Friends, birders, countrymen, good day to you. As you read this I am birding up a storm at the Salton Sea, one of the worst and best places in all of California. It's a great place to die of overexposure and heat stroke, and a great place for birding too. Completely unrelated is this smiling juvenile Black-billed Magpie that was loitering at Mormon Row in Grand Teton National Park, WY, in August of last year.
Well doesn't he just look like the cat that ate the canary. Not that Magpies eat canaries of course, but I wouldn't put it past them either...
ReplyDeleteDATE SHAKE! DATE SHAKE! DATE SHAKE! Such good date shakes at the Salton Sea.
ReplyDeleteI've only had one, and I was not impressed. Maybe next time...theyre hard to come by around the south end, where I usually go.
Delete[hears Rossini] Mmmm... date shakes. Stay hydrated!
ReplyDeleteLooks like a young bird, I can still see some of the blue in the eyes.
ReplyDeleteBring home plenty of bird pictures from the Salton Sea. Someday I just have to go there.
Drink lots of water! Can't wait to see your Salton Sea birds! Love the magpie. I've never seen one!
ReplyDeleteI managed to only get dehydrated one out of the two days...not bad!
Delete=) Quite the distinctive (no pun intended) odeur, chez-Salton. Trippy, cool place. And flat out weird.
ReplyDeleteYou stare at the dead fish dotting the "beach," gaze hazily at all the trash, inhale the stench, and think "Did I really drive out here for the natural beauty?"
"Yes. Yes you did."
It really is beautiful, especially around sunrise and sunset. I would rank it pretty high on the list of places to be at sunset, actually.
DeleteNice Magpie! Look forward to seeing your seabirds as well.
ReplyDeleteThe saltonseabirds are coming...photo editing started tonight.
DeleteOoh Mormon Row was good to me when I was there... except for a brief stand-off with a bison. Needless to say, he won.
ReplyDeleteMormon Row was hot, windy and unpleasant when I was there. Magpie was the only piece of life.
Delete