November 28, 2013

I've been to Los Banos

Alright, I'm back. I've been computerless in Los Banos, CA for about two weeks now. Working for Point Blue again, I now spend my days in the wetlands of the San Joaquin Valley trapping wintering shorebirds, banding and attaching radio transmitters to them in an attempt to gain a better understanding of their habitat use and needs during this time of their life cycle.

We are specifically targeting Long-billed Dowitchers and Dunlin.
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However, there are the occasional peep by-catches, this one being a Western Sandpiper, I believe, though our most common are Least.
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As well as this Yellowlegs
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The second team of trappers spend most of their time up in the rice fields of the Sacramento Valley, looking a little something like this.
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Whereas, this is our typical morning scenery.
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November 11, 2013

New old

While moving my photos over to a new computer I did a lot of browsing of old photos and realized that there are quite a few pictures I haven't posted that I would like to, mostly from Costa Rica, so those will be mixed in for a bit.

For example, this monster.
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Though I understand that Dunlin and Long-billed Dowitchers are really not much bigger than most of the songbirds I am used to handling, this is still what I imagine it to be like.  I say this because I will be starting a job on Thursday in the San Joaquin Basin in California trapping those two species, but sadly no Bare-throated Tiger Herons.
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November 7, 2013

Fall Views

Outside our window at Manomet.
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Skinner Mountain in western Mass.
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November 3, 2013

Second NOPA

Our second Northern Parula of the season, this time a young male, showing a little bit more of a necklace.
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