Verdin power dive on sprog hawk

The verdin hit it in the back, the hawk zipped out, also pursued by a Gila W Pecker, fluttered back up and returned to pecking on the Pomegranates. The Gila returned
I guess, one for the little guys !
rh

So much for that year

Pondering this last year and how I felt it treated me.
Will do that tomorrow. That way I can give it a ponderous title like
"The Year 2009 and all it's concommitent actions, reactions, and consequences with respect to my personal sphere of involvement morality and turpitude "
Because right now.
"LIKE TIHS " Although not quite a palindrome conveys the feeeling
So I will end on a chearful note.
SO
"Cheers" in A flat. The pic is of one of the toughest, after Cactus wren desert birds to photo without cheating with tapes. It was sneaking up on a Sprosser I did not realise was there. I captured its dive two frames later. It won.
May the New Year, life and all it encompasses treat you and yours with the same kindness and passion that you will treat others with.
Take care pals,
Roger

PM better for birding. Bewicks Swans

Seems like for the last few days, grey-grey skies wind and stretching the limits on photos, nothing has happened. Even the cats and terriers lost interest in catch. Thats where you throw one from each team and someone on the other team has to bring it back. Admittedly it is more fun indoors, but clean up is worse.
But the sun has struggled through in the afternoon for short periods, enough to cotinue my search for 100 sp in however many damn days it takes to get there on my patch. Sneaked in snipe and a couple or three others still lagging.Gave up, there is a flock of 10 2ads 8 imms at the Drop, a pod of five opposite me house, 2ads 3 imms , my 2 imms below Mayflower, and a flock of 4ad and 1 imm flying over the Golgf course, Putting 22 Bewicks Swans, of the american race in my circle today. I can handle those road apples !
So I quite literally swanned around for 3 hours. None neck banded , none like my 1/2 wild banded Trumpeter from several years back, too far for leg bands, especially with the ones swimming.
For those of you who are purist. I count the neck banded Trumpeter swan, it was the product of a flightless wing shot female on a rehab lake and a wild male. Works for me. Especially as there those who lifer Rails on calls only.

OK scientific proof of a meaningless dumb ass name change

I set out to do it, freezing cold, savage cross winds. Got comfy in a ditch, with a plastic bag full of chopped up xmas left overs, for snackalizers and my book, bins, and cameras. Recommend a Xmas left over sack bag. Go to a neighbours as the party winds down, sweep everything off the Horses Doofers plate and take home for next day birding. I threw the Marshmallow crispy things at passing rodents, and chp occifers !
My kite shewed up in appaling near rain conditions. Cranked up the ISO, I have no idea what that means, just got to volume two of my camera guide.
Voila . White Tailed Kite.
Picture of no scientific merit, shews nothing to place it in any raptor field guide.
BUT when you have frozen your ass off for 3 hours, and the god damn bird has almost made it twice and you are shooting with a 200mm lens equivalency.And you are birding the LCRV. You walk back to your truck happy.
The day got happier more pics later.
rh

