oct 15
The Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge is, or was, one of my favorite places in Texas.
EEK a FINISHED DRAWING. I did this in 2005 after a particularly wonderful trip through the state with my father. It is ink on paper, and about oh say 9 x 11″ or so. I am posting it here because I have just read a sad article on the devastation wreaked upon the upper Texas coast by Hurricane Ike, and I thought I would help spread the word around that they are in dire need of help to rebuild.
The Houston Chronicle article is here, and the link to the Friends of Anahuac Refuge, Inc. is here.
Yesterday and today I frittered away a collective ten hours or so looking for migrants (of the avian sort) in Central Park, my new favorite place and one which is taking up so much time right now that I may as well move there with the other squatters because if I don’t get cracking in studio I am not going to be able to pay my exorbitant rent in a few months. Except that Friday morning should be really good because a front is finally moving through…
Conditions were unseasonably warm, with light South winds, and predictably not exactly bird-rampant. Here is the two-day list:
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Gadwall
Mallard
Northern Shoveler
Ruddy Duck
Wild Turkey
Pied-billed Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Osprey (1, high, migrating)
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper’s Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Merlin
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
American Crow
Tufted Titmouse
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Carolina Wren
Winter Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (now more numerous than GC)
Swainson’s Thrush (1)
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Northern Parula
CAPE MAY WARBLER
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Pine Warbler
Palm Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Juno
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
Number of observers: 5-12. Areas Birded: North End of park, Reservoir, Pinetum through the Ramble, and Strawberry Fields (yes, that Strawberry Fields).
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Nice drawing and it is tragic what happened to Anahuac.
To lighten the mood, here is what happens when creatures that do not have THEORY OF MIND (apes, monkeys, Palin) interpret music videos:
They also have a great version of HEAD OVER HEELS.
Mark
Hilarious! I remember that video… these lyrics are much much better.
Words fail to describe my admiration of this drawing.
Here is a one liner to keep the day light
http://winkingpalin.com/
Jed
Catherine:
Just read your twitter about street food. Watch yourself, please! You seem to be having quite a streak of gastronomical bad luck (if luck is the right word). This may seem a weird question, but how’s your gall bladder? Stress levels? Sorry to sound like your mom. Anyhow, plan on giving India a wide, wide berth for now, and eat plain and simple.
JED: that was just scary, plain and simple, but like an auto accident with bloody injuries, somewhat hypnotic. Where’s J.G. Ballard when you need him?
While your stomach settles, here’s what we took in the 50s: a gilded age when little animated tablet boys singing a jingle were reassuring signs of quick relief. No wonder we turned to hallucinogens in the 60s.
Mark
The scary truth about the street food yesterday: it hurt my stomach so badly that I stopped eating it, put it in the fridge to deal with later, and took a nap. This morning, when I went to throw it away, there was a refrigerated roach on top of it. Which meant it was IN THE FOOD YESTERDAY.
EEEEEEEEEUUUUUUUWWWWWWWWWWW. yuck.
Ahh, happier times.
at least it wasn’t the proverbial HALF a roach, but you are right: DOUBLE YUCK.
Mark
Catherine:
Best experience at Anahuac? Wasn’t that where, years ago, they ran the now controversial RAIL BUGGY tours? Loved Aransas too.
Mark
Just popping up to say I wish I had more time to chat this week. And to share this guy, who looks like some sort of autumn-leaf goblin:
http://tinyurl.com/6e47sq
Go visit him, Cathy! (And sorry to hear about the cockroach — I would’ve gone into shock.)
Best experience at Anahuac was seeing Yellow and Black Rails in the same day, on a rail walk with my father. Black Rail had been a nemesis heard-only bird for my father for many years. Everyone on the trip let me know that I was there to provide “good rail karma” because, apparently, I have good rail karma. The bird teed up, so close we could see the rufous nape and speckling on its back. WOOT! As they say..
RE: BLACK RAIL and your dad: Absolutely fantastic. There is not one birder alive who does not remember the exact details of their first Black Rail, it’s THAT cool and tough a bird. I think the majority of birders’ “life” Black Rails were either at Anahuac (TX), Palo Alto Baylands (CA) or Delmarva Penn (MD/Virginny). Mine was at Cedar Island, NC, which was rife with ‘em.
For those who need visual aides and have not been lucky enough so far:
http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/123/galleries/photos/HFC_020404_00151A/image_popup_view
Mark, kick-ee-doodle all the day
re: Surinam Horned Frog: I wish someone would give me a pumpkin for behavioral enrichment (see photo in Jesse’s comment, above) (I just twittered that. couldn’t help it). Thanks, Jesse!