tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16222223423430434902024-02-07T16:59:11.505-08:00The Birding ParentThe Adventures of a Birding FamilyMarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14960180670660095665noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1622222342343043490.post-18501814643976277632011-03-07T11:00:00.000-08:002011-03-07T11:40:41.880-08:00BirdLife International CommunityA Review of BirdLife International Community<br />
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Birding is a hobby that many people don't take seriously. By "many people", I mean people who are not birders. Most seem to be under the impression that birding is an uncomplicated exercise, comprised of arriving at a random place, finding a bird, raising a pair of binoculars, exclaim "Nice looking bird, right there !" and go home.<br />
Birding is a much deeper activity, as non-birders will never appreciate the research birders use to find species, the planning that goes into every trip or even the enjoyment upon seeing these fantastic creatures ( never mind the enjoyment of just being outdoors ). It is deep because birding forces the participant to ask questions. Admittedly, some of these questions may be banal: "Is that a Hermit Thrush or grey-Cheeked Thrush ?" . Others are profound. For me, there is one question that I hear, whenever I see a bird: "Will my kids be lucky enough to see this bird some day ?"<br />
Conservation is a part of birding; many birders may debate the ins, the outs and the details but I am positive that when a birder watches a bird, they hear a profound question. Maybe not the same as mine. Maybe more selfish ( "How can I make sure I see this bird again ?" ) or less selfish ( "Will everyone in the world have the chance to see this bird ? " ). Regardless, we always answer the question with: "Conservation".<br />
There are many organizations that are devoted to conservation. I have a list of several on my blog, that I encourage everyone to check out. However, I would like to direct everyone's attention to <a href="http://www.birdlife.org/community/">Birdlife International's Community page</a>. Birdlife is an organization that focuses on the conservation issues that affect birds and by extension, biodiversity. There are also many partner organizations that work in conjunction with Birdlife. For instance in Canada, Bird Studies Canada is the Birdlife International regional partner. Given the resources and the global scope, these organizations are able to accomplish many good things whether its research, identifying important habitat, lobbying governments or even just celebrating nature.<br />
BirdLife's Community provides a central area for organizations to share news and ideas. The global nature is impressive and its always nice to see positive work being done on behalf of conservation. Here is an opportunity for people and organizations to get interact and become engaged in conservation work. There is a lot of potential and full credit to BirdLife for setting up the infrastructure to get people talking about and working towards conservation goals.<br />
On a personal note, I love reading news about many of the exotic species, many of which I probably won't see. But there is always that question: "Will my kids have the chance to see this species ?". Check it out and if you are interested; remember to also look at the <a href="http://www.bsc-eoc.org/">Bird Studies Canada</a> page as well. Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14960180670660095665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1622222342343043490.post-27962067831780168612011-03-07T09:16:00.000-08:002011-03-07T11:41:48.341-08:00A Day at the MuseumWhat to do when it's raining in March ? Go to the museum, of course. Some highlights from the Royal Ontario Museum...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">THE DAUGHTER with T-Rex in the background<br />
