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Well, I vaguely recall someone (no
names will be mentioned to protect the somewhat guilty) stating that no fun
would be had on the trip in deference to those who couldn't be along to join in
same.
So I'm not going to slurry the reputation of the aforementioned non-mentioned birder by reporting that there was fun. I will, instead, focus on the hijinks and hilarity that naturally ensues whenever old friends from around the lower 48 get together to help get a lifer for a couple of Frozen Floridians in frigid weather (that some like and some don't).
When the bird hadn't been seen by the morning bird walk participants who came out of the grove about a half hour before Dotty & Hank arrived, bold measures were planned. Four intrepid hikers went in. Found the tree where the Long-eared Owls were SUPPOSED to be, but weren't. We spread out. Far out. Chuck, our savior, found the one owl that was foolish enough to believe that he could escape Chuck's x-ray vision way up at the top of a pine tree. I stayed at the spot to ensure that the owl didn't fly away, and Chuck, Richard & Joan went back to the car to get Dotty. I did a recon around the grove to see if there were any more pellets or owls (none of either) and tried to look at the Owl-du-jour from many angles to see where Dotty would have the best view. Finally, over the hill, came Chuck, Richard, Joan, Dotty, and Hank's daughter and son-in-law. Hank wasn't feeling well, so he stayed in the van. We got Dotty a so-so view of the owl's chest and then moved her chair to a spot where Chuck set the scope up and she got to see the Owl from the side, ears, face & tail. Woo-hoo!
(Let me interject a Joan/Melissa Rivers-type fashion review at this point: Dotty looks much more at home in Florida short sleeves than she does draped in sheepskin. She looked like a fur trapper after Joan brought along her entire wardrobe of warm things for Dotty to wear! But warm she was—thanks, Joan!!! Dotty, I don't think that hat will EVER look better on anyone else!)
More owling. We got Dotty back to the car without incident.
No feet were run
over, no one smacked by errant scope legs, and Richard & Joan managed to still
have control over their binocs and mittens. Now for the good part: Chuck's
Buns!!!!!! Woo-hoo!!!!! Chuck's Buns & Diet-Rite soda. Um-ummmm good. When
consumed standing up, and in cold weather, there are no calories. We managed to
lick all the goodness off our fingers, and then it was Hank's turn to see the
Owl. Back we went. Fueled by Bun energy, we made short work of that hill.
(Believe that and I've got some swampland somewhere I'd like to talk to you
about...). Back into the grove, the owl once again trying to take a Sunday
morning nap, and here come these birders again…
It was, as always, great to see everyone. I hope we can get together in Florida
sometime this year—maybe after Abbie gets down there. Birding down there is so
much easier without having to worry about losing mittens!
Sunday after Dotty, Hank, Cele, Claudia and Jim departed, we were delighted that Chuck was still up for more birding. He lead us to Merrill Creek Reservoir (further West off I-78) where we saw a distant raft of 10,000 Snow Geese that looked more like floating ice, except for being occasionally punctuated by the black of fluttering wings. We could vaguely hear the din of their voices from across the lake, even at our distance. (Kathie and Abbie, that's where they all went!)
Cackling and White-fronted Geese had been spotted there earlier, but we thought they'd be easier to pick out among the Canadas than they were! We finally located a Cackling Goose (miniature Canada Goose), which all three of us confirmed. (rlb note: Guess which one of us found it). It wouldn't have been so easy had it not been swimming so close to a regular Canada Goose. Thankfully the size difference was obvious. When it swam off, it was impossible to pick out again (lifer for Joan and Richard).
We also saw a picturesque mature Bald Eagle in the distant bank of trees, along with the eagle nest Chuck knew about, a Pied-billed Grebe, Common Loon and 20ish Common Mergansers. Mallards, Black Ducks, Common Goldeneyes, and Buffleheads completed our water sightings. We also watched a crow picking on a deer carcass across the way (it had choice of 2.) Chuck told us that hunters are only allowed to bag a buck if they can prove they've also bagged a doe, so the D.O.T. spray-paints the doe road kills orange so the less-than-honest hunters can't claim them.
The wind was bitter cold and made it the coldest spot we experienced all weekend. We parted ways, settling for a good, hot, cheap Chinese lunch (watching part of the Eagle/Vikings game) and the trip back home (listening to the rest of the Eagles game.)
All in all, a great weekend. Thanks, all!
The First Day of the Trip North
Copyright © 2005 by Cele Deemer, Joan Becker, and Richard L. Becker
