Monday, April 19, 2010

Has it Really Been Two Months?

No excuses, I was gone and now I'm back!
Let's see...where was I...
I went to Miami for a week in March. It was a work-related trip, training on two new laboratory analyzers (coagulation analyzers for the science lovers out there). There was very little extra time so most all of my birding was done on the shuttle bus riding back and forth between the hotel and the training center. Even so, I got six life birds!
Common Myna
Cattle Egret
White Ibis
Eurasian Collared Dove
Monk Parakeet
Loggerhead Shrike
The first morning we filed into the training center one of the instructors spotted my Cape May bag and asked if I was a birder! She wasn't my instructor but we chatted every day about the birds of the area. In the middle of the week she asked me if a Loggerhead Shrike would be a lifer for me. Yes! The next day she took me through the training center, out the employee's entrance and across their parking lot, down the road a couple of blocks to a little airport. There, sitting on a barbed wired fence at a traffic light with four lanes of heavy traffic sat a Loggerhead Shrike! She watched traffic for me as I scooted across to the center lane divider to get a photo (on my other camera) I'm telling you- birders are the BEST PEOPLE.

Except for the very coldest weekends, Art and I have visited Hasty Brook for day trips every two weeks on my weekends off. Now that spring is here we're really gearing up our plans to get our upstairs/cabin finished. I really can't wait to get the well hooked up so we can have running water. It's been a long wait. The last visit I saw this pair of Turkey Vultures dancing on the wind. They eventually landed across the creek and nuzzled each other. I know this is a lousy photo but these were the first Turkey Vultures that I've seen perched at our place. I assume by their behavior that they are a mating pair. Love it.
The Chickadees seem to get tamer up there every year. I've fed them in my hand a few times now.

Red-breasted Nuthatches breed at Hasty so they're around all the time. I love watching their antics. Such cheeky little things.

I call this "Moon Over Hasty Brook"

A couple of weeks ago I saw that Birdchick was going to be at North Mississippi River Regional Park scoping out the heron rookery. I hadn't seen Sharon in a while and had the morning free so I headed over. It was a cloudy chilly morning so my photos are pretty poor but it was great to see Sharon. She looked pretty darn adorable in her ranger duds too.

Last evening was the Woodcocks and Whiskey edition of Birds and Beers out at Lebanon Hills Regional Park I picked up Hellziggy, aka "The Other Sharon" on the way and took off to see woodcocks. It was a pretty good sized group but I think everyone go a terrific look at a woodcock. Thanks Birdchick for organizing another fun evening.

Yesterday afternoon a work friend (Hi Jayne!) took me out to her friends' house to see this Great Horned Owlet at a park across the street.

Just look at this face!

Even though we plan to be spending all of our free time and money working up at Hasty this summer, I did manage to save a few dollars for one festival:

Potholes and Prairies in Carrington, North Dakota, June 9-13. I'm so very excited that Katdoc is coming too. She'll fly in to Minneapolis and then we'll drive out together. I've wanted to attend this festial for a few years and I'm thrilled to be going this summer. I'll post more about the festival soon.

Thanks for your patience and for the nudges to getting blogging again too.

24 comments:

Mary said...

I'm just all crazy about your Great Horned Owlet. Linne - I haven't seen an owl - in daylight!!! Isn't that ridiculously awful?

Love this post. You are not alone. I'm forcing a few posts here and there and waiting for myself to come back to blogging ;-)

We need to meet up again. In 2011 I'm thinking of P&P. Will you?

May

Jayne said...

Sounds like you have been a busy girl Lynne! Glad to see you back my friend. Love seeing all your friends at Hasty Brook, and that adorable owlet. :c)

troutbirder said...

Welcome back Lynne. Missed all your birdy news and views. Isn't Florida fabulous for exotic birds?

Ruth's Photo Blog said...

