Monthly Photo Challenge: Where the wild things are

"Let the wild rumpus begin!"

This Red Squirrel was very upset.

She would climb up onto a chair, jump to the tree, and then carefully crawl down to the tube feeder. Her fate however, was not filled with joyous, nutty, delights because before she could reach them, she would fall off. 

Our cute little squirrel would then scream"chit chit chit" and angrily snap her tail before trying the same serious of moves. I could relate. 

(Monthly photo challenge link)

Whoooo?

Carol Dixon made these awesome owl hats for Tanner and Casi. They are adorable!

This is what happens when I ask Tanner to look owlish.

Vulture World

Things have been pretty crazy in the ol' Branch home.  Nate and I have been trading weeks out of town. If we were smarter or, perhaps, if we had any control over our lives, we would have separated each trip by a week. Instead, we overlapped by 8 hours and those 8 hours caused me a lot of mental stress. "What would happen if the kids needed ... something?"

I think about the memories my mom recounts of me. In these stories, I was freaking out over one of my younger siblings needing me. One time, my younger brother tried to get off the wrong bus stop after school. To keep him from having any further wrong-bus-stop impulses, I wrapped my arms around his shoulders to create a physical barrier between him and the door of the bus. I was so worried he would still try to get off the wrong bus stop. This protection, also included beating up the neighborhood bully when he harassed my little sister and freaking out when my younger siblings went to the first day of Sunday school. Of course they were always fine but, I thought they needed me. So here I am with Casi at 14 and Tanner at 8, and I still think the kids can't live 8 hrs without Nate or I. I may need professional help when they turn 18 and leave for College or someone will find me physically wrapped around their legs demanding that they still "need me".

Once in Orlando, I went to a cheap Inn out by the Florida Mall. I went a day early, before my work conference, in order to meet an Orlando local for birding the next day.

The experience at the Inn is one I don't want to repeat. The bathroom was VERY dirty, the tiki bar (the only place to eat) was filled with dirty, old, white men who watched my every move, and I had to wait 45 min at the airport for the "free shuttle" while the other shuttle drivers worried about me. And, of course, there is the official warning from a Taxi driver that said "Do not walk around at night. That is not a very good place." The things I do to save $40 bucks.

I woke the next day early, meet my wonderful guide Cheri (who without knowing me agreed to take me on a tour or Orlando). We headed out to Tuttisville for birding, great company, and incredible food.

Alligators from 1 ft to 6-8 ft littered the sides of the trail.

Our first stop was the Orlando wetlands or rather a water treatment plant that encompasses 1,650 acres of man made wetland system "for the reuse of highly treated effluent". The system has a hydraulic capacity of 35 million gallons a day, with seventeen cells, and three distinct wetland communities created to remove residual amounts of nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, from the reclaimed water. When the water is released it has less phosphorus and nitrogen than the water in the river. 

While at the wetlands, we observed the fecundity of a wetland through the voice of the Limpkins' monkey like scream, the numerous Gators along the waters edge, the huge number of Herons in all sizes and colors fishing, I even saw a Reddish egrets clumsy dance as it tried to entice a fish to come closer, and I listened as Cheri rattled out numbers, history, bird names, and felt her love for these wetlands. 

I saw many new birds at the wetlands but, the bird that stands out, was not a new one. It was the Black and Turkey Vultures at a place Cheri likes to refer as "Vulture World" (due to Orlando's other worlds;  Disney World and Seaworld). As I said here and here, I think there is something about large numbers of a specie. 

Orlando Wetlands, Christmas Fl; Vulture World

Black Vultures

The Black and Turkey Vulture's are commonly seen circling in the sky (I have seen them many times from the Target parking lot) or standing along the roadside eating the carcass of dead animals but, here at the Orlando wetlands they are known for their concentrated numbers within a small area of the wetlands since the fill the trees and the trial of their favorite roosting site. As we walked by the vultures gave a cute little grunt, spread their wings, and left within our wake.

Known as "scavengers of the skies" vultures were once hunted in large numbers because of the belief that they carry diseases. Over time, however, we have started to define them as beneficial assets. Today most view vultures as one of natures most efficient natural recyclers.

One great description of Turkey Vultures is written by Pete Dunne, in The Wind Masters. I just love how he uses the words "cherub" and "monk" to describe those that eat the flesh of the dead.

