Author: turndoozie

Merry Christmas all.

At the moment we are living in Gretchen and Joe’s basement down in West Lafayette. We were planning a pre-Christmas trip down here but the night before we left an ice storm hit mid-Michigan. We lost power sometime around 4:00 Sunday morning. Plan was to leave Sunday afternoon and come back Tuesday. So we grabbed some clothes and headed down here anyway, expecting power to be back up in a day. Consider that a major miscalculation. Right up there with the Maginot Line and cold fusion. The storm was worse than we thought. Initially there were ~300,000 in mid-Michigan without power. Our little area of Okemos isn’t expected to get power back until Saturday night. I don’t think Okemos is having food riots just yet but they can’t be far away.  

We are warm, comfortable, and being fed. Something a large portion of the world would love for a Christmas present, so we best not bitch too much.

Molly and Fido doing Christmas morning.

Grades are in so now I have some time to play.

A little look at birding with due deference to Clement Moore, or if you like controversies, Major Henry Livingston.

 
‘Twas the week before Christmas, the weather a blizzard,
Not a creature was stirring, especially the lizard;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
Forgetting to fill them, I best not dare.

Smart people stayed nestled, all snug in their beds,
While visions of scrapple danced in their heads.
Lise in her fleece and me in my Tilley,
Tried to hibernate and not look too silly.

When out on the listserve there arose such a chatter,
I ran to the computer to scope out the matter;
Opened up Windows, can’t be done in a flash,
Windows 8 is a piece of Microsoft trash;

The glow from the screen as the photons did flow,
Gave the lustre of midday to objects below;
When what to my wandering eyes did appear,
But an eBird blast near the end of the year;
Too many species, so easy and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be a trick;

More rapid than eagles the species they came,
I whistled and shouted and called them by name;
Great grays and sandpipers, now a screech owl,
I need them all I said with a scowl;
Call Lise and Barb then dash away, dash away, dash away all;

As leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
Birds won’t stay long, they’ll take to the sky;
We couldn’t wait, so away we flew,
With a car full of scopes, and camera stuff too;

The pier at Muskegon, the U.P., the Soo,
Gottfriedson Road for short-eared owls too?
My head was spinning, all turning around,
I’m two species shy, two more need to be found!

In nylon and fleece, from my head to my feet,
My clothes all covered, with mud, slush and sleet;
With scope o’er my shoulder, I think I’m a birder,
I look more like a peddler, or perhaps a goat herder;

My eyes how they twinkle, all frozen with tears,
Raw cheeks look like roses, where are my ears?
My mouth is frozen in the shape of a bow,
My beard is full of wind driven snow;

The stump of a finger, the chatter of teeth,
My breath encircles my head like a wreath;
I have a broad mind, don’t watch no telly,
But doing this right, takes a fire in the belly;

We’re not masochists but we are a bit tougher,
To get 250, one does need to suffer;
But we still have lives, we all have to work,
I fill Christmas stockings, I think it’s a perk;
There are family obligations, and I like to sleep late,
Still missing my goal, I would really hate;

So I’ll fight the good fight, and try with all might,
To find the screech owl before it takes flight;
But if I don’t make the count, I can say without fear,
Happy Christmas to all, and there’s always next year.

Nothing lounges like a lizard.

What me worry? It’s your goal, not mine. I’m going to sleep.

Lindsay scored the big stocking this year.

The eerie glow. Don’t buy Windows 8.

Pearl Harbor Day.

When I actually get to do the fun part of my job I’m involved in spatial analysis. Think of it as putting the “where” into the “what” happens. One of the things we always have to be concerned about is scale. As in, what spatial scale is our analysis valid for. If we obtain results at some localized area, are those results applicable over a larger area? Sometimes we need to worry about temporal scales too. Will the results we obtain now hold for some future time? It’s pretty rare that some small localized result has impacts at a larger scale.

Scale is relevant to things like history too. Every event we are involved in will shape or change our larger personal history in some way. Usually at a scale so small and localized one can’t see the impact on one’s larger personal history. Let alone any impact in the larger world’s history. Pearl Harbor is not one of those events. In today’s parlance, Pearl Harbor was a game changer. Both at a very localized personal level for many, many people, and at the global scale. Over space and over time.

Following are some pictures of Pearl Harbor sent to me by my father-in-law, Bob. Someone had sent them to him. I don’t know who they belong to. I don’t think they belong to anyone, rather they belong to everyone.  

May they not be forgotten.