A new birding plan

For the New Year, I am going to get up in the early morning, grab me a wad of some chaw and and a cup of Joe, go outside kick something ,preferably soft and makes a noise, pee on the chuck wagon wheel, stare at the sky. Spit,throw my coffee grounds on the fire, slap my chinee cook awake, tell him to put less vinigar in the brew and get em bisckits in coz I am check in the lower 40. Leap on Rodeo, whistle up the terriers , light up a Marlboro and ride into the sunrise, gnawing on a chunk of moose jerky with the Antlers still on it.
I made it.
I am "Country ". Yesirree.
It took me seven years of careful couture and not bathing, and traing nose hairs into a Dali moustache, to have a person in THE Store on Mount Palomar, carefully quieten his snotty La Jolla prep school spawn and trophy wife and walk over to me and say "Excuse me you look like a mountain person, can you give us directions"
I have only to rotate to the left to see the Oak Burl Chris Marzlack gave me, to the right to see some papers Mendenhall gave me, who owns most of the Mount and was sat on his horse. And yes carried six guns and a saddle rifle.So I guess I became one, right there.
Not a single person moved, while I gave him detailed instructions for Mount Wilson Observatory, as "they had closed Palomar for the Holidays".He shuffled the screaming pack away, span the Mercedes and left the parking lot.They fell apart and I have never seen that crowd laugh so hard. They were pulling maps out of their trucks to help. Jokes on them, sent them to Griffith Obs ! Ignorant Mountain peasents !
There was a section of my life, it would be impossible to replace.
And probably for the better.
So today, when I was talking to the Newspaper dude Julius who drives the Paper over the hill, Gene the guy behind the counter, only offspring in 15 years not on welfare, Myrah who I failed 9 years ago and still is pissed at me and "The bicycle dude". And the usual assortment of early mornings and illegals nursing their coffees and hoping to get a job that the local prisoners should be doing, and the lazy ass CO's white lazy assed kids won't do, about the chargers.
When it was DEY JAA BOO all over again. Notice use of cunning linguistics !
In walked "Jackass number ones twin brother"
"You look like a Country person from around here can you give me directions, we are late for a wedding, yes use the bathrooms daddies busy, I know honey, I am sure they can have some one clean the bathroom, do you clean bathrooms I am sorry I don't know why they don't have Latte expresso milan au gratin, No you can't tormant the local black guy, and he rides a bicycle because everyone in the country is poor and
do you have a lawyer pooky just broke a nail on your coffee cup lid I know sweety daddy loves you go sit in the car and play with the "Barby has illegal house help set" and the "Ken divorce set" (Thats the one where Barby gets all of Kens crap). Yes honey.
I was talking to you. Reality check .
ME ?
Yes you look like you are from around here, I need to get to Lake Havasu for a really fancy wedding, and we are late.
Now just because I wear denim,, that has mileage and filth on it, and is missing a few fady bits as I lost them crawling under a barbed wire fence an hour beforetaking pics. (To come) And I look like a I should be playing with the ZZ Top tribute band. Much to my wifes total annoyance and chagrine (NOt cutting my hair or shaving until the chargers win the super bowl !)Does not mean I am from around here.
Oh well drop back into dumb ass white country boy mode, we might as well enjoy the moment. "They got maps over here" Hand him "Pocket map of USA"
Not much house support here.Tip Always get them involved early. "Any of you all guys heard of Lake Have a screw, what was that again sir ? The hunt is on The chum is spreading, "I think, no thats where Irene my sister, couldn't have been the freeway wasn't in" "Here sir but this map, hm I think its in Nevada" "I KNOW WE ARE LATE SWEETUMS CAN someone TURN the god dam GAS pump on"
The ending was I got him calmed down, told him they did not need passports (pure genius, that was the "Bicycle dudes " input) and got them safely on their way to Yuma. Joy to the world and smiles all around.
So please do NOT judge a book by its cover, and critics reviews. You might be somewhere odd and run into me ! Hopefully I won't take umbrage and you will end up in the right place!!!
Pictures from the last couple of days. Today was one of those days that was hateful weather, and as soon as you placed your self in a comfort zone as it was non birdable outside, it beckoned I have a killer book I am reading. Something like a brief history of everything, that I got for xmas.The sun would come out and back out one goes Any way at one point I was wandering around my jeep, with the most stunning array of high and medium cloud groups coming in from the NW, name a nimbus I had one. NIMBUS, not NIMROD, why learn all the CRBC members names, With the most startling blue back ground sky. 3 hovering Kestrels 3 Marsh Hawks 2 stalling against the wind, a Hovering Ferrug and a RL Hawk. Quite literally the clouds parted for a second and hit this !
Sometimes it is a good idea to realise you just got the best the day holds for you and go home !
The weather came howling through in 30 secs.
Ghost rider on the Storm.
Awesome bird for me. Built a small ditch hide, back tomorrow

ALERT.
I have had a couple of computer glitches, both of which involve my mage Pyewhacket and food, I was half way through responding to a person who had sent me an enquiring e-mail about cameras and stuff, and to a person bringing a Group out here to camp and bird, and a friend in the uk. When the cat and my modest (wife diet for me) Crab sandwich on whole wheat cardboard collided with the keyboard. If you are any of the above. Please mail me and we will try again.

PPS Well boxing day is over, I trust you rich West Coast, behind the Orange curtain, birders were kind enough to let your butler box up the left overs from Xmas for the Yoemen, and peasents. Before venturing forth to chase a few vixen apound on horse back !
Best I leave that comment alone
!

The piece meal Xmas count in Blythe

Ok ,who was the clown with the weather remote controls. Step forwards and be removed from the gene pool. Set off to do a peice by patch Xmas count. Due to the annual xmas rotation of cars breaking down. An engine bearing,three flat tires, a radiator(In progress), new brakes and rotors.. As a result my wife and I nixed Xmas. Best one I ever had. NO sweat about money for gifts. Don't have any !The day was absolutely beautiful, calm warm and clear skies. She went playing Horsey, I sat in several scattered sites,half reading and half hoping for a bird and half Snoozing. Perfect day after the horrendous winds and dusts of the previous 3 days. I don't know if I have been out in winds that horrendous. Maybe the end of Flamborough in a NEaster, looking for Dovekies. Saw the same # !
Well HIghlights first
The weather and the factor that they turned off the river added some treats and made passerine birding pointless
GW Goose 23 sand spit 19th with
Snow Goose,Ross Goose,2 Cacklers, 70 plus Canadas and 2 Tundra swans all scopable from the same spot. This was going to be cool
WRONG
That is about it !
Barrows G Eye 2 24th
Swainsons Hawk 20th
G Eagle25 (nice Xmas treat)
My high wind "How many can there be, please land ,turn around Plover flock" of the 19th ,turned out to be not the right plovers. Still a flock of at least 1000 Killdeer is the biggest I ever recall seeing
WWDove 2 20th
YB Sapsucker 24th. and a calling Ash Throat at the cemetry 21st
HUge #s of YH BBirds wintering. After that you get yer residents.GC Sparrow and GEagle (Blob) added to Blythe photo list. Be taking of the care.
Roger