"Turkey Vultures are large birds, cloaked in loose-fitting brown/black feathers that make them look shaggy and unkempt when perched.  The legs and feet are sturdy and unfeathered; the color, where not coated in excrement, is cherub pink.
The face is ruddy and wrinkled and topped with an embarrassingly sparse cap of feathers.  Its expression is uncommonly serene and there is something about it that suggests infinite patience.  Huddled on their perches, wrapped in shabby vestments, the birds look like a group of balding monks gathered in prayer."

We then went to Tutisville's most famous restaurant, Dixie Crossroads. My mouth still waters when I think of the red shrimp I ate. The meat was so delicate that it literally melted in my mouth.

 We then headed out towards the ocean to Merritt Island. Here we found Roseate spoonbills,  observed the incredibly slow and graceful movements of the American Manatee (check out this crocheted manatee on etsy. LOL), went to the beach to observe  Northern Gannets dive from hundreds of feet in the air into the oceans waves, and I saw my first armadillo.

We also did the very naughty behavior of feeding the Florida scrub jay peanuts. Our faces are blurred to protect the guilty.

I had so much fun feeding that little guy that I may fall down the slippery slope of feeding wild animals. With what starts as training my scrub jays to eat out of the hand! So, uhm, yea,  I got to go buy me some of those peanuts!

Seeing with new eyes

This is the view from my office window. I took the image to document the changing weather.


I love this view. I have watched it for 7 years now. I get to see the weather change,  an occasional raptor or flicker fly overhead, a wagon at this is the place national monument run out of control... horses rearing...large dust clouds forming behind it... white canvas wagon cover billowing in the turmoil, mountain bikers and hikers, people play with their dogs, and (during this time of year) the European Starling flocks as they glide gracefully from the light posts, up and over the building, and then back.


European Starlings are gregarious in the autumn and winter months. Meaning, you can only see these wondrous flocks during this time of the year.  My sister in Law witnessed the intense beauty of a starling flock last year at her home in American fork. The starlings, sitting in her back yard, suddenly burst into the air. The sound of their wings filled the home as she watched them take off.  It must have been an incredible experience. And, it must have been a very large flock of starlings due to the sound she described. She seemed disappointed* when I told her what they most likely were. It was not rare or cool bird but, in my opinion, something rare would never be able to create the awesome display she witnessed.
*She was probably disappointed because I always follow with the identification of  European Starlings with "they are a highly invasive and introduced species**". The negativity I have for these birds is a learned response. It is the response of a birder.
** Starlings were introduced by a man who hoped to introduce any bird mentioned in shakespears plays. A romantic and devastating idea.
 

The European Starling is considered a pest in America. It destroys crops and spreads disease due to its massive numbers but it's also a  hole-nesting species which affects native, cavity-nesting species due to competition for nest sites. For example, in North America, the Purple Martin is now widely dependent on artificial nest houses put up by humans, which must be protected from colonization by European Starlings.

Side Tangent.  In one of my favorite books, one of my favorite authors, describes the Starling as something we see within ourselves.

"Perhaps we [the human species] project on to Starlings that which we deplore in ourselves: our numbers, our aggression, our greed, and our cruelty. Like Starlings, we are taking over the world....What makes our relationship to starlings even more curious is that we loathe them, calling in exterminators because we fear disease, yet we do everything within our power to encourage them as we systematically erase the specialized habitats of specialized birds. " Terry Tempest Williams, Refuge 

Side Tangent within a side Tangent: Starlings always remind me of my bushtits due to this e-mail.

BTit: "I had a thought to the other day I wanted to share with you.  It concerns the euro-trash and Garbage eaters :).  I was stuck in traffic one day watching pigeons mate*** under the freeway overpass and the thought occurred to me:  You know we (as humans) come in and drastically alter the environment.  We destroy food sources and shelters and water supplies, and yet amazingly there are a few species that not only survive, despite what we do, but thrive.  They are able to adapt and use our man made buildings for their shelter, and eat our food source (ie garbage).  Shouldn't we admire these species the most?  ....  Yet its these species that we consider pests, and obnoxious.  And its the fragile species that can't weather the change that we admire the most.  

*** not an uncommon occurrence, for pigeon matting and/or a birder to speculate upon it. 

Even though, European Starlings, are a pest they are also a beautiful and successful species that can create a visual and audible intensity not unlike what I saw in Omaha when I went to see the migration of a hundred thousand Sandhill cranes. 

