Blogger Inspiration

Now, I'm usually too cheap to go to a theater and see a new movie when it comes out. Wait a few months and it will be on cable, which I already pay plenty for every month. When Julie & Julia showed up on Encore last week, I was delighted to finally watch it. I knew it was about Julia Child, the cook, but never realized that the Julie person was a blogger! You've probably seen it already, but I rolled on the floor laughing at her meltdowns when trying to keep up with a project that was waaayyy too ambitious! How can anyone promise to prepare 536 French recipes in only 365 days, while working a fulltime job! When could she shop for all that? Yet, as Hollywood decrees, she completes the project, saves her marriage, and gets both book and movie contracts from it. Whew!

I couldn't go to sleep, thinking about blogging in general. Why do we do it? What do we get from it? Is it really all about me, me, me as Julie says? I tried to Google some estimate of the number of bloggers, but no one is brave enough to take a good guess apparently. One site says " the current estimates say there are about 400 million “active” English language blogs right now, but that number varies according to the source."

Some people write in a private journal every day as a matter of self discipline. They take their soul out and examine its fortes and foibles. Such bravery must make them stronger persons, or push them entirely over the edge! Bloggers take journaling to the next step and bare their souls to God, the Internet and everybody.

There's no predicting inspiration. I started blogging in June, 2006, as an outlet for my bird photos primarily. So I'm approaching my fifth anniversary as a blogging bird photographer. I looked at other birding/photography blogs, and all the blogs they link to, and the blogs listed on the Nature Blog Network. You are right. There was a real dry spell at work, and I needed something to do to look busy. But I thought I could do as well as they all do, for the most part. Yeah, I know HTML, having taught web design in a prior lifetime, and bought Photoshop Elements to fix my photos up when they weren't perfect to begin with.

But some bloggers aren't just birders, they are Writers and Artists and Poets and Humorists! (Notice the capital letters - this is a title, not just a talent.) Take a look at Julie Zickefoose, Kathie's Birds (fka Sycamore Canyon), and Nina at Nature Remains. I read them and shake my head in dismay for posting birding travelogs. The trick in blogging is to put something of yourself in what your write.

I am passionate about my photography, and take my camera wherever I go. Am I as obsessed as Julie? Of course not. Well, maybe I get a little compulsive on vacation. I take my laptop, and must, must, MUST download all the photos taken today, edit them, and throw about half away since they are completely out of focus. Then, when that's all done, why not go ahead and post them to the blog? One vacation, we didn't have an Internet connection in the room, so I did my photos, wrote the text, and schlepped down to the lobby, the only place I could find the world. So my husband would probably sympathize with Julie's husband on those days. We don't go anywhere in the evenings on vacation, not because we are too old to stay awake, but because I can't do anything else until the post-du-jour is completed, which may be midnight or so, depending on our success birding. All he asks is for a few minutes to check his email every day. He's a patient man.

So, how long will all this continue? Will there be an ultimate reward for perseverance? Julie got a book and movie as a result of her blog. I'm not that far yet, but 28 of my photos are published in a big coffee table book about Bernheim Forest. When Julia Child gets a copy of her cookbook at the end of the movie I could relate to her excitement. I felt the same way about our book, even though I had not put in several years of work to create it. When you get ready to retire, you make lists of all the great things you will do now that you don't have to go to work every day. One of mine included "write a book about the Falls of the Ohio, with photos." I looked at the software you can download, and admit that it's vanity press, but I still may give it a go. After all, you never know what's going to give you 15 minutes of fame!

Fair Weather Water Fowl

Part of the day Saturday was spent along the water looking for ducks. Jefferson Overlook, just across the Ohio River from Louisville, has a collection of resident birds. The wild and the domestic ducks are quite friendly with each other, and hybrids are the result. I call this one a Tuxedo Duck and they are common along that stretch of the river.

The Ohio River is also a winter home for gulls that summer on the Great Lakes. I can't count high enough to get them all at the Falls of the Ohio. People are surprised to see gulls here in the middle of the country, but they are just looking for water that doesn't freeze.

Domestic grey geese claim ownership of the Overlook, and lord it over all the other birds. I always wonder how they got settled here, since they don't belong to anyone. A man brought a bag of cracked corn to spread around, and all the ducks and geese rushed over for a snack.

Canada Geese are both winter visitors and year round residents here in Kentucky. They appreciated a chance to find unfrozen water for a change too.

The area just above McAlpine Dam on the Indiana side of the river is a popular birding spot too. The bay ducks are a challange since they spread out across the middle of the river. As soon as you find one in binoculars or scope, it dives under. There's no predicting where it may surface again. Today I saw Hooded Mergansers, Common Mergansers, Common Goldeneye, Ring Neck Ducks, Buffleheads and the White Winged Scoter, a rare bird that has been hanging around the dam for weeks now.

