New Blog for 2012 big year

My son Liam and I are doing a big year for 2012
Check it out at www.birdingbuddiesbigyear.blogspot.com

A few pics from Pelee 2011!

Best National Park entrance sign ever!

At the tip.

Prothonatary Warbler looking at how pretty he is.

Smores in a minute

Hooded Warbler

At the campsite

Test your i.d. skills

Loss for words.

Greater Scaup

Great Horned Owl baby

Yes, at the point at the tram drop off. Pipistrelle Bat

Me and Liam at the 42nd parallel

Finally saw the Garganey

Sorry I dont have a better pic for you...it is a beautiful bird!

GARGANEY in Ohio

There has been a Garganey at the Fernald Preserve and I have tried for 2 days to see it with no luck. This is usual for me when I try to see a rare bird and I apologize to everyone after me as it surely left when it saw me coming.

Highlights were
Marsh Wren
Grasshopper Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Greater Yellowlegs

and at Miami Whitewater Wetlands
Brown Thrasher
Sora
Swamp Sparrow

CHECK IT OUT!!

http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles

Tell your mothers and your brothers.....

Getting ready to fire this blog up again. Texas soon and more to come! Malarkey get on board and let all your monkey friends know!

CAPE MAY was a bit SLow but GREAT as USUAL!!

View from the lighthouse of the lifer Eurasian Widgeon I got this trip!

Brian checking the band on a Red-tailed Hawk

Took the kids this year and Liam really got into watching for raptors from the blind. He has a good eye. He was very excited to hold his first sharpie! One of the other blinds did catch and release a Goshawk!

Birded a bit here and there with a distant Razorbill at Avalon sea watch. I also got a nice Winter Wren at Higbee Beach. The highlight really though was an unexpected close up of a Tundra Swan. A nice lifer for me!(dont look at my life list by the way, it needs serious updating and correcting) in the consevancy parking lot. A couple of Merlins put on a show there too another day. Another a

The highlight of the trip had to be Pete Dunne helping Liam pick out his first pair of binoculars at the Cape May Bird Observatory. Thanks Pete!

Scott I missed you!

Brian thank you!

GOLDFINGAAAHHH

I know its not much but here is a pick of the Goldfinches who have found my Purple Coneflower.

Is anybody out there?

NEW YARD BIRD!!

Got a cool one to add to the yard list. Broad-winged Hawk.
Also got Killdeer for a new yard bird a few weeks ago! A real one, not a mockingbird.
These may not seem a big deal but where I live I am lucky to see anything other than invasives and robins.
A walk at AJ Jolly got a couple of Green Herons and other usual KY summer birds.

I think I am losing my birding mind.

BIRDING BATTERIES

I need to figure out a way to recharge my birding batteries. I have not been out in forever.... all work and no birding make eddie a dull boy.
I think an end of summer trip to Madera Canyon may be in order. Its fantastical there!

Our new "PUR" snake bags are in!

NIGHTHAWKS

I love watching the nighthawks every evening. I always wait for them each spring and point them out to my neighbors when they arrive. I found a roadkill nighthawk out in ND a couple of summers ago. I knew they had wide mouths but until you open one in your hands you can't really imagine how big...it is like their whole head splits in half like a muppet! Things are so busy with Pin-up Reptiles I have not been "birding" at all. If you are looking for something more interesting than nothing check out the "Reptile Rant" blog hypertexted to the right for the Pin-up Reptile "news" Hatching baby snakes and what not!

Little Miami Prothonatary Warblers

Kayaking the Little Miami produced some singing Pothonatary Warblers and some pot smokin' kids. We paddled around Armleder for awhile and then I went to Magrish to pick up the boats as 2 others floated down to there from Armleder. When I got there we walked in adjacent to some kids who looked like they were up to no good. I ignored them but when my 4 year old daughter started to cough and gag on their whacky tobacky smoke and said yuck whats that smell I called the cops. They showed up just in the nic of too late and nothing happened. A local lady came down at this time though and talked to me thanking me for calling the cops as they are sick of all the drug problems at Magrish. Kids, if you are going to smoke pot at least find somplace more private and dont disrupt families holiday weekends. dumbasses.