A group of starlings has many collective nouns, including "constellation, "filth", "murmuration", "scourge", and "vulgarity" I think the polarity of the names is interesting since it reflects the diversity of how we feel towards them. For instance, although in the Americas we tend to think of them as pests and exterminate them, in Denmark they are seen differently. The flocks get so huge that it is actually a tourist attraction called "Black sun". Check out some images here. It's an amazing and beautiful natural phenomenon and is described on the visit denmark website as an "aerial ballet" where "enormous flocks of black starlings, sometimes hundreds of thousands, create fascinating patterns in the sky, virtually blocking out the sun" Doesn't that sound amazing? I want to go and see it. Perhaps my mom and I can work in a birding / genealogy trip. (I would even try to stay awake when you tell me all those stories about my family, Ma!)   

I guess, I realized while watching them out my window today, that I actually look forward to seeing them in the winter as they form their large flocks***** and this.... is my call to you, to not miss out on it. 

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes. - Marcel Proust, 1871-1922

Antelope Island; fall Bush-tit birding day trip

Have I told you that I am deeply in love with this place?

Antelope Island Causeway looking North

Red Fox; almost in focus. This little red fox ran across the road; stopping us and two other cars. The wildlife on the island has that effect.

As we left the island, I stopped to take a photo of the causeway, while there Beth noticed these spiders. Their webs were attached to the sage bushes along the roadside. They were EVERYWHERE. I heard an estimate of a hundred billion; after standing there I believe it.  We watched as a grasshopper jumped into a web. A spider, the size of a nickle, raced to the grasshopper wrapping it in seconds. 


I would like to know what kind of spider it was but, you need to know their eye patterns. Apparently spiders have so many eyes that they have options on how they arrange them; depending on the species. So, I will guess, that they are Orb weavers due to the pattern of the web. Its a generalization but it will have to do.

Antelope Island looking North from the north west side of the island. The straight line running through the Great Salt Lake is the Causeway.

A quicky: Bushtit style

Noun 1.  quicky - hurried repair 

The free dictionary 

A string of e-mails:

Me: "B-tit weekender?" 

Beth: "I'm game.......there are spotted owls!!!!!   I can squeeze it in."

Me: "I can go for a quickee this weekend. How about you?"

Beth: "possibly, let me work on it and I'll call you" 

 ...and the next thing I knew, I was sleeping on a strangers floor in Ceder City.

Me looking for the owls. Thanks Beth for the photo!

Beth and I got up early in Ceder city and headed for Zions NP. The owl has been seen within a short section of the Angels Landing trail referred to as refrigerator canyon.  This section of trail winds through two parallel cliff walls and contains a small old growth forest. The prefered habitat of the Spotted owl.

We wandered down the trail pausing to look at every tree and every branch of every tree. Along the way:

• We enjoyed the nest of a House Wren. The excited calls of its young each time the hurried parent entered the nest. 
• We learned the "chink, chink, chink, chink" calls of the Virginia Warbler and wondered at when we last saw them. 
• We ignored the weird looks from other hikers as they wondered about our strange behavior. Move 5 feet. Look at a tree. Listen. Listen. Repeat. 
• We were interrupted by an excited man who wanted to know if we are watching the "tiny, bright, yellow birds?". When I told him we were looking for an owl, expecting him to be impressed, he shrugged and went his way. I did not tell him but, it was obvious he had witnessed his first yellow warbler. 
• We did NOT see the owls. 

So we returned for a second try with plan B: look at the rock wall.  After a few minutes of Plan B, Beth found an owl sitting in a small cave. Out of sight from the trail.

Northern Spotted Owl; Zions NP

 Its mate and young was not seen while we were there.
We then finished the climb.

On the way down we spotted this beauty:

White lined sphinx moth caterpillar; Zions NP

I love being able to throw a last minute trip together. Thanks Beth for sharing in the adventure. I think that this quicky was a bit painful to both of us and our families but it was well worth it. Now on to Lava hot springs and Bear lake!

Has anyone noticed?

If you live in Utah you may be noticing something,

yellow,

with black wings,

two wing bars,

and a red head.

That is slightly smaller than a robin.

Tanner was certain he had seen it at a pet shop but, it is a wild, naturally occurring bird. They have always been here but, these birds are often out of sight, foraging high in trees; inconspicuous.

This year for some reason (perhaps the wet and late Spring) they have been found, in very high numbers, on the benches and in the valley. It seems to me that everyone is talking about them. Usually the conversations start with "I saw the most amazing bird!"

And they are amazing.

Here are a few interesting facts about the Western Tanager.

