There's an old joke about a disheveled man who staggers into a bar, slumps onto a stool, and tells the barkeep to bring him a double whiskey and leave the bottle. The bartender, being an excellent bartender, asks the man what's the matter. "Oh," the poor guy says, "I used to be a birdwatcher. I used to spend hours in nature. I was relaxed. I was happy." "So what happened?" asks the bartender. BIG SIGH. "I became a guide."
There are definitely times in the life of anyone who leads birding field trips when worrying about logistics distracts us from birding. Will there be clean port-o-lets? Will everyone be able to get up and down the steps of the van? Will there be hordes of deer flies? What about poison ivy? And ticks??
And - worst of all - WILL THE BIRDS SHOW UP???
Thank goodness for the field trips in which everything works!!!
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| Black-crowned Night Heron - photo by Barbara Mines |
In two earlier classroom sessions, we looked at birds of Vermont's streams, lakes, rivers and marshes, and then we looked at warblers. We decided we had a better chance to get good looks at the big birds, so we headed for Shelburne Bay and the mouth of the LaPlatte River. And the big birds rewarded us! Every bird we hoped to see showed up, got close, and stayed close!
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| Black-crowned Night Heron - photo by Skip Fanus |
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| Great Egret - photo by Skip Fanus |
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| Great Egret - photo by Barbara Mines |
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| photo by Skip Fanus |
When my daughter (then eight or nine years old) first saw a tern, she said "It's all points!!" This flying Caspian Tern illustrates what she meant.
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| photo by Barbara Mines |
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| photo by Skip Fanus |
One Osprey slowly enjoyed a fish for breakfast while another (his or her mate?) coyly hid behind foliage.
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| Osprey - photo by Barbara Mines |
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| photo by Skip |
As a bonus, even some warblers showed up, got close and stayed close! Two little beauties uncharacteristically perched on overhead wires.
Yellow Warbler (above) and Common Yellowthroat - photos by Barbara Mines
The Common Yellowthroat appeared to be doing some sort of AM exercise routine, hopping up and down in place.
There were also many other delights, including this devoted Eastern Kingbird mama sitting on a nest a few yards from us, on a dead branch overhanging the river. Her mate alternated between standing guard and catching insects nearby.
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| photo by Barbara |
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| photo by Sklp |
Many other species were also involved in the great task of reproduction. A Hairy Woodpecker fed its begging chick. Cedar Waxwings gathered nesting materials. Song Sparrows and American Robins scolded us for getting too close. Canada Geese sailed by in flotillas with many fluffy youngsters.
The people were as wonderful as the birds: Barbara, Inge, Liz, Lizabeth, Marianne, Muffy, Skip, Tricia.
Special thanks to Barbara and Skip for so many wonderful photos!
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| photo by Barbara |
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| photo by Skip |
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| photo by Barbara |
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| photo by Skip |
Let's end with one more look at the brooding kingbird - with hopes that her babies fledge successfully!
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| photo by Skip |
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