She Sang Every Song In The Right Wrong Key

Northern Shoveler. That's a duck's duck. The bill is just...massive. And all those colors. Daaaannnnngggggg.

Has anyone invented the word "Birdosphere" yet? Wait. I'm going to Google it. 

Shit. It looks like it's on a couple sites. Well, so much for changing the world, one word at a time.

So. Come on people. Who wants to visit me in North Dakota? I need attention. I have things to offer. I know where to find ALL the birds you want to find (Gatekeeper, duh), and my trailer's liquor cabinet becomes more occupied daily. I can even take extra days off. How can you lose? Sure, your place of residence may have things like, oh, civilization, young people, and maybe, um, shade...but who's the one with the birds? This guy.

LeConte's Sparrow. Now this is what I'm talking about. So rare, so sick.

I'm currently watching a young Bill Cosby doing stand-up. He is marvelling at the wonders of cocaine. I assume this was shot before he got The Cosby Show gig. What a weekend.

Earlier this morning I drove out on the refuge's auto tour. Sedge Wrens were out in force, although the LeConte's Sparrow (above) that I checked in on wasn't showing. I did hang out with a couple Baird's Sparrows and a Sprague's Pipit though...so it was a solid good morning.

Tomorrow, if the weather holds, I think I'll go to Montana. Why not? When you tell people you're going to Montana, you get a very different reaction from when you are telling them to go to North Dakota. I expect it to look pretty similar (Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge is the destination). I've never been there, and it should be a very emotional outing.

Red-winged Blackbird. You know it. You love it. 

Marbled Godwit nest. Those are some big ol' eggs. Ever had Marbled Godwit egg salad? Me neither.

Willet. It is casting a Willet-hex on me in this photo. In the course of checking plover nests, I end up getting attacked by Willets, godwits, Killdeer, Piping Plovers, Upland Sandpipers, Wilson's Phalaraopes and American Avocets. They all fly around wishing death upon me because I'm too close to their nests. It is a cacophony of horror.

Cape May Warbler. This modest female is one of 2 that showed up in my yard this spring.

The Año Tranquilo has come to a standstill, with the brief reprieve from migration. White-rumped Sandpiper was 461 for the year. 500 will happen....but when? Of course, in the spirit of Tranquilo, I must not go far out of my way to pick up year birds...I am a very lazy man after all, so its a good thing I don't have to burn gas to do Nothing.

Ok. Remember. Come visit. Don't fly into Minot anytime soon though, its almost impossible to do anything in that town because half of it is underwater. Those poor bastards...