Green Eggs and Herons

My wife's sister Eliza has this really cool boyfriend. Chris Murray is his name and he's spent time in the Amazon rain forests. So he definitely qualifies as someone who enjoys birding.

Well I've known Chris for years from all of my band's gigs at 49 West in Annapolis. In addition to being quite an excellent birder, Chris has worked for what seems like an eternity at 49 West Coffeehouse & Winebar. Actually, for about as long as I have been playing there on Monday nights with my band BEN'S BONES.

It just so happens that Chris enjoys this strange hobby (birding) too. While Eliza and my wife (her sister) Emery are now able to do their 'sister' things, Chris and I happily venture out in search of interesting birds.

Don't get me wrong... Declan, Emery, Eliza, Chris and I have gone on birding excursions before, just not with the same intensity. Emery has more lifers than most hot ladies I know at her age. Heck, she's traveled to Costa Rica with me!

Enjoy these photographs, as they tell the story of our journey today through the Annapolis area and the Patuxent River basin. I hope you find that these images inspire you to have a great week. Or maybe they'll just stir you to help send me to photography school?

How is it the more photos I take, the worse they seem to get? My camera must be dirty or something. No more excuses... you may be the judge.

MMM, WHAT IS THAT SCENT YOU'RE WEARING? I CALL IT... MUSKRAT

PALM WARBLER

TRES NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS

OH TO BE MOONED BY A YELLOWLEGS

GREEN HERON... THE BIRD OF THE DAY

AND AN EASTERN TOWHEE SANG US HOME

Have a great week!

-Dan

Today The Schools Were Closed

Throughout my School Specialty territory and beyond, most all of the schools in Maryland were closed due to the Potomac (or the Chesapeake) Primary Elections. Call this primary what you will, I still didn't vote. Not because I didn't want to, but because I am registered INDEPENDENT. And that means that I don't count... yet. I needed to do SOMETHING with my day.

After dropping my boy Declan off at my Mom and Dad's home (his grandparents), I drove South to visit some schools in Calvert County and oh yes... quickly see a LIFE BIRD. What's more, I brought my camera to document the fun. Please enjoy these photos of the BATTLE CREEK CYPRESS SWAMP'S finest: an EVENING GROSBEAK and a PURPLE FINCH. I almost think that PURPLE FINCH is a LIFE bird for me as well, but my ID skills are still being perfected and I've seen a number of female finches that could have been PURPLES. So, let's just say that today I saw MTWO LIFE BIRDS.

According to the DNR's website, "the 100-acre Battle Creek Cypress Swamp Sanctuary is one of the last remaining sites where the bald cypress tree occurs naturally in the state of Maryland, and it is one of the northernmost stands of bald cypress in the United States." As a bonus for your enjoyment, I threw in a photo of two EASTERN TOWHEES and a RUBY CROWNED KINGLET that I saw at North Beach Marsh on my way home.

A little birdy towhee'd me to post that photo.

It's not a real blog until I've put in at least ONE bad joke.

The light was sketchy today. There were lots of clouds. Luckily, the weather folks were off yet again. No snow or rain or sleet or precipitation of any kind whilst I was out and about today.

I only wish that these PURPLE FINCHES would visit my feeders here in West Annapolis!

Good Voting (& Birding),

Dan