Now.....remember that game? Listen to it and 'relive' it once more. Did you ever make it to the front and if so, what feeling did you get? You won, you were in charge, you had the fun of sending others 'back to the start'..... Life was simple, eh? 

Well....life gets complicated but for some animals the skills learned in Red Light Green Light will keep you alive. It isn't a matter of just winning, it is a matter of living.

The other day looking out my window where my feeders are I saw the usual cast. Gold Finches, Juncos, a sparrow or two, a Blue Jay etc... a chaotic mass as they took after my bird food. Yet, all of a sudden.....there was no suddenness to it, but only stillness. Out of the corner of my eye, and in that quick of a time between the chaotic movement and 'stillness', a neighborhood Coopers made it's way to a tree. Now, this tree was rather far away and from what I could tell, it was hidden from all bird eyes. And yet, the  birds suddenly became still.

No movement.....not a flick of the feather or a tic or a scatter for safety...nada. Nothing.... just stillness. The Coopers in the tree, the birds on the ground and in the feeders. The Coopers' moved and craned his neck and turned and viewed but the birds did absolutely nothing. They stayed in place, just like in Red Light, Green Light..... 

The amazing thing is that they stayed 'in place....with no movement what-so-ever' for 20 minutes. Yes man, you heard me right...20 minutes. No movement. After 20 minutes the Cooper's left the coop, sort of speaking....and immediately upon the retreat, the birds became alive once more. But they just continued doing what they were doing before. Some clawed the earth, some pecked the seed, some just scratched around etc. It was like the previous 20 minutes they were in this trance and once out of the trance, they moved on with life. Simply amazing...amazing...

I was doing some reading up on this and I can't find any thing that states that birds have a 'sense' for danger, although I know they must as we all know they do, but nothing on the actual 'sense' itself. They have excellent eye-sight but how did they view the Coop's thru the trees? Some of these birds were behind or underneath other trees and yet somehow they got the message that a predator was in the vicinity. How? .... How do they know? What sense do they have that 'we lack'... Or perhaps we do have that sense but thru the years and decades and centuries, we have lost that as an active sense? It is still there as to a degree we can sense 'danger' but not to the degree that birds have it. Right? ....makes you wonder eh?

The Cooper's was playing Red Light Green Light and no one was caught...they all became winners, which means of course that the Coopers' had to go back to the beginning of the line while the passerines all called out Red Light Green Light. Oh...where did the 'yellow light' come from? I don't remember that as being part of the game..... 

See below....actual footage (not doctored)....but real archived footage of event as it occurred. :-) 

tLast week I was at Forsythe....I believe a Saturday it was or Sunday, not sure but really doesn't matter. Time escapes.

Often times the best birding at Forsythe is on the 'way to Gull Tower'....Now my daily sage;  Get out of the car and walk. While the car might be a shield against those green flies,  there aren't any now, so get out of the car and walk.  Work your eyes, look for movement...scan the skies and yes, look for blobs on branches that might otherwise go un-noticed. While a few cars skipped on by, I happened to see one of those blobs. 

It was a small hawk..... sitting on a dead tree and facing me. It was in that dead patch of trees damaged by Hurricane Sandy, right as you begin the Gull Drive length. How lucky was me. I 'returned to the car' and pulled out the scope, set up the legs and viola, a perfect image of a hawk. Did I mention that cars were skipping on by? 

Now I wanted to ID this hawk so I mentally checked off from my list. But one amazing thing that graced me was the hawk was fanning its' tail like a peacock but only 'down'. But the bars were jagged. Hmmm.... I pulled out my Kaufman ( in the field I prefer a Kaufmann for my Sibley is too big to fit in any pocket I have) and flipped to pages 125 or abouts. Not the Sharpie, nor the Cooper...But let's see, it has a nice white eyebrow. Could it be a Goshawk? Jagged barring on tail, grey overall on back, eyebrow....Could it? But it looks too small. 

Hmmm...a volunteer from the Center came meandering by and we looked at it. He suggested a Peregrine since it had a bit of a facial marking. Nah...I didn't agree...but maybe a juvenile Goshawk. That might explain the lesser overall size.  