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</tbody></table>Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14960180670660095665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1622222342343043490.post-37375509039016961552011-03-06T18:39:00.000-08:002011-03-07T11:26:14.204-08:00Ralph the Pelican...Here's a funny story my brother told me about a while ago. <a href="http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/949694--ralph-the-pelican-heads-to-u-s-sanctuary?bn=1">Ralph the pelican is heading back to the U.S.</a>Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14960180670660095665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1622222342343043490.post-72408744740624615092011-03-02T15:31:00.000-08:002011-03-04T20:03:37.885-08:00Honduras - Rio Amarillo and Home - Part 3 of 3<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready for a hike ?</td></tr>
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My Fourth and Fifth Day in Honduras - Rio Amarillo Nature Reserve and Bird # 500 ?<br />
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For my last full day in Honduras, Robert and I drove to the Rio Amarillo reserve. This reserve is unique; a rare patch of lowland rainforest in western Honduras. So the possibility for a whole batch of new birds beckoned but I soon ran into the price that ornithophiles have to pay: It is one hard hike...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Approaching the forest at Rio Amarillo</td></tr>
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I imagine that Rio Amarillo is a challenging hike on a good day. To reach the actual forest reserve you must walk through a few cow pastures. Once you reach the forest, the hiking is all steeply uphill and then subsequently, all steeply downhill. Now, that is a good day: This day was wet and miserable, which turned a good, hard hike into an old-fashioned trudge. By the end of the day, my thighs ached, my calves were marked from the innumerable thorny plants that grow along the trails and my boots were caked with what I really hope was mud. Thankfully there were some good birds hanging around to reward my efforts.<br />
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A nice flock of WHITE-FRONTED PARROTS, BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCKS and an overhead AMAZON KINGFISHER were seen on the drive to the reserve. SOUTHERN HOUSE WREN, VAUX'S SWIFT, RUFOUS-AND-WHITE WREN, MASKED TITYRA, RUDDY CRAKE, RED-LEGGED HONEYCREEPER, ROADSIDE HAWK and BRONZED COWBIRD showed up as we trudged trhough the pasture to the forest. Hummingbirds like LONG-BILLED HERMIT, STRIPE-THROATED HERMIT, CROWNED WOODNYMPH and RUFOUS-TAILED HUMMINGBIRD popped up along the forest trail. One spot led to sightings of PLAIN ANTVIREO, PLAIN XENOPS, GOLDEN-CROWNED WARBLER, WEDGE-BILLED WOODCREEPER and TAWNY-CROWNED GREENLET. Further up the hillside, a RED-CAPPED MANAKIN performed it's "wing-popping" display and two KEEL-BILLED TOUCANS put in a brief cameo.<br />
The trip back down the hill yielded more birds: SMOKY-BROWN WOODPECKER, RED-THROATED ANTTANAGER, SEPIA-CROWNED FLYCHATCHER and a surprising RUDDY FOLIAGE-GLEANER ( more likely in cloud forest so this one was a little out of place ). The return walk through the pasture gave us YELLOW-THROATED EUPHONIAS and a flock of WHITE-CROWNED PARROTS.<br />
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Back at La Chorcha, I turned my attention to packing, a bit of souvenir shopping ( downtown Copan Ruinas is a 5 minute walk from the La Chorcha property ) and resting. A few of the regulars ( can you imagine calling a cinnamon hummingbird a regular ? ) came and went as I stayed planted on a chair, watching from my cabin patio ( taking a slumber in that hammock too...). Nothing jump-off-your-seat exciting, though. The following morning after a drive to the airport, a good-bye and thank you to Robert for his guiding and expertise, I was on a plane back to Toronto. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The La Chorcha property. Can you see the cabins ?</td></tr>
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During my return trip, I thought about the birds I saw but also those tantalizing near-misses. Spot-Bellied Bobwhite and Spotted Wood-Quail around the grounds La Chorcha ( *sigh*)...Black-headed Siskin, Grace's Warbler, Spot-Breasted Wren and Olive Warbler from Las Lagunas-San Francisco Rd. ( all of them heard but not seen ). The hummingbird at Macaw Mountain I couldn't identify ( Azure-fronted, maybe ? ) ... The tantalizing call-in of a Black-faced Antthrush ( arrrgghhh...so close !) as well as Squirrel Cuckoo at Rio Amarillo.To make all these near-misses more agonizing, my life list was around 450 before thetrip.Obviously, I wanted to check off Bird #500 but it was going to be very close.Unfortunately for me, I had a lot of unexpected brooding time because I got stranded in Detroit for 24 hours due to inclimate weather.<br />
