First off, I am obliged to say that it was not my idea to grab the camera ... that was birding dad's suggestion after I called him out on the deck tonight to see this Hummingbird hawk moth sampling our flowers.

(click for a closer look)
I have to admit ... the night-time photo is striking!

Posted by sunybank at 03:11 AM |
filed under: Nature Notebooks

It's not often you catch a glimpse of a bird that you have never seen before ... although I would venture that there are those who actually don't keep track, who don't even HAVE a life list ... but I digress ...
Where I was going was ... what are the chances that you are sitting in your kitchen finishing a gourmet weeknight dinner of KFC and there! ... on your DECK ... coming RIGHT UP TO THE WINDOW ... is a bird that you KNOW you have never seen before, and you are not even sure you know what it is!?
Small, crisp, streaked, short tail ... bobbing like a stumpy little Killdeer ... long pink legs and a white eye stripe. Something about the shape kept saying "Ovenbird" to me, and I can't even remember ever seeing an Ovenbird ... at least not since I was maybe 12 on a hike in Linwood.

And no, this is not my photo ... did any of us think to grab the camera? no, I was too busy saying things like "Pink Legs" ... "White Eye Stripe" ... "Bobbing tail" so that I would remember these when he flew away.
All three of us were right up at the window, birding dad had the scope and I went for the Peterson's. Then quickly from the Peterson's to the Smithsonian searching for a discription of that tail bobbing that would confirm it for me.
and the final verdict is I AM NOT SURE!
We saw either a Louisiana Waterthrush, or a Northern Waterthrush. But I think I'm leaning Northern, although he was not as Yellow as Peterson's portrays it...
still want more? ...

Continue reading "One for the Life List"

Posted by sunybank at 03:32 AM |
filed under: Nature Notebooks

Last day of "school" for Willa.
As you can probably discern, she is the one who updated my Twitter this morning.
One last Regents exam - Bio - and she's done for the summer.
If nothing else, it takes some of the stress out of our mornings here for a while ... or MY mornings anyway.
Nice to just get up and worry about getting YOURSELF off to work and no one else!

Posted by sunybank at 12:08 PM |
filed under: My Unique Family

OK, so I'm not blogging much these days.
Seems like there's always something else to do and plenty of it!
Also ... I suppose I'm making an effort to be a little less self-centered than I usually tend to be...I've got so many demands on my time, work being the biggest demand, family being the biggest priority, that I sometimes forget there are others who need my time and attention.
Today we are going to help a friend pack and move, and I should have been there for her more throughout this whole packing up thing.
This has not been easy for her, it was not her choice - the whole divorce thing came as a shock to her and now the injustice of having to sell the home that she loves.
So today's for you - my closest friend - whatever you need, I'm here.

Posted by sunybank at 02:19 PM |
filed under: Daily Polyphasic Thoughts