The three wise pictures

Perfect neighbour Joe bought me a radio controlled hovering infra red flying type type thing to go with my dragonflies spent a good part of the morning putting it together. He obviously bought a broken one. So SWMBO went through the trash and gave me the instruction manuel. Hmmn I wondered why that piece was in there.Incredible , now I repaired it . ONly problem is it says in the Instructions, use indoors in large areas like shopping malls. I will bird desert center on my way through, or "Do not use in buildings with vaulted ceilings over 20feet and chandeliers"
How many people fly RC saucers around the friggin church during catachism ?.
I just reread that sentence, then I reread it again. WE have 27 "PLaces of worship" in town. Today, of all days at least one of them has to be open by now. Catholics out too many chandeliers. Wrong day of the week for Mormons, and Jews. The Baptists are going to be too busy avoiding eye contact with the others they saw in the Liqour section at Albertsons yesterday.
GUess I will drop back to the Church of the Great outdoors
For the first time in four days it is flat calm cold and beautiful
Longer note later.
Pictures in no order
I was at the drop. Scanning the river for , frankly any sodding thing, when a Rock Wren added its self to my 12 days of Xmas list, by popping up on the memorial plynthe, built at great public expense, duly photod with important looking shovels and people stood around commemerating something, or someone who no one ever gave a dam about anyway !In the process to "improve access", they wiped out my sage sparrow habitat, and mistakenly burned the rest of it down. Oh well life is too short to go into all that !
Naturally I slipped into peurile mode and pished it into a frenzy, I have had them land on the wing mirrors. I raised camera snapped, dropped camera, little Bastard hit me right between the eyes. Psychologically, and emotionally I may never recover.Loss of blood etc. Returned to town after a short stop at the EMR and had to stop and back up
Local cop dropping off a car(behind white van). What prey young protector of the poor and innocent, is this fortified patch of dirt for. Oh this is for impounded vehicles. Hmm I muttered. Yes when we tow peoples vehicles away and they want to check them we send them here to the tow yard. When they make the fees they get them back.I still haven't heard from my neighbour the asistant sheaf of police. The last one, is a classic jet black, with a fire engine red tail RT Hawk that is lucky it got off the ground
Scpoeing red Taileds for different colour combos, this one had it eye on something, only had 200mm in hand, scoped down to rows of a teenaged alfalfa field, head bobbing and weaving female pheasent tail moving down the plant row. Hawk leaps.Swoops Drops All hell breaks loose. A roadrunner has this thing in a Head lock, and is beating the crap out of it with those vicious 4 toed feet.Feathers flying One thousand of a second earlier and I would have had my Pullitzer for Nature photography.
AS THE Roadrunner, just let the Hawk go, not the other way around. It hit the canal bank and bounced, shook and continued on with its project, whatever that may have been ?
A true "Why you don't bight of more than you can chew "moment !!!

Well it is that day of the year when many get together and celebrate that which is important to them and theirs. It is none of my interest, nor concern as to how and yours acheive that goal.BUT I truly hope you do it to the best of your skills
Thes blogs are not meant to offend merely to amuse and provide "ponder fodder"
There is some ego involved, as one hopes the typing is read.Ater all one hopes one ponders are worthwhile.
If not, then like the most intelligent man I almost got to know and missed the chance through ignorance and impatience my Father wrote to the Royal College of Heralds. "Please withdraw my submittal,and Membership. Over the years I have come to realise, that The Royal College of Heralds is nothing more than an impotent collection of senile fools who choose to sit around gazing Narcissus like at their own personal motions swirling around in private pools of print" Watched him sign and smile


More later rh

What the hell !

Trying to photo a "I think its a Lilliana's Meadowlark."
Looks like it going to sing mic on Push trigger.
All I got was a "Whump" and this pic.
Doubt If you can redo this moment !. Sitting here regretting I did not gather feathers
Did not seem important at the time. You have the picture. For $5 plus shipping and handling , taxes, local reverse sales expenditures and undisclosed costs I can send you the definitive audio and sonogram that confirms Liliana's in California. Or for $2 I will send you the instructions on how to make your own. Purchase large cabbage, stand on 12 foot ladder,turn on audio Drop Cabbage. When cabbage hits ground say
"No fudfging way, turn away and walk into the distance saying you have to be fudging joking, fudge me for xmass fudgining sake"
See what a savvy sales person I am !
The five dollers gets you the disguised words ! So you can relive the moment. Clue , why would I add an extra s to Xmas ?

12 days of xmas birding

BY the time my vacation is up, I will have made 12 reports from Blythe.
I am trying to decide whether to go with the side by side "Happy Happy joy joy "How many tweety birds can you you see around my house, (within 20 miles only in CA) and the "Why do we put up with this absolutely stupid shit? diatribe"
Too much typing . Delete as needed.
Started my list at noon. Highlights for me !
2 Juv Whistling Swans and a Barnacle x Canada goose. Fly bys, panic, scopers as landed on AZ side. Pics attached.