• The Western Tanager breeds farther north than any other member of its mostly tropical family, breeding to nearly 60°N in the Northwest Territories. 
• The red pigment in the face of the Western Tanager is rhodoxanthin, a pigment rare in birds. It is not manufactured by the bird, as are the pigments used by the other red tanagers. Instead, it must be acquired from the diet, presumably from insects that themselves acquire the pigment from plants. 
• This species was first recorded on the Lewis and Clark expedition(1803-1806). 
• A group of tanagers are collectively known as a "season" of tanagers

Have you seen any at your home?

Developing a sense of place

Sense of place: to know of a place as one's own or the "human capacity for the homing sentiment," to quote Abbey. 

Our yard has been full of surprises as spring takes hold and works her magic. Reminding me how much fun it is to learn about a new place. Like any new friendship, I look forward to all it has to tell me.

I learn that the Gambel Oak is one of the last to put on its new leaves. At first, I miss the leaves and wait daily for the change it would make to our yard but then the birds arrived and I was sad no longer. The naked branches of the Oaks gave me plenty of views as birds twitter through their leafless branches.  

New Gambel Oak buds finally start to form and break open

 I am pleasantly in shock by the number of mysterious bushes and trees in the "Gambel Oak forest" in the backyard. What I thought was a mono-culture of Gambel Oak has is full of other plant species. Some of which I find in the open spaces surrounding my neighborhood. Are they natural? Do the birds and animals use them? Are they invasive? All these questions ramble through my head like loose marbles on a playground. For, I dont want to own my yard I want to be a good steward over it. I want to blend into the environment that surrounds us; to be a part of, not in.

The photos below are of one of the first bushes in my yard to leaf and bloom.  I have no idea what it is. The bushes are interspersed through our forest, their early spring blooms and bright green leafs are a welcome sight as I watch the changes spring brings. By July the bushes, will be filled with Robins who love the red fruit/seeds that cover it. The bushes are so prolific, that our decks and rocks surrounding the yard will be marked red with its juices.

The wildlife has been exciting too. The birds are everywhere! Black-headed Grosbeaks, Yellow Warblers, Orange-crowned Warblers, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Golden-crowned Kinglets, one Green-tailed Towhee, Black chinned hummingbirds, and many Lazuli Buntings are mixed in with the regulars in my yard but we also see herds of deer wander through and the shy squirrels are fun to watch.  Of course, its no surprise that I love the birds and wildlife. Each time I look out a window, I feel the opportunity to see something exciting and new is there but this excitement is amplified when my kids feel that way too. And they do. This love of place is felt throughout, I realize as Casi runs into our room excited about what she just saw from her window.

The Lazili Bunting's are very skittish and I could not get a clear photo through a window. One day I will figure out how to utilize my spotting scope with my digital camera. 

Last night as I started thinking about bed,  Nate suggests we go for a walk in Dimple Dell. We hurriedly put on shoes and coats then head out the door. We wander along the trails that weave through the open space until we reach a small lake. With the setting sun as backdrop we watch the lake and listen; to the the red-winged black birds watery song, the swallows chatter, kids somewhere laughing, a flock of Canada geese fly overhead, a fox silently sits and watches as we walk by, a pair of accipiters fly by silhouetted by the sunset, and Tanner calling to Nate "swing me". I stuff my hands into my pockets and think "we are home".

God gives all men all earth to love,

But since man’s heart is small,

Ordains for each one spot shall prove

Belovèd over all.

—Rudyard Kipling, from “Sussex”

The Omaha adventure starts early

Written on my cell phone on March 10th while sitting at the SLC, airport.

I thought I had everything planned out. In retrospect, though, I forgot a very important detail.

I was cleaning things up at work in preparation for my trip. I had 8 more hours of work and I needed every hour. My phone rang.

It was Bushtit E.  I excitedly answered the phone but she responded with the news of a missed flight. I responded with "Missed flight? We don't leave until tomorrow!?!" She assured me I was wrong. The time showed 3:21 pm. My flight was at 5:07 pm. Today.

Poor Nate took the brunt of it. With the help of Casi, my bags were packed before he bolted from our home. It was 4:06 when he picked me up at Shopko; located near I-80 and foothill. Leaving my car there for pick up later, I got in his truck. Doubt filled my mind, but he assured me he could get me to the airport in 15 min. There was still a chance that I would make the flight... prepared for Omaha weather and Bushtit adventures with whatever Nate and Casidy had packed me. I felt sick to my stomach.