Then a lady, this time from California came wandering by a few minutes later and we began to look it over. Again ,cars skipping on by. See?...if you are in a car you miss things. She agreed, no Peregrine, no Sharpie, no Coopers. But she too brought up the size as too small for a Goshawk although other characteristics fit.

A Merlin? .... hmmm..Page 126. yes, a smaller facial marking, an eye brow, and perhaps jagged barring in underside of tail as well and gray on back. But only 10". Too small especially when compared to the Blue Jay floating around it which is closer to 11" and this bird seemed larger than the jay. So maybe a juvenile Goshawk still not grown to full size?  Not sure, but the Merlin is too small. Sounds like Goldilocks. 

What is the perfect fit here? ...wait. wait...we finally arrived at a yet unobserved feature. While the bird had moved back aways so the spreading of the tail was no longer a factor to observe,  the scope provided a good shot of the eye...yes the eye.....the eye. Aye Aye man...the eye. It was black, not colored.... And that fits the Merlin. Both birds shared much the same characteristics with exception of size and eye color, especially if you consider the juvenile aspect of the Goshawk. The Merlin it was...and it made sense since this is migratory time for them and they are here in numbers. The eye color was the kicker.... . So an 'enlarged version of a Merlin'....that was how we left it. 

I moved on and walked the remainder of Gull Pond Road...while cars skipped by me. 

Way back in 1976 I was in college and while I was beyond Big Bird, ....(little did I know that I would have daughters of my own who loved that bird!) , I was into Mark 'The Bird" Fidrych who was a pitcher for the Detroit Tigers. As a kid myself, the Tigers were my baseball team as we lived in the NW and Seattle didn't have a baseball team until 1977. Fidrych was an unusual character as he would 'talk to the ball', get on his knees and smooth the ground of the mound, and he actually resembled Big Bird of Sesame Street. That is where the nickname came from.  So.....I guess this is where my love with birds first happened, right? Sure I remember my mom telling me about Robins as they returned in the spring, but not until as an adult did I really start to enjoy the beauty of nature..... The Sierra Club, Audubon Society, Green Peace etc. 

The other day I was out birding, ...and really, does it matter where? You see I travel the country, just because.....and I bird  wherever I am (Have binoculars, will travel). Well here I was in a place called Santa Gertrudis Lane and ran cross some expert birders. These three guys put me to shame but I never think of myself as anything but an average birder who just happens to stumble upon them. But there are some birds that I take a liking to, for they provide me with the presence of a 'home', wherever I might be in this glorious country. Juncos..... Chickadees and a Yellow Warbler; my rendition of Big Bird.

When I see any of these birds, I know I am home. On this trip to SE Arizona there were no Junco's or Chickadees but only my old familiar catch of pure yellow nestled into the shades of green.  There we were, together. And it was at this moment for of all things, I thought of Big Bird. Then I thought of 'The Bird', ....then I thought of the Detroit Tigers, and then I thought of 1976, and then I thought of growing up on the farm. There I was as a kid with the world open to me and no idea of where it might take me. There I was with my dad and mom, still young and alive with energy in their eyes..... wraaastling I was,  with my brothers and wishing for girls to look my way. 

Fast forward now...... how many years is that? A good portion of a lifetime has gone by since those times. But here I am in Arizona as a 'senior now', and looking up at a Yellow Warbler. Time flies....and yet while time flies it replaces the memories of yesterday with events of today. Right before I left the east coast to start a few weeks of western life, the last bird I saw was a Yellow Warbler. And I saw that bird with one of my Grandsons who is 6 years old. It was at his house in Haddon Heights. Then we went inside and waited a few minutes before dinner. In those moments he showed me a program on his kindle. Guess what? It was a program that had Big Bird in it. 

​Wow...life just keeps hitting me.....I love life. 

New birds around......not 'new' as in a new species but, simply new birds to the world. 

Have you ever just watched them? I mean just sit on your back porch and watch the fledglings. Observe.....identify....They are really fascinating and when compared to a human baby, birds learn rapidly. They don't have all that long before they have to move from nest to flight to looonnnnng flight (as in migration).