One other picture attached, a pair of Kestrels, shews my total change in focus with regards to birding. I am over 250 in Blythe, my self imposed area. and have 175 clearly id able species on film, actually I think its 185? What the hell. Who cares any way !
So I have been gradually sucked into the "grab the moment" picture foolishness. One could not have done that 30 years ago when I dabbled with the celluloid expense, setting exposures, ISOs and focusing etc precluded it. NOw I turn the car on a dime and shoot on "IDIOT" mode. I got 2 Kestrel shots off.
25 yeas ago this pic would have been on the cover of us birds. Now its just Rogers Kestrel shot. If you are thinking of Photographalizing birds, and need help from an idiot who quite literally taught himself. e-mail me ! It is actually not that difficult
I have done the screwing up. might as well help someone else through that mine field.
Just got annoyed at the tv, "Here are President Clinton and the First lady Hilary "DEBARKING" from Air Force one" Some history channel thing. YOU only DEBARK from ships, you "Dis-embark" from other forms of transport. The world falls apart !
Will have 12 days of xmas update in the early am ,tomorrow.
Hmmn .last 2 pics will not down load.
OH WELL reading local get rid of my stuff mag
"1952 CHEVY 5 window 1/2 ton pickup"
HERE COMES THE ZEN BIT.
"MOSTLY ALL THERE"

DEATH TO CUCKOO CLOCKS ( a couple of days Bit by bit writing ! )

