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Re: Winter's here

From:

Leo Weigant

Reply-To:

Leo Weigant

Date:

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:50:24 -0400

On Oct 22, 2009, at 1:37 PM, Gerald & Laura Tarbell wrote:

> I went over to the Catoctins to look at MY streams (not the stocked  
> ones of
> the variety I fished yesterday) and in spite of last week's rain  
> they aren't
> up to my standards. Amazes me that I measured 4" of rain here in  
> Carroll
> last week and it had no effect on these mountains over north of  
> Frederick.
> Such is life.
>
> So I walked and got new species for the fall. Among them BROWN  
> CREEPERS,
> HERMIT THRUSHES and large flocks of JUNCOS. I also encountered  
> probably the
> largest bunch of RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS I have ever seen. Often we  
> encounter
> them in small bands or individually. This is the first time I've  
> had about
> 50 of them in one place, some of them flying in for close-up,
> non-binoculared looks. All that was missing was some of them  
> popping up
> their cute little crowns like they often do in spring before they  
> leave.
>
> Lots of WHITE-THROATS around too, sometimes with the Juncos.
>
> I also heard some Pileation, but was unable to spot the Pileator that
> Pileated.
>
> One last question: why do Woolly Bears just cross roads all day? I  
> know the
> bit about them showing possums that it can be done, but at one  
> point on the
> way back the road was practically covered with them. Seems like  
> they would
> have something better to do. Like going birding.
>
> Jerry Tarbell
> Unpileated in Carroll County


		Well, now, Jerry, seems to me they are birding,
	only it's a different [zen?] mode of birding.
	Instead of pishing, they attract birds visually
	by moving slowly across a plain background,
	such as pavement, with their
	attractive, varicolored fuzzyiness
	-- this is the paradoxical opposite of
	camouflage, of course.

	They have no interest in lists, seeking only that one
	"God-what-a-great-look!"  sighting before they die
	and go to their version of Birder's heaven
	having achieved a marvelous at-oneness with a bird.

	Leo Weigant