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By the time I reached home and entered all my info ( cheap plug for <a href="http://www.birdstack.com/">http://www.birdstack.com/</a> ), I found my life list hit 500 right on the button. Number 500, it turns out, was a bird I found late in the afternoon after returning from Rio Amarillo. Two of them hopped around the cabins at La Chorcha for a good ten minutes before coming into view clearly. Even once the species was ID'd, I thought I had already seen this bird on my honeymoon in Costa Rica. It turns out those two RUFOUS-CAPPED WARBLERS are milestone birds and I have to declare them my MVB ( Most Valuable Bird ) for this trip ( all apologies to the Barred Antshrike). <br />
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A big thank you to Robert Gallardo, his wife and their staff. The cabins at La Chorcha ( <a href="http://lachorchalodge.com/">http://lachorchalodge.com/</a> ) are wonderful and my recommendation goes without saying. Robert is also a teriffic guide and I wouldn't have had half as many birds without his help. Also a big thank you to 10,000 Birds for picking my name as the contest winner. And a huge thank you to my wife for staying home with our two young children while I was away.Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14960180670660095665noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1622222342343043490.post-6612207615570309332011-03-02T09:15:00.000-08:002011-03-04T20:04:26.737-08:00Honduras - Copan and Macaw Mountain - Part 2 of 3<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioGeeAvfPByo26Jt3zgzWRqu_lfqAzH_6caCnflae2ENnL8lMbD5mQ7chnE7X5ahpF-lzEUTbWML1EytO6jKVXF4rH9yoLwxT3Dcf4aIfnWvXnO2Gag97hWPgbujIaqRfMF6j1oCteH0o/s1600/DSC_1223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioGeeAvfPByo26Jt3zgzWRqu_lfqAzH_6caCnflae2ENnL8lMbD5mQ7chnE7X5ahpF-lzEUTbWML1EytO6jKVXF4rH9yoLwxT3Dcf4aIfnWvXnO2Gag97hWPgbujIaqRfMF6j1oCteH0o/s320/DSC_1223.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking over the ruins at Copan</td></tr>
</tbody></table>My Third day in Honduras - Copan Ruins and Macaw Mountain<br />
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My third day in Honduras would be a little less birdy and more traditional touristy. It began with visiting the ruins of Copan in the morning. The first sight of the ruins as you walk out from the forest is impressive. I felt a sense of the grandeur that must existed in this place 1000+ years ago. I also loved the ability to wander around the buildings and <em>stelas</em> ( statues ) and just explore. It's refreshing compared to other attractions that have such strict "hands-off" policies that make them boring and sterile. The associated open-air museum is also great with a full scale recreaction of a temple that was discovered intact ( with original paint ! ) beneath some of the other buildings. It is very cool and you are able to walk through the rebuilt temple. There are also many examples of the original stonework and facades in the museum. <br />
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The whole thing is also sobering. To think of 20,000 people living in this area, building these monuments that survive nature and the jungle to be here today. Yet, the people disappeared, vanishing suddenly due to ecological damage and a lifestyle that was not sustainable. Food for thought, I guess...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-hdJAqqoaArOKZc2feBWo3k6Vfy5SMeIQGdEQuiMhldP8YqzvzBZElrA4-irOqcXBp8-3KStPvJtUskV83Wx0oZj5XYMyLjCoV_7ceVjJlxjTlUI67kH5KSM1qgNQ-AGkqvhLPMy6slU/s1600/DSC_1260.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-hdJAqqoaArOKZc2feBWo3k6Vfy5SMeIQGdEQuiMhldP8YqzvzBZElrA4-irOqcXBp8-3KStPvJtUskV83Wx0oZj5XYMyLjCoV_7ceVjJlxjTlUI67kH5KSM1qgNQ-AGkqvhLPMy6slU/s320/DSC_1260.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More Ruins</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rosalila Temple Reconstruction in the Copan Museum</td></tr>