Don't you just love certain word combinations. Not because they are full of power and strength and fortitude,truth and conviction. Like "America the war in Iraq is over" See how that just lifts you up.
Or jfk's famous "Ich bin ein Berliner"
Which basicly means "I am a Jelly filled do-nut" depending on your spellink.
No just the way the words roll together Like "Quaking aspen" , "Slender loris" and "Pinny pocket". It is fun just to say them. Some words are fine on their own. Every one should be forced to use a word starting with a "Q" at least once a day.i,e
"The traffic was a quagmire" or "Find a parking spot ? Hell I could have found a Quagga faster"
Is that not fun !
Why did this come up ?
I derive a certain childish pleasure from saying to folks (me being Bill Nye of Blythe) who ask "is that a full moon right now ?" Have not a clue, too many years looking through telescopes on Palomar, the moon and I do not get on, still trying to turn my biological clock around ! So I find it best to look over my specs, ponder and say " I believe it is waxing gibbous". That is such a poetic phrase, and move on rapidly !
Too funny... Like swmbo just said. "You can take a boy out of Compton, but you can't take Compton out of a boy"
The 4th ho......le just stepped up and said Tiger was putting her greens.Before this is over I think americas favourite break through proof of a blackish athlete, dedicated husband proud father and owner of blonde trophy wife, may turn out to be a slut chaser !
I do not give a damn personally, what anyone does with another consenting adult is none of my sodding buisness. BUT TIGER garners my total disgust. If you are controlled by the wrong head, your problem. Why my disgust ?
With all the money he has, why is he banging $500 Las Vegas cocktail whores ?
At least most Presidents of this fine country, have shown some tact. Why not find a partner, an appartment, pay the bills and spending money and pop by now and again , Have your jollies ? And provide $100,000 a year. Discretion all the way around. She can write a book after you die , make millions !! The rulers of Europe have been doing IT for centuries. Ignorant/arrogant fool!
Talking of racists,I have decided I dislike Bavarian Jews.
Not all of them, my annoyance is focussed.
Back in the past, living in Imperial, down the street lived a pair of Bavarian Jews, they went back to Germany every year, and returned with broken Cuckoo Clocks.Which he spent hours fixing. He was the typical stereotype of a jewish Clock maker. pince-nez and longish grey hair.HIs wife always seemed to be bustling on something on the stove. She introduced me to true Hebrewvian food.Now that is some serious eats there. I firmly believe that the stories people of Jewish descent claim "The best Chicken soup, and potato pancakes" in the galaxy are true. I digress.
ON his final retirement trip he gave me a clock with birds on it, and they left ne'er to return. But not without a dire warning "Roger, keep it upright, and be kind to it".After several moves, at some point "it wasn't and I wasn't"
It has been hung on the wall for 8 years in our house, I would go by and nudge the pendulum, it would swing for a while and periodically cuckoo twice. Gave up nudging, 1 am saturday , it sent the house into a total panic, I swear it cuckood 13 times. and it has cuckood in random numbers at random times ever since. I think its posessed.I know the pendulum was stationary. Worrisome.
BIRDS BIRDS BIRDS.
Most excellent weekend.It was obvious it was going to be a worthless weekend.... WRONG.
1 (not adult they have white heads, but) Imm Bald Eagle. (Possibly third cycle post prandial early moulting, late early nonadult)
2 Townsends Solitaires.
1 Snow Goose
2 Purple Finches.
180+Cedar WWings
2 Crossbills.
2 Displaying WT Kites
2 RS Hwks.
1 RL Hawk.
17 BNStilts
and on my street 2 Ruddy G Doves.
( and an odd Grackle type)
Will add some pics. Cold windy and terrible light.
The smell of my vegetarian curry wafts through, and calls me, to the football.
Vegetarian you ask ? Can this be true ? Yes I am a vegetarian now. No kidding.
There are barely, but there ARE MORE VEGGIES THAN LAMB in this curry/stew.
Don't play word games with me.
Regards from a dismal Blythe
Grackle guesses welcome. Brewers x GT G ?
PS A little note of no consequence.
I firmly believe that half the Gull species present are built on egos and in the field snobbery !There you go Roger, make a giant sweeping statement. Why not ?
Lets say Pinball Punnit, renowned California birders and overseers of dead birds in trays,at the Museum of Sanangeles says "It is a third tricycle southern race of the Chebby Nova Gull"
Do you think I am going to argue ? Hell NO. They have dedicated their lives to knowing that stuff. I would not even start. they would talk about remiges and tail feathers and stuff. LOST. And I turn red when they start talking about birds avurlully things.
My problem is the people whose talents are meaasured by themselves in a simple ratio of how much their equipment cost x number of us species they have paid to be shown x number of Ego sorry Eco-quest trips taken x number of Bird fests they have attended x too the second power the # of names they can drop. Christ am I jaded or what, sorry. Suddenly yelling an id, which is blatently wrong, and wandering off when that is pointed off politely that it is wrong. Muttering things like "Did you get his name? How rude "
I will give you a perfect case of people who no nothing but sure can hide it.
I,for some reason, decided to go to the pound in Banning on my way to bird the sewage pond.The mutt was mine. My bestest, closest, most loyal pal Guinness was mine. Left with me. Birded every where with me, until he croaked
We were doen at SJ Nature Preserve heading out on a troll around the ponds, as it was too muddy to drive around.. Guinness was anointing everything when two Lexii pulled up and 4 people debarked from those vehicles. A large "I am in charge, line up followers, Henry lock the car Bitch" (my blog) led the way. NOw I at best look dishevilled and unkempt, the colder it gets, the more layers of tattered rags I put on.This must have made me look like a warden or something. She stomped across shouting over her shoulder "I have found the tour guide" You are the tour guide right Good. I said no but you can come with me if you like. I knew this would lead to disaster. Her, and her squadron of birders had more pockets and field guides than a pool hall in Barnes and Nobles. Grief. The woman helped the walk by hanging over my shoulder and saying whats that. Not looking at it turning around and screaming "He's" got a Lincolns Sparrow, Henry bring that scope why do you have to walk at the back you idiot we can't use it if you are not up here ............... You get the idea. What kind of dog is that? A Dublin Terrier (NO such thing) But the more she expounded to her friends about how faithful Dublin Terriers are , and she had a friend who raised them, and they are such good house pets.The more I got into the idea, a complete History of Dublin terriers emerged that day. How if you have a pure bred Male you neuter them so you keep the blood line pure. And the the King of Boyne buried the skull of his battle terrier beneath the scone of innishire, having had his life saved in the battle of the pass of KIllicranky. You get the idea,we got back to the parking lot. Henry, when we get home call that person and get two. I called Henry over, and said. Had a rotten day ? Yes , with a slight smile. Henry, I bought that dog in the pound last week, Dublin Terriers do not exist. You can tell her if you wish. I have never seen a spark of life return to a shadow before !
Oh Gulls.
Steve Cardiff and Donna Ditman, are exemplary birders, museum types and collect correctly.
Fall Migration 2006. I quote "A probable first-year kumlieni Iceland Gull at Rutherford Beach.......... would be the first well docunented Louisisana record if the identification is confirmed". There was plenty of time between collecting the bird and publishing the state review to confirm the ID. Now if you had a dead one and access to the skins would you not rush to the museum and confirm ID, or is it not that easy ?
Dead one should be easy, we ask, why no Id?. So how good are in the field IDs Oh I have included a picture of SHE, as in SWMBO, with Northern Harrier my Thoroughbred Jumper. I love the recession . Little old me can obtain beautiful animals like this, out of Seattle Slew and Northern Dancer, a $14000 horse for a modest amount. How? The rich folk have too many,no stocks, no money, a 5000 a month mortgage 2 kids in Harvard and need to dump them off as they can't feed 25 horses any more. If you are in to this stuff you can nail a beaut. As I did.He will be a four foot jumper and SHE has a local teen horse rider who is a born jumper. Who knows ?
OK I quit

Almost a waste of sick time.

A caveat
(This will piss off some folks with out jobs, to whom I seriously apologise)

As any one who is a birder knows who has a job, that has sick leave linked to said job is aware that sick leave has three purposes. Spring migration, Fall Migration and "If I go in to work tomorrow I may not be birding for the next 30 years, and that will be with plea bargaining" and a Rarity in your patch.Hm Let me try that again "Amongst the four reasons.........." No one expects the birding inquisition !
Work is for being sick at, you get more sympathy points than sitting at home, you can drag your sorry ass around while people say things like "You realy should go home" and "I don't know how you can hang in" Call in sick "oh the Bastard is golfing". Me I am covered !
Took a tuesday off sick,in Imperial, walked in the staff room/ closet, two questions as I passed through. "Was it still there ? Did you get a photograph ?" Some things never change. Started off the day, admitted defeat, came home and crashed.
Wife standing in kitchen "Whats the matter" "I give up I am sick" "But you were fine yesterday"