I love these Hooded Mergansers - such a big head and little bill!

Rough Legged Hawks!

Well, you know what the weather has been like this winter. First it snows, then it melts for one day of mud, then it snows again. Very few sunny days have blessed us. But today the sun shone. The sky was blue. It's Saturday, and time to go BIRDING! My friend Ryan who works at the landfill (see his blog and great photos) has seen both dark morph and light morph Rough Legged Hawks out there for months now. My first attempt to find them a few weeks ago was unsuccessful, but I'm determined to find this life bird today.

Ryan says to watch for the white rump that spreads to the top of the tail. As I pulled into a muddy road along the front of the landfill, but away from the actual dumping, I saw just such a bird right in front of my car. What luck! But, you guessed it, by the time I stopped the car and got out with the camera, it had landed to eat its prey on a hillside, then took off and disappeared again. Not to be dismayed, I got out my spotting scope and started scanning the horizon. The landfill builds a barrier hill so the dumping cannot be seen from the road, and this hill forms a horizon about half to three-quarters of a mile from my position. OK with the scope, but not close enough for good photos, even with my 24x zoom lens. Here's what I could see with full zoom, but no Photoshop magnification at all. Unlike the Brownsville, TX, landfill (which is on the Texas Birding Trail), the local company doesn't allow people to come inside where the birds are. Sometimes both Red Tailed and Rough Legged Hawks would perch on the ventilator pipes (or whatever they are) sticking up out of the ground. Lacking trees, you use what you can find when you need a rest. Large long-winged birds would glide just above the horizon, then dip down over the other side, out of sight. Some were vultures, of course. Others had shorter wings, and close examination showed Red Tailed Hawks in abundance. At one time I had four in sight, as they dove down at each other. Is it almost time for Red Tail mating season? Then one bird turned sideways showing that distinctive white rump again. Of course, clouds of Starlings rose and fell on a regular basis. A helicopter buzzed us, but the birds seemed unimpressed. One little Kestrel looked over the hunting grounds too.

Ryan said that Rough Legged Hawks breed in the Artic, and the barren landfill provides plenty of rodent prey in an open area similar to the northern tundra. I don't think we see them on a regular basis here in Kentucky. This winter birders have reported Rough Legged Hawks, Short Eared Owls, and Scoters in this area - none of which are common around here. Flying in a mixture of birds, I had some trouble telling this hawk from the Vulture, until the light hit the tail right. This is the light morph, but other pictures I've seen of the dark morph can resemble a Turkey Vulture, the body is so dark, and Rough Legged Hawks will hold their wings in a slight dihedral like Vultures. I think I may have seen the dark morph, but don't have any photos to verify it even to myself. I especially enjoyed watching these large hawks flapping to hover over a given spot, watching for a rat, no doubt. Sometimes they seemed to kite, just staying in place without flapping at all. Sounds like a lot of work for a bird with a 56" wingspan. Too cool! Vultures are so co-operative! They glide slowly and circle back to the same spot so you can try again if you missed the first time. No hurry - the dead animals aren't going anywhere. Vultures are much easier to focus on than speedier hawks. While enjoying the break in the weather, I saw birds other than these hawks, but I wanted to post about them first. I'll be back later with the water fowl I found today, plus a wonderful hike in the country with a dear friend.

Are We a Good Pair, or What?

I am married to the perfect man. He wrote this article, and I wanted to put it on the blog.

“Eileen and John brought in some mighty fine large rats last night." This is the way my better half, Kathy started a conversation one morning. Strange talk? Weird, disgusting topic? Not for two volunteer naturalists. Kathy volunteers at Raptor Rehab, and she had spent the previous evening bagging rats to freeze for later preparation as meals for the raptors. Her opening comment led to a lengthy, in-depth knowledgeable discussion about which raptors eat their prey whole, prefer rats to mice, eat all parts of the rat, or like only particular parts of the rats.

Naturalists can carry on passionate, informative, and interesting discussions about scat, cockroaches, animals that eat their own poop, those creatures that live better through vomiting, and much more. Are we talking shop? Well, yes and no. Yes, because it is what we do each day, and no, because as volunteers we are acting out our creative passions solely for the sheer joy of the experience, not worrying about whether a paycheck results.

Volunteering in natural settings has definitely changed us; we never talked about any of these things when we were dating, 38 years ago. Now we get up before dawn on cold, blustery mornings to search for birds and other wildlife that are probably ignoring their own parent's advice not to be out and about. We look for "bare" trees in winter, and use what clues we can find to identify the species. We hike sandy stretches where there's not much life, but there are tracks- are those from a snake, a lizard or a turtle? We deliberately seek out bogs, marshes, swamps, deserts and other isolated areas, becoming a part of the community of nature. We glean information and ideas from caring and inspirational native plant and wildflower professionals, converting our subdivision yard from grass to a wildlife habitat with water, cover, food and space for wildlife.

