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Thursday, May 31, 2012

I can't believe people do these things!

Howdee all,

I can't believe these events are still happening!

Please click on the links and sign the petitions.

Snapperfest petition.

In Ohio County, Indiana, an incredibly cruel animal abuse event is organised named Snapperfest. The terrified turtles are grabbed by the participants, dubbed ''contestants'', by the tail, their heads yanked from their shells and swung around until the contestants can grab a tight hold on the animal's neck.

PETA and many other animal rights groups have tried to make the politicians see sense, but to no avail. I myself have e-mailed many politicians and the campground where the event is being held but have received no replies nor heard of any progress. I urge you to sign this petition to see some results for next year!



And this one too... Can you believe it?

Sign this petition

Every year rattlesnakes are tortured to death at Oklahoma rattlesnake roundups. Rattlesnakes are put into a freezer for "about two hours" where their blood begins to crystallize. Their fangs are often ripped cruelly from their mouths before having their mouths sewn shut. They are deprived of food, water and shelter. According to §1685 AND §1680.1 of the Department of Agriculture Cruelty to Animal laws, already on the books, this is felony animal cruelty.

These rattlesnakes are put on display for the purpose of making money allowing hundreds of people to have their photo taken with "a real live rattlesnake". These snakes die within a matter of hours due to lack of food/water, lack of shelter, stress and shock. It is a slow and torturous death.

What are your thoughts on these events?

Have any of you been to them?

 

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

iPad playing

Howdee all,

A week ago I finally caved and got my first iPad.
I didn't think with an iPod touch and a laptop computer that it was something I really "needed".
I was excited about getting the iPad but once I had it I could see it was just a larger version of my iPod touch. It took me a while to warm up to it.
I am warming up and find that it is the device I pick up most often when at home.
I don't take it along with me when I leave Homey to shop or go for a walk..I have my ipod touch for that.
I find, unless I need my computer to lookup passwords or do a blog post..I use the iPad.
So here is my first iPad blog post...I have blogged using my iPod touch in the past.
I am using a few photos I have here on my iPad. I haven't yet purchased the SD card reader so that I can transfer photos from my camera.
Here is a screen shot I took of my birding and nature apps.


What apps do you have? Any suggestions?
Below is a photo I took with my iPad.

This a panorama I took with my DMD app.
I am not sure how it will come up just uploading via this blogging app.
Below is a link and a photo..not sure how either will look once uploaded.
So here goes.

Here is the link for my panorama, i don't know how to embed it with this blogging app.
Still working on getting that right too..things just didn't match up.

I am adding this panorama embed with Windows Live Writer..couldn’t find how to do it via Blogger+



Do you have an iPad?
Do you blog with it?
What apps do you like?

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Catbird at my dining window

Howdee all,

No~I haven't lost my head..this is not a Catbird. This sweet little Chipping Sparrow is just one of the birds checking out their reflection in our windows.

Birds at window_069This Catbird is now a regular visitor..

Birds at window_060Hanging out..trying to figure out what this reflection or bird is all about.

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It stares at the window and sometimes flies into it fighting with its reflection.

Birds at window_063Its only a few feet away from my dining window.

Birds at window_073Our Homey is parked in Mom and Dads driveway….Muther says she cant see her purdy Rhododendrons now…Homey is blocking her view.

We have great views…Thanks Muther ~come visit and look out my dining room window.

catbird_007You will find a few of your birds here too.

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Thursday, May 24, 2012

Did someone say Kirtland’s?

Howdee all,

Watch what you say on the Boardwalk of Magee Marsh. When someone mentions the K word..heads turn, hearts begin to beat faster.

Bodies get in gear and quickly head in the direction the K word was uttered.

Hundreds of people amass to hopefully get a glimpse of the *K* Bird.

Such was so during The Biggest Week in American Birding this year. Not once but three times.

Last year while at the Biggest Week Jeff and I did not see a Kirtland’s and I don’t believe that any were seen.

