Non-Brewster summer adventures

This is by no means a comprehensive overview of some of the madness, but...

Hey, check it - when you go to replace a tub faucet and the whole PIPE twists... that's a bad thing.

And a photo of Nauga that *almost* renders here semi-photogenic:

My life mink, at the Lake Waco Wetlands:

End-of-life dragonfly experiencing the kiss-of-death (hug-of-death?) from a robber fly, also at the Lake Waco Wetlands (not sure of ID on the ode, leaning female Eastern Pondhawk though).

I was not able to get a photo of the looong-legged robber fly that was a bright yellowish orange that was clearly a wasp mimic; at least two were slowly flying around, taunting me. One robber fly that did cooperate (but not for me) in College Station was a house fly mimic. Sneaky!

Speaking of College Station: the two folks in the center, Dr. Sharman Hoppes and Dr. Ian Tizard, are most wonderful people. I'm sure the rest of them are as well, else they'd not be doing the ground breaking for the new avian building at Texas A&M! It was an excellent crowd, with folks from AFA, NPRPF, and the Wildlife Rehab & Education Center - giant family reunion for me!

Oh, and home: the grape vine is huge, but the avocado tree (hulking beast on the left) is but a mere shell of what it used to be. A glorious, gorgeous, strong, vibrant shell of what it used to be. It once topped the roof line, but Hurricane Ike did a number on it - what you see there is too big for me to wrap my hands around (2-3 years of growth?!) but was a new shoot after it was cut back to the roots.

Excellent progress in 20 short years of work, my delicious little avocado friend. 

Mom and Sib. Aww.

Mom and Self. Aww. Think she was talking, whoops.

Base of avocado (2 of 3 pictured).

I-20 Wildlife Preserve

Without any intentional birding time scheduled, and no photos (whoops), I cobbled together a Texbirds post from March 18th's quick jaunt around the darn-new and mind-boggling site of Midland's new birding hotspot. Anyone wishing to attempt a birding trail, preserve, park, photography trail, whatever... this is a prime example of things done RIGHT. Quality blinds, trails, boardwalks and overlooks - not to mention feeding stations.

***

Folks unfamiliar with the new-ish I-20 Nature Preserve should really investigate it! Midland is somewhat short on birding options, but this one is conveniently wedged between Business 20, I-20, Midkiff and the loop; this means you will have zero sense of isolation (sounds like you're between two major highways, in fact), but the birding - and butterflying - definitely makes up for the noise of the machinery and general human chaos that surrounds it.

In a mid-afternoon jaunt on the 18th, Matt York and I kicked up nearly 30 species along the ~2 mile trail (mostly paved, some boardwalk) that runs the perimeter of the place. I lost count of blinds after the 4th or 5th - there are a few overlooks (2?) and a really sweet hawk tower. There are at least 2 RGV-style feeding stations that appear to be maintained daily as well. Someone has been writing roughly daily observations on their dry erase board and most of the bird/bug IDs appeared correct ("grackles" ...ah well)

http://www.i20wildlifepreserve.org/

Also, pretty sure it's my new favorite place simply because it bans noise making and noise makers. Guess if you can't hear yourself think due to nearby human activity, the birds should get a break from artificial noise as well.

Happy trails,
-h

Adventures with Nauga

Back story: Nauga was adopted in March of 2011. At the time, she had a litter of four pups and the shelter, Grand Companions, had asked if we wanted a puppy. We do not do puppies. But having a soft spot for nekkid dogs, we came home with the mother of the batch. Ming is now Nauga. Lo, I think, was the father (he looked like Naug, but black with a white mohawk). Pups were Han, Leia, Chewy and Yoda. Three fuzzy, one nekkid.

Fast forward to about a month ago. Grand Companions called to ask if we knew anyone who would want Leia. Leia? Leia. The pup, now somewhere around two years old, ended up coming back to the shelter.