I paused, while I mulled this comment over, I walked over to my "illustrated chicken disease" calender. (You can get them, honest, in anglo and mexican).
Yanked it off the back of the door, turned around and said "You are right, it does not say Roger can be sick day, better go back to friggin work "
Went to bed via the medecine cabinet. Woke up went to get the paper, the sun was dropping -ish.Had camera, as always. All my pics are within 1/2 mile of the house as I came home. WW Dove on my phone line (12 on street) , Incas across street.G Fichs, at Corner of street, curlews , most excellent bird for my area at this time (One of seven). Best of all Jo calls from across the street, think I have a pelican. Sun going down, 750mm hand held, thanks Panasonic, Zeiss and Photo shop !
Awesome LCRV bird . My fourth in 10 years.All imms. STUNNING ADULT. It was so far away . I could read the "Madera Canyon" left signs.
Wife has made drs appointment. Will discuss that waste of money tomorrow !

It was about time. Hoisted with their own petard

The wall eyed Ferrug on 6th.
"hoisted with their own petard"
Should have been the cover phrase of the latest US Birds, not Invasion of Crossbills !
How many people think that petard means something like " Run up the flag pole with their foolishness waving in the breeze like a flag?". ie "Gull elite prove they have no idea, etc"
Well wrong. Petard is a shaped explosive box, for blowing down walls, referenced by Shakespeare and amusingly is based on the Med French word "Peto" as in to fart. Which is most appropriate
I will leave the etymology their. Work your way through the magazine Starting with the "Changing seasons " If you read the "Gull sections" Boy oh Boy are we back peddling on IDing of Gulls now, as in "When I said it was a Kumleins Gull I actually meant "Probable " or "Possible"
Why jam the text with this speculation.
"Gulls of indeterminate types where found by most active birders, those felt to be possibly of the following might be" works for me. The Kline of Gull idiocy works its way from West to East.It was invented on the West Coast. The East Coast warned against this half assed trend a long time ago.R T Peterson in his 1st edition of the Field Guide to W Usa 1941, warns of problems, read the Glaucous Gull section.For a more disparaging east Coast view, of West Coast Gull maker uppers. Go to page 97 of the 1961 edition."Caution, Many a young Glaucous-wing has been turned into a Glaucous by list hungry neophytes"
Not
good.
I blame the whole thing on those very neophytes who have now grown up, and have seen every expected bird, and need at least one this year.No worse is this than in Europe, and especially my birth country England. How embarrassing to say that. With current technology etc every one has seen everything,, more or less, all the obvious ones. Now we need the obscure. Brant, Canadas, Phylloscs. Things in the press "It did not dissapoint a crowd of 250 who showed up to see it, putting in the bank in case they split it in the future". I am getting to the point were the European sector is becoming " No band. No record" Photographs can be useful, but I have $200 worth of books right next to me. Full of lavish pics and "Possible" Indeterminate" "Based on distribution" How can you base anything on distribution when they are all "possibles " Now we have the next step in this foolishness. "I can id hybrids". NO you can't. If you can't ID pure juv gulls. How the hell do you ID hybrids ? Quite foolish. Fox sparrows I can see, Western Flyc I cant. Logerhead shrikes I can see possibilities with. Winter wrens definitely. But then when all is aid and done, different views for different people. And as my day was made by a flock of 35 Ring Billeds, circling with 2 Ross Geese. My gull whining is pointless !
Gorgeous day. Photoing raptors. Going to try and put together a pic slide show of Red tails in the valley. Now there is a disaster. I am sure I have had Eastern. But then you get
"May have more or less barring on the breast and some have dark throats ec etc etc."
You can decide.
Ducks arrived after yesterdays horrid winds . The drop had a nice smattering of the expected birds. Just a dead calm day with the same number of birds. Here comes the wind again.

You are safe ! Deleted my Micro Opus. I got bored with pointing out the obvious

I find it vaguelly scary that "unemployed people , who probably have no job",(TV newsman said that today" and are defaulting on home mortgages are lining up since Monday to buy a 20' Plasma Tv with credit cards, and traded food stamps. Now I know I am generalising somewhat.But from looking at the early morning TV crowds, at walmart in LA. I bet you a Kidney, you could find one who fit three out of those labels. OH WEll. Went by K Mart, to see how our "Black Friday" special was going at 7 am. Looks,just like any other day of the non coloured week !
I remember I went in last year looking for an item on sale, along with three serious sized no fuss black Baptist chorister types, heaving bosoms a sale gleam and purses clutched tight. Lined up getting the run around from a snotty clerk. Pause in the debacle, I interjected, "Excuse me Miss do you have this, waiving my flier" All three turned around and almost as one said "We want one too". I suddenly became spokes person ! "Er well, not really" "It clearly says "Six per store" " "How many have you sold " "Well none really" "Then where are they?" "Emm" "Fetch the manager"
Turned out they had them, but they were hidden away for in store staff !
I got one, two ladies each got one. The third lady said " I only came in for one , but I will take the other three NOW"
Sometimes we can win.
Has any one figured out this commercial I just saw ?
Car obviously moving, with windows and moon roof open, blonde hair blowing. Passenger said " Each side has individual personalized climate control, reaches foward and pushes a switch, now his side is cooler, and my side is just the way I like it. And the purr-fumed , frozen hair, Moron who is driving looks at her like she just won a Nobel prize in Physics. I will let you reread that, and ponder the truth of that statement. What happened to the outside air temp thats flowing through the car ?
Hm maybe she does have a Nobel prize in airflow dynamics.
Got stuff to do so will do it whilst ducking in and out to download some pics. Will stick a couple of "You call the Red Taileds" in there for fun