We survived our quick back east for Thanksgiving trip. The only way to describe this little foray is a gastronomic road trip. Tuesday night we drove to my sister’s house in Lebanon. Well really Jonestown, Lebanon’s version of the burbs. Wednesday morning we started with a stick-to-your-aorta breakfast including scrapple. Well, some of us ate scrapple. Molly doesn’t touch the stuff. And scrapple isn’t made out of hair and eyeballs, despite rumors to the contrary.

Then it was down to the Lebanon Farmers market where we loaded up on about 30 pounds of the best bacon that ever came out of a pig, a block of scrapple, a couple Lebanon bolognas, minced meat (with real meat in it), some great beef jerky, and fresh sticky buns. After the Farmers market it was a quick run over to Shueys Pretzels for some handmade pretzels, fresh out of the ovens. From there we headed down to Delaware stopping at the Dutchway store in Gap (Lancaster County) to pick up some Brinser’s corn meal (ground and roasted in Mannheim, Lancaster County) and John Cope’s dried sweet corn (Hanover, York County). Cope’s is kind of a requirement for the Thanksgiving meal. Rumor has it Cope’s was a favorite of Dwight Eisenhower. About now the weight in the back of the van is starting to pull the front tires up off the street, affecting the steering.

Delaware was great. We did a Thanksgiving turkey dinner with Anita, a couple trips to the Dogfish Head Brewery for some god-awful good beer and burgers, and had fried oysters at Claws. Life is good. Where else but the mid-Atlantic will a restaurant give you a choice of oysters from Blue Point, Hog Island, or Chincoteague? These places are only about 40 miles apart but apparently there are some discriminating tastes that can tell the difference. I’m not too big on the slimy raw oysters but breaded and fried is a different story. I could do oysters and beer for any meal of the day.

We did some non-gastronomic things too. Naturally, hit the beach a couple times. In the winter time you can walk the beach around Cape Henlopen, the point that separates the Delaware Bay from the Atlantic Ocean. The point is closed off for nesting piping plovers during the summer months but a great walk in the winter. This is one of my favorite places to be. Right up there with Sand River.

Sanderlings finding something good to eat at Cape Henlopen, Probably a piece of scrapple.

A gull finding something good to eat at Cape Henlopen.

A gull finding another bird to eat at Cape Henlopen.

Yummy. The avian version of scrapple maybe?

The black vulture version of scrapple at Cape Henlopen.

Picked clean.

Probably the best views of surf scoters we have ever had.

We did some clothing shopping too. Between Rehobeth’s concentrated outlet stores and no sales tax, clothing shopping is almost tolerable. Maybe right above a colonoscopy on the scale of things I hate to do. We went on Black Friday but did kind of a hit-and-run operation. We waited until dinner time, after the major bloodletting died down and everyone had to stop their frenzy to refuel. Chartered buses from Baltimore, New York, and New Jersey were dropping people off at the outlets during the day. Why would anyone want to fight that? While they were slashing each other for bargains I was walking Henlopen. Way more satisfying.

We got in a little birding and we visited with Dad too. Despite the ravages of Alzheimer’s there is still some of Pappy in there. Then we had to high tail it back to Lansing on Sunday. Long sigh! But at least we have enough bacon and scrapple to last a few months.

 

Pappy looking at Molly.

Pappy and his little angel. He whapped me with his cane once, because she wanted him to spank me.

There’s still something of the dad I remember in there.

Not too much going birding wise, for us at least. There are like four different rufous hummingbirds reported in the state right now. One would think that the 20 degree temperatures would be enough to send them on their way. There is also a female summer tanager up in Traverse City. A bird we haven’t gotten this year. Can’t chase this one because we are heading to Delaware, via Pennsylvania, in a couple hours. We’re out of the Amish bacon so we’re braving the Alleghany Mountains in a winter storm. This is like getting the diphtheria serum through to Nome. Ya gotta go.

We are going to do Thanksgiving in Delaware with Anita and visit Dad. Sunday I made a batch of filling to go with the turkey. In some places this is called dressing but in Pennsylvania, at least the civilized parts, it’s known as filling. Because it is. Let me give you my Mom’s recipe. Keep in mind that Lise views a recipe as gospel. Everything is laid out and there is no room for error as long as you follow directions. My Mom’s recipe is: 10 pounds of potatoes, mashed. A couple onions (no size given). Six stalks of celery (no size given). Bag of seasoned bread cubes (no size given). Eggs (no number given). Milk (no amount given). Salt and pepper (no amount given). Brown celery and onions in butter. Mix everything together. Salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 30 minutes. Leaves a lot of room to play. (Lise – As my mother-in-law would say, “You’ll know it when you see it.”)