We had a young pair of hummingbirds as well as 4-5 chickadees to observe on a daily basis, as we just sat on the back porch. The chickadees are a bit demanding, to say the least. They are constantly 'chickadeeing' to their mom. I can safely assume that a 'human soccer mom' has it fairly easy compare to a Chickadee mom. The Chickadee mom is always on call listening to feeding  the young (okay, so is the soccer mom). The chickadee mom is always in search for food (okay, so is the soccer mom). The fledglings have a difficult time just perching on branch without falling (hmmm...so do human toddlers with just standing quietly around too). When the fledglings finally determine to try to enter the bird food cage, they do so but wander around the super market of food attempting to figure out what to eat and from what perch to stand on. Okay, so do human kids at the store and the soccer mom trying to 'round them up'. 

So maybe 'safely assuming' that a soccer mom has it 'easy' compared to the Chickadee mom, well....is a bit of an overstatement. 

So let's move to the hummers. Fast little critters.... One thing I have noticed in is that they are not easily distracted unless...unless....it is from one of their kind. I can stand around right in front of them and they still partake from the feeder or my saliva plants. They really couldn't care less if I am around. If other birds such as  dove or robin or whatever, fly near it....they couldn't care less either. But if their 'kind'....their sibling or mom is close by, .....they immediately take flight and chase the other. Like bear cubs or lion cubs or any cub, they pester each other. 

I haven't quite figured out how the mom will drink up my concoction of sugar water and 'spit' it out into the fledgling. It happened a few times. But the hummer fledgelings took nicely to the feeder though. Just a few mishaps standing on the perch. But both the fledglings and the mom are so quick...that it is hard to follow too far. The dad, well......he was seen once at the beginning of the season so the mom in this case had the kids for the soccer season.

Before you read of 'the World and the Turd'....play the video. Listen now....Listen to the sound of Frogger. Visualize yourself crossing the street with cars coming in either direction and you, the frog.....going back and forth, across and over, up and down. A narrow miss, a split second to react, a nice push forward thru a lane and perhaps another. And then to the other side, if you are lucky my dear.

The other day I was walking the bike path in Egg Harbor Township. This path goes for miles from EHT up to Mays Landing. Every so often it comes to a stop as one has to allow cars to cross at some point, eh?  Well, it was at one of these points that I came across a small black beetle, his world, and while his turd, chances are it wasn't.

You see, as I walk I look forward to thoughts and boredom as well as the observation of nature. I stop and look at leaves or hear the birds and brush my fingers against grass or select the perfect  leaf to stroke the ribs. I will look up and find dragons in the clouds or perhaps ants in the dirt as they carry objects 10 times their weight to someplace unknown. I stop, watch....and be part of nature. Technology has robbed many of us of that. It isn't that the opportunity to be a zen within nature lacks, yet many people grow accustomed to non-observance of such. They are simply too lost in a world of pecking and pressing and swiping. Did it all start with Frogger? Perhaps, or was that Pong? 

Yet here I was immersed in the natural surroundings when the frogger came by, yet at this moment, was dressed in the skin of a 'black beetle'. On the blacktop I looked and saw this black beetle pushing a round turd. Not his turd for it was much larger than the beetle but I couldn't rightly say to whom or what it came from. This particular turd was round, and the size of a meatball. The beetle was pushing the turd across the blacktop. 

Now, the pushing itself was odd, or maybe not if you are a beetle. But the beetle was upside down, if that makes sense. His hind legs were on the turd while his face was down, towards the blacktop. With his front legs he pushed backwards, much like a baby might crawl backwards. With each backward push, the turd moved across the blacktop.

And then along came 'the road'...... I am not one to allow others to harm insects or bees or flies or birds, but here I let the beetle go on its way. Across the roadway separating the two paths it went. Across from one side to other with a car or two coming. Each time, the beetle and the turd dared not to stop, but kept pushing across. Just kept going like Frogger. No sideway jaunts or pauses, or any sudden movement to increase speed. Just a consistent grind. A steady pace. The beetle and the turd, his world. 

Before long, it managed to get to the other side, ....let it be said that neither came out smashed. No baby diaper here all smashed to the side, but a fully intact turd, continually being pushed and pushed and pushed ahead by a beetle so inclined to have the turd be the world.

