For You Know Who

Found this is in Columbia....did you know this existed, Smiley?

Still looking for Mootz Memorial Drive
or
Turk Turnpike
or
Baumann Boardwalk
or
Zeller...Zeller...ummm, what goes with Zeller?

:)

Thomas Hill Reservoir

In my continued efforts to meet new birders and see new parts of this beloved state, I attended a field trip to the Thomas Hill Reservoir with the Columbia Audubon Society. The trip was focused on finding gull and duck species amongst the ponds of the Reservoir.

What a FUN group! Laughing, laughing, laughing! I really liked them!


But the best part of mostly driving tour was the use of walkie-talkies. While our six cars traversed the back roads of Macon Co., the trip leader, Edge Wade, spoke to us about the area and about the different species found there. It literally was like sitting in a class, but with a better view. I learned SO much.

Bonaparte's Gull

I added SIX new species to my life list that day! Banner day! My new species for the day were:

• Bonaparte's Gull
• Krider's Form of the Red-tailed Hawk
• Lesser Scaup
• Redneck
• Ring-necked Duck
• Red-breasted Merganser

Me and one hoot of a woman, Edge

The best part, or actually the most embarrassing, of the day was successfully completing the "Prairie Chicken Lifer Dance." It is a CAS tradition that anytime you get a new life bird, you have to do a little dance like a Prairie Chicken. I won't go into the details, but it sure was fun and embarrassing all at the same time. Thank goodness they did NOT make me do it six times! Once was enough! :)

If you want to know how a prairie chicken dances and how I looked for a whole 20 seconds, check out this video. Yes, I had to stomp my feet, too. Try not to fall out of your chair laughing so hard.... :)

Newbies at the Chalet

Most birders keep a "yard list" of the birds that show up on their property. My yard list generally consists of birds that I have seen from the chalet, deck or our dock. I've seen some pretty cool and crazy things over the past 6 months, including a Worm-eating and Golden-winged Warblers.

This past week I've added some newbies to my yard list. Here are a few of the newbies....
-Golden-crowned Kinglet
-Brown Creeper
-Purple Finch (which is a new lifer for me!)

The photo to the above is of a Purple Finch, taken through a dirty chalet window. Sorry!

Fun on the Lake

During the weekend with my parents, we celebrated my uncle's 80th birthday at a party in Michigan City, IN. Happy Birthday, Uncle Jim! But before the party, my parents and I stopped by the beach, pier and lighthouse on Lake Michigan. The weather was amazingly perfect, with temps in the mid-60's. Great for a walk on the beach!

As we were pulling up to the beach, I saw a group of people getting out of their cars with scopes. BIRDERS!!! I am not kidding when I say I just about jumped out of our moving car. I grabbed my binoculars and bird book and ran, I mean walked, to meet up with them. With a big smile I asked them questions about their group and asked what their target bird was. I joined right in. I was so needy.... :) I miss you, BMCP!

Me and Dad referencing the Horned Grebe in my bird book

While they didn't have a target bird, they were looking for a variety of gull species. They didn't find any other species other than the Ring-bill, they did find a Horned Grebe. A Horned Grebe THAT IS A NEW SPECIES TO ME! Yeah!!

Ring-billed Gull

We continued to follow the group on and off as they went looking for more birds along the pier and breakwall, but generally we just enjoyed the atypically warm sunshine and beautiful blue water.

Look at these good lookin' people I found along the beach!

OMG, I love this photo of my dad looking through a scope and holding onto my bird book! I'm telling you...I'm turning them into birders!

Lighthouses are COOL!

Parental Birding

How deep the love of a parent!

Since I've become a birder, my parents have become more than supportive of my new hobby (or obsession.) I've taken my Mom on a bird walk at BMCP. They've sent me photos of unidentified birds they've found. They've put up a bird feeder and kept me updated on its visitors. They've always shown interest in birds FOR ME, and for that I am more than grateful.

This is how awesome my Mom is....she drops me off, parks the van, walks a quarter mile from the van to the platform, walks back to the van to retrieves our coffee, and then walks back to the platform...all the while freezing her bootie off, just so I can bird! This is Mom walking with our coffee.

This past weekend, I pushed the limits of the normal sidewalk birding with my parents, and made my Mom do a little off-roading to find birds. IT WAS SO FUN!


