Pretty bird

F O S !
Oh, first of spring as well.
FOS ?
O stands for Outstanding. Figure the rest. Four solits at Sewage plant, they fight like hell. More pics later. rh

OK, so I should not back into oncoming traffic

OK about 45 mins ago you probably heard a whip crack type sound, someone shouting jesus, a squealing of brakes and some unfortunate words. The "Crack" sound was my but snapping shut.The rest is logical. I was coming up 95 . The joy of the day has been swarms of tree swallows on the wires, I was at about 11 Banks, mixed in.So you cruise slowwly under them and hope for an odd type. Well 95 is not prone to that with boaters etc. Saw this damn thing in a long triple string of tree swalls.
Hit the brakes. Started backing up. Visions of christ knows what dancing around. Got four snaps. causing a problem, and CHP everywhere. Took off. Just ran it by . Damn, but that would make a great mystery bird sillhouette. Do not think I spelt that right, but them black paper things that victorian spinsters spent years snippimg out with nail scissors.I saw an exhibition, I believe at the V and A in London of the better ones. Utterly, scarily incredible products. Trees, and fields of flowers, all interconnected.One of the most impressive exhibitsI have seen, get a book from the library or google and see what I mean
Roger

Birds and rubbish

Well. The road sign is now on a third of all exit ramps to Blythe (ie One)
Pretty much somes up the local negative spin on out of towners !!!
The birds , you should be able to figure out. The fun one was the sparrow, Camera totally unset up for the bird in view a minute snapped first ,bins second. Chesnuty cheeks, bright yellow head stripes stunning white throat, and rufous back. I guess a savannah sparrow , though it seemed in behaviour/posture different. A race I have never seen before. The picture does it no justice , any one know a sparrow loony? A total lack of migrants.
Headed to parker to fill drug prescription tomorrow. Will bird there. Why you ask when we have a Pharmacy at Rite Aid. Cal Cost $385.
Walmart AZ generics $37:95.
Tell me someone is not "F123456g" someone.
Keep smiling RH

Stunned at Politics

Please step out find a politician, take him/her home. And introduce them to the real world. I have mine tied to the back fence, after I have read the paper I go out and thrash him with it.He is starting to sound out " stupid fool unworthy of any respect"
But it will take several more thrashings.
Some clown wants to ban wood burning fireplaces and stoves in California. Good job I still do not live on Palomar. Lock and load brother. Touch that puppy when there is no power and six foot of snow, I think not. Cut air emmisiions ? They say. How about making it liilegal to burn plastic bags, and trash in 55 Gallon Drums in your back yard on a Sunday morning. ? You could do that but there are no enforcement agents.
Why worry , be Happy.
100 year anniversary of Scouting. Girls scouting was honoured, boys not. Bitter battle in Sack-of-Mento. read the press.
Its OK to be a Lesbian Scout but not a Gay one. Intriguing. Which reminds me the only fight I have with any Homosexuality, is that Men chose the word Gay. A light hearted, joyous word in its inception , now a synonym for male Homosexuals. Why not Platonics, or something?
Oh well. Reminds me of a fun tale of two outlooks !
Two Homosexual men are stood at a crosswalk, discussing life when a stunning lady, dressed up like a dogs dinner, and literally stopping traffic walks by. They follow each step down the sidewalk until she vanishes. Their eyes meet, and one says "Its at times like this that I wish I was a Lesbian "
Birding today and some catch up. Pictures to be added in the AM, when the transmit time is faster but Saturday. 3 Swainsons Hawks, another Whimbrel (2 this spring, first 12th?) Very tough bird for Blythe, as are 2 more M Godwits, a sprinkling of Western s. 10 R N Ducks holding on, 1 fem BHead. 4 seperate Ospreys, 7 Avocets. Pair of Fuertes back ? One for sure.3 N Harriers. Thats it. Robin working on nest. WC Chipp and Brewers Sp still present. American Pipit still holding on. Verm Flycs still displaying ? Incredibly few. Guess they went to the coast. Absolutely NO migrants. Unless you need to see a Northern Oriole. Tree and Cliff Swallows gone. Whats an Empid ?Oh 2 Bronzed Cowbirds, and One RGDove male on street. Ibii vanished.
Think I will go and fill the Hummer feeders, did have a Calliope Yesterday. Most tedious.

ID Test

OK
You should be able to get the family.
Go to NAB spring migration 2002.Go to page377.
Top RH Corner "Note the heavy bill on this bird,appreciably different from that of the smaller Zinos Petrel "
Christ how stupid of me.
Has any one seen Feas and Zinos flying together ?
Or do we rely on shitty pictures, that people who do not know what they are looking at claim, based on drawings in Bird books ? And more shitty pics, this pelagic stuff seems to be like fanir and gull watching. Self feeding. rh.
Hell a pixel there a pixel here that could look like a ? !
Page380 Bottom LHS. I am still working on dark phase Pom Skua id

Simple Observation need a PhD

I may have mentioned this on assorted web sites before I got the heave ho. But I will mention it again. There seems to be as they would say in N Yorkshire "Summat tapped wi yon swallows" To which you raise your glass of draught ale, while munching your ploughmans, and say "I ken that Marrah", and spooning down some more Branston Pickle.
See how easy it was to convey birding info in the NY Moors 50 years ago !
In Blythe, no one understands that clear logic so I will set it out easily for non "Marras "to understand !
I do not claim to be be overly swift but after 9 years I catch on !
Every year around the end of March barely into April, Cliff Swallows suddenly appear. They get into a total frenzy inspecting nests, swarming around last years nest sites like we are good to go. Then they do exactly that. Gone. Went to 3 sites this am . NOT a cliff to be found. 3 weeks they will be actively building and breeding. Same thing hapens with other migrants. Couple of BHGBeaks, N Orioles, etc. Gap until Early/ mid May . Then we restart. Odd
NO empids . Robinms building nests Chippers displaying, as Brewers and carrying nest material ?
OH first of these for the spring
Double OH.
I am going to set you all up to fail.
I am simply going to post 2 pics, or maybe more?
I will entitle it "Mystery BIRD QUIZ"
Sadly for you it will not come in the same format as many, a glossy magazine dripping with articles from the birding elite, explaining that how to become a good birder is simply that you need to go on the tour or buy the bins I am pimping
YES! This will be cruel, brutal, and hopefully send you into an Abyss of Angst and emotional panic as to your skills.
Meanwhile I will squat "Toad like " on my ego scoffing at your guesses, and pointing out your incompetency, after all, I know the answer regards rh
Hint
They are Pelagic. But then so are Ptarmigan. They shewed up on a research vessel way off Alaska. I believe they had 37
You are forewarned.

3 views of a Grebe

How I spent my morning/afternoon. Spending my late afternoon clarifying logically the fact that my responsibilities from this morning were actually not mine but someone elses.Not a chance. They who hover wish I would. Too old to give them that fuel. Instead took the attack. I am supposed to be cooking my fabled sole on Fennel and scallions etc. Well I like it. Headed rapidly for fridge announced who forgot to get the fish and Basil, and drank all the white wine. I guess I will head for the store after I have changed.Guilty silence. So I am typing this and headed out. Oh I forgot the fish and basil. They drank the wine. I have enough to cook with, and as I can't have any. May forget that also.
Enjoy the day. I am. roger