Then on the other side, it ran up against a twig. The turd and the beetle stopped. The beetle became upright in walking manner and stood on top of the turd, as he was 'king of the mountain'. Scanning the horizon from an inch of elevation, allowed him to find the way around the twig. Back on course he moved forward. Another obstacle, another 'king of the mountain' play. 

Before long, the turd came to leaves and grass. Too difficult for this to continue. And of sudden instant as the world came to close, so did this adventure. Inclined to keep the turd where it lay, the beetle simply crawled under a leaf and remained so, hidden from view. His home? Or just a home found? I don't know. I suppose a leaf of any variety is home to a beetle but do they have any one particular leaf or spot they call home? Why not just ride it out here? After all, I have food, I have the turd. Many insects eats turds so this is not unusual and as long as I have shelter and food, I just need some water and I am sure it will rain today. So, a leaf, a turd and drops of rain. The world belonged solely to the beetle at this moment and he was inclined to accept it, as is. Safely across the street, and then a stop of action, for no real reason other than this leaf blocked the path of the turd. I suppose so.......

Okay.....What are they? ....What Species? Have you figured it out yet as 'both' of these can be found here in New Jersey? Raise of hands if you know? Anyone? 

Yes....they are a Warbler. Good, we have that to begin with. But what type of warbler are they? The species? Anyone?

This was the dilemma that faced  me the other day as Deb and I were at the Delaware Water Gap. A beautiful, yet humid day at 7am. Only in the 60's but Humid. How is that? Only in New Jersey. Yet the day 'sunnied' up a bit and we made it into the low 80's at the Gap, and still humid.

If you are familiar with the Gap, you are aware that it extends quite a long ways and the Jersey side is the only side worth birding. Old Mine's Road has a birding reputation and we experienced just that. Deb and I birded the morning till around 10, when we went to Hainseville General Store for a three-egg omelet with spinach and Cheese, prior to me dropping Deb off at an Art Workshop at Luna Parc (awesome place, see Website connection).

From that point on, I was on my own. I birded between Dingman's Crossing and Milford, or the upper part of the Gap. It is only about 8 miles in length and there were hardly any  motorcars, so...perfect birding from the road. Now at this point, this needs to be separated here a bit between the Everyone's and the No-ones. EVERYONE who birds a new spot will usually have a target species in mind. As I did with the Cerulean Warbler. I had it down visually. I knew what it looked like and dag-nabit Deputy Dog, if the Cerulean was there, I was going to find it. That is, 'if'...'if', if it presented itself to me. Otherwise, I had a great learning 'lead-up' as I prepared myself for this treasure.

But NO-One....No-One goes to a birding site prepared for what they are not expected to see such as rarities or hybrids or birds 'blown by the wind to and fro'. So I found myself in the No-One category. It was on my second loop of the Water Gap making myself down from Milford. I got out of the car and just started looking high in the trees for movement. But about mid-height I saw a bird fly across the road to a tree and begin to rummage around. My bins were on the bird and recently Deb and I had found a Chestnut-sided Warbler among others, so who knows....perhaps the Cerulean? 

No such luck but luck enough..... I found the bird on the left (see image above blog). Fairly interesting. Yellow cap, black eye stripe....yellow smudge on the breast and gray for the breast and rest of chest. Perfect...should be an easy find in the book but what is it? It appeared to me to be a Warbler. I took out my traveling companion Kaufman and looked it up. Nada....  yes, nada..... According to Kaufman there is no such bird and yet there it is in front of me. I am seeing it right, right? Right, I am. 

I only had the Kaufman with me and little or no Internet, so what am I seeing? It isn't a Blue-winged Warbler but golly man, it looks a lot like it with the exception of the overall grayish and lack of total yellow breast. It isn't a Golden-winged but according to Kaufman there is a Hybrid of these two birds. The image in Kaufman didn't resemble what I am seeing though, but I 'assumed' I was looking at a Brewster's Warbler. I even texted Lester my find and my assumption. 

It wasn't until after the day was done birding that my hunch paid off. Yes, it was the Brewster's Warbler....a Hybrid of the Blue-winged and Golden Winged and occurs in areas where the two species overlap.