PUMA

Went kayaking at AJ Jolly yesterday and was pleased to see some PUrple MArtins. I don't see them very often. I caught a glimpse of something briefly that I can't register other than Osprey...suppose thats possible. Where is the best place to bird in North America right now?!

I'M BACK!!!

Whoopdy frikin' doo!

Cinicnnati Peregrine

I have seen a Peregrine recently on 2 occasions flying near the big mac bridge.
My computer is broken and I cant update blog right now. I am at the library. It may be a month before I start updating again.

I Made It!

The kids all finally went back to school today! Woo hoo! Thanks for your support and encouragement to make it through these trying times!
I really thought I was going to get down to TX but I am so busy with the new business I just can't find the time. In case you didn't know the new business is a lifelong dream and is now underway. Visit www.pinupreptiles.com if you are curious. If you come here to find another week go by with no entry you can always bore yourself to tears by looking at my Reptile Rant blog as well. It is in place to offer news on the Pin-up Reptiles website. I will put a link to it on the sidebar. Have we any plan details or Pelee this year guys? I guess it is a bit early but I am getting cabin fever and Mother's Day will be here before we know it. Why couldn't those damn warblers migrate through Pelee on Father's Day?! Then I wouldn't have to put up with the rolling eyes and sighs of disappointment every year because I am making birding more important than my children's mother.

MAYBEE My Last Post?!

The kids have been off school many days due to snow and I don't think I am going to make it. If they don't all go tomorrow I am going to end it all.

FEE BEE, FEE BAY

I heard the first fee bee, fee bay of 2010 from a chickadee this morning. It is always surprising to hear it again after not hearing it all winter.

Amazon Kingfisher

Texas is awesome. I need to go there or better yet live there. They have an Amzon Kingfisher down there right now! What about Bare-throated Tiger Heron? Maybe a Roadside Hawk? Maybe instead of Cape May every year we should go to TX every year?

Amazon Kingfisher - Photo courtesy of Nick Athanas

CONGRATULATIONS SMITH FAMILY!!!!!!

Thank you & Congratulations for bringing a new birder into the world!

IVORY GULL

My friend? went to Georgia to see an Ivory Gull and all I got was this lousy blog entry.
What an amazing looking bird!



Photos courtesy of the amazing Scott Somershoe!

Red-shouldered Hawk

I was just sitting at my desk a moment ago and heard a strange bird yelping outside. I knew it was "something" so I grabbed my glass (always at hand on my desk) and ran out the front door. I saw a "civilian" (non-birder) looking up and heard again clearly a Red-shouldered Hawk and visually confirmed as he circled overhead and skreaked all the while. After a minute he shot away out of sight. A very cool sighting and hearing of a another new yard bird!

Stories of Glory

Dawn broke like an egg on the morning of the Ingloriuos Birders "Winter Meet". Six hours later there was only a couple of hours left until the scheduled meeting time of 2:30 pm. The anticipation I felt was minimal. As it turned out that imfamous day only two of us could make it. The others were busy with other things and Brian is too glorious to join us.... like a peacock in full display! Ryan was in no hurry and decided to push back the meet time to 3:30 so he could play a few more hands of poker. Maybe now you are starting to understand the "inglorious" part since we call ourselves birders and can't bother to actually go birding. Anyway we finally got on the road and the wind whipped the cold to our core. Actually now that I think back, it was sunny and surprisingly pleasant for what we had expected. None the less, I had my bottle of JD close at hand and rushed slowly out into the day binocular wet with anticipation. Hold on, I think my goetta is burning. Ok, I am back. Damn, goetta is good. Our first stop was Armleder with hopes of snipe, rare sparrows and golden nuggets in my head. We didn't see anything of interest and my demeanor didn't change at all. Oh, and I forgot; we stopped at Magrish River Preserve on the way and saw nothing there as well. The magic and memories of the day had begun with a fizzle of fun. Our last chance for a winter rarity and final stop was the private pit. Camp Dennison. Our chances were good; after all, 18 SMEW! had been reported here! We pulled into the trailhead and I couldn't help but think "this is it" I finally can have a drink of whiskey. As we walked to the bitter end of our allowed distance from the site we were greeted with the most amazing sight! SWANS! And Mute Swans at that! What a wonderful cap to a craptastic day! Now to go pratice my hip hop and pop moves.

