Where Do Turkeys Gather Before Thanksgiving?

Innocent Snow Goose Vandalized By Elves

I found this Snow Goose in a corn field near Lyman's orchard this morning and I must say that I am disappointed that those pesky elves would take things this far. I can understand decorating Santa's reindeer but leave the poor Snow Geese alone!

Black Friday Birding Specials

 I was out with all the birders on Black Friday. It was mayhem today. Birders were lined up in sleeping bags waiting for the locked gates to open at all the state parks. As an incentive crows were available for viewing at no cost. Birders were sword fighting with tripods and scopes trying to be the first one to get a free look at the crows!

At Hammonasset Snow Buntings were 50% off! There was only about 50-100 of them so they went fast.

Please don't mock me mockingbird for taking part in Black Friday Birding. Even birders can't resist a good deal!

Stranded 20 Miles Deep In The Woods- Post # 2

Post # 2-
 I first found out about them 30 years ago when we on a fishing trip. We heard the locals talking about these "woods people".  Apparently, they broke off from the community almost 200 years ago and chose to live in complete isolation. The only time anyone has seen them was on rare occasions when one of the men would wander into town dressed like Daniel Boone looking for supplies. They spoke some sort of hybrid language that was thought to be a mixture of old English, Penobscot, and French. They still rely on the method of trade and leave immediately after making a purchase not to be seen again for months.

It took us  2 full days to hike out here so I'm guessing we are about 20 miles deep in the woods. We had to blaze our own trails marked them on the way in. We brought compasses but I hope my cousin finds his way out okay. He said he had to return to his job in Quebec but maybe he was just afraid to continue any further. I was unable to follow him because my ankle is going to require a couple of days rest before I can make the long trek out of here.

It was a little unnerving hearing them in the woods at night and not being able to see them. It's not the stories about their Pagan traditions that worries me. Just because their beliefs are different doesn't mean they are bad or violent. It's just unnerving to know you're being watched by someone you can't see. In the morning when the sun comes a foggy steam rises from the damp forest floor making it hard to see anything. It's hard to tell if you're hearing an animal moving through the woods or if it might be them. The rumors about hikers in that area woods disappearing is disturbing but not surprising. There are thousands of acres of wilderness and anyone could get lost or hurt here. The nearest town is 50 miles away and the territory I'm in is marked only by signs with map coordinates. 

 What brought me out here was curiosity about the animals they are rumored to breed. I asked my biologist friend if he thought it possible to hybridize 2 animals that seem so different. He told me that it was possible but he questioned whether or not they would be able to reproduce on their own. I really want to get a look at one. They must be bizarre looking creatures and have to weigh at least 150 pounds. I'm hoping they'll allow me to visit their settlement. I've heard they are adept at taming  wild birds as well. 

I don't know when you will be able to view these posts. My cousin took a couple of photos using a cheap disposable camera he got from a cereal box. I gave my him written instructions on how to post on my blog. I'm hoping that he'll at least be able to post part 1 and 2 to give you the background information on this project. Judging by the smoke I see coming from their settlement I would say that I'm within a mile from where they live now. I should be there withing the next hour or two. I'm guessing if they meant me any harm then I probably would have known it by now. Wish me luck-I may need it. Further posts we'll follow when I return (hopefully).

Please Note: The limited information we could find about the people of this area before the start of our trip can be accessed  by clicking on this link. (Update: This was an April Fool's Joke!)

Elite Birder's Club Was April Fool's Joke

We've been having all kinds of ducks showing up at our local fairgrounds including the less common Blue-winged Teal (above) ,  a rare visit from a Common (Eurasian) Teal which looks like a Green-winged Teal but without the white stripe on the side. 

 It was the frustration of not being able to get good photos of these ducks that made me think about how nice it would be to have access to some effective photography/bird blinds. I thought about doing a post about the types of blinds I'd like to see built but then decided to turn it into an April Fool's joke post.

I decided that it would be more interesting if my imaginary blinds were constructed by an elitist birding club. I knew that the idea of elitist birders would ruffle a few feathers. 

 Once I uploaded the post I realized the joke was on me because people believed it but didn't get the punchline. No one was clicking on the link that gave it away. I should have known better and made it more obvious that I was kidding at the end. 

 If there were such a birding club I don't think that I would fit in well because:

1. My little 1995 pickup truck has 230,000 miles on it and has riveted sheet metal covering the rust holes on the side. I'd probably need something a little more stylish to fit in with the elite birders.
2. I've thought about taking one day courses about shorebirds or sparrows for the last 5 years but never got around to it. It's hard for me to imagine taking a 6 week course about birding.
3. I don't have elite equipment and don't have elite birding skills.
4. I  wouldn't pay $400 to join a club with a name like- The Elite Birder's Club of America. I'm more an average Joe who just isn't into champagne and caviar.

I do appreciate those who played along with this April Fool's post and apologize to those who didn't catch on.

I Have Bad Days Too

I've noticed that some of the bloggers will write about having a bad day. I don't talk about my personal life much, but I have bad days too.
Today, for example, was a bad day for me.
It started out when I woke up with a sore arm. This was the same arm that I had broken last fall raking leaves. If only I had been more careful, I never would have fallen out of that tree.

It gets worse. After I arrived at work, I realized I had locked my keys in the car. It took me 15 minutes to break the window and get out.
There's more-Both my brothers lost their jobs this week. One of them was fired from the orange juice factory-apparently it was due to his lack of concentration. My other brother was let go from The M&M candy company. How was he to know that you're not supposed to throw away the W's?
Wait a minute-Now that I think of it, I don't have any brothers.-Maybe it wasn't such a bad day after all!