The Birding Survey

So, there's a survey going around on the various birding blogs out there and I decided to post my responses here. It was kind of fun to do it. Go ahead - try it yourself!

What state (or country) do you live in? Indiana
How long have you been birding? 22 years
Are you a "lister"? Yes ABA Life List: 261 Overall Life List: 261
Favorite Birding Spots: Rio Grande Valley, Cape May NJ, Sanibel Island FL
Favorite birding spot outside your home country: Never been but dream of the Galapagos
Farthest you've traveled to chase a rare bird: Florida
Nemesis bird: Red Breasted Nuthatch
"Best" bird sighting: Painted Bunting
Most wanted trip: Point Pelee
Most wanted bird: Magnificent Hummer
What model and brand of bins do you use?: Eagle Optics Ranger 10x42
What model and brand of scope do you use?: Pentax
What was the last lifer you added to your list?: American Oystercatcher
Where did you see your last lifer?: Provincetown Mass
What's the last bird you saw today?: Blue Jay
Best bird song you've heard ever: Carolina wren
Favorite birding moment: My first time at Ding Darling
Least favorite thing about birding: Bugs!!! Mosquitos!!!
Favorite thing about birding: The exhilaration of seeing a new species for the first time.
Favorite field guide for the US: Sibley
Favorite non-field guide bird book: Kingbird Highway
Who is your birder icon?: Pete Dunne
Do you have a bird feeder(s)? Only 8 of them!
Favorite feeder bird? Tufted Titmouse

I heard the unmistakable call of a great horned owl while watching tv. Quickly, I turned down the volume and listened again. Sure enough! It was the sound of a great horned all right. I grabbed the bino's and tried to find it. It was dark outside. Focusing on what looked like a lump in the tree, as the image became clear I was thrilled! Not one but a pair of great horned owls were sitting in the cottonwood tree. One was pruning itself while the other was turning its head 180 degrees in typical owl fashion. I dropped my glasses briefly to walk to another window for a better view and "POOF" they were gone!

What a wonderful treat it was!

Fantasy Birding Thoughts

So I was thinking....what if...what if I were to win the lottery someday!

How would that affect the birding aspect of my life? Oh sure, it would mean I could pay off the mortgage, pay off the car, all that boring crap...but just for a moment let's all allow ourselves to attach this kind of dream to our birding life! What would it mean? What would you do that you aren't now? Money isn't an object, so what does that do to ones birding opportunities? How does one prioritize when to go and where to go?

It's an interesting concept, no?

Heck, my birding fantasy nowadays is pretty much wrapped around my thoughts of retiring and what I might be able to do at that point. I'm hoping to be able to take a couple of ambitious birding trips a year - maybe to the ABA convention or a couple of festivals. But the majority of my retirement bird thoughts center around birding within my local area due to economics. So it's fun to fantasize about what one might do.

Any ideas out there??

Red Headed Woodpecker

Last Saturday, on a trip to McCormicks Creek State Park, I saw a Red Headed woodpecker up high in the white branches of a sycamore tree. I was happy to see it since this is one of our declining species and it is truly one of the most beautiful birds on the planet.

The red headed is one of only 4 woodpeckers known to store food and is the only one known to cover the food with wood or bark.

I used to see Red Heads all the time in Indiana as a youngster growing up. Now they are rare. The Red-bellied is much more prevalent around here now. Too bad, not that I don't like the Red-bellies. They are equally beautiful.

Have been reading quite a few birding blogs out there in cyberland. Will probably provide links to them on my page later on. Thank goodness for the Birdchick. I have attended both Cape May and the Rio Grande Valley bird festivals vicariously through her this year. Sounds like she has the life that a lot of birders dream of! DAMN! Why didn't I become an ornithologist.