Red-headed Woodpeckers in The State of The Red-headed Stranger?

Oh God. I am recovering from a marauding pirate party in the Richmond district last night......I have never pictured myself spending so much time in Irish bars, or with so many Irish girls, for that matter. I am better suited to dealing with Mexicans, Germans and French "Canadiennes"......and the odd Japanese man. I do not recommend wearing an eye patch after several hours of drinking, it severly limits your depth perception and can turn your shortest migration (i.e. reaching over for your beer) into an environmental catastrophe (i.e. you spill your beer).

Fortunately, to combat this sad state of affairs I have purchased plane tickets for a trip to Texas in September......hopefully I'll catch a few birds that Ive avoided seeing up to now. Some are relatively common (Boat-tailed Grackle), some will be obscure (Acadian Flycatcher), and some will be face-melting (Chuck-will's-widow) if I get a chance to see them. I look forward to it.....most of my birding trips in the last few years have been confined to short-distance post-breeding events.....or wandering aimlessly after failing to find a mate in spring.....or maybe the truth is somewhere in between.

Red-headed woodpeckers could possibly stop my heart. My days may be limited.

Over the years a few of my non-birding colleagues have grown accustomed to my obsessive need to stare at birds, and I dare say even enjoy looking at birds on some twisted level. I will have a couple of these companions with me, who will provide me invaluable wisdom and advice, and consult me on issues that need to be consulted on. They are both Specialists and Professionals in their respective fields and have a depth of experience with heartbreaking birds like the Roseate Spoonbill.



The Grub, after a confrontation regarding the negative impacts of longlining tuna became violent.



ASOC keeping it real. Very real.

Ive been slowly getting into Elvis Costello lately, and I recommend it. Good stuff, despite his hatred of punk rock.