Here's the photo they circulated:

 So after a friend in Kingsville (Katherine) expressed interest and a bit of "meet the granddog" ensued (our dog's offspring is our granddog, no?) ... and eventually a meeting was coordinated. On Monday afternoon, Leia was delivered to Alpine from Fort Davis. Tuesday morning - original RoadTrip day - Leia was brought from Alpine to Marathon by a friend (Lauren!). Due to technical difficulties (dead car battery), the date was pushed back one day.

Anakin is a house pup, all 90+ lbs of him. He has three beds, a few gallons of drinkable water, a window a/c unit and bright or dark rooms in the house that are free for the napping. Nauga, when unsupervised, has a kennel. It's cushy, sure, and the a/c is there... but it's just not comfy or well watered for an all-day affair. 

Kennel in the back seat, harness in the front seat - Leia rested comfortably while Nauga kept an eye on the passing scenery.  Below, stretching their legs at the park in Uvalde - wish I had a better angle; Leia has loooong legs!

The video below is shortly after Nauga saw (and ignored) her 'life' Great Kiskadee in Del Rio after Leia was safely transferred. Also, since Leia doesn't really work as a name, Katherine is taking suggestions!

More photos may eventually follow - chaos on the porch and such, but for now, we're recovering from a long day yesterday!

then and now

Randal Davey Audubon Center, Santa Fe, NM

August 2009




July 2012

It's not a t-shirt!

Last weekend I attended a wedding in California... this is impressive because I pretty much never make it to weddings. Even local ones. But this one I would not have missed for the world. It involved two of my favorite people on the planet - one I've known since June of 2005 and the other who has been a delightful pen-pal since May of 2010 - and I may have heckled them mercilessly until they started dating each other. Not that the heckling stopped there, but you get the idea.


































Anyway, since moving to Marathon, there has really been no need for formal things. Shoes, clothing, or otherwise. But I'd hate to be the Texan in jeans-and-boots (with cowboy hat!) among otherwise civilized northern Californians... even if I did take a shower first.



Insert pile of creativity:

* Silk "scarf skirt" from thrift store
(gift from neighbor!) in sewing pile

* tank top with matching straps
hours of frustration, then defeat

* random bra (last worn in 2003, saved
for the occasional formal situation!)

* safety pins. seven of them.

* oh, and a necklace made from a
beer bottle and ribbon scrap

(*pair of shorts to keep chapstick handy)


Here's the front of the "dress" ...which is really the side of the skirt. The skirt sash is ruched (sp?) a bit and is supposed to wrap around the waist, to tie at the side zipper. On the dress, the zipper is at the back.

















Thankfully the sash was SUPER long on both sides, so instead of one bow in the back with an awkward gather (because ruch / ruched is a spelling quandry) in the front, everything wrapped all the way around to tie in the front. A bow was kind of ridiculous, but a plain double knot worked.

















Scandalous.

One pin above each bra cup - attached securely to the skirt, NOT the bra - ideally to minimize breakage/snappage/damage to the non-stretchy skirt, so the bra could move a little bit... and one safety pin above the back strap on each shoulder strap (same idea - 'floating' pin).

















Add a pin to keep the skirt's sash-loop-thing from slipping out of the back of the dress... and one more to keep the bra strap on that side from slipping out of that loop while trying to put it on (not utilitarian so much as a convenience), and one in the front of the bra to keep the skirt from trying to slide down and put excess strain on the pins holding it up at the top of the bra cups... for a total of seven pins.

I only sneezed once, but the dress did not self-destruct! Success!

And if you remove the pins, you've got a skirt. And a lovely, autographed, purple bra that probably won't be worn for another many years.

Oh, and the wedding? Also a success.  <3

Save the date!

X-posted over at our big bend blog -

Guess two members of this larger team effort....
I'll spot you Kenn Kaufman.

Brewster County food

There's absolutely nothing artistic about the food served at Eve's Garden Bed & Breakfast.

Nope. Nothing at all.

Especially not baked pears. Move along...