 

Kirtland's Warbler (Setophaga kirtlandii) is a small songbird of the New World warbler family (Parulidae), named after Jared P. Kirtland, an Ohio doctor and amateur naturalist. Nearly extinct just 50 years ago, it is well on its way to recovery. It requires large areas (> 160 acres) of dense young jack pine for its breeding habitat. This habitat was historically created by wildfire, but today is primarily created through the harvest of mature jack pine, and planting of jack pine seedlings.[1]

Since the mid-19th century at least it has become a restricted-range endemic species. Almost the entire population spends the spring and summer in the northeastern Lower Peninsula of Michigan and winters in The Bahamas. From Wikipedia

 

First sighting of Kirtland reported at Ottawa NWR..There was a mass exodus of birders from Magee Boardwalk to Ottawa NWR when the twitter alert went out.

Just a handful saw the bird.

All here did not.

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Video of birders waiting and watching for the*K* Bird seen by just a few at Ottawa NWR.

Dawns Tale of the Second sighting…

May 9th

It was early morning~Jeff and I were on our way out of the Motorhome when I got a twitter alert to my phone that a Kirtland’s Warbler was seen. Adrenaline pumps thru my body. This is the last of the Eastern Wood Warblers we needed to add to our Life List. A difficult bird to see in most places,unless you go to its breeding grounds.

  I told Jeff to forget about dropping off a Guitar to the Park owner~Lets high tail it to Magee Marsh.

The K Bird was seen on the boardwalk just a few minutes earlier.

I was supposed to be helping Adrian Binns with a Bird Sit at nine and It was close to nine.

We drove towards the east end of the Boardwalk and noticed people streaming out of the boardwalk. Word was the the K bird had flown over the water area and had not been re-found.

I felt obligated to go to the sit and told Jeff to call me if the K bird was re-found.

Friends Debbie and Dave called~

The K bird was being seen again....

I ran from the West end of the boardwalk to the eastern area off the boardwalk  hoping I would not be too late.

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Many people had nice looks of the K bird.

A life bird for Jeff and me.

Yes people actually jump off a wheelchair to see the K Bird! ;) see below

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Yipppppeee..I made it!

I had a few good looks of the K bird~~ Way up there in the tree.

A male Kirtland’s Warbler.

Read Bobby Harrison’s post of how this bird was found on the boardwalk.

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Saturday May 12th..

A female K bird was found by three young Amish birders on a new Crane Creek Estuary Trail.

Bird was seen here for quite a while.

Jeff and I went out around 5 to see if people were still seeing it.

They were.

biggest_189And so did we.

biggest_178Much better looks than the male K bird.

She looks lovely with flowers..

biggest_216She sits and preens..

biggest_227Oblivious to her large audience.

biggest_229Isn't she a beauty?

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It was so exciting to see not one but two of these rare Warblers!

Thanks Biggest Week!

Monday, May 21, 2012

Sometimes I get lucky~Blackburnian Warbler

Howdee all,

Sometimes I get lucky.

Well, to tell you the truth..Its not too difficult for a point and shoot camera to get a photo at

The Biggest Week in American Birding

Its the big lenses that have may have trouble getting a photo when the birds are this close.

Blackburnian Warbler~Magee Marsh Boardwalk

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Taken with my three year old Canon SX-1~IS 20x optical zoom

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I was eyeing the new Canon that my friend Linda Rockwell has..ohhh for a bigger zoom.

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For now my Canon SX1 will do..

Unless someone out there wants me to review a camera for them. Smile

 

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Friday, May 18, 2012

Chipper Chatter at my window

Howdee all,

Jeff and I are now parked in Mom and Dads Driveway in CT.

We had a fabulous time At The Biggest Week and I will be posting a few more photos soon.

When we park our Homey in Mom and Dads Driveway, we are just a few feet from a Rhododendron.

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Because of our reflective windows we have birds coming to them and checking out the Other bird.

Birds at window_027This was just one of the birds who checked out their reflection..

Chipping Sparrow

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I didn’t get photos of it attacking its reflection..but that’s what it did.

Birds at window_038Along with a pair of Catbirds..

They took turns tapping at the window.

Birds at window_043Silly little bird

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Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Bird sex and cocktails

Howdee all,

Our last night in Ohio we were invited for cocktails and dinner at friends Hugh and Judy's home.

