Cigarettes And Shame

Eastern Kingbirds vying for a perch. Lostwood NWR, ND.

Well, well, well....there's nothing worse than putting in an hour of brilliant blogging just to see it all deleted for no reason at all. So instead of getting a heavy dose of my acerbic wit and needle-sharp tongue, I will simply tell you that I survived Las Vegas and am back in my native Californian habitat. Next week I'll get back to some regular posting again, but in the mean time there is a lot of unpacking/repacking to do, as well as seeing some legendary bands down at FYF Fest in LA.

Interestingly, it seems my former employer is cracking down on Gibson Guitars for allegedly using endangered trees in their instruments. Pretty bizarre. More power to Fish and Wildlife if Gibson is indeed guilty...I wish I knew more about it.

Right. Here's another barrage of pictures from out Midwest. Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Human Birdwatcher Project ("Birders Are People Too") coming soon. Bird onward.

Blackpoll Warbler. Lostwood NWR, ND.

Black Tern. Des Lacs NWR, ND.

American White Pelican. Des Lacs NWR, ND.

Redheads. Lostwood NWR, ND.

Cedar Waxwing. Lostwood NWR, ND.

Coyote. Lostwood NWR, ND.

Richardson's Ground-Squirrel. Lostwood NWR, ND.

American Redstart. Lostwood NWR, ND.

Barn Swallow. Medicine Lake NWR, MT.

I Drink Bottom Shelf Bourbon To Ease My Pain

The last few days have really taken their toll on me, so I'll keep it short. Yellowstone National Park is great. Grand Teton National Park is great. They are great for different reasons. Go to both. More on this later.

Today I'm Vegas-bound. Car trouble that started yesterday will keep the ride over there suspenseful and interesting, not to mention lend a touch of The Fear. Bat country is not someplace you want to break down...especially if one is lacking Medicine.

Felonious Jive's A Birder's Guide To Indoctrination is up now at 10,000 Birds, read all about how he and I have tricked you into going birding with us over the years.

Yours, From A Strangely Undecorated Motel Room Somewhere In Utah,

Seagull

We'd Drink Until We Couldn't Talk

Western Grebe. Des Lacs NWR, ND.

This is officially it. The last blog from North Dakota. I am weeping with joy. I will miss living on the Lostwood Refuge though, some of the people here, the intense mellowness and having nature right outside. Thank you, various deer, squirrels, rabbits, robins, Chipping Sparrows, Eastern Kingbirds, Cedar Waxwings, Yellow Warblers, Least Flycatchers, etc etc. for being good listeners. As is usually the case when I am living someplace bizarre, I involuntarily end up talking to the wildlife a lot after a while. This disturbing habit is something I developed at Midway Atoll (documented here, to be exact), and I suppose it suits me.

Broad-winged Hawk being assailed by a Purple Martin. Lake Metigoshe, ND.

As I mentioned probably too many times before, I'm leaving tomorrow for points West...Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, and then onto Las Vegas. A week full of bourbon, bastards and birds, hehe. The blogging is going to be slim for a bit, but you can at least rest assure that I am having more fun than you.

Fare thee well, gentle souls of the internets. I will be back soon!

Piping Plover nest...I think this one hatched, but the chicks did not make it. Lostwood NWR, ND.

Willet. Des Lacs NWR, ND.

Franklin's Gull. I'm pretty stoked on this picture. Des Lacs NWR, ND.

Baird's Sparrow, one of my new favorite birds. Never thought I'd be able to get a picture like this though. Redmond Lakes, ND.

Brown-eyed Susans? Turtle Mountains, ND.

Tennessee Warbler. Lostwood NWR, ND.

American Avocet. White Lake, ND.

Swainson's Hawk. Sex with talons. Near Camas NWR, ID.

Vesper Sparrow. Redmond Lakes, ND.

This Mundane Tyranny of Mediocrity

Grasshopper Sparrow. Redmond Lakes, ND.

Congratulations, Bourbon, Bastards and Birds community, for making it through another season with me. As with much of the North Dakotan birdlife, my urge to migrate is quite strong. The Willets and godwits (marbled variety) that harassed me so much earlier in the summer have mostly left for the West Coast already, and their migration path appeals to me....so I will be triumphantly rejoining them in California by the end of the month. With less than a week left and plover work completely wrapped up, its time to sit back, try to eat all the food I have left, dip into the the beer cache, sip on some whiskey and contemplate . 

