I am having such a great time here in Lakeside! I don't know the exact number of birders attending the symposium, but I think I heard somewhere around 800 people, which is pretty cool, because basically, birders have taken over the town. Wherever you walk you see the smiling face of another bird lover, and everyone is so friendly! Just tonight, I hung out at the water's edge for a while for the Big Sit. I met a family from New York and Michigan and we talked about hummingbirds...and another from Northeast Ohio whose daughter lives maybe 10 minutes from me, and we talked about Painted Buntings and Pinckney Island (and you know how much I love Painted Bunting and Pinckney Island)! It's just so easy to meet people here because everyone loves birds and everyone genuinely wants to talk about them!
...but I guess I had better get back to my Kirtland's Warbler story from yesterday....
...all the lovely people looking for the lovely bird...
...in this lovely tree...
(and he's there, but on the other side...)
...but who do we have here?
Some of my favorite bird bloggers! On the left is Chad
from "Birding! A Growing Obsession!," and in the middle is
Rob Ripma from "The Nutty Birder," and on the right,
Dave "Loopy" Lewis from "Birds from Behind."
...and who is that sneaking up on the right?
Why...it's the famous "Doodles," the other half of
"Birds from Behind" (I not saying which half...).
It really is cool recognizing bloggers you follow...
and when they recognize you too, it's just fun!
....at this point, I walked over to the other side, which was the wrong thing to do because as I was moving, so was the bird, and when I got back, look what The Loopy One captured:
...yes, oh yes...the Kirtland's Warbler!
Go to Dave's site for more photos of this little cutie.
...so I was in the near occasion of the Kirtland's Warbler, and that was good enough for me. Just knowing that little endangered fellow was up in the tree moving around, gleaning insects to help him beef up for his trip south, made him real, and I felt good. Today at lunch I went back, but he had already moved on. During the night, the winds shifted and were conducive to travel. Now I know what to look for...and it will give me something to do!
Looks like you're just too much fun!! Good luck on finding these elusive creatures you're seeking!
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting post you have today. And the bird on the camera was nice to see as well.
ReplyDeleteI spent one day restoring Patty's computer. She clicked on an email she had sent that could not be delivered and was returned. She was curious as to why it wasn't delivered and clicked on the notice. Well, it was a "worm" that locked her computer and wouldn't let her do anything. When I got up the next day, she came out in her PJs and said, "My computer won't come on."
I had to reformat the hard drive and return it to the factory, new, condition. She lost everything on the computer. I feel sorry for her as it takes a lot of time to put her things back on the computer that she had saved on an external hard drive. Beware folks. If you send an email and it comes back, you should not open it.
I have not been able to get around much of late.
Fun, fun, fun!!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like you're having such a great time Kelly.
ReplyDeleteThat's so neat! I hope I get to see a Kirtland's someday while we still have them.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great time. And meeting new friends is always fun.
ReplyDeletesounds like a great time - I will have to look at getting there maybe next year
ReplyDeleteOh Man!!!! I can't believe you and the warbler moved at the same time, never to meet! Sounds like you're having an amazing time though. It's a great warm feeling to be amongst fellow birders isn't it! (-:
ReplyDeleteWhat a hoot. I don't think I've ever seen 800 birders anywhere!
ReplyDeleteLaure....I had sooooo much fun!! Even if I didn't see him...I was in his presence, and that is good enough for me....
ReplyDeleteAbe...YIKES...a worm.....I have a Mac, so I don't think I have to worry about that yet. Although I bet one of these days they will figure out how to hack its Linux base. Good luck...
Jayne...it is!!!
Keith....I did....thank you!!! Being around hundreds of birders is really cool....
Ruthie....I hope I do too! :-) But as I said before.....I breathed the same air, and that works!
Cindy....you are so right.....plus everyone is into the birds, so it's an instant connection.
Dan....you've got to go. You will love it. They said it's every other year and it's going to be at Lakeside again. So see you there in two years! I'll be back...
Jenny.....you are so right....it's cool to be around people who love the same things you do. That's not always the case. Most people are just polite when I go all Bird on them...
Steve...it's quite a sight....they are very polite people. Very enjoyable....and everyone smiles.... :-)
Well, with that many photographers around, I'm surprise the warbler wanted to come out at all! But it also means with that many around, someone was bound to get a photo!
ReplyDeleteHow awesome to meet so many bloggers there. Looks like you all had a fun time!
ReplyDeleteMary and Ginny....there definitely were a lot of people there watching for that bird. It was fun....
ReplyDeleteHi Kel, I'm sorry you didn't get to see him ---but you were CLOSE---and at least someone got a picture. Hopefully you can have another chance.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you are having a great time.
Lots of Hugs,
Betsy
What a blast you had...Glad u met so many bloggers.
ReplyDeleteI must go in 2011
Hey, that's us! By the way, the Doddles is the BETTER half...
ReplyDeleteThere were OVER 800 registered birders all in one place, you could spot them by the optics permanently attched to their necks!
We will be back at Lakeside in 2011, see everyone there!
Your enthusiasm is appreciable and amazing in watching and taking snaps of the same.......
ReplyDelete