***

Instead of going to my high school graduation, I went to the Rio Grande Valley for a week; instead of going to my own graduation from Sul Ross State University, I slept in, had breakfast with the fam at Eve's (here in Marathon), and then had CowDog for lunch in Alpine. Close enough, right? 

Mmm, a Big Hangover and a Little Hangover. It involves chili and Fritos, don't worry! And if the atmosphere feels a bit like an alley behind a liquor store with a dumpster in the background... that's only partially true. Technically I think it's still parking lot *next* to liquor store... but it's the food and people that make CowDog so fantastic. 

Also, the art...

Dogs (not all toppings listed):
Mexican - bacon, pico
Greek - feta, olives
German - bacon, saurkraut
Street dog - not sure, think it's spicy?
Hangover - chili, fritos
El Pastor - grilled pineapple & purple onions

Specials (ask about availability):
Artisan - fruit chutney, stone-ground mustard
Moofaletta - olive/pimento relish, salami


Not-dog:
Tater flop - grilled mashed potato w/toppings





These night photos were taken months ago (and Kody is bundled up), but you get the idea. Alan (Allen?) is a wonderful fellow who graces us with delicious food and a generous spirit and quick laugh. And edible art. There's a reason I've never managed to take a picture of any of the actual food items. They vanish too quickly!

So if you're in the mood for awesome, bring cash. You will not be disappointed.

Edit: here's the CowDog site and menu! Apparently I missed the Wing Dog, the Bad Dog, the Veg-o-matic, and a lovely video:

BirdTape and why it should be on your windows.

The American Bird Conservancy has produced a fantastic new product: BirdTape.

Ultimately, windows kill more birds in the US than all other forms of human-related bird deaths (cats, cars, wind turbines, etc), combined. Indeed, it is speculated that many cat kills were stunned from hitting windows first. Many stunned birds who are lucky enough to escape cats still fly away and many die later of internal injuries.

Here's their instructional video:



Be sure to check out the video at the bottom of their collisions page!!

Considering that the Germans have been working on this for years because their sound barriers along highways tend to be glass, it has taken quite a while for the idea to spread. Here are a few pictures from my 2008 trip, starting with a shelter at a train station that was built before the idea caught on - but still has falcon silhouette stickers!



Apologies for the quality of these, they're both taken from inside moving trains. This second design would have been more bird friendly if the stripes were vertical instead of horizontal, but the aesthetic appeal would probably have been decreased. For all practical purposes, though, it will do its job far better than the few stickers on the shelter above!



For a reminder: most buildings have this problem to one degree or another. Here's a kindergarten/elementary school that uses bird stickers and big, bright paper cutouts to prevent bird/people window strikes.



And for grown-ups, here's the airport in Koln: the main building is huge glass panels without any visible sign of stickers or fritting or bird-friendly modifications. Yet the air vents near the parking lot are surrounded by glass panels as well, and they have designs that are about as effective as bird stickers (read: better than nothing, but not by much).



So if you have issues with your windows, don't waste your effort on band-aid fixes like one or two stickers per window - you will have bird prints between the stickers:



Related links:
Problems with Windows
10 Things You Can Do To Reduce Bird vs. Window Collisions
A window into the perils of migration
Seetrail links:
Tis the season; a bird is trying to get into my house
When birds hit windows

Another option: shade structures. A bit more expensive than tape.



Conclusion? My name is Heidi, and I am a window tourist.



(x-posted at Big Bend Birds & Nature)

RGV Birding Festival

We may or may not have seriously nerded it up over the weekend:
Louise Zemaitis autographed her Black-and-white Warbler shirt
Michael O'Brien drew another Black-and-white Warbler on the sleeve of the shirt
Jon Dunn autographed the newest Nat. Geo. on our honeymoon spindalis page
...and we wrangled a booth all weekend, too!

general update

Matt has been wrangled into a super-awesome opportunity to represent the Gage Hotel/Gage Gardens at the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival! We'll both be attending and are very much looking forward to being back in the RGV - plenty of friends we've not seen in years, plenty of birders who haven't been to the Big Bend region and definitely a good opportunity to get caught up on all of the above. Long time, no travel! And this will be right before Thanksgiving, which is always in Missouri.

