2013 and beyond

It's pretty simple: the most birds seen or heard from one's yard during 2013 will be the "winner". Want in? O.k....then do it despite that.

2013 promises to be a lot less mean but still a carbon-free birding competition, even if slightly less exciting than a MEGA x EPIC hybrid.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

A little non yard birding from yesterday

Well, at least 4 yardbirders were out of commission yesterday, as we were kayaking the Muskegon SGA and generally making idiots of ourselves. Here are some photos from a memorable outing which included Curtis's life (and self-found, I might add) LEOW.



9 comments:

  1. and oh yeah, our eBird checklist:

    Location: Muskegon SGA (Big Cedar Creek)
    Observation date: 3/22/10
    Notes: 1 white-winged gull seen (tallied as part of 'gull sp'). Rick Brigham, Curtis Dykstra, and Dave Slager. Paddled by kayak from River Rd bridge to US-31 (Creston Rd) takeout.
    Number of species: 42

    Canada Goose 15
    Mute Swan 1
    Wood Duck 25
    Mallard 13
    Common Goldeneye 2
    Hooded Merganser 21
    Wild Turkey 4
    Turkey Vulture 4
    Bald Eagle 5
    Red-shouldered Hawk 1
    Red-tailed Hawk 6
    Rough-legged Hawk 2
    Sandhill Crane 10
    Ring-billed Gull 8
    gull sp. 7
    Rock Pigeon 11
    Mourning Dove 3
    Long-eared Owl 1
    Red-bellied Woodpecker 15
    Downy Woodpecker 7
    Hairy Woodpecker 3
    Northern Flicker 3
    Pileated Woodpecker 5
    Blue Jay 11
    American Crow 6
    Black-capped Chickadee 16
    Tufted Titmouse 15
    White-breasted Nuthatch 11
    Brown Creeper 6
    Winter Wren 1
    Golden-crowned Kinglet 2
    Eastern Bluebird 2
    American Robin 27
    American Tree Sparrow 38
    Song Sparrow 69
    Dark-eyed Junco 2
    Northern Cardinal 4
    Red-winged Blackbird 107
    Rusty Blackbird 4
    Common Grackle 74
    Brown-headed Cowbird 5
    House Finch 2
    American Goldfinch 14

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  2. Nice, a dozen birds on that list would be welcomed in my yard.

    Nice egg-sack Caleb -- when do you expect it to hatch?

    Slagger is a tall fella isn't he? You got game?

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  3. congrats Curtis- there is no better lifebird than one that is self-found

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  4. Haha, Slags might be able to play basketball if he ever put down his bins. Its nice to bird with him because I can ask him what he sees over top of the cattails and I can walk in front of him and not get in his way since he can see over my head just fine.

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  5. Kapstick- yeah, pregnancy is rough and I am ready to pop. Plus, I am really stylin with my man skirt, aren't I? You know you like it.

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  6. It's always so strange for me looking at pics of Long-eared Owls taken in North America: over here, they have orange eyes, not yellow...hmm, anyone done genetic analysis, or compared vocalisations? The pattern of the underparts looks slightly unusual as well compared to our birds here.

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  7. Yeah, Harry, I had the same reaction to seeing European photos of LEOW- they look strange and 'unnatural' with those orange eyes and paler plumage.http://www.surfbirds.com/media/gallery_photos/20060413043727.jpg

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  8. Skye, yeah it was a very nice suprise for sure. I certainly wasn't expecting it, but will take it non-the-less! It's one of those species I had pursued (and missed) a couple of times since moving to MI from NC 3 years ago. So it was satisfying to finally get it and especially so in the manner of having found it myself!

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  9. This was a blast. I haven't laughed so hard in a LONG time! Today my abdominal muscles hurt! Besides Curtis's LEOW, the most memorable scene was a lanky crane of a guy running around in tights with bins. Slogger you kill!

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