Friday, March 27, 2009

Turn off your lights

There is a HUGE event taking place this Saturday.

Yes, for one full, wonderful hour on March 28 from 8:30 to 9:30PM, the world will (hopefully) go dark. The big 'to-do' is called Earth Hour, and it is a global call to action to raise awareness about the climate, energy consumption and the environment. With your help, millions upon millions of people will be participating in thousands of cities in over 83 countries.The magnitude and scope of this landmark event will hit home when even our most-iconic landmarks go dark. From the great pyramids of Giza, to the Acropolis in Athens, to the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and even down to our very own world-famous strip in Las Vegas... they'll all be DARK!

For more details, please visit www.earthhourus.org to learn more.

Join and enjoy, as more than 87,000 people in the U.S. have already written an email to their elected officials asking for meaningful legislation.

Enjoy the stars everyone. Enjoy the energy savings. Love your earth.

-Dan

Monday, March 23, 2009

March, the latest

So this weekend......there was this GREATER WHITE FRONTED GOOSE on Gibson Island. That was nice. Here is the now-famous speckle-bellied goose standing alongside a relative, the CANADA GOOSE.Her she (I think it's a she anyway) having a swim. So relaxing.Oh, then there was this 'other' bird that I REALLY can't talk about right now. It looks a bit like this though...And this...Ok, and this...I was bored last night (after the DecMan went to sleep), so I did these...Don't you just love the BLUE JAY'S attitudes? That moderately-sized blue bird told that more orange-than-red tailed raptor to take off.Progressively artsy, right? I'm think this one for my next album cover. Or, maybe for my next CD cover? No, wait, my next digital download cover? Whatever... I need to write a song first.Lastly, it wouldn't be a blog these days without a PEREGRINE update. They're both doing well, copulating still and she is getting larger. I say she looks beautiful... glowing almost. I hope he tells her the same. Here she is now...I can relate to him. I have a little PEFA here at home is glowing as well.He has been very busy bringing her meal after meal, in preparation for the kids... chicks they call 'em. When last I saw him, he brought her a RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD for dinner. She took it, probably just to have a nibble. He took it back and put it someplace special. I think it was for some sort of romantic evening meal. Mmm, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, served with a side of STARLING perhaps? How invasive and delightful!

Here he is now, our local tiercel, working his feathers to look all dapper for dinner.Now, my photography skills have atrophied a bit lately. I've not had the time to get out there and practice. But here is one photo that isn't too awful. In fact, I think it's quite FOXy.Have a great week!

-Dan

Thursday, March 19, 2009

State of the Birds

...is HERE.
Please take some time to view the short film, download and read the PDF and tell some friends about it. Finally, see what it is you might be able to do to help better the state of the birds, and the world where we live.

There are enormous challenges that we must face in the coming years, but like the canary in the coal mine, this avian harbinger should not be ignored.

-Dan

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Keeping Things Clean

It always amazes me how some people are just trashy. Take Greenbury Point for example. Go to any spot with a good view of the bay and you'll find empty beer cans and other crap lying all over the place. That's just super. Think about it this way: who would want to go to a spot that littered with garbage, right? Right. Now, obviously, someone does... because it gets worse every time I visit. So, there are some people out there who would prefer to make 'a place' that they enjoy spending time look like crap.

"I love to go down there and fish, enjoy a few brews and just take in nature," said the redneck. "But someone needs to come out here and clean up these damn beer cans that I leave on the ground, in the trees, on the rocks, basically everywhere... because it's starting to look like a dump." Anyone who leaves garbage for someone else to clean is an ass.

Speaking of asses... on to my next tirade: lazy dog walkers who let their adorable dogs shit all over Greenbury Point and refuse to clean it up. Why? I have no idea. Do they think nature will simply take care of their dog's crap before their next visit. Do they think the Navy has a professional dog doo scooper on their staff? Do they think the animals that live there enjoy all this extra excrement? Lazy AND disrespectful.

Don't even get me started on the dogs not being on a leash.

From huge hunks of dog crap (probably from a lab), down to those little cute morsels of pooh... it's everywhere.

And I have a solution.

This week, I am going down to Greenbury with a pooper scooper and a few trash bags. To illustrate a point, I am going to pick up all of the empty beer cans and garbage that lie on the ground in those scenic bay overlooks.

Then I am going to scoop up the hundreds of piles of dog dung all over the trails around the point.

I will put all of the pooh in all of the locations where I found beer cans.

I will put all of the beer cans all over the trails on the point where I scooped the pooh.

That way, the lazy dog walkers wont want to come to a place where they have to navigate around litter while their dogs continue to crap their un-picked-up excrement. And the fishermen and other folks who loiter around the scenic overlooks wont enjoy chuggin' brews and throwing empties on the ground when they are surrounded by large mounds of pooh.

And soon Greenbury Point will be returned to those who respect nature, those who respect others and those who still feel an obligation to leave a place better than the way they found it.And seriously, I will be participating in this event... a legitimate river cleaning. Might you care to join in the fun?

-Dan

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Photos of the Male Peregrine

I've been in the garden all day today. And tomorrow looks to be more of the same. My entire body aches, but I'm still awake enough to post a few photos. These photos of the male were taken on the 5th. During my rather brief visit, I learned yet again that love was in the air.Notice the blood on his tail feathers? It would appear that this falcon is eating well.I think the next time I visit, I will attempt to shot some photos using my tripod. Maybe, just maybe, they wont turn out to be as blurry? One can only hope (and use some skill too I suppose).

Have a wonderful Sunday.

-Dan

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Napoleon, We Found Bonaparte's Gulls in the Waterloo!

Yesterday after the snow fell here in Maryland, my buddy Chris Murray, my son Declan and I did a little birding around town. In Bay Ridge we found 12 BONAPARTE'S GULLS. That was a new high count for me here in Anne Arundel County. Declan too!Bonies are some very cool gulls. They feed like a phalarope, spinning constantly in tight circles. They've got a very swift flight style, bright pink (sometime red legs) and have a striking wing color pattern.Then we found a banded TUNDRA SWAN showing off his neck 'bling' to all of his 'peeps'. Actually, I think when it comes to swans, they are known as 'honks'. All bad jokes aside, it was so cool to finally get some snow to go with all this cold.Here are a few photos from Monday's snow day that made me happy. Stay warm and enjoy your week.Oh yes, and PABU say hello too. A Painted Bunting in the snow... what?I speak for the Bunting, Declan, Chris and myself when I say... ON TO SPRING please!

-Dan

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