As I looked on the Internet, the image of what I saw....came into full view. I am still not sure what Kaufman's image represents though. But the image 'above' on the left is exactly what I saw...bingo. Doing more research I pulled out my dad's old 1947 Tory Peterson's and like 'sure-fire', there it was. On plate 50 was an image of the exact Brewster's Warbler.

Looking at the Sibley....bingo again. There it is on page 428 of my version of Sibley. The Brewster's  Warbler. It is followed by the image on the right (above) of the Lawrence's Warbler.

Now you see.....you see.......  that in pure scientific hybird talk, there are what is labeled as Dominant and Recessive genes. According to Sibley and Peterson and others in the bunch, when the territory of the Blue-winged and Golden-winged overlap, they can breed with the dominant bird off-spring being the Brewster's while the recessive bird being the Lawrence's. 

But it doesn't stop right there.....I am happy I found a new 'lifer' species for me. Totally elated as I celebrated with a piece of pie from the Hainesville General Store after I picked up Deb at 4:30 (they close at 5pm and the prices of the pies were not in the  half-price, end of day category so we paid full price but it was well worth it).

Peterson actually has a bit more narrative within his explanation but to quote him " There is a good deal of variation, some individuals have white wing-bars, some with yellow and some are tinged with yellow below. The thin black eye-mark as in the Blue-wing,and the white or largely white, instead of solid yellow underparts are diagnostic (of the Brewster's)."

Peterson also goes onto say that the 'voice' of the Brewster's (or for that fact, in the Lawrence) can be either the Blue-winged or Golden-winged. So the species itself has a borrowed voice from the parents and can be 'one or the other'. How odd. 

Even odder.....according to Sibley.....first generation hybrids always appear as the Brewster's Warbler. Other research shows that the Warbler might shift from the Brewsters (left picture) to the Lawrence's (right image). And to further add confusion, according to the Classic Collection of North American Birds, state "that over a number of years, through breeding will return back to one of the original two bird species (Blue-winged and Golden-winged)".

I think Sibley sums it up best when he states "Scientific interpretations of these situations continually change as more data are amassed and species concepts evolve."

So the questions arise as more research is done on this hybrid but, ...it is a bird, is a species according to the ABA but does it evolve back from one species to the original parents and if so, why is it a new species to begin with? Or do some evolve back via subsequent breeding while others do not? The exact 'visual' of the Brewsters or Lawrence's'...while apparently known might not be known as variance occurs as Peterson notes. The song is 'one or the other' ...

So yes, Sibley at least has it right..... the data continually changes the look and knowledge base. I for one am just happy I added a lifer.....and more importantly was on my own.....able to correctly determine that some hanky-pankiness (don't you love that word....kind of like the word 'naughty'), is going on. I feel great that I correctly visualized the bird in the field and even ID'd the bird according to whatever information I had. Nice going jim......

eBird findings of Brewsters (click link).

So, who was your first date or kiss.....? In my case, it wasn't my first kiss, but just a date. You see her name was Pam, all 4 feet 11 of her. The photo above is her senior foto so it was several years prior to this 'swing around' style was taken.  What's the deal with this style?  Why would you want to have to 'look back' over your shoulder just to have a picture taken. Is it to show off that Farah Faucet hairstyle? Not sure....but all the girls had it. Now the girls are not girls now, far from it.....but actually this lady still looks somewhat like this lady. Just a bit more puffier in a few minor places.

Now....I stole Pam from Eric Freeburg. Eric was dating Pam at the time I decided to ask her out on a date. The reasoning behind my brave-heart was since Eric was a year younger than I was, (he was an early sophomore and I was a junior), I should have first dibs on a girl the same age  that I was. I remember after the date, I came around her house...real slow like in my car....hoping to get a glimpse of her and sure enough....there they BOTH were, out front outside of Eric's side of the car door, kissing.  I didn't even get to a kiss her and there she is doing it with this Eric. That was the end of that date with her. I wasn't fond of Eric.