Who am I kidding? With most field jobs, I generally just want to get the hell out by the time I'm done. All of the contemplating I'll be doing consists of devious plotting for the upcoming months.

Lesser Yellowlegs. Des Lacs NWR, ND.



Now that the Grey-hooded Gull has moved along, The Birdosphere has been pretty quiet lately. People have been sticking to the the tried and true ground of going birding, taking some pictures, and writing about it. Everyone seems to be excited that shorebirds are on their way south, and that the infamous "summer doldrums" are quickly giving away to fall migration, which many consider the most crippling time of year in terms of finding vagrants. No bird scandals to speak of really, aside from low level discussions on Common Gallinule vs. Common Moorhen, both regarding how to tell the two apart and the names themselves. Personally, I think we New Worlders lucked out getting the Gallinule...it's just such a birder's name. 

North Dakota, people, North Dakota. And a bunch of ducks that cant fly.

Of course, The Great Ornithologist Felonious Jive and I have taken a brave nomenclatic (thats not a word is it? whatevs.) stand against the word "common". What does that mean? We here at BB&B are completely against any bird having the word "common" in their name. Its degrading and misleading, and about as interesting as what you flush down the toilet after your first cup of coffee in the morning. If the American Ornithologists Union had any sort of taste or tact, they would immediately strike down the adjective "common" from every North American bird...it is useless for birders and bad PR for the birds themselves.

For example...take the Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet. They are one of the most nondescript birds on the continent. Who thinks its a good idea to rename them "Common Flycatcher?" They certainly can be common in some areas. So lets do it!

No. That is a damn poor idea. I would not hesitate to bet that birders want to see this obscure bird that much more, simply because of the strange and ridiculous name.

A wee Northern Harrier. Not yet a finely-tuned killing machine. Still mostly just good at looking innocent and slightly concerned. Lostwood NWR, ND.

Most of the birds pictured today have decent, semi-accurate names. Grasshopper Sparrows do indeed sound like insects, and spend most of their lives in grasslands. Lesser Yellowlegs are the smaller of the two yellowlegs...a boring name, but an accurate description. Piping Plovers do pipe, and the name invokes their innate cuteness as well. Ruddy Ducks are ruddy colored ducks, Northern Harriers do occur in the north and they do harry. Cedar Waxwings.....well the cedar part is bullshit but it is a nice sounding tree (wait...is it because it's cedar colored???? Ahhh!!!!!!!). Anyways. Let's call that a 5/6 on names.


Now imagine all these birds with "Common" in their name. Disgusting, isn't it? "Common Sparrow"? My god, that is obscene.


So that seems to be where we are ending up today. Write your local AOU representative and give them a piece of your mind. Together we can bring an end to this mundane tyranny of mediocrity!!!!

Juvenile Piping Plovers. Redmond Lakes, ND.

Ruddy Duck with...ducklets. Near Redmond Lakes, ND.

Cedar Waxwing. Lostwood NWR, ND.

I'm In Another State, Another State Of Mind

Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel. Hella liney. Lostwood NWR, ND.

Between all the coffee, finding my lifer Hudsonian Godwit this morning, and realizing that I will be out of here in one week, I'm feeling pretty damn giddy. I'm even listening to some ancient Social Distortion that I haven't heard in years (Mommy's Little Monster). It's still good.

Mmmmmm....life birds. If only you nonbirders could understand all the connotations of seeing a new bird species, you would stop asking annoying questions like "Why the fuck do you watch birds?". A life bird brings on high levels of Stoke, with many different layers...everything from appreciating the aesthetic beauty of a bird for the first time, having (nerd) pride in finding it yourself, feeling some serious geeky redemption because you've been looking for the damn thing for the better part of your lifetime (as with me and the godwit).

It's an awkward question to give a casual answer to, especially since I don't have a prepared answer. I should just stick to "Birds are fucking sick, that's why"...because this is true, after all. And if someone is confused by what I mean by "sick", then that's even better.

Bobolink flight display. Ah, the halcyon days of...of...a couple months ago. Lostwood NWR, ND.

Even if you really don't give a shit about our feathered friends, it's kind of awkward to ask someone why they chose to pretty much have their life revolve around one thing. It would be like asking a Christian "So, what's the big deal about Jesus? Dude died hella long ago. Get over it." Or asking a business executive, "So....your entire adult life has revolved around nothing but making money? How is being greedy and shallow going for you?". I mean, I get it, birding is super weird, but the benefits it brings to the birder are often hard to describe, aside from the super casual birdwatcher or the most single-minded lister.

