Amazing times 2!

Today, I’m going to talk about the day in reverse.  This afternoon I noticed that two commenters had asked again about how I can possibly count all those birds.  So, I thought I’d try a different way to try to explain how I do it.  It’s kind of like being on that game show…”Minute to Win It!”  Although, sometimes I don’t have a full minute.  :)
I’ll use my present header photo as an example.  Each of those lopsided red circles depicts an instant’s view through my binoculars, and has approximately 25 birds inside it’s borders.  This pic was just a portion of the total flock of birds.  Out in the field, I estimate how many birds are in a binocular view, and then start at one end of the flock and begin counting…25, 50, 75, 100… etc. for each view as I steadily pan the binoculars from right to left, or visa versa. 

Often, birds of a feather flock together like these snow geese.  If I have time, I go over the flock again to pick out species that in this case are not snow geese.  That’s how I came up with 75 white-faced ibis in addition to the snow goose count.  Of course, there are times when the view through the binoculars produce only ten birds/view or 100 birds/view.  Since this is just an educated estimate, I never pick numbers like 13 or 56 birds/view!  I can’t compute those kind of numbers fast enough.  I am not a mathematical savant.

The amazing thing, to me, about this explanation is that I figured out how to put those circles on a picture to include in tonight’s post!  I am also not a computer geek, but I almost feel like a RICK protégé tonight!  I definitely need to practice drawing circles, however.  :)  Anyway, I hope that explanation of the art of counting large numbers of birds is a little clearer for you.

Okay, back to this morning.  Since I did the Christmas Bird Count yesterday, I moved the weekly bird survey to today.  As I pulled into the second to last count area, the Suburban suddenly lurched down into a big hole…first the front wheel and then the back.  Ugh!  My clipboards and scope went flying, and my innards got rearranged in the process.  I’ve managed to miss this hidden, overgrown hole on previous counts, but not today.  As I tried to regain my balance and equipment, what to my wondering eyes should appear…
…but a gorgeous sleek merlin over my left rearview mirror!  Ho Ho Ho!  What a Christmas gift!
This smaller falcon just fluffed it’s feathers and continued to pose for me.  I was amazed that it didn’t take flight as I made my bumpy arrival.  I was no more than a dozen feet from it.
This falcon feeds mostly on small birds and other mammals and large insects.  That razor sharp beak is made for ripping and tearing.  After I took about 70 photos, I began to get out of the Suburban to do my transect walk. 
It did fly to another perch a short distance away, but continued to be as interested in me as I was in it until a Northern harrier came zooming through the area.  Then it left to course low over the vegetation; no doubt looking for it’s next meal.  It was a great moment in time…

Thanks for stopping by…. talk to you later,  Judy  

Can you count?

After attending the farewell luncheon for fellow volunteers Fonda and Denny, I decided to take a drive around the refuge to see if I could get one of the pictures needed for my photography assignment.  It’s mostly a matter of luck and being in the right place at the right time.  As it turned out, I was able to find one of the many huge flocks of snow geese that are presently on the refuge.  So, here’s the challenge for today: How many snow geese do you estimate are in this flock?  (I hope if you click on the picture, you’ll get a larger version) 

Some commenters have asked how I count the birds when I do the bird surveys.  Well, here’s a good example.  As I approached this area, many geese took flight.  I have a very small window of time to estimate their numbers, hence the challenge to you.  Assuming the picture enlarges for you, think of it as an instant view through a pair of binoculars.  I certainly don’t count each and every individual bird.  I estimate in bunches through my binoculars as I scan from left to right.  I’ll reveal my estimate at the end of this post.
Don’t forget that there are also plenty of birds left on the ground in the marsh that haven’t taken flight yet.  :)
The first picture at the top is probably only about 1/5 of the numbers of the birds that were in this area of the marsh.  Their numbers are truly astounding, and they’re constantly moving around.  You just never know where they’re going to decide to congregate, but you can sure hear them from miles away!  Snow geese are certainly not a quiet bunch.  :)  Their almost constant calls are not as haunting to me as those of Canada geese or sandhill cranes, but they certainly attract my attention.
I’ve chosen this picture (which is also my new header) to best depict the magnitude of the snow geese taking flight on the refuge.  Since that was one of the photographs on my ‘to do’ list for Stephanie, I hope she agrees.  (There are also about 75 white-faced ibis in this picture.)

For those of you that took the challenge, my estimate of birds in the first picture is: 1300 snow geese in the air, an additional 600 on the ground, and 1 great egret in the foreground!  There were probably over 10,000 snow geese in this small area of the marsh.  Talk about snow birds in Texas!!  :)  If you’re in the area, come on down and help me count!

Thanks for stopping by…. talk to you later,  Judy 

Ugh!! Another day of rain

I know I was feeling a little dried out last month when I was in New Mexico, but the amount of rain that I have experienced since arriving at Anahuac is ridiculous. It rained the entire day today. That cancelled my plans to do the salinity tests and bird counts. I'm starting to get a good case of cabin fever. ;)

The skies are supposed to clear overnight and no rain is forecast until next Tuesday. I sure hope the forecasters are correct. I have to work at the shop tomorrow, run the VIS (visitor's information station) on Saturday, and hope to finally do the salinty tests and bird counts on Sunday. That should allow for three days for the back roads to dry out some.

I'm afraid that there is nothing else to report from the soggy south....

Thanks for stopping by....talk to you later, Judy