the second ones I've ever seen, and I learned (I hope) to recognize the song of the yellow throated warbler and the ovenbird. Many more common birds were seen and heard as well, including cardinals, red winged blackbirds, starlings, wrens, robins, grosbeaks, and more.

We also saw a Cooper's hawk sitting on her nest, or at least, we saw the nest and her tail sticking over the edge. ;p

The weather was dreary and threatening at first, but it cleared up somewhat and became sunny by mid-morning. I left the group to their chore at noon so I could go home and work on my own chores, including stacking a load of hay. Now I have sore feet, because I pulled out some old hiking boots I hadn't worn in years figuring we'd get into mud. We did, but the boots are hardened up and too tight for me now.

Comments

[wolfgrowl.livejournal.com]

My brother-in-law is an avid birder. He's amazing at identification right down to the confusing flycatchers. I think he tells them apart by their environment and call. He owns a nature, travel, outdoors bookshop.
Long before he became my brother-in-law I worked full-time in the bookshop and worked there for eight years out of high school while doing my university at night. I have an incredible collection of field guides in Canada in storage. The full sets of Audubon and Peterson as well as many others. I have a copy of the Peterson Field Guide to the Birds (East & Central) signed by Roger Tory himself!
(*lol* I remember reading the Lopez book on wolves in the store - I couldn't afford it at the time. So glad they re-issued it 25 years later.)

[vimsig.livejournal.com]

sore feet aside - it sounds, to my ears, like you had a great day.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Yes, it was nice. And I slept well after, too.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

People who are serious about it are often whizzes at identifying a bird just from one glimpse or hearing a single call or song. Unfortunately, when I hear a birdsong, I hear a sequence of notes. I could tell the intervals between the notes and their relative duration, which would certainly give a recognizable and consistent description; but that's not how it's traditionally done. What I do NOT hear is "ticka-ticka-ticka-ticka-zeee"
or "witchety-witchety-witchety" which is how they describe these things to one another in bird watching society. ;p

[octatonic.livejournal.com]

This is a good thing you did.

I've noted, semi-offically, eagle and black
squirrel myself.

Its very said when people don't know about the
place they live in and simply go to work, eat
some BK, watch some Idol and then Goto 10.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I agree that's sad, though I worry more about people of perfectly reasonably intelligence who have no idea where food comes from or what's in it, and no interest in their work, either where it comes from, or what the consequences are, or what it means. Yet, in that state of ignorance and disinterest, they still cast votes in every election based on which candidate seems like a "cool guy" or which one they "just don't like".

[octatonic.livejournal.com]

Theres this rpg action scifi game called
Fallout. Its got a long pedigree, going back
to the late 80s. But the one game, Fallout 2
was, to my mind, excellent. You had no time
limits, you could explore the post-nuclear
world and shoot things if it was necessary.

Of course you could do things just because you
wanted to, including punching the Brahman.

The Brahman were two headed cows. Combat with
them was laughable, literally. Unless you got
that one that liked to explode and kill your
character.

I had a discussion with my son once over this,
when my character died from attacking a
helpless mutant cow.

"He just fell over!"

"You expected him to explode into little
chops of steak in plastic wrap at the
supermarket?"

He said, "Why not!?"

*facepawed* "Meat comes from dairy cows,
they make other little cows and when they
are old they end up at McDonalds. Where
do you think your happy meals come from"*

I was lots less subtle in my twenties. @.@

We didn't go to McDonalds for five years.

*facepaws*

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Hmm. Not going to McDonald's for five years doesn't seem like such a bad idea, actually.

I seem to encounter people all the time who think that eggs are manufactured by machines in a factory, chickens are born featherless right into plastic bags, and a Big Mac is manufactured without harming any living thing, not even the employees at McD's and certainly not the consumer who eats four or five of them each week...

[doug-taron.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a delightful day, other than the sore feet. You saw quite a bit- though having spring migration in full swing doesn't hurt your chances. I believe that one of our Fen volunteers, Roger, may have been on that count.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

We've seen an oriole at home now, too. Awaiting the indigo buntings next.

More than sore feet as it turns out. We must have hiked six or seven miles, I'm feeling it in my calves today.

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

You know there's a difference between "birders" and "birdwatchers" O.O

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Maybe there is Down Under but not here where I live. ;) Yes, "birder" is sometimes used like "mouser" when referring to a cat. But when referring to humans, "birder" == "birdwatcher".

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

According to Wikipedia its more in the US and the UK *scratches his head*

[octatonic.livejournal.com]

Eating other animals involves blood and
violence. Theres no other way to say it.
And eating protien is the major reason why
we have large brains, not to mention how
Genghis Kahn's meat eating warriors could
so easily conquer the loose tooth, vitamin
B deficient farmers he came across.

However, we are omnivores, not carnivors,
and meat, while tasty and good for you,
shouldn't be our sole food, (or even our
Soul Food). I tend towards a mediterannean
diet myself. Lots of feesh. But thats me,
I simply like feesh.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I don't think eating meat has much to do with our brain capacity, no. I know too many people who are dedicated carnivores and not very bright, and too many who are serious vegetarians who are also extremely sharp minds.