I’ve challenged my own prejudices, finding out that everything has a niche in the web of life, and there is no “good or “bad” in nature. I once believed bats to be ugly and harmful, and now marvel at flying mammals that devour mosquitoes. As volunteer naturalists we are constantly examining, discovering, wondering, learning by observation, following up with books and the internet, and discussing anew. In nature, we are never bored and never truly alone. Joy awaits. Ain't life grand- rats and all?

You've got to admit it. Not many women are as lucky as I am!

January Miscellany

What with the holidays and all, I haven't done much concentrated birding in the last few weeks. Especially since the weather seems to descend on us regularly! But, if the sun is shining I like to take a walk with my camera to see what's around. I can't resist photos of Turkey Vultures, but you probably knew that already.

At Creasey Mahan I followed a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers around for half and hour one afternoon. They sounded like jackhammers pounding on the trees. If I caught a glimpse of one, it quickly moved to the other side of the tree or behind some branches. This little Downy Woodpecker was much more cooperative, and MUCH quieter!

The Kentucky Bird List emails have talked about Rough Legged Hawks in many places, including our own landfill, something I don't recall seeing before. Our friend Ryan Ankeny's Landfill Birdblog keeps up with them. Ryan has wonderful photos of a dark phase Rough Legged you should see. He works as a biologist at the landfill, so has great opportunities.

We saw this bird, and followed it around for a while trying for a good look at it, hoping it was something other than a Red Tailed Hawk. From the back, it has a stripped tail like a juvenile Red Tail. But from the front, it lacks a belly band of any sort, just spots.

I was hoping it might be a female Harrier, but on the few short flights it took did not see the white rump of a Harrier. Is there a facial disk, or is that just my wishful thinking? What do you think it is? I've also asked Ryan and will let you know his verdict.

Around home, the little Dark-eyed Junco was the first bird of the new year for me.

Our Carolina Wren loves eating peanuts from the feeder. I found some leftover zickdough and put it out. The Starlings descended on it right away, but our Mockingbird chased them off.

Merry Christmas Bird Count

If I wrote for Wheel of Fortune on television, I would use this title in the Before and After category. I want to include our first Christmas Bird Count, but also want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, so here goes! As retirees, Dick and I don't get up before dawn very often now, but the Christmas Bird Count at Otter Creek Park started at 8 am. As one expects at Christmas, it was cold and overcast, but we layered up and thought we could take it. Otter Creek Park used to belong to the City of Louisville, even though it is located in Meade County not far from Ft. Knox. It hosts the YMCA's Camp Piomingo, an we drove there regularly when the kids were camp age, and Dick served on the board. Now the City no longer runs the park and it has been closed for almost two years. Apparently the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife people are going to take it on as a recreation area rather than a wildlife management area. Here's hoping they make a success of it. The park has a spectacular overlook on a large horseshoe bend in the Ohio River and is a favorite spot for many people. This is the 111th Christmas Bird Count, sponsored by the Audubon Society, but the first for Dick and me. Audubon and other organizations use data collected in this longest-running wildlife census to assess the health of bird populations - and to help guide conservation action. Each group takes an area with a radius of 7.5 miles, resulting in 70-80 squares miles of potential territory to cover. Six of us took Otter Creek Park, and other friends from Beckham Bird Club headed out into the rest of the circle. Unlike our usual bird hikes, we counted individuals of each species as well as the different species. At first, things were very quiet and we saw few birds. I wonder if the chattering of our teeth scared them away! We drove down to the river and sighted 5 Black Scoters and a Bald Eagle. The Bluebirds hopped in the treetops eating mistletoe berries. Then the sun broke through the clouds and birds and birders both sang with joy for the warmth!

For the most part, we saw the birds one expects in a Kentucky winter outing - Juncos, Robins, Chickadees, Titmice, Gold Finches, Cardinals, Nuthatches, Carolina Wrens, and murders of Crows. Last weekend other members of Beckham Bird Club found 90 species in their Jefferson County count. We got lucky with the Woodpeckers though, and saw almost all the Kentucky Woodpeckers except a Sapsucker, including Downy, Hairy, Flickers, and Red Bellied. Then we found six Red Headed Woodpeckers chasing each other around in the trees, something rather unusual for this part of the state. Dick and I had to leave around noon, and as we stood in the parking lot, I noticed a small bird hanging upside down in the pine cones. It turned out to be a Red Breasted Nuthatch, another bird not often found around here! We haven't received the total numbers or species list from Barbara yet. We saw some Turkeys as we drove out, and Barbara said she saw a Barred Owl too, so I look forward to the totals.