Hugh and Judy have a lovely garden and pond.

I thought my Sickstas would enjoy these photos and maybe Craigy might get a few ideas on how to make a waterfall.

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The waterfall

lastdaybiggest_148A rock that water flows from..

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A water spouting critter

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Just one of the cool pieces of garden art

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Hugh and Judy have nest boxes and feeders all over their property..

What a great home for birds!

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No I didn’t forget about the title of my post ..and it wasn’t just a catchy title to get you here..

We really did have Cocktails..

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And while we did we did have quite the show..

lastdaybiggest_152Ms. Tree Swallow waits for more..

He came back another six or seven times

I lost count..you would think they would take the whole thing indoors..

lastdaybiggest_153After dinner we took a walk around the park

Spotted Sandpiper all spotty..

lastdaybiggest_165Greylag Goose with Canada Goose

lastdaybiggest_170Wow..I think they adopted a few

  geese 'creches' - where the offspring of different parents get mixed up - are fairly common

Check out this article to see a pair with 40 goslings~~Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1280370/Canada-geese-left-charge-40-goslings.html#ixzz1uwtY89vE

 

lastdaybiggest_173Kildeer…It was acting as though there might be a nest nearby.

lastdaybiggest_175I just thought this looked cool…

Judy said this is part of an old trailer.

lastdaybiggest_176Thanks Hugh and Judy for a lovely evening.

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Thanks Hugh and Judy for your warm hospitality!

Until we meet again.

Monday, May 14, 2012

Goodbye Biggest Week

Howdee all,

Jeff and I had a wonderful ten days birding and socializing at

The Biggest Week in American Birding

Because internet was very spotty with our mifi device I was not able to blog at the end of the day. In all honesty..I was too darn tired to try.

Jeff and I are on the road again…We will arrive in Connecticut in a few days where I will go through all the photos I took at the Biggest Week.

I have one photo I want to share with you now…

This is the second Kirtland's Warbler we saw this week!

Life bird for Jeff and me! I did the Kirtland's Warbler jig several times during the day..sorry no one got it on film..ha ha.

This was the lovely female that showed up a few days after we saw a male Kirtland's

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Isn't she a beauty?

I also wanted to share where I spent a few days selling raffle tickets to Benefit the  Ohio Young Birders Club

I used an app on my ipod touch called DMD to take this panorama of the area where I was selling raffle tickets.

Use your curser to move around the room..…Its pretty darn cool!

I might use more of this in future blog posts.

 

Hope you all are doing well!

Its going to take me ten years to catch up with you all and with all I missed on Facebook and Twitter.

Not to mention all my favorite shows on TV that I missed. ..any other Once Upon a Time fans out there?

Saturday, May 12, 2012

No time to blog.. The Biggest Week Rocks!

Howdee all,

Jeff and I have been in Ohio since May 3rd at

The Biggest Week in American Birding

Its been so much fun! We are busy from morning until night and then crash..only to repeat the process the next day.

I have been so busy socializing and birding I have not taken that many photos.

I hope to get out tomorrow and take a few.

Until then ..

Biggest week_051

Sunday, May 06, 2012

The Biggest Week~not just birds

Howdee all,

I am as happy as this smiling Snapping turtle to be here at 

The Biggest Week in American Birding

 

Biggest Week_003I feel like hooting..

Biggest Week_007There are birds a plenty for everyone here..

Like this Lovely Prothonatary Warbler..

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Biggest Week_032

Butteflies…

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Biggest Week_039Snakes..

Biggest Week_067And plenty of birders…

If you don’t like crowds please don’t let this scene discourage you..there are soo many places on the boardwalk and other areas to bird where you will find solitude.

Biggest Week_061

Birding Metzger

Biggest Week_041Shorebirds!

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Shorebird tour at Ottawa NWR

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There ARE shorebirds out there..even though my camera wont reach them.

Biggest Week_075When birding..be prepared for any type of weather..

A storm approaching..

Biggest Week_079Hope to see you at The Biggest Week

Please stop me and say hello!

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