But I still remember the date and the feeling of going out with Pam....oh yes....Pam was nice, was into music and seemed funny. I use the term 'seemed' for I barely talked with her prior to the date, and in fact I am not too sure I had a conversation with her at all, just quick glances. I often wondered, why did she accept?  I was just a dorky kid and she after-all was Pam. Anyhow, I remember it felt good when she said yes. I think I waited until all of my siblings were out of the house, my parents were doing 'whatever they did' and I borrowed the house phone to sneak in a quick call. I assume that is how it came about. 

But that 'first date' was quite the feeling. No slouch on having a date with just any old girl too, but Pam..... Now...the other day I was birding as the weather is beginning to break. These spring days, much like the start of baseball season, is a feeling of hope, the phoenix rising from the dreary winter. To go birding in nice weather is like the rising of the sun.

So....walking around the other day, I had my first date. I saw my first Belted Kingfisher of the year....,my first Kestral (at Forsythe), my first Orchard Oriole, my first Oystercatcher, my first Golden Plover, my first Gull Billed Tern, my first White-eyed Vireo, my first Red-breasted Grosbeak.....I mean, if this was truly a 'date', I made it easily to third base, easily........coming into home. I mean, wow....those are nice birds to see. All in blossom with spring colors, just like during a prom. The first time you see a bird for the season is as exciting as seeing a bird for the first time, period....or I like to think so.

Bottom line is that the first date never goes away.....only lingers in memory. Obviously it wasn't Pam's first date for years later, well...just 5-6 years ago, I saw Pam as we met later on in life and became 'just friends'. But no lingering of memory there for she had no recollection of my first date or I should say, 'our date'. Nothing what-so-ever. I suppose I should have kissed her on that first date and maybe left somewhat of an impression. 

I walk away today with multiple first dates, in the land of birds. But isn't a lady a bird? 

I still have one last April day and yes....I will 'bird it'...According to Marriam Webster's, to 'bird-it' has no definition. The same holds true for Dictionary.com or even the stuffy Oxford. False-fronted Wikipedia has nothing on it as well. But if I come up to any of you birders, and say...lets' BIRD-It, chances are you will know what I am talking about. Bird-it=The act of Bird Watching.

So that brings up a fine point....why can't we have our own term?  "Google It"  or "Binge-watching", or "Photobomb". Go 'bird it'..... I like the sound.

"I have a free morning at 6am, can we 'bird-it?"

"I am going to 'bird-it' Saturday, are you going?"

"Let me see, I will take pancakes and scrambled eggs, then I am going to go and 'bird-it""

"Along came a spider, but I looked up from the web and decided to bird-it"

"After the Eagle game, I think a walk around Forsythe to bird-it will be in order"

"Yes Marge, go get your perm, then...let's bird-it"

"A $50 bottle of wine you say....hmmmm can we 'bird-it' first?

"Hola mi amor, quiere bird-it?"

"My honey-do list has mowing the lawn, take trash out and birding-it"

"Wow, you just won a gran at the casino....lucky you, but did you bird-it?"

Well, you get the point. Other than knowing the names of birds that in many cases do not match to what I feel the name  should be, or....know the type of duck by flight only, or .... knowing the sound of a seaside sparrow, or....knowing how to count dozens of birds real fast, or....knowing how to focus with your bins, or..... why can't we have a word just for birders? 

​Ah, go bird-it man......

Deb and I are 'downsizing' and the shuffling of papers begins. She came at me the other day presenting a newspaper story from '2000 about' birding. Some guy named "Sibley' she said.....

Now....in 2000, Sibley was 39 years old and had just printed off THE Sibley Guide to  Birds. Let's see....in 2000 I was teaching 4th grade in Washington State. Just earned my Masters' and was into Technology. My daughters were 18 and 16 and wanting to leave the house. But If you take the time I was 39 years old, I was teaching 3rd grade and was just getting into Technology. So, there I was....you? Where were you and what were you doing when the bible of Birding came out in 2000 or when you were 39? Think...ponder. Did you write your bible?

Upon reading the article, Sibley went thru his life and the beginnings of his bird drawings was as a young lad of 6 as his dad was an ornithologist. From that point it just expanded and he really got hooked on birding when he started banding birds in California. In 1980 he was hired by Pete Dunne to count hawks at Higbee Beach for $200 for three weeks of work. It wasn't until he casually spent time in the Meadows between 1992 and 1999 that he started 'fixing' what needed to be fixed in regards to  Peterson's Guide to Birds. 

