3/6/06
Calm After the Storm(s)
Alright well it's Monday and I'm back at work and feeling much better.
A note of thanks to John from the excellent
A DC Birding Blog for including a link to my site over the weekend. I wrote him a note before I started this site and apologized for cramping his style with another DC bird blog, which he took in stride. Good guy, great blog.
Some pictures from the weekend in Jersey/Deleware:
Bonaparte's Gull at the tip of Cape May. The bright red feet made me think I was looking at a bunch of black-headed gulls...then I realized I was crazy. Plus, black beaks.
A Dunlin in Avalon, NJ.
Red-Throated Loon in the frigid Atlantic off Avalon, NJ.
A Common Loon very close to the sides of the Indian River Inlet.
The famous Eagle's Nest Golf Course
Eurasian Wigeon among American Wigeon.note: upon inspection, the photograph I took of what I thought was a golden eagle was in fact a juvi bald eagle. I've found that having a camera with me (my beloved Canon Digital Rebel EOS with a 75-300mm zoom and a polarizing filter) has helped out many times with identifications. There are a lot of birds that look the same, especially when you only have a minute to see them or when it's too damn cold to get out the sibley to scrounge for details. Taking a picture and then identifying later has helped me with savannah sparrows, dunlin and this weekend's red-throated loon.
Another note: I was in no way blaming Paulagics for the trips being cancelled...I was simply disapointed that, for the second straight week, the weather was bad. I have talked to Paul and Anita several times and they are extremely friendly and knowledgable and enthusiastic about what they do and I will most definetly book my next trip with them. No worries. It's just annoying when you work all week through beautiful, windless days, only to have the weather turn crappy as soon as you open your eyes on Saterday.