I entered the airport and hurriedly pass the sign to the entrance of the Frontier desk. I noticed it says that you must check in 45 min before departure. I don't stop to read its entirety but it makes me more nervous. I know I am close to that deadline. The same deadline that helped Bushtit E miss her flight. My hand shakes as I slide my credit card into the slot. I have to repeat it three times before I get it right. It finally goes through.

Now, I am sitting on this plane trying to finish off any leftover jitters and sick emotions. I finaly laugh. I can relax.  I start to think of the first two hours of my Omaha adventure. I wonder how many times it will plaque me as I realize the missing items in my bag. 

I feel exhausted so I ask for coffee to help with the hours of airports and flights. Taking the risk associated with ordering an airline coffee but I am rewarded for my risk. Its good and I drink it slow. 

We had many airport blunders this trip.  I thought I would outline them in bullet point form.

1. Bushtit E, flying out of LA, missed her flight to Omaha by ONLY 2 mins due to the "45 min rule".  
2. As you know, I almost missed my flight to Omaha.  I still wonder if I was past the 45 min. rule. 
3. I learn that Nate is great at packing my bags. I had everything I needed the whole trip. I hope to use his skills again. I hate packing for a trip.
4. Bushtit E, after going to a friends home and crashing for the night made it to Omaha around noon the next day. Her bags however did not make it out of Denver for the connection flight.
5. When the airport says that they will drive your luggage to you tonight they mean it will come by FedEx the next day. 
6. Bushtit E gets really happy, after spending three days in the same outfit, when she finally receives her bag.
7. I definitely was past the 45 min rule when I left Omaha. 

A few pictures: (I hope to post a few more later)

This is a lake outside the Omaha airport. Bushtit B and I wandered the trails and boardwalks while we waited for Bushtit E to come in. 

We did a lot of this. Wandering around in farm fields and muddy roads in 20 mile/hour wind with 40 mile/hour wind gusts from the north; 17F wind chill. Yes! The weather performed beautifully!

Leaving for Omaha!

I am off to Ohama, Nebraska for a birding adventure with my B-titties! 


I know. I know. You think I am crazy.Part of me thinks so too. 


I have heard what you have been saying. "Why not the beaches of Hawaii, a show on Broadway, shopping in NY? They all have so much to offer." But Nebraska has much to offer too and for birders, the most notable reason to go to Nebraska is to see the hundreds of thousands of sandhill cranes on the Platte river in March.  That is a lot of crane in one place! Which, allows for nature to put on a  spectacular show of number and sound, with the rising sun as its backdrop. I can hardly wait to see it! 


Below is a video taken at the Rowe sanctuary near Kearney (pronounced Carney). You only need a few seconds to get a feel for what it will be like there. Oh yeah, and the sounds you hear... thats the cranes!

Another part of the experience of going to Omaha, in March, is the weather. Below is an excerpt from another birders trip report. It forewarns to the weather we may experience and the necessity to pack gear for all types of weather. The prospect of bad weather, however, also gets me excited. Because, to have a great adventure you have to pay a price. To witness the Cranes taking off, with the sun, over the Platte River the price, I expect, will be cold. I look forward to paying it.

"How should you dress if you go there?  Well, the day before we arrived it was sunny and calm with the temperature in the 60's.  The Thursday we arrived it was raining hard, the temps were dropping into the low 30's and the wind was blowing very hard out of the northwest.  On Friday we awoke to a temperature of -10 degrees F, accompanied by winds topping out at 50 mph, giving us wind chills of at least 30-40 degrees below zero--the most breath-taking cold we've ever experienced!  Saturday it snowed all morning, but the wind abated, making the 25 degree temperatures feel downright balmy.  By Sunday the wind had picked up again but was blowing hard out of the south, so by the time we pulled into the rental car return lot at the Lincoln Municipal Airport, the temperatures had once again climbed into the 60's.  Enough said?"

-Norm and Fran Sanders 

 See you all soon and hopefully with a great story to tell.

Christmas Bird Count (CBC) 2009

I have been so bad at posting lately. I havent felt much like writing. The fact that I have tried to write is obvious since there are 10 almost blank posts in my "edit posts" box.

The CBC and I have a love hate relationship! Its freaking cold. I don't like the cold. It has taken me Nate two years to purchase enough gear; so I don't shiver all day long.  Ski pants, long johns, 100% wool, scarf wide enough to cover the lower half of your face, hat with ear covers, ski gloves attached to your coat (so you can pull them off and on all day long as you need to flip through a book or look at a map), and boots-water proof and insulated. This year, however, it was practically Bikini weather"; reaching almost 40 degrees mid day. My fingers and toes reached the level of warm after the first hour. I didn't shiver once. I still wore all of my gear, even with the higher temperatures.