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</div>I also snuck in a visit to Macaw Mountain. This bird sanctuary features many birds on display, most rescued from the pet trade. It is interesting to see these birds close-up but a little sad. Personal opinion: Birds just don't look right in cages. The property however is very picturesque with many trails and the open-air cafe has the best smelling coffee. They roast the beans on-site and the fragarance is rich and very pleasant. Hmm....I can imagine it now. I don't drink coffee at all ( most of my coffee thoughts begin and end with a funny face and *bleh* ) but I was almost tempted. Almost. I did buy a bag of the stuff to bring home for my coffee-connosieur wife ( she gave a very positive review, for the information of any bean-heads out there ).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxGt0FH3rQo6NSy6SbmvvcA5jjP8l3H7bZxAkhTKgEonahzHs6Le5b07-DtQGmZIz0BXaArut2qtJyydgmF71AQ-eWfs6bcRDrqlWJ31KUDXYxIseD-pLvlYUjmt6ZHOEDMHFRN9P00Qc/s1600/DSC_1322.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxGt0FH3rQo6NSy6SbmvvcA5jjP8l3H7bZxAkhTKgEonahzHs6Le5b07-DtQGmZIz0BXaArut2qtJyydgmF71AQ-eWfs6bcRDrqlWJ31KUDXYxIseD-pLvlYUjmt6ZHOEDMHFRN9P00Qc/s320/DSC_1322.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Toucan at Macaw Mountain</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Macaws out for a stretch</td></tr>
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Oh and while out in non-birding mode, I added GROOVE-BILLED ANIS, NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH, GREAT SWALLOW-TAILED SWIFT and a very close-range TURQUOISE-BROWED MOTMOT. Not bad...but I would be back in a birding state of mind the next day at the Rio Amarillo Nature Reserve...Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14960180670660095665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1622222342343043490.post-24067073964333766442011-03-02T09:13:00.000-08:002011-03-04T20:05:04.758-08:00Honduras - La Chorcha Lodge - La Laguna-San Francisco Rd.- Part 1 of 3<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Welcome to Honduras !!!!</td></tr>
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My First two days in Honduras - La Chorcha Lodge and the La Laguna-San Francisco Rd.<br />
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Wow, Honduras ! I was fortunate enough to win the contest through the 10,000 Birds Conservation Club that set me up with accomodations at La Chorcha Lodge in Copan and a guided tour with Robert Gallardo. I got the news on Canada Day weekend. After a moment of stunned silence and subsequent online scrambling, I had tickets booked to San Pedro Sula for August. My plan was to stay four nights at La Chorcha Lodge and enjoy two day trips guided by Robert.<br />
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Upon arrival in Honduras, I met Robert and we set off from San Pedro Sula Airport to Copan Ruinas. It was a three-and-a-half hour drive with some interesting sites, one massive thunderstorm and a few birds including my first lifer of the trip: a TROPICAL MOCKINGBIRD.<br />
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At La Chorcha, I settled in to my cabin. The cabins are excellent: comfortable, spacious and bugfree (This fact cannot be understated !) . Oh, and they come with a hammock !<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hammock !</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from La Chorcha cabin</td></tr>
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And birds...In no time I added CINNAMON HUMMINGBIRD, GRAY-BREASTED MARTIN,<br />
SPOT-BREASTED ORIOLE, GRAYISH SALTATOR and BLACK-HEADED SALTATOR to my life list. MELODIUS BLACKBIRD, CLAY-COLOURED ROBIN/THRUSH, GREATER KISKADEE, TROPICAL KINGBIRD, a giant roost of BLACK VULTURES in the evening and noisy flock of ORANGE-FRONTED PARAKEETS in the morning. <br />