Early am

I was out back dragging my feet, (ie making a ten minute job last as long as it takes !) waiting for my cranes to fly over the house, all 41 appeared dutifully calling and close enough for me to pick out the one thats in the oven right now. (Sorry, sorry sense of humour, but in AZ 500yds away that would be OK).
2 Crossbills flew over, of the expected race . A little bit of sub species snobbery, how the Hell would I know which sub sp they where, but the superior birder throws in stuff like that. Try it, gives you an edge. Especially when people start nodding in agreement.
Another one, "Did any one catch that slight slur to the third tink note ? Hmm reminiscent of some I have heard in (pick your own locale), lot of talk as to whether they should split them you know? Need to look up my field note sonograms when I get home. Warning , already have written/ drawn a sonogram from the Golden Guide on the piece of paper you are clutching .
For the death blow later. Stage whisper to no one in particular. "You know going back to that (whatever the hell you picked) I hear ( pick elite CA birder , who's favour you are slipping in) may have had one at the Sea, could be wrong probably should call him/her, when I get home" See you are in.
More on the way
These little beauties, can't see too many !
Suddenly dawned on me after crossbill fly by. That we are getting a staging of Montane birds in higher #s
IE
Lawrences Gfinch 250 plus, seven seperate flocks.
Lessr 100 plus
US 50 plus
Mtn Bbirds, maybe 5 years in 10, 150plus
Western Bbirds, maybe 3 times , max 55 total? 200 plus
Twns, Solit , 6 total, 9 this fall.
Varied Thrush, NEW this year a scattered 4 for me a fifth nearby.
Lewis Wpecker, 1 yesterday. Total 3 records.
Vesper Sparrows, and Sage and BTHr sparrows major increase. Accipters , and raptors up. No ducks, mergs or Corvids
No sapsuckers,waders. 2 Robins. There where more in July.
Enjoy your day.
I have everything cooking, chase car fueled up, and 3 hours of bliss ahead !
The bliss. Dallas versus the Oakland Raiders. Pure heaven. I hate both teams, so either way I win !Ther can not be a play I do not like !!!
rh and terriers

A momentary digression

Still trying to get my serious opus out, ! Basicly it is just turning into an interminable selection of boring commentary, from a person who has no idea what is going on, but does not let that prevent them from knowing the truth !
Yes, this is the new " Roger,Rush,and Oprah Winfrey show, with occaisional moronic chicken barn squabbling from the View, with Regis and Vapid" I should not be allowed to watch day time TV. Controller confiscated. Please tell me these are not the people who struggling everyday folks look to for life tips ?
I was standing around with the Manly men, draped over the fence at our local stadium watching one hell of a powder puff thanksgiving Football game. I won almost $5 in side bets. Once Jahnisha was subbed in, it was over. Told her I would give her $2 donation for her ROTC for each touch down she got. She was smirking each time we made eye contact. I truly hope someone at a college picks this girl up. God can she run. #3 in CA in her bracket long distance and cross country, 14 years old, pure speed.
Announced
"Oprah Whinfrey is retiring"
Never seen a group snap around so fast.
When.
2 years.
Back to the foot ball game. But at least there is hope
A couple of bird picks
We paused for lunch, it was quite civilized,nothing living was consumed and I have shallow bite marks on my throat, which the festive cowl and garrotte conceal. So all is well.
Ran into a couple of super neat for me birds, lucked out on some snaps. Lucked out on the Hawk ! Just sat idly gazing across this area looks so much like the Norfolk Marshes, except its 82 Degrees and there are 3000 foot mountains in the background, but there are Harriers drifting around,took some relaxing harrier snaps. Nothing prize winning but ..put feet up...... Fell asleep............ Woke up, scared Hawk.
Have a great day tomorrow and be kind to one and other,
Roger

Sillymademillions

Did any one actually read "sylmarillion" ? If so. Why?. Should have quit with the Hobbit.Bit like me !The reason for that is I embarked on a commentary, that seems to need debarking.Page 5023
So a quick note.
Birded the cemetery
Sat and listened to this guy play free style Taps on the Sax as he wandered around one corner of the cemetery, past the flags, as the sun came up, and the mist wafted from his sax ax. Life moment
Roger

unserious moment

Ran out of time

Got half way through my, rabid rant and why the world is wrong, and how I can personally correct it. When I realised life had side swiped me again by taking hours out of my free time. And stuffing them into work time. So the rant will be worked on from school ! There the balance is restored !
SO, enjoy some recent pics and this joke
Its passover and a jewish chap is sat in the park eating his lunch. A blind man sits down next to him , and is given the offer of sharing lunch. The Jewish chap gives him a piece of Matzoh. The blind guy fingers it, and says "Who writes this shit?
OK Pics better I hope RB Merg ,rarest of thhe sawbills in Blythe. Blythe confirm pic RS Hawk true rary. Harrier harrass RT Hawk Paino phepla Power wiggly with the wind , send this before it goes away
rh

