OMG I love Red Eye

Hah, I've told you this before haven't I? :)

Not an addict.

Waders this morning. :)
A few highlights;

Person : "Oh yeah, we just got great looks at a Spotless Crake."
Me (who had gone ahead with the other half of the group and not seen said crake - which would be a new bird for me) : *curses*

Person : "I think there's a Common Sandpiper out there."
Me (looking through scope) : "That is SO a Ruddy Turnstone!"
(apparently Ruddies are very rare to non-existent at Alfred Cove). Neat... Oh, and they look NOTHING like Common Sandpipers.

Me : "What are those birds among the Godwits? They must be Knots... Do you get Tattlers here? Cuz that eye stripe is very Tattler... Nah, they must be Knots."
Les (looking through scope) : "Yeah, they're Great Knots."
Ian and I (after looking and looking again) : "Nah, they're Red Knots."
Les disagrees, claiming the colour is wrong. Ian sides with me. Ian visited the Obs while I was up there. I do let him know that I'm still shaky with Knots when out of breeding plumage.

Other guy : "What's that huge bird near the Godwits?"
Me (looks through scope) : "It's a Barwit. Must be a female."
Him : "No, no. The REALLY big bird, it's not a Godwit!"
Me : "Yep, it's a Godwit. It'd be a female, they're much bigger."
He isn't convinced. It was so a Godwit.

I have l337 wader ID skillz now. :p
And a recommendation for a good scope.

Also saw Pipit porn. Those naughty little birds!

OMG I love Red Eye

Hah, I've told you this before haven't I? :)

Not an addict.

Waders this morning. :)
A few highlights;

Person : "Oh yeah, we just got great looks at a Spotless Crake."
Me (who had gone ahead with the other half of the group and not seen said crake - which would be a new bird for me) : *curses*

Person : "I think there's a Common Sandpiper out there."
Me (looking through scope) : "That is SO a Ruddy Turnstone!"
(apparently Ruddies are very rare to non-existent at Alfred Cove). Neat... Oh, and they look NOTHING like Common Sandpipers.

Me : "What are those birds among the Godwits? They must be Knots... Do you get Tattlers here? Cuz that eye stripe is very Tattler... Nah, they must be Knots."
Les (looking through scope) : "Yeah, they're Great Knots."
Ian and I (after looking and looking again) : "Nah, they're Red Knots."
Les disagrees, claiming the colour is wrong. Ian sides with me. Ian visited the Obs while I was up there. I do let him know that I'm still shaky with Knots when out of breeding plumage.

Other guy : "What's that huge bird near the Godwits?"
Me (looks through scope) : "It's a Barwit. Must be a female."
Him : "No, no. The REALLY big bird, it's not a Godwit!"
Me : "Yep, it's a Godwit. It'd be a female, they're much bigger."
He isn't convinced. It was so a Godwit.

I have l337 wader ID skillz now. :p
And a recommendation for a good scope.

Also saw Pipit porn. Those naughty little birds!

Comment in birdlovers (by me) - felt like I'd post it here.

Having just spent 9 months in close proximity with migratory waders (east Asian Australasian flyway) I've learned a bit and formed some opinions.

- Migratory waders breed in an area where they barely ever come into contact with humans.
- The main risk zone would be their stopover in China. This happens on the northward migration.
- Sick birds will be unable to migrate or complete their migration.
- Apparently bird flu is transmitted like any other flu - via droplets. I'm not awfully familiar with waders sneezing.
- I've been pooped on and scratched by waders. I've handled waders and eaten while I'm still banding/measuring whatever. I'm still healthy as a horse.
- An AQIS vet (Aussie quarantine) often took blood and cloacal samples from the netted birds. Found no trace of bird flu.
- I'm dreading the day when some moron starts killing migratory waders because he thinks they're a threat. We should be getting the humans away from the birds so they don't get it. The way I see it, these birds are more likely to contract bird flu from US rather than vice-versa.

Comment in birdlovers (by me) - felt like I'd post it here.

Having just spent 9 months in close proximity with migratory waders (east Asian Australasian flyway) I've learned a bit and formed some opinions.

- Migratory waders breed in an area where they barely ever come into contact with humans.
- The main risk zone would be their stopover in China. This happens on the northward migration.
- Sick birds will be unable to migrate or complete their migration.
- Apparently bird flu is transmitted like any other flu - via droplets. I'm not awfully familiar with waders sneezing.
- I've been pooped on and scratched by waders. I've handled waders and eaten while I'm still banding/measuring whatever. I'm still healthy as a horse.
- An AQIS vet (Aussie quarantine) often took blood and cloacal samples from the netted birds. Found no trace of bird flu.
- I'm dreading the day when some moron starts killing migratory waders because he thinks they're a threat. We should be getting the humans away from the birds so they don't get it. The way I see it, these birds are more likely to contract bird flu from US rather than vice-versa.

I'll stop spamming in just a second!

I need birdy icons!

Help me people. For I am artistic as a brick.

I'll stop spamming in just a second!

I need birdy icons!

Help me people. For I am artistic as a brick.