I have had a little time to play with black and white again.

Cape Henlopen, DE.

Cape Henlopen, DE.

Prime Hook, DE.

Got number 248. Yesterday a rufous hummingbird was reported about 15 minutes away in Holt, coming to a feeder in someone’s yard. It has probably been around for at least a month. They noticed that all the ruby-throated hummingbirds were gone but this little brown one was still hanging around.  They got a contact for someone that bands hummingbirds and he put the word out.

It was dark by the time I found out about it and Lise was down in West Lafayette. As soon as she got back this morning we lit out to find it. We snuck around the above ground pool and waited about 15 minutes before the little devil popped up. Number 248 for me and 241 for Lise. I’m at 99.2% of the target and Lise is at 96.4 with 87.9% of the year gone.

For the first time in weeks I feel like I’ll make the target. I should be able to get a screech owl locally but that’s about the only local species I would expect. Which means chasing somewhere, most likely on one of the coastlines.  A nice thought in the summer but a really different beast in the winter.  Robert Service poems come to mind.

To put my Michigan wide count in perspective, one of our local birders just set a new county record. The rufous hummingbird gave him 228 species this year, just in this county. A fair number of the species on my list came from his postings on the local birding listserve. His record might not be that high for a coastal county but it is pretty impressive for this place.

I’ve been a bit hindered the past couple weeks with some lower back issues. Lots of problems sitting or standing for too long at a time. Spent a lot of time laying on the futon with my laptop sitting on my stomach.  Which isn’t too bad for work since I’m primarily a computer jockey. I can write programs as easily laying on my back as sitting up in a cloth covered cell called a cubicle. 

Since I can’t work out I’ve had some free time to catch up on things. I have an account on the photo sharing site called Flickr. I started exploring Flickr a bit. Lots of really good stuff. I started following a Scottish photographer named Colin Campbell (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bruiach1/). I don’t usually post links but his work is worth checking out. Some really stunning pictures. I’m torn between being incredibly inspired to do just as good or bowing to futility and hanging up my camera. So today I got motivated and played with a couple photos from the past. Unfortunately I can’t sit at my desk long enough to do really serious work.

Turkey Run State Park, Indiana.

Turkey Run State Park, Indiana.

Lighthouse steps, Pemaquid Point, Maine.

Dunlin, Prime Hook, Delaware.

Armistice Day. The 11^th hour of the 11 day of the 11^th month of 1918 marked the end of “The War to End All Wars.” Now it’s called Veteran’s Day because it wasn’t the war to end all wars. At least they tried. So raise a toast to them and to those that keep trying. May they never be forgotten.

Our weekend consisted of the High School League Championship swim meet. Friday night and Saturday, eight teams and spectators, crammed into a natatorium. At a decibel level similar to being in a small room with a running jet engine. Or maybe the cast of Stomp scratching their fingernails on blackboards while performing.  Six hours on bleacher seats rejected by CIA rendition centers as being cruel and unusual punishment.

Pool deck before start.

A very cozy pool deck before start.

Our girls in a huddle.

No box seats.

Our girls pretty much blitzed the tournament, winning the league championship. Molly did excellent, swimming a couple of personal bests in the 500 meter and in individual and relay 50 meter races. Way better than I could do now or ever in my past. We’re pretty proud, especially since she is only swimming to stay in shape for water polo.

Moo in the water after finishing a kick butt freestyle leg in the 200 IM. They took first in the heat.

Award platform for second in a 50 freestyle heat

Moo swimming her personal best 500 meter.

They took first, second, and third in a 500 meter heat.

The team with the league trophy.

The team and the coach in the water. The coach is the one with the sideburns.

One of the more stirring parts of the tournament is a girl on the Dewitt team named Mallory. She’s in a wheelchair with what looks like MS or Cerebral Palsy. She is lowered into the water to very slowly swim the 50 meter backstroke leg of the IM relays. The other teams finish all four strokes long before she finishes her backstroke leg. Then her teammates gamely swim the remaining strokes. That’s courage on her part and loyalty on their part. Hearing the whole natatorium chanting, “Go Mallory go,” and then applauding her teammates that have zero chance of winning a heat, is pretty moving.

A red phalarope had been reported at the Muskegon waste water treatment plant last week. Then we had a weather front move through the past couple days and the phalarope had apparently disappeared. Barb called this morning and said she felt lucky so we went chasing anyway.