Seldom Seen Sedge Wren. Lostwood NWR, ND.

Strange thoughts on this highly-caffeinated Saturday afternoon.

In other bird news, almost all birdsong seems to be coming to an end here. Sedge Wrens are still going for it, bless their little hearts....I think I heard a couple Song Sparrows, Yellow Warblers, an Eastern Wood-Pewee and some American Goldfinches today. Goldfinches, of course, are notoriously late breeders...those other birds will probably be shutting up any day now.

Lastly, I recommend going over to Birdspot and checking out this article, particularly if you are a male birder. After getting bummed and hopefully thinking over that, check out the other posts, there is some facemelting bird art going on over there. Thanks to my compatriots at 10,000 Birds for drawing attention to that blog, its good stuff!

Orchard Oriole. Mmmmmm.....rusty. Lostwood NWR, ND.

This is from June...an immature (not juvenile) Western Meadowlark? I don't know anything about birds. Medicine Lake NWR, MT.

Purple Coneflowers, a common prairie native. White Lake, ND.

Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge

Juvenile Franklin's Gull.

It finally happened.

The news you have been waiting for. I, Seagull Steve, your humble nerd-servant, have advanced from #8 birder in the nation to...#7 birder in the nation.

World leaders, movie stars and famous birders alike have already been showering me with enthusiastic congratulations, assorted accolades and all sorts of gifts (well, mainly bourbon). Each day here at BB&B headquarters is a crescendo of compliments, a cavalcade of courtesies. Yes, it feels good to be that much closer to The Top...eventually I could be considered peers with The Great Ornithologist Felonious Jive...which is frustrating, since I know him well and he is a complete dirtbag. But his skills are not to be scoffed at...once in a while even I, the #7 birder in the nation, am left in a glassy-eyed daze after spending a few hours birding with him.

Juvenile Black Tern.

In accordance to The Code, I am not at liberty to divulge how the national birder ranking system works...but I should point out that the former occupant of the vaunted #7 position should not be down on themselves for slipping down the scale. This is, after all, my destiny.

In other BB&B news, the critically-acclaimed Human Birdwatcher Project is cooking up yet another interview...those things seems to be pretty popular yeah? I did a little bit of updating in the other pages here (the HBP and Seagull and Felonious tabs, located under the banner), to get things up to speed and a little bit more cohesive. Two weeks from now I'll be pulling in to Las Vegas, after visiting Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, which I have a few target birds for....things are really looking Up. In a mere eight (8) days the Perpetual Weekend begins again!

Today's photos are all from Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge, a North Dakota refuge that is not particularly well-known or visited by birders, but it is legit...definitely not just a duck factory. If you're ever in the area, bird it, you will be happy you did.

Molting Black Tern.

Forster's Tern.

Double-crested Cormorant.

Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge. Serenity now!

Anyone know what these are?

Uhhh.....some kind of leopard frog? This is not my area of expertise.

A recently fledged Swainson's Hawk.

Yellow Warbler.

August in the Aleutians

Birders drool at the thought of seeing a Horned Puffin. Birders in the Aleutians drool because they are so common and boring. Ok thats not true...the puffins never get old, even after seeing them every day for months. They finish nesting really late in the summer so right now they are probably very busy bringing fish back to their fat fluffy chicks.

This picture is totally not from August, sorry. By now almost all the Least Auklets will be out at sea, as they finish up nesting and fledging pretty early. It's sad when you are out clambering around on Buldir Island's Main Talus and have no auklets for company...you are accompanied by a hole in your heart instead. Note the Crested Auklet and Least Auklet doing weird things in the background.

Aleutian Cackling Geese spend weeks higher up on the island while they molt their flight feathers...by August they have mysteriously reappeared near the coast. I think the front birds are juveniles.

The view from the front door of the cabin. Or, more obnoxiously, "my office".

July and August are stressful because you are just fiending for rare shorebirds (like this Red-necked stint) to appear. Rare birds, especially of the Aleutian caliber, have an addictive quality.

Some Tufted Puffins mingle above a Thick-billed Murre colony. No big deal.

Red-legged Kittiwake battle. So intense. I think those are Black-legged Kittiwake wings sticking out in back.

Black-legged Kittiwakes. Some juveniles (foreground) should be fledging by now.

Aleutian Song Sparrow. I don't know what else to say about them, except that I'm glad they were there. It's weird to not be around Song Sparrows. These are big and dark.

Scumbag.