A Little Saturday Morning Birding

There is nothing I love more than sleeping in on Saturday mornings, sometimes as late as 6:30, 7 AM. I know, I know, but my normal wake up time is 5:30 AM so 7:00 is sleeping in. Still, this morning I was up at the crack of the first sparrow's fart, and off to bird at Jerri Langham's backyard 'pit'. I've birded there before, and today there was a special guest I was anxious to meet and photograph - a lovely immature Harris Sparrow.

Teen-aged Harris Sparrow at Breakfast in the 'Pit'
For a western birder, this species, I've only ever seen in the eastern half of the country, is AWESOME!

Ok, Ok, these days every other thing is 'awesome', but honestly - this is one outstanding sparrow. It was probably a few hundred feet down from where Jerri, and several other happy birders, including myself, sat comfortably in swivel lawn chairs. Even my 400 mm camera had trouble getting any sharp photos, but hell, the photos I got of the bird are better than a sharp poke in the eye.

Love it's fawn coloring
There was another sparrow that popped up, much closer, at maybe 15 feet away from where I sat, a Lincoln Sparrow. I've never had any photo opts with that species so I'm thrilled to present - my first ever Lincoln Sparrow photos!

Lincoln Sparrow - not as plain as it looks

Lincoln gives its Bird-of-Paradise impression
There were loads of birds for us to sit and watch. Just overhead several White-tailed kites swooped, dove, dusted off their 'go a court'n feathers and put on a show.

White-tailed Kite presented overhead entertainment

Thank you. Thank you. Yes, my sky show was spectacular.

A nice pair of Tree Swallows that will likely be setting up house in one of the nesting boxes along side the 'pit'.

Future Parents of a nestful of Tree Swallow chicks

After an hour or two, Dr. Lang grabbed his spotting scope and we took a short hike along the river for a quick look at his nesting boxes, where annually dozens of pairs of titmice, Tree Swallows, White-breasted Nuthatches, Common Mergansers, Wood Ducks and other hopeful pairs, bring up their broods. This Nuttall's Woodpecker was cruising through the riparian habitat and stopped for a quick Claire photo of dubious quality.

Nuttall's Woodpecker - it's there! Look.
One of the usual birds on the water way was this Spotted Sandpiper in winter plumage, ergo, unspotted just now. I noticed it because it bobs it's tail up and down like it's conducting the philharmonic.

Ensie little Spotted Sandpiper
After the walk about, we returned to our easy chairs over the pit, which is a low cliff which Jerri spreads with a bird feast of seeds. The buffet attracts California Quail, White and Golden Crowned Sparrows, California & Spotted Towhees, Morning Doves and the odd Cottontail rabbit. There are blueberry brambles too, in which I had a nice viewing (but a crap photograph) of a Bewick's Wren. Great way to spend a morning. Will have to get out there again sometime soon.

GUNG HAY FAT CHOY!

Today is the first day of The Year of the Rabbit, part of the Chinese zodiak. Here’s what that means to get born in a rabbit year, as I did. You are supposed to be: Gracious, good friend, kind, sensitive, soft-spoken, amiable, elegant, reserved, cautious, artistic, thorough, tender, self-assured, shy, astute, compassionate, lucky, flexible. Can be moody, detached, superficial, self-indulgent, opportunistic, stubborn. Stubborn, right, but how did elegant get in there? Must be in reference to real rabbits.

Taking all of the above with a grain of salt, this ought to be a great year for everyone, particularly rabbits. It must, in any case, be better than this past year – or come to that, better than this past week was for me. I have committed one stupid act after another. I don’t know if I’ve just passed over the edge of early senililty or if I’m so bummed by various aspects of my life that I can’t get a grip. After all, my last post was about the miraculous return of a missing chunk of cash. This week’s adventure are amazing. I violet crystal thingamabob, a sort of good luck charm. I often carry it in a pocket. When I hung my slacks up one night, I could hear the crystal fall to the closet floor. Searched – you guessed it – no damned crystal. So, for a week I kept searching the closet floor, over and over again. Finally I emptied the closet floor – which was in dire need of dusting anyway – and sure enough – no crystal. For those who read my last blog post – no, the crystal is NOT in my mouth.

 Mind mind boggling puzzles do not stop with the crystal. Two nights ago, I was getting ready for the next morning, a work day. I brewed a pot of coffee and looked around for my thermos so I could have it ready to fill next day. I could see the thermos stopper and lid in the sink, but no thermos. I checked around the kitchen – no thermos. I expanded my search to the living room and even my bedroom – where I assure you my thermos seldom goes – no damned thermos. So I went to bed that night, puzzled over what happened to it. Next morning I repeated my search – no thermos. That night I got home from work, and went into the kitchen. There, on the ledge behind the sink, not whistling an innocent tune, yet miraculously reeking of sass, was the thermos. I gasped. Hadn’t I looked there like 50 times over the past 24 hours? Apparently not. Seems I may have lost what remains of my mind.

So today I was at work, and a tad annoyed. I love wearing shoes with sheepskin lining – although the experts warn against such – bite me experts! Anyway, my unstocking feet felt funny – uncomfortable, as if I were walking barefoot on pebbles. Finally I broke down and removed my right shoe and cleaned it of its odd scattering of flotsam and jetsam. Then I moved on to my left shoe – damned uncomfortable I tell you. I shook it, and out fell a certain violet crystal that evaded me at the bottom of my closet. Bugger! Geez Louise... The oncoming year of the bun-bun had better hold better things for me than just finding things I keep losing that are hidden in plain sight!

Once Upon a Morning Dreary...

I handle the money for the 10th floor water club at my office. So when the monthly bill came due I paid it on line, then went into the lockable cabinet to reimburse myself of the money I paid the bill with. No worries! Took out club cash, pulled out $50. I next picked up the envelope to put it, and the remaining cash back into storage - only, no cash was in the envelope. Nonplussed, I picked up the loose paperwork on my desk, but the money was not under any of the piles. Perhaps I dropped the loot? I looked under my desk, but NO MONEY.

What the hell! I turned around, looking by my computer, under the keyboard, back in the cash envelope (looked there several times and somehow the money did not materialize), under the little trash bin, IN the little trash bin. Results the same -NO CASH.

Now I was freaking. How could over $100 just disappear and I hadn't even left my desk! I got up and looked in the lockable cabinet but, as expected, no cash there.

Ok Now I was buggin' (much worse than freaking you know...). Without the benefit of having left my desk I managed to lose a shite load of cash! What is WRONG with me I wondered. Is some angel with a vile sense of humour torturing me? WHERE IS THE FREAKIN' MONEY, ARRRGGGGHHHH!

Then, on impulse, I looked up. This is what I saw...

I know!