July 12, 2012

Owl banding to come

This has been an embarrassing hiatus, and I can't say it is going to get much better for now. Veg surveys are taking over my life, leaving little time for new pictures. Good news though, for me, and for blog viewers: I'll be heading back to Hawk Ridge in Duluth, MN this fall to trap and band hawks and owls! This is mostly good for you in that you'll get a lot of face time with Saw-whet Owls as I will be the owl bander for the season.

July 7, 2012

Post 600

Down in the Bay for our break. Here are the results of a feeble attempt at photographing swallows.

Violet-greens
IMG_1808

IMG_1800

IMG_1744

A juvenile
IMG_1855

This was at Lake Merritt, in Oakland, where there were also tons of these:
IMG_1771

IMG_1823

July 2, 2012

Veg is here

Point counts are officially over and the veg work has begun, kind of. The last three days have been training, which has mostly involved protocol overview and learning to ID trees and shrubs. The most challenging part has been the IDing of completely torched trees, all with varied amounts of branches, leaves and bark, most with none or little of the above.

The bass were really good eating, by the way. These Brewer's Blackbirds were doing quite a bit of insect snatching off of the water we were fishing on at Lake Almanor, keeping things entertaining when fish weren't biting.
IMG_1706

This one looks pretty young to me
IMG_1725