Other than surviving midterms, there's not too much to report on the academic front; GPA is better than anticipated and classes for the winter mini-mester have been determined. Spring might actually be less hectic (hah!)

And in other news: Nauga is a happy puppy.

departures and arrivals

7/2 - Goodbye to Waco

Hurricane/Tropical Storm Alex bestowed upon us plentiful rainfall - it amounted to an eight hour car wash for both vehicles! Other than a Little Blue Heron near Evant, a Blue Jay over San Saba, a few Turkey Vultures and Scissor-tailed Flycatchers as we neared Fort Stockton, bird life was quiet. The rain even kept all but a handful of bugs off the windshield! Oh, we did have fly-over Ladder-backed Woodpeckers and a stealth Canyon Towhee and some perched Swainson's Hawks towards I-10.

Upon arrival at our destination, we were greeted by angrily fussing Barn Swallows who are nesting above the porch light. While unpacking we overheard the chatter of a Curve-billed Thrasher, Northern Mockingbird, Ash-throated Flycatcher, seeping of Lesser Goldfinch, warbles of House Finches, White-winged Doves, etc. Great-tailed Grackles were bathing out front and as I checked the view from each window, the bathroom revealed a Bronzed Cowbird out back, a pair of Eurasian Collared-doves out front and an absolutely breathtaking male Vermillion Flycatcher. Evening Common Nighthawks are keeping us pleasantly on alert for their "BEERT" calls.

***

7/3 - Morning at Post Park

After a wonderfully sound night of tranquility* we headed to Post Park, just south of Marathon, for a bit of early morning investigation.
* there were firecrackers, rockets, sparklers, loud explosions, kids screaming, people yelling, dogs barking and all of the other 2nd of July noises until it started raining around 11 pm.

The park itself is a small bit of land with a swath of riparian heaven running through it. Of the 28 species gleaned from the park itself, the birds most abundantly represented were flycatchers:
Vermillion Flycatcher
Ash-throated Flycatcher
Black Phoebe
Say's Phoebe
Cassin's Kingbird
Western Kingbird

We also saw an active Lesser Goldfinch nest, a fledgie Canyon Towhee following and begging from its biological parent, a begging baby cowbird (fed by female Orchard Oriole), food carry by many species, nesting material carry by Summer Tanagers, "Timmy" the resident American Coot, and so much green that it felt like Abilene in March. Considering that we had a nicely wet winter and spring, these summer rains will likely push plants into a late summer bloom that will allow insects as well as birds to thrive for the rest of the summer. (Our porch swallows seem to be working on their second attempt of the year - it wouldn't surprise me if they manage a third if this weather keeps up!)

Anyway, this weather is so fantastic that the road we now live on is a giant puddle! Kind of unexpected for the desert ;-) The porch Barn Swallows, Gladys & Mr. Gladys, still aren't used to our coming and going, so we've minimized porch-sitting until such time as they're more comfortable. The yard Vermillion Flycatcher pair is now affectionately known as the O'Haras. The two Bronzed Cowbirds most commonly seen from the bathroom window are currently unnamed, but the nesting House Sparrows are dangerously close to being dubbed "The Octo Family" due to their high rate of procreation.

Terlingua nights

It's a quiet, peaceful feeling when you watch Mexico slip into a shroud of darkness on the horizon. Stars are peeking out while there's still plenty of glow. So to watch the light change in waves across the sky, while watching the land itself filter through different glows... there's a little slice of heaven that no city can capture.







Matt looking out towards Mexico.



The trading post.



A speck?



A big speck!



A very large, young Great-Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus). Looks like it is sitting on Batman's head, no?



Overlooking the ghost town.







The store, all lit up.



The Starlight...