So "Why would you want to go out and count birds?" This question was asked by my mother in law and I think its a good question.*


* I also felt this question a few days later as I geared up for a romp in the "wilderness" with my good friend Erin. The low for that day was -2 F, so I don't blame all the questioning looks. I hope to post on that experience later.

It is answered a bit over here where I state:

"The CBC  is an essential part of conservative efforts; providing scientists with 109 years of data regarding bird population fluctuations, migration, northward range extensions, and declining species."  

Kind of a bland statement, but what I am trying to say is that the CBC is a citizen science project.  Meaning, I get to go out and gather data for real live scientist to use. Now, knowing that the CBC data is used for science is a great big fuzzy hug for me but, thats not really why I do it.Which brings me to my next quote from me. Originally posted here.

"... birding is not just about the birds. Birding is an experience with nature."

Which is the real reason why I enjoy the CBC. It helps me get outside during a time when I don't like to; during the cold months of winter.

_________________________________________________________________

A short review of the days counts (12/19/2009):


We started out our day at 8:00 am** at the Jordan River Parkway near 2320 S. Here we observed 40 of the 51 species counted. These included Borrows Goldeneye, Buffleheads, Ruddy ducks, and a surprise from a very vocal Kingfisher. We walked for 2.5 hours at this location. The only downer was the removal of a large section of Russian olive trees where I was hoping to see Spotted Towhees, White-crowned Sparrows, and a billion European Starlings.***  Due to the reclaiming of this area, these species were not seen. I was disappointed, even though I know the area will be better for the birds. So in about 50 -150 years... it will be REALLY cool!


** Rather late, really, after hearing that some of the other groups started the night before at 11:30 pm (the count goes from 12:00 am to 11:59 PM; giving 24 hours of counting. Now theres the crazy people!
*** I may be overstating this number a bit.

Our next stop was Decker Lake, an important area that provides shoreline for shorebirds. The water level of the lake was a bit higher than I normally see providing less shore area. Meaning the shorebird numbers were lower and  adding only ONE greater yellow legs, to our list, and no sandpipers. 12 species were observed here.


We then headed to the Stonebridge Golf course area. Veiwing it from 4646s (IHC building) and from the Discover card and Ingenix building parking lot areas. We saw A LOT of Canada geese (772), a Hooded Merganser, 3 Cackling geese, and one Thayer's gull in a group of 299 Ringed-billed gulls; for a total of 19 species.


After the Stonebridge area we went for lunch before heading to the last two areas along the Jordan River Parkway. We still had not seen the Spotted Towhees and White-crowned Sparrows. Two easy birds for our area.


We stopped at the Jordan River parkway along 4700 S and headed south.  Here we saw 23 species including many Yellow-rumped Warblers, a Marsh wren, 3 song sparrows, a Hermit Thrush, and a MERLIN! The first Merlin I have ever seen in Utah. We worked really hard to find the Spotted Towhees and White-crowned Sparrows, and also California Quails and Ringed-neck Pheasants here but never saw them. Due to this, we decided to check another area along the Jordan River Parkway; 4100 S.  We arrived with about an hour of daylight left. Counting 112 Canada geese, one Merlin flew over head, 10 California Quail, and also our Nemesis birds: the Spotted Towhees and White-crowned Sparrows were seen; for a total of 14 species at this last stop.

Don't let bad jeans ruin a good day!

I sat at our computer, sulking over my coffee and reading anything, I found slightly interesting, on the internet. I was trying to find the energy to go to work. The room I sat in was dark and cold. For me, nothing existed outside the small halo of light produced by the computer screen and I planned to keep it that way. I was trying to hold time still.

Looking for something new to read. Something else to distract the obligations. The immediate checklist that enters my mind upon waking; work, kids, home. I remembered a website I used to visit almost daily. At one time. With the energy of indifference I typed in the address: www.utahbirds.org Clicked on the link for recent (and at times exciting) bird sightings with in the state of Utah, then slowly sifted through the headings:

October and Hummingbirds, Photo of the Rose-breasted Grosbeak in Dugway, Stilt Sandpiper, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher @ Garr Ranch, Rose-breasted Grosbeak at Dugway, Stilt Sandpipers Continue, Lee Kay Ponds, Four days of birding in Utah Co. (no uncommon birds), YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER, Washington Co. birds,Goldfinch.