Good to hear from you again.I agree that birders are the best,always willing to help each other.
Blessings,Ruth

KGMom said...

lordy lordy--I thought you had left blogger land forever.
Welcome back.
;-)

p.s. it's been so long, that Blogger wants to know if I really am posting a comment on this blog!?

Montanagirl said...

Lynne, welcome back! I've missed your posts. And I love your post today. Wonderful pictures of what you're seeing, and learning about what you've been up to. The Owlet is adorable.

Larry said...

That was so nice of the lady to put you onto the shrike!-and the owl photos-are adorable-and reaally good!

Leedra said...

Your own Turkey Vultures? Great...mine always fly WAY too high for me to photograph them. I keep trying.

Ruth said...

I love the owl pictures. Last week I saw 6 Turkey Vultures on a tree at the entrance to the hospital. Like a good employee, I drove past and went into the hospital rather than taking pictures :-(

Anonymous said...

It is always good to read your post, Lynne. We know you are busy right now. I am anxious to see how the house in the woods is coming along, though.

Great photos. The owl baby looks like it is wearing one of those old time judge's wigs.

I saw 6 turkey vultures pass over yesterday. The first time I had seen more than a pair at once.

FAB said...

Hi Lynne. Good to see you back and thanks for the birding update. The Owlet is a darling. Cheers FAB.

Kathie Brown said...

Well welcome back! We've missed you! Great pics and congrats on the FL lifers! Tell katdoc 'Hi" for me. I hope you 2 have fun. Sure wish I could join you!

dguzman said...

Oh Lynne, how I've missed you! Sounds like you've been having a blast though.

I got all excited thinking about Potholes and Prairies; I've been wanting to go to that one for a while now. But then I remembered I'll be in Texas for my niece's graduation that very week. Still, maybe next year with the whole Flock? Susan and Laura and I were also thinking it would be neat to go to the RGV sometime, festival time or not, for new birds -- again, next year maybe?

jalynn01 said...

You were missed!! I kept checking and checking...but enough of that. glad you are back blogging. Yippee! TVs at Hasty. and I just love the owl picts. This time last year we were gearing up for WV.. I'll miss that.

RuthieJ said...

Great photos Lynne! Glad you found some time to get this post together. Keep me posted on your progress at Hasty Brook so I can "invite" myself up there for a visit later this summer.
Have fun at P&P. I know you will love that festival! Be sure to allow some time for birding along the way too--there are some great spots along I-94 once you get up closer to the MN/ND border.

ivars krafts said...

Glad to see you back posting! Keep it up! Love to hear what you are doing and looking at your photos.

Tina said...

I'm just speechless at your shots of that GHO!! Wow!! Amazing shots..and what a thrill to have seen one so close...so glad you popped back to say hi. I'm just as guilty about staying the course of blogging every week...I do what I can when I have some decent pixs. So glad you got down south for some nicer weather and time away. HOW very nice of that birder to help you see a shrike. My first sight of a LHS was also in Fl. this past winter...suching a tiny but stiking bird!!

Mel said...

Hola Lynne!
Welcome back! What a cute Owlet!!
Enjoy the festival, we have no such things here :(
Take care, besos,
Mel

Pablo said...

Nice to see you back. There was a hole in the blogosphere while you were away.

Dawn Fine said...

Great photos!
..you were back...where have you gone? Birding I suppose..or to Hasty for some rest and relaxation!

Cathy said...

Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!

Sweet Lynne. These photos are wonderful. Geeze.

The owls are the show-stopper and I love the nuthatch, but how can I choose. You've been having some very rich, beautiful moments.

Q said...

Life does get busy!
Your Owl is wonderful. I have only seen a few owls and always think they are so very cool.
Enjoy Hasty Brook this summer.
Sherry

Walter Jeffries said...

Wow, lovely moon.

dmmgmfm said...

Your pictures are amazing, Lynn. Thank you so much for sharing. And as Walter J said, wow, lovely moon.