We found cranes all over the place. We'd see some in a field, and she'd dart the van over so I could jump out. Reminded me of good times with friends in CA.


Our best find for the morning was a Bald Eagle! Not normally found in this part of Indiana, finding this treasure amongst the trees was easy. Giant black bird with a white head in a bare tree oak tree was easy to see. Mom took that van down a vacant house lot and across a grassy field so I could get a closer look at the sucker. What a Mom!


Beautiful! Of course, I spooked him, but I was able to get a decent photo of him as proof.

What a fun morning! I'll turn her into a birder whether she want to or not! :)

Sandhill Crane Redux

Last October, I spent a late afternoon visiting the Sandhill Crane Observatory at the Jasper-Pulaski Game Preserve outside Wheatfield, IN. While there were many cranes there at the time, it was not the peak season. November is peak season. So, I returned back to my hometown this past weekend and got to enjoy the full force of Sandhill Crane migration.

Instead of an afternoon visit, my mom and I decided to get our booties up and out pre-dawn to catch the morning influx flights of the cranes. Plus, we were told the lighting is better for photos, since we wouldn't be shooting into the westward setting sun.


My mom, Connie, was so gracious, and dropped me off at the observatory platform so I wouldn't miss a minute of the show. Mom, you rock! When I topped the platform, I found dozens of other birdwatchers already in place. Wow!


As for the cranes, I was a bit shocked to find an empty field. Whah? But within one minute I see one pair flying in and landing on the field. Then another, then another. Next thing I know the entire sky is filled with Sandhill Cranes, squawking away with most of them plopping down on the field. AWESOME! It was a fantastic sight to see!


Thanks again, Mom, for the fun (but freaking cold) morning!



Check out this video I took of the immense sqawking of the Sandhill Cranes. It was legitimately loud, even across a field!

For Blue

Altoids in Hoosierland

Fun with my Peeps

Of course, a visit to the desert wouldn't be complete (or tolerable, for that matter) without a morning birding session with my friends at BMCP. I miss them SO much!

The best part of the morning (in addition to the whole family reunion atmosphere, since the snowbirds were back) was getting to see a new species. With a careful eye, one birder noticed that the Yellow-shafted Northern Flicker that we had been watching was missing the normal red markings on it's neck. Using some photos that were taken, it was determined that the Yellow-shafted was actually a Gilded Flicker! Yahoo! New species! It had been years since one had been seen within the Preserve, so it was special for everyone.

Found the Barn Owl!

As always, our morning was topped off with breakfast at the Morongo Cafe. Can't get enough of Betty's Special Scramble and it is always great to see my favorite waitress, Jean. She's the BEST ever.

We filled up half the restaurant!

Betty's Special Veggie Scramble....GONE!

I'd eat here every day if I could....

San Jacinto Wildlife Area

I have been absent in posting much this week because I took a quickie trip back to the desert of Southern California. What a fantastic four days! Lots of friends, great birding and good food. Can't ask for more.

On my last day in CA, I had the great opportunity to go on a birding field trip with the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve bird group to San Jacinto Wildlife Area. I had been there before with the group last winter, but I was still looking forward to it. I am always looking forward to new species, and anyway, the Area is just beautiful.

Loved the early morning haze.

I ended up with one official new species, a Vesper Sparrow and one unofficial new species, the Scaup. I'm calling it unofficial because we could not identify whether it was a Lesser or Greater from afar. So I guess it doesn't really count.


Anyhoo, the best part of the day was seeing at least a dozen or so Wilson's Snipes. I've only ever seen one in my whole life (cause, well, they are rarely seen, hence the whole Snipe hunting thing,) so getting to see a dozen all hanging out together was a real treat. I'm so thankful for my friends' scopes. They make my birding much better! :)

This is the AWESOMEST woman on the planet, Patty. Patty is BC survivor like myself, so I consider her a sister at heart. Love you Patty!

I only stayed for the morning session because I had to catch a flight back to StL, but I ended up with about 57 species. Pretty darn good day, I think! It felt really great to be back with the old CA group again. I miss you guys!

This is the only bird photo from the day. The pond is filled with Black-neck Stilts and few Yellowlegs. I did not bring my "biggy" camera because American Airlines sucks for charging for checked bags. Didn't have the room. Sorry....

Yes...I'm posting another one