Finally, I felt motivated. I jumped up from my seat, hurriedly put on shoes and shocks, and started grabbing gear. Scope. Check. Binoculars. Check. Camera. Check. Sibley. Check. Coat. Check. Scarf. Check. Gloves. Check. Hat. Check. I tossed item after item into a pile at the front door, then dragged the two armload's to the car before heading to work.

Tangent: The reason I was having a hard time getting to work is because I am getting fat.

Nested Tangent: O.k. I know I am not fat but, I am getting bigger ...in a good way?Curvier. Round-ier. Hippier. Breast-ier. All good, really because, I'm getting my body back (its been missing for 12 years- another story.) I will not miss "pre-pubescent boy" body. But (and its a big "BUT"!) my clothes no longer fit. Which means, I spend most of my days sucking "it" all in since my "fat" pants are a bit too tight; pushing my belly fat out over the rim of my pants into a great wall of blubber. This "great wall of blubber" circles, like a tire tube, around the middle ... of me. I hate this feeling. Its miserable.

OK where was I? Oh yea. I am getting fat. So last night when I went to Kohl's to buy Tanner clothes, I bought some too. I will admit it took me a while to get up the energy to do it. You see Kohl's has a history with my family. Their clothes suck. The quality is terrible. They shrink, come un-stitched, and they don't handle washing. So when I go to Kohl's (for Tanners clothes only- We love the Tony Hawk clothing line) I don't look at clothes for me. I don't want to be tempted. But, after spending 3 months sucking in the old fatty tire that hangs in the middle ... of me, I was tempted and wandered through my section. Touching. Looking. Searching for a new pair of pants. Something that will make me feel better about this new body.

I know, you still don't know where I am going with this. I will try to get to it but first I have to tell you about my personal history with jeans.

I have a testimony. A testimony of pants and the dollar. You see, for me, the quality of jeans is strongly correlated to the amount you pay (figure 1). I have seen this correlation. I am witness to it. I am a strong believer having spent the majority of my life in bad pants but, I am also a desperate woman without time to go find a great pair of pants... and I was at Kohl's. I was determined to end the discomfort of fatty me with the next size up and a new pair of jeans.

So there I was sitting in front of the computer with one of the two pair of jeans, that I bought, on my body. I could feel the scratchy material against my legs, the lack of support against my bottom; the material having too much lycra would not make it past hour 2. I hated the idea of leaving the house in these pants.

Don't mock me. I know you all have felt the power of great pants. Pants that feel so good you do not ever want to take them off. Pants that you look forward to wearing. Pants you hate to give up to the Laundry basket and only do the day before laundry day. I will stop now, before I start sounding like a Levi's commercial but understand I love a great pair of pants and that these new pants were not such pants. Having only paid 20% of what I paid for my last pair, I knew they would never fit into that category. I knew it at the check stand when I bought them and I knew it, sitting at that computer that morning as I tried to get motivated to leave the house because once I did I could not return the crappy jeans.

Finally founding a distraction, carried everything out to the car, and left for work. Work? Why work? This has to do with the rotation of the planets. Doesn't everything?

Essentially, it was too early and too cold to go birding. It was 6 in the morning on a chilly fall day which for a birder equates to, "I might as well go to work". So I went to work. Hoping to get in a few hours of paid time before I headed to Glover ponds (near Farmington Bay).

By 9:50 am I was, once again, headed out the door. I headed to the... gas station. I needed gas, food, and drink. But then, I was on my way. The sky was clear. It was a perfect day. I may have sang out of tune to the radio as I drove. I was very excited to be out (even in terrible jeans). As I neared the exit to Glover ponds however, the weather changes. The sky darkens and it begins to rain. In seconds there is torrential downpour and I can barley see as I take the exit off the freeway*.

* a very common occurrence as you near the Great Salt Lake.

Within a few minutes I am sitting across from Glover ponds trying to see through the rainy haze for a small, long legged bird. The window to my car is open and I watch as the rain hits the window sill, rebounds up, down, hits the window sill again before it streams down the door and into the car. I was getting wet and I was not seeing the bird I was looking for or even the yellow legs* that it was described as "hanging" with. I have an hour before I should go back to work and so I waited.