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After a wonderful breakfast on the lodge patio, Robert and I headed out for some morning birding along the La Laguna - San Francisco Rd. This road winds up through the mountains around Copan, cutting through fields, scrub, broadleaf forest ( interspersed with shade-grown coffee plantations ) and, at the mountaintop, evergreen forest. Within a minute of stopping at our first stop, a RUFOUS-BROWED PEPPERSHRIKE was spotted. In the fields that surrounded the road we saw BLUE-BACK GRASSQUIT, WHITE COLLARED SEEDEATER, PLAIN WREN, BLUE GROSBEAK, RUSTY SPARROW, a vocal FERRUGINOUS PYGMY-OWL, YELLOW-WINGED TANAGER, BOAT-BILLED FLYCATCHER, NORTHERN BEARDLESS TYRANNULET and GRAY-CROWNED YELLOWTHROAT. A little further up the road Robert called in a male BARRED ANTSHRIKE, one of the most memorable birds I have ever seen. If asked to describe it, I would have to say TV static come to life. A minute later, a series of shrill calls rang out and a flock of four WHITE-THROATED MAGPIE-JAYS appeared. Tough to beat that one-two ! We also added a lone PLAIN CHACHALACA, a bold TURQUOISE-BROWED MOTMOT and GOLDEN-FRONTED WOODPECKER before heading further up the road.<br />
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At this point, the terrain changes from field and scrub to a mature forest. After a few near misses on some lifers ( more on that later ), a stop at a shade-grown coffee farm yielded the near-endemic BUSHY-CRESTED JAY and YELLOW-BACKED ORIOLE.<br />
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A little further up the mountain, we arrived at another plantation with many fruiting trees like mistletoe. No elegant euphonias ( not the right time of year ) but a few minutes of observation allowed us a brief look at an IVORY-BILLED WOODCREEPER, NORTHERN BARRED WOODCREEPER, BROWN-BACKED SOLITAIRE and, the piece de resistance, two EMERALD TOUCANETS. I must admit -I love toucans; their appearance is near comical and they display such personality. A particularly grumpy toucanet flew up into a large tree and proceeded to make sounds that I can only guess were the toucan equivalent of cursing. We walked along the road into a patch of broad-leaf forest where SLATE-THROATED REDSTART and WHITE-BREASTED WOOD WREN hopped around the bushes along the road. <br />
At the top of the road, the vegetation turned to evergreen forest. I missed a couple of lifers but came up with an ACORN WOODPECKER and a particularly playful IVORY-BILLED WOODCREEPER that flew around us for a good two minutes, providing for some wonderful binocular-free viewing. A nice way to finish off our trip list. And so we headed back down the road, winding along the mountain...wait, what was that ??? <br />
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A near-suicidal LESSER ROADRUNNER jumping in front of our taxi !!! Now that's the way to get a life bird !<br />
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It was a nice morning but the birding never stops when you are staying at La Chorcha. There are trails that wind through the property and provide plenty of birding opportunities. During my time over the next couple of days I had beautiful views of a friendly female SALVIN'S EMERALD, STREAK-BACKED ORIOLE, INCA DOVE, WHITE-WINGED DOVE, WHITE-TIPPED DOVE, a seemingly-everywhere BLUE-CROWNED MOTMOT, YELLOW-OLIVE FLYCATCHER, TROPICAL PEWEE, ROSE-THROATED BECARD and, for all lepidopterists, a HUMMINGBIRD MOTH ( which stumbled into the territory of a cinnamon hummingbird; The poor bird was puzzled when it's normal methods of intimidation didn't work on the moth ). And so ended a nice long day of birding...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwENR0kdElQA1CWxUXmf3yaBx9yIzl0AvBi8q6btoybvwmQQZ3tN777aT_B61-MZhXqTyORGJmUEobt_lCpIWYMQuyB5pazxEUR8jHNLRkplC1_Nmk-ms4bV_CgLZa9Qmq-NMQQj-ZTkM/s1600/DSC_1175.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwENR0kdElQA1CWxUXmf3yaBx9yIzl0AvBi8q6btoybvwmQQZ3tN777aT_B61-MZhXqTyORGJmUEobt_lCpIWYMQuyB5pazxEUR8jHNLRkplC1_Nmk-ms4bV_CgLZa9Qmq-NMQQj-ZTkM/s320/DSC_1175.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good night !</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14960180670660095665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1622222342343043490.post-12718018371549202702011-03-02T09:02:00.000-08:002011-03-04T20:02:39.231-08:00THE SON and the OwlMy son is an interesting character. He is a nice, cute boy who is very empathetic, crying whenever his sister cries or if there some other "distress" occurring around him. However, he is also temperamental...very temperamental.<br />Anyways, I took THE SON out for a little expedition after picking him up from daycare. The subject of our expedition: A BARRED OWL that has been hanging around Cranberry Marsh this winter ( see my post from Feb. 26th ).