We drove the hour and a half over there and ran into a number of disappointed birders. One couple had been around the treatment plant said that they were sure the bird had left the area. Luckily they made another round and found it. Even better, they circled around and told other birders where it was. So Barb felt lucky, she shoots, and she scores. And so did we. A lifer for all three of us. I’m not superstitious but I’m glad nobody hopped in the car and said, “This will be a lifer for me if we find it”

Red phalarope, winter plumage.

Another picture of the Red phalarope, winter plumage.

American pipit at the Muskegon WWTP.

After the treatment plant we went over to the breakwater on Lake Michigan in Muskegon. I think it was the first time Barb has had us there when it wasn’t covered in ice with a wind chill of about twenty below. This was a balmy 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Almost sunbathing weather. She must be getting soft. Anyway, I got a pair of black scoters bringing my count up to 247 and Lise’s up to 240. We also saw a very late map turtle sunning itself in 40 degree temperatures.

Horned grebe, winter plumage, Muskegon breakwater.

Horned grebe shaking off water.

Double-crested cormorant, Muskegon breakwater.

A November map turtle, wondering where his buddies are.

Been a crazy, crazy, crazy, but productive, week. For both birding and non-birding efforts.

This was our most productive birding week in some time, with me getting four new species and Lise getting three. Last Sunday we went over to Shiawassee NWR. We both got cackling goose and I finally got a Northern pintail. Then Wednesday we went to Port Huron and got king eider and surf scoter. The king eider was a lifer for both of us.

Shiawasse NWR, October 27.

This was the week for travel. Sunday, after birding at Shiawassee, a coworker needed help printing posters for a conference on Monday. I helped get them printed, and then we decided it would be good for me to go to the conference too. So bright and early Monday morning she and I headed down to Windsor, Canada, for a Status of the Straits conference. It was only one day but it was a long day. We completely misjudged Detroit morning rush hour traffic.

On Wednesday the same co-worker was putting on a workshop at Port Huron. Lise was involved with the same project so we all went over together. I did go to help but conveniently the king eider was reported there too. So another long day, but a couple new species too. I played a bit with pictures of flying gulls too.

Lise with scope at workshop. (Sarnia, Ontario is the city across the St. Clair River)

Flying Bonaparte’s gull – winter plumage.

The aptly named ring-billed gull.

RIng-billed gull leaving the water after diving for minnows.

Swimming Bonaparte’s gull.

Thursday I had to work, then teach until 10:30 PM, followed by a one day trip up to Rogers City and back Friday. The Rogers City trip was to remove our bat monitors from a 50 meter pole. Eight hours of driving for about an hour and a half of work.

Leaving bat monitors set up for a couple weeks there is always the possibility of some sort of equipment failure. You don’t, however, count on bear damage. It looks like a bear smacked around the plastic box on the ground holding the recorders and tried to chew on one. So we get to blame missing data on an irate ursine. Good thing I did my meat run to Plaths and Rygwelski’s after taking down the equipment. Smelling like a smoked kielbasa may not be the smartest thing to do with a bear in the area.

So today was a day for kicking back and relaxing. Sort of. The washing machine has been leaking so I took it apart to see what was going on. Taking a washing machine apart isn’t easy to do. Unfortunately that’s the easy part. Now I have to put it back together.

Been a slow week birding wise. Like no birding.

Last weekend we were all down in West Lafayette for a mini family reunion. A good part of the McCoy, Eichhorn, and Ely clans were present. Lots of fun and frivolity, with a good time had by all.

Lise stayed down in West Lafayette so Molly and I were sharing a car. Between one car and getting dark about 6:30, getting out birding didn’t stand a chance.

Fall migration is still going on without me though. It really starts about the middle of August with shorebirds. As they taper out in September the next phase starts picking up. Small birds at night and raptors by the day. The Detroit River Hawk Watch has reported over 120,000 raptors migrating through since early September. Hawk counts are starting to taper down, coming just a bit shy of 3,600 birds today. As the hawks start dropping, reports of waterfowl flocks are picking up. I’m at 241 species but getting to 250 is starting to look a bit unlikely. Unless I spend a couple weeks up in the UP and another couple camped on the coastlines.

Last night we had the social highlight of the swim season; the girls swim team Senior Night. The seniors, including Molly, were paraded and feted right well. She did great in the meet too, taking first in an exhibition heat with a time that beat two people in the scoring heat, plus being on two first place relay teams.

Photos by various photographers, none of them me.