* The term Yellow legs refers to two species of birds with long yellow legs and a long thin dark bill. The body is grey brown on top and white underneath; the neck and breast are streaked with dark brown and the tail is white. Both breed in the Boreal forest; migrating through Utah in the spring and fall. Both also forage in shallow water using their bill to stir up insects, small fish and crustaceans.

They are also not each others closest relatives. The lesser yellow legs closets relative is the much larger and quite dissimilar Willet (Pereira & Baker, 2005) due to the patterns demonstrated during breeding. The Greater Yellow legs is related to the Greenshank and Spotted Redshank.

After about 30 minutes the rain stopped; the sun immediately parted the clouds, the sky turned blue, and I heard the sounds of yellow legs; in sync with the weather change. I opened my car door and stepped out to get my spotting scope. The reading I had done, as the rain fell, recited in my head. "Seems structurally similar to yellow legs but more curvaceously lined. Dowitcher shaped but not Dowitcher plump. The bill thicker than yellow legs and decidedly down dropped near the end. Vestigial barring on sides. Tends to forage in open water with Dowitchers; the Yellowlegs in deeper water. Moves deliberately, does not probe like a Dowitcher, or dunk its head like a Yellowlegs. " The easiest way to ID this bird from similar species is to use "GISS". A funny birding term that means "General impression of size and shape". Its coloring, speckling, striping, leg length, bill shape, ect would not be helpful."Yeah", I thought sarcastically as prepped the spotting scope, "a slam dunk".

I scanned the small pond and noted the large group of Dowitchers at the back of the pond and the smaller group of yellow legs at the shore closest to me. I then noted a long-legged sandpiper to the right of the Yellow legs; and in shallower water. I placed the scope on that bird. Immediately noted the vestigial stripping, the thicker bill, shape-lier outline, and droopy bill. I was looking a Stilt Sandpiper; my target bird. I spent the remaining 30 min studying the Stilts characteristics against the yellow legs and dowitchers. Before I left, I noted my new jeans, now wet and dirty from the rain and muddy roads, would stay in my closet. And, I still hated them.

Remember a time

A man stands in line and dances to a tune.

He remembers. He remembers a time; a time, of youth, and passion, and music. He remembers with the movement of his body.

His belly no longer flat, bulges through a light blue, button down shirt. The bottom two buttons not buttoned, give brief views of a world not many want to see. Yet he dances. His white belly, light brown hairs strewn across, peaks out as he thrusts and jostles.

His eyes now wrinkled around the edges are closed. His forehead bare, no longer with thick locks, is cocked slightly to one side and up. And his mouth moves, as he silently sings the lyrics of the song that plays.

The tune from the radio, everyone hears, yet only he dances and no one else. His heal thumps the ground. Thump. Thump. Thump. His feet move to the beat. Beat. Beat. Beat. His hand slaps his thigh. Slap. Slap. Slap. And his hips give slight thrust in tune to the music. His music. His time. His story.

I stand in line too and watch as the story plays out in his own interpretive dance. I love the man. I love his story, his passion, and love for a song. I love seeing into his memory. Perhaps, a favorite time in his past. I even love the expression on a teenagers face as his dad lives. Lives within a memory, if only briefly, in the form of a dance.

I am in Zions National Park with a friend and we are at the Zions lodge. We hope to quench our thirsts for caffeine before taking the bus down the canyon, to our cars, and then home. It's been a great trip. One of laughing, hiking, birding and friendship and ...

I want to remember:

The excitement as we realize both of us own (and love) cute little hachbacks.

Enjoying each others complaints about wind, dirt, leaf debree, and occasional insect that gets into out sleeping bags. And choosing not to act on the complaints, by putting up a tent. Both of us loving to sleep out under the stars.

Note: Forgive the image. Borrowed from another bushtit trip with another great bushtit

Note of note: A bushtit is a very small drab grey bird with a long tail. They have a very social nature, in that they are often in a flock of up to 40 individuals, are very noisy, and tend to hang with other species of birds. Bushtit is also what the group of girls I bird with call ourselves. I am sure you can see the resemblance.

The pain of accomplishment.

Recovering from the pain of accomplishment.

The ability to recognize a great photo opportunity

The shared love and appreciation of a great view

Hike states:

Observation point:

Elevation gain: A freaking lot!

Miles: 8

Temperature: > 108F, exposed, hotter than hell.

Water: not enough

Hidden Canyon:

Elevation Gain: 1,000 ft

Miles: >3.2

Temperature: <108f

Emerald Pools:

Elevation Gain: What elevation gain?

Miles: 3

Temperature: Shady!