Well, the rest is history..... But, what is in a name you say? One has to admit that the father of birding here in America was John James Audubon. His successor was Roger Tory Peterson. ....two great ones. So when Sibley's book to birding was near completion and, according to the article....a Knopf publisher company representative 'met in person' with Sibley to obviously discuss making the book successful. Hard to imagine his guide being 'not successful', but it must have been discussed. The company representative suggested that 'to be in keeping' with John James Audubon and Roger Tory Peterson, that David Sibley should use his middle name as well on the cover. So, instead of just David Sibley, he is now David ALLEN Sibley.....as he stated, he was happy to oblige, after all....when you've got a book on the best-seller list, things aren't like they used to be. 

Success? Yes, I guess.....in the first few weeks his guide sold over 100,000 copies and a second printing was made. Taking a look at my copy, it was the 11th printing in the 2010 edition so how many sold between 2000 and 2010 and how many between 2010 and now? .....

Saturday the 14th of April......one 'sunny and warm day'...a perfect invitation setting up our Audubon walk. Upon quick recollection, this made (2) days in a row where nice weather nestled in. One, two...not hard to count nor remember. The scheduled Plant Walk with Michael Stanton, which is Sunday the 15th most likely isn't going to copy-cat this day.

Now this Audubon walk had 15-16 of us strung up and down, captivated in birds and the absorption of sun. Kind of a meandering bunch initially as we found our way up and down the initial pathways near the visitor center. Tree Swallows in flight and finches 'fighting in-flight' for territory...A fly-by of 7 laughing gulls and another of 17 Ibis. A blue-gray gnatcatcher in the parking lot, and with the use of Charles's scope, a willet or two way out beyond the boardwalk.

As we scoped the trees and fields in back of the visitor center, a nice low flying raptor made it's appearance as it skulked thru the trees and then plunked itself down on the picnic table in the Nature Classroom. The raptor had us raptured. 

A formidable entrance as well as a presence that unmistakably defined this bird as being transplanted from Hollywood to Jersey. It's entrance was just too grand for the normal run-of-the-mill Jersey raptor as it looked for the red carpet treatment leading to the picnic table. In it's inflight quick-glance mode, the white evident on the upper tail was leading to a Northern Harrier, as Charles voiced. But once landed, it turned it's spots to either a Cooper's or Sharp-shinned. 

A bit of a debate ensued at this juncture. Kevin looked at the 'square-notched' tail and equated it to a Cooper's but Charles chimed in questioning that the square-tailed was Sharp-shinned. A quick look into Sibley gave this 'squareness' the edge to being a Sharp-shinned. But wait....it just didn't appear right. Other features started to take root....such as a broader head, the stance, the long tail....the size...the manner in which it skulked in...

In the end, the consensus turned to a Cooper's  (this one or that one?) who had a propensity towards a squaretail or perhaps how it simply 'settled' in to place upon landing. Not to mention the obvious Hollywood breeding, a bird unique to itself.

Moving on down the lane..... Kris had this strong desire to see her first Pine Warbler of the season..... and yes, one cooperated with her nicely. A beautiful Pine Warbler in vintage plumage presented itself on a 'cherry tree?"....what you say? A Cherry tree? Ah, that's okay as it eventually moved to a neighboring pine.

From my advantage as I 'banked out' right after Gull Tower....nothing overly notable although Stanton tried to entice birds. But do you know what made the day? Well, two things...... first the 'sun'. What a nice morning for a walk. After a less than glamorous and  sunless crappy winter and early spring season, it was nice to just have sun and short sleeves for the most part.

The other thing that made the day was simply 'the company'. An excellent group of 'nice people' is the cornerstone and substance of this Atlantic Audubon Society. Stop and think for a moment. Have you ever heard anyone in this group attempt to take-over and be a prima-donna or insult those of less knowledge and skills? Nada...never. This Audubon bunch simply has 'character' and strength from each individual within....they help, chime in....assist, debate, laugh....walk and talk...and watch. A truly unique collection en masse.