<br />The owl was easy to find, as it decided to sit out in the open and attracted several photographers. I carried my son down the icy trail to join this group. The owl was clearly unfazed by the attention, turning it's head now and then but doing nothing else ( To their credit, the photographers were keeping their distance ). I tried to point the owl out to my son but, between the owl staying so still and the distraction of the photographers clicking away, I'm not sure my son even saw the owl.<br />So after a few minutes, I'm ready to leave and I precede our leaving by saying "Bye-bye Owl". To which my son responds with a hell-hath-no-fury scream. At this point, I'm walking up the trail as fast as I can to get him away from the photographers and all the way my son is bawling out the words "NOOOOOOOoooooooo, OOOOOWWWWWLLLLLL". Even when we got to the car, his crying continued and the only way I could bring him back was to ask him what noise the owl made ( to which he responded with the saddest hooting noise possible ). I think I have an owl fan on my hands...Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14960180670660095665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1622222342343043490.post-60488285676994579622011-02-27T20:19:00.000-08:002011-03-04T20:02:39.235-08:00Cranberry MarshA nice morning at Cranberry Marsh. A few interesting birds beyond the omnipresent chickadees. WILD TURKEYS were feeding on the trail from the North Parking Area, which THE SON was quite impressed with. There was a small flock of HORNED LARKS feeding on the edge of Hall's Road. A really nice winter day when all was said and done. Not too cold, a nice layer of fresh snow, a few birds and my family. What could be better ???<br /><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg38g3O70vE1kjNsV7jodWay4drZdpKF3R_Td9AzoUwnz-Fkn9GK7KrEIC2k6bXszhzv_l5rdYzibF_3yan0Et0gZYq2L9wik3_Nyw3XbU8r44f0WMotewbAgetQMWb8kr8W1WK4BngSS8/s1600/DSC06691.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg38g3O70vE1kjNsV7jodWay4drZdpKF3R_Td9AzoUwnz-Fkn9GK7KrEIC2k6bXszhzv_l5rdYzibF_3yan0Et0gZYq2L9wik3_Nyw3XbU8r44f0WMotewbAgetQMWb8kr8W1WK4BngSS8/s320/DSC06691.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The chickadee is right there...Right behind you !!! Just turn around !</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLrGzqksNACdHR6SKbSLOm6Z3Fx6wId0qjf3qQtwyrk-UnhIHbW_XX8FTk6DkReIHi_CwmeXkhhL5wBmuUsndtl7Zvfa9tjsVs8A1_YjKUkfBZoOJpEOLaicNffy4y6zlSeNOTdz38jDk/s1600/DSC06685.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLrGzqksNACdHR6SKbSLOm6Z3Fx6wId0qjf3qQtwyrk-UnhIHbW_XX8FTk6DkReIHi_CwmeXkhhL5wBmuUsndtl7Zvfa9tjsVs8A1_YjKUkfBZoOJpEOLaicNffy4y6zlSeNOTdz38jDk/s320/DSC06685.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hide and Seek</td></tr></tbody></table><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM5S8nQyFWCK7ZEIID3fY2yOQCak8XHqKUEMixCpfSTFySDsd5xlXNojty2EnTShlKMcvJiVifxAL0mK40UEa8FDpdGyKYeVrkudBFnFBIoZPGwc5-RRPHhMRCeufKvXi-oT6pVuZV_Oo/s1600/DSC06691.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8TNWc3sSaprxNcEscMmRqtQ6LUeux7u2X3f2_cKgskXHqwsLr0wTEieT_YqUcTUAEiAPkYXuRdSct5YyjYz3eKBcrdcw3Gh60GSZC0pkQC-xIaTgAI6mdraPn_XukjgrhUIMiJ98zOfQ/s1600/DSC06678.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8TNWc3sSaprxNcEscMmRqtQ6LUeux7u2X3f2_cKgskXHqwsLr0wTEieT_YqUcTUAEiAPkYXuRdSct5YyjYz3eKBcrdcw3Gh60GSZC0pkQC-xIaTgAI6mdraPn_XukjgrhUIMiJ98zOfQ/s320/DSC06678.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">THE MOTHER stirring up trouble with poorly aimed snowballs</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq0RqYViF_S6t20f3uFT6CBcpPlsSWkUdMwZgapOUdiy7gkVKuPnHpUeSqhbUyZVxcRmWD2rGmHE-Ol9sx8woxWXZNofxT4QQWuYEMCwsIu3Zlhw45mcJbu8NM6NRd4UrLiXQo1_AvYeU/s1600/DSC06677.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq0RqYViF_S6t20f3uFT6CBcpPlsSWkUdMwZgapOUdiy7gkVKuPnHpUeSqhbUyZVxcRmWD2rGmHE-Ol9sx8woxWXZNofxT4QQWuYEMCwsIu3Zlhw45mcJbu8NM6NRd4UrLiXQo1_AvYeU/s320/DSC06677.