Elections, have them in China before bleakfast

I would like people who vote, to be shot with a microchip that dissolves in a month, average pleb attention span.So I can seperate the 80 plus percent who did not vote from the sub 20 percent who did ? Especially important for election analysts on TV. So when I have to listen to the locals, bitch about everything political, and the national analysers who bitch about trends and variations, and a vote in Vermont reflects the nations state, I can push a button and the person is vaporized if they did not personally vote. Thinking that would lower my blood pressure and increase the vote.or at least save me from listening to people who have NO right to comment.

OH.While I am changing the world.
I have taken up two stances. One is the response to"Oh my God you will NEVER guess who I ran into today" Plenty of variations on that theme. I find "In that case I won't guess, go away" quietens the room.
Number two. "You know I lost my keys to day, and you won't believe this but they where in the last place I thought to look! I know you will never guess where that was ?
Response
" Of course they where in the last placed you looked moron, why keep looking ? Are you that bored with life ?"
Going to have to break this up into several chunks, more of a two week tapestry, than anything logical.
Tons to catch up' on spare time recently being used up by helping hospital ed." Oh my goodness we have no funding,but thanks for taking the time to fill out your Mileage sheet and home teaching hours, ,but we screwed up. Probably can not cover it but we are really sorry, and we are sure you did not need the time or the $1000 dolars anyway. Thanks for being a team player, ha ha sorry and all"
Oh yesterday the deli at albertsons was closed down while they made 500 X $8 chicken baskets for inmates, lifers' at the prison, because some jackass civil liberties group says they have to get an "Outside meal" every 2 weeks so they don't lose touch with the outside world. Next week its Rosa Markets $9 Carne Asada Plate.
Ain't life a bitch. We are having warmed up left overs. YES

Now here I am caught in an honesty and ethics personal battle !. Folks are shuddering at the thought of reheated mini ravioli, toe nail clippings and stale bread.
NOT me !!!
My left over killer shepherds pie. Mushrooms, the best mince. peas, turnip, carrots, sweet onion, in a Bisto, Marmite, brown gravy, under twice mashed potatoes with horse radish butter and parmesan cheese with strips of cheddar cheese grilled on top. A can of guinness and a pan of Mushy peas. Sorry people. That is what life is all about. A dab of HP sauce and you can leave this earth happy.
Oh time to put in some pics
I,will be making a new Mex-Brit especial Burrito. Spam and refried HP baked beans, scrambled eggs and cheddar cheese.Awesome.

All hallows e'en !

THIS NEVER GOT THROUGH. MAJOR VERIZON PROBLEM REVISITED> KNOW ITS LATE BUT MIGHT PRODUCE SOME IDLE AMUSEMENT>

If you are totally bored come to Blythe for the evening, SWMBO's coven is putting on a display of co-ordinated cursing (Cursing is reserved for SD web site managers, swearing is for trapping fingers in drawers or Oakland Raider fans) and fly by bleeding cysts just before the big event. The big event ? Every year we build a large bonfire in an open field near Blythe. At Midnight the Hobthrushes ignite it, and the entire population of Blythe joins hands and dances widdershins around the conflagration in an atttempt to get in touch with the living. Beautiful, artistic but sadly hopeless. yearly our numbers dwindle. !!
Getting ready here at home for trick or treaters. 410 loaded with #12shot and salt. The gamekeepers in the UK thought that was fun to shoot at poachers.I will go with Gourmet sea salt tonight. Thinking a nice pink Hawaiain ?
May pop down to Ripley and borrow "Beau" the owners call him BO. Papers call him Beauchamp !I call him "Beecham" The vagaries of life !
This is a serious Staffordshire Pit Bull (of the euro variety). He met me at the gate, dragging a blue plastic swimming pool with water, and as I pondered my next move tore it to shreds, while looking at me. At this point an elderly Hispanic lady, my new friend "Nana" came out with a broom and leveled it. "BO behave this is Mr Higson". Synapses obviously clicked. Now I wait and see what he is going to chew to bits before I go in. Seems he has found the daughters disney figurine set. He brought me 2/3 of Snow white yesterday. Absolutely awesome dog, loves tummy tickies. But fabulous scarer off-er !
Spent the day doing my "Book circle". Drop 3 wigeon and a cormorant, sewage plant 9 sp 23 individuals, fish farm nothing, Cemetery "Sparrow flock" up to 12.8 being Juncos !
Any way will post a couple of picks. Sat for along time for the Shrike to work his way down a fence line, actually no problem, was watching the river go by and absorbing the beautiful wintery day. Cranes calling,hear no traffic just sunlight and quiet. Very nice, Why I live in Blythe.
Remember if you are meeting SWMBO for the "I have suffered all year for my hobby, now it is your turn" co-ordinated broom flight, that if you arrive with your bristles behind you ,you will be grounded. Real withches ride Bristles forward. Just a safety tip Roger.