List for the day

Song Sparrow
American Crow
Carolina Wren
Carolina Chickadee
American Robin
Northern Cardinal
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
White-throated Sparrow
American Tree Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Tufted Titmouse
Blue Jay
American Kestrel
Cooper's Hawk
American Coot
Bufflehead
Redhead
Canvasback
Ring-necked Duck
Mallard
Ruddy Duck
Canadian Gouse
Gadwall
Hooded Merganser
Mute Swan
Rock Dove
Mourning Dove
Ring-billed Gull
Red-bellied Woodpecker
White-breasted Nuthatch
Downy Woodpecker
Probable Merlin, Brian ; )

Typical

Bengals: Lots of talent blowing in the wind

Bengals Fan: Really thought this was the year



If you happen to be near Indy Saturday the 16th come visit me at the Midwest Reptile Show 10-4pm at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. http://www.midwestreptile.com/welcome.html
http://www.pinupreptiles.com/


Birding today:Stories of Glory tomorrow

Winter Birding Meet

Well, it looks like only Ryan and I will be birding on the 10th. Is that in 2 days?! Since everyone else has bailed we are sure to find some earth shattering discovery that will make us gods in the birding world. Is that like being the cool guys at a Star Trek convention? Probably not that impressive but you are sure to be jealous of what will surely turn out to be an outing of infamy. In what kind of world are we living that we are giving money to criminals running defunct unsuccessful business models while 15 year old high school kids are having bake sales to help pay down the national debt? And don't go jumping on Obama because McCain would have done the bailouts too. And yeah, Tiger phucked up but what chance did he have....his father basically told the world he was the second coming of christ and the media burned him hard and fast every time he tried to be a real person in the beginning of his pro career. Hopefully this will be an eye opener for him and he will realize he is "human" and be a better "person". That would be good for golf and him and us, weather you know it or not. Basset Hound puppies are very cute. Come to think of it so are Bull Mastiff puppies. Do any of you know anyone in the ABS injection molding business? More to say but Princess Elle demands my attention. Have fun getting your nails polished this weekend ladies.

Another new yard bird this winter...

Ring-billed Gull. He was sitting on the feeder getting mobbed.....it was a flyover...3 of them. First time in 8 years!

"Inglorious Birders" Winter Meet

Sunday, January 10th - 2:30 pm

Meet at Armleder Park

You know who you are!

Yes Dan, you are one too....jackass.

Birding in 2010

I started out in 2008 trying to see as many species as I could with 500 the goal in one year. Finance dictated less travel than I had hoped for and I came up well short. I wanted to get an early start and took Liam, 6 years old at the time, out on Jan 1 and birded all day. We got about 60 species if I remember correctly. He also went to AZ with me to get some great birds including about 12 hummingbird species. Now he wants to go out every Jan 1 to start out the year birding. We were busy yesterday and couldn't get out until about 4pm. We only had time to go to one place and he chose "the off road place" or as local birders know it, the Oxbow. We only saw 27 species(I guess I can't do the bakers dozen Jeff) in our brief time frame but had a good time. It was colder than a well diggers ass sitting on an ice block....in Antarctica....during the winter....on a windswept plateau. It was cold.

We saw a Red-shouldered Hawk on the way and when we got there found at least a hundred American Tree Sparrows.

Remembering the feeling of security while birding AZ with my 6 year old.

Soy Un Observador

Im a birder baby, so why don't you kill me?
I'm a birder, I'm a winner; things are gonna change, I can feel it.