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">THE SON and THE DAUGHTER having some fun outside<br />( Yes that is a sled in the background and yes, that was the preferred mode of transport on the day )</td></tr></tbody></table>Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14960180670660095665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1622222342343043490.post-43691425465023987882011-02-26T09:58:00.000-08:002011-03-04T20:02:39.238-08:00Hall's RoadMy son fell asleep in the car as we were heading home from errands. What better time to take a drive down Hall's Road and look for some birds :) <br />Got a nice iPhone pic but you'll have to look/enlarge to find the subject of this photo. <br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=11/02/26/1929.jpg'><img src='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/11/02/26/s_1929.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />A lot of red-tailed hawks around today. I counted six while out on our little run of errands.<br /><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone<br />Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14960180670660095665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1622222342343043490.post-39815170184637823732011-02-24T09:23:00.000-08:002011-03-04T20:02:39.241-08:00My Second Post...Sleeping Gulls !!!!My second post is about seagulls. Looked down upon by many, gulls are among my favourite birds. It would be difficult to explain my appreciation for these birds to a non-birder ( or even many birders, for that matter ). One thing I will point out is that gulls are never boring, showing more personality than the average songbird. However, larophile or not, check a flock of seagulls for <a href="http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/944019--why-seagulls-don-t-like-to-sleep-alone">this behaviour</a>. Fascinating stuff.Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14960180670660095665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1622222342343043490.post-9794393412134231932011-02-22T19:44:00.000-08:002011-03-04T20:02:39.245-08:00My First PostHello cybernet...Just a quick introduction to me and my blog. My profile summarizes the push/pull in my life, although my wife has her sphere of influence as well. <br /><br />Non-birders will surely scoff at how I have placed birding as an apparent equal to my son and my daughter. I will defend myself with two points. Number one...my love of birding is tied in with my love for nature, the outdoors and environment. I read "Last Child in the Woods" by Richard Louv and it resonated. My family lives a typical suburban lifestyle but I am determined that my children will not have the "nature defecit disorder", described in Louv's book. An antidote to the consumerism that surrounds us. Being outdoors with my children means a lot to me, in terms of my short-term joy and the long-term impact.<br /><br />Birding, however, is something that I enjoy immensely. It is attuned to my personality. The listing, the use of observation and deduction, the role of taxonomy, the potential to travel and, of course, the birds themselves. Even if it were indoors, I would be hooked by everything birding gives me. Since it is an outdoor activity, well...there you go. So yes, it's birds and kids; equal in their own way.<br /><br />I will also point out that my interests spiral out widely; beyond the birds and the kids. I am a sports fan, follow politics and cheer on any initiatives that are working to do good things in our world. My posts will touch on other things ( hence, "other stuff" in my blog title ) but they will emphasize positives rather than negatives. After all, the Detroit Lions and Toronto Blue Jays are two of my favourite things so I have enough negatives to deal with ( although things are looking up ). <br /><br />The basic facts are now posted but why should I write a blog. First, I like to write and here is my chance to practice. Second, it will give me more impetus to come up with stuff to write about ( which hopefully means more time outside...). However, if I think of an ultimate goal for this blog, it is to describe how I balance my two favourite things in the world ( and how my wife puts up with it... ). <br /><br />To sum up: If you would like to hear ideas, opinions, reviews and ramblings on nature, the outdoors, birds, birding, kids, birds and kids, birding with kids and a whole bunch of other stuff, this site may interest you. Check it out, explore and enjoy !Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14960180670660095665noreply@blogger.com0