The Christmas Bird Count may become a new Christmas tradition for us. I've been thinking about those traditions during the last few weeks. Since our children are grown and moved out, our traditions have changed a bit. We still use the same old ornaments though, and I mean that in a good sense. Some are survivors of my childhood and bring back wonderful memories, but I won't say how old they are! Others were given to us as wedding gifts since we got married in late November, 37 years ago, and we cherish all of them. We will spend Christmas Day with our immediate family, and my brother and sister from Cincinnati will join us on Sunday. Family is important, and it seems harder to get together as we get older ourselves.

The cats are fascinated by all the hub-bub, of course. We are careful not to put down the tree skirt until it can be covered with boxes, since the cats think the tree and fancy skirt are just for them! Binx is giving his opinion of all the decorations, and moves from the mantle to the steps, to the back of the sofa to get just the right angle. Dick and I wish all of you a wonderful and safe Christmas Holiday and a birdy New Year!

A Good Day to Stay Home

One of the great things about retirement is staying home without guilt when the weather is bad. If you've been watching the Weather Channel today, you know that Louisville is covered with about half an inch of ice. The temperature is 32, not too bad, but it won't warm up substantially. It's a good day to stay in, drink hot coffee, and watch Christmas movies while wrapping gifts. I'm hoping the roads will clear by 3 p.m. when I have to go to the Raptor Center. It's like being a dairy farmer--you must take care of them no matter what. I bought some salt to leave there, and am crossing my fingers that someone has spread it before I arrive today!

When I went out to salt our own sidewalks, I decided to walk in the grass and flower gardens to reach the garage. The sidewalks were just tooooo treacherous to risk. Dick broke a rib last winter, and I don't want to go through that too.

The squirrels and birds are looking for seeds. They have faith in me.

The ice is beautiful though when it coats the branches and berries. As long as it doesn't bring down any tree limbs! And, thank goodness this is nowhere as bad as the last ice storm we had!

First Snow of the Season

It's December 4, and a clipper system blows its way across the midsection of the country. The staff at Creasey Mahan Nature Preserve plans for the annual Nature of Christmas in Goshen with their fingers crossed. On one hand, Kentuckians are not used to driving in snow, and are likely to just stay home if the weather is bad. On the other hand, snow will be beautiful for the Christmas event, and we are prepared. We make special arrangements for all the red berries to glow under the snowy branches. A few people will be brave enough to walk around and enjoy them. I will take lots of photos for both this blog and the Preserve's website.

Crafts people set up their booths inside the house this year. Last year people stood in line for hours for the free hot dogs, chili, coffee and hot chocolate. This year, there is a tent with a heater that allows people take off their coats as they sit down to eat. The grounds look like Christmas cards. Maybe we should try making Christmas cards or a calendar as a fund raiser next year.

Fluffed up Song Sparrows perch on the window sill of the nature center, then hop to the feeder for a quick bite. The snow is wet and makes terrific snow balls. It's a great day to attack dear old Dad.

Other neighborhood residents take advantage of the safe slopes to slide down the hill on saucers. Two girls sharing one have a hard time getting started, then they laugh as they spin in circles.

Buddy Freckles, the director's dog, stayed inside most of the day, but says that he loves playing in the snow. Entertainment included a handbell choir, followed by Santa and Mrs. Claus. As the crowds finally left at the end of the afternoon, one little boy came to ask a very important question. "Is that the real Santa?" he whispered. "What do you think?" I replied. With big glowing eyes he nodded his head. "Yes, he's the real one." "You are absolutely right. He is the real Santa Claus!" Anyone who will sit for and hour and a half, listening to the soft mumbles of children and acknowledging their wishes, is certainly the real Santa in my book! And he brought Mrs. Claus along to be sure everything was written down correctly.

I got a present too. Tavia's book about Bernheim Forest is now available for purchase, both at Bernheim, local book sellers, and online, and I got my copy on Saturday. 28 of my photos are featured, including two that fill entire pages! Sometimes I had to check the credit on a photo to see if it was Tavia's or mine, since I have many that are very much like hers in some instances. I started taking bird photos to help me remember what we saw on birding trips. I think they are pretty good, and tried submitting them in photo contests for a while. I never got recognized for them though, and gave up that effort. I don't really need recognition, but I must admit that I'm very excited about being published! Dick and I enjoyed remembering trips we made to Bernheim with his parents and our own young children. Today the landscaping is quite different than it was 25 or 30 years ago. We also looked at the pictures of friends who volunteer with Dick and our special friend Wren Smith, who taught us both in our Certified Interpretive Guide class. In fact, Tavia included a section on this opportunity. Whoo-Hoo! I'm published!!!