LOVE your picky picky.

I’m married to an ornithologist who just retired from 30 yrs teaching. Same training here, but less of it – had to go ask him to confirm my spelling before pulling the “5-min. expert” routine with you. *g

We’ll move on to a smaller, less demanding scene probably in a few years. But I’ll really miss this place. We started with a played-out, mowed farm field, and old sugarbush with a few huge but unhealthy maples mixed in with newer beech hickory etc. mix, starting about 300′ back from the road & extending to the property line well back into the woods. That was over 30 yrs ago.

Now, after all that time introducing native goodies and shaping things the way we hoped would be enticing, we enjoy a wealth of species, both resident and migrating through. It’s a vacation in itself just to take time to go poke around our own woods, or sit on the back porch eating lunch and watching all the critters go about their business. Every time I go out to tend the vegetables in the summer, our bluebirds, which nest every year right next to the garden, “help”.

Every May, I can count on “our” 1st Hummingbird male to greet me upon his arrival from migration by hovering directly in front of the kitchen window, seemingly indignant because his breakfast isn’t hanging right there in the customary feeder.

The catbirds only moved in to nest the last few years, so they’re an especial treat.

Helps keep the world at bay, especially in weeks like this.

I know everyone’s upset lately. Me too. But I keep wishing some of the smartest and most eloquent around here would learn the meaning and import of “redirection” (a term from ethology, the field my hubby & I were trained in), and somehow realize that kicking the poor hapless dog won’t solve their frustration with whatever real problem they had at work et al. Oh sigh.

Now you watch. There’ll probably be another barrage of arrows directed at me. I don’t really care. I do believe I’m as entitled to my opinion as anyone else here.

Thanks for the wonderful conversation. We love sharing the joy of birding with you.

HotFlash,

Anti-choice is the flavor-du-jour in OK for now. We remain a very conservative state. Dr. Hunter sounds more of a pragmatist to me than a progressive, but he is infinitely more desireable than another rubber stamp, which is exactly what Fallin is. She is obviously very beholden to her protectors who shielded her from he scrutiny of her “alleged” adulteress behavior in the midst of the Clenis investigation.

Just another blatant example of the Republican double standard of ethical behavior. IOKIYAR.

Thanks for the recommend. To everyone.

Hi OFG, thanks for the info. I am replying on this thread for clarity’s sake, although trez EPU.

I suppose that being against the war and for better health care is an improvement. Instantaneous movement is impossible in physics and with humans, too. I can be content with truth by successive approximation.

Re Ms Fallin, I am not really upset about the ‘adultress’ part, as SFAICT Ms Fallin and the trooper are both consenting adults. It is the hypocrisy that is distasteful.

ArchTeryx at 103

Okay, okay, busted! (this is JUST NOT my week)

Would “crissum” or “undertail coverts” suffice? – heh

We had 2 pairs of those sweeties nesting in our hedgerows near the house this year. I had no idea they’d nest so close together. And they became very tame and tolerant of our presence.

Delightful! Albeit a bit of a damper on the blueberry crop *g

I envy you, having two pairs of Catbirds nesting close by. No doubt depleting the local population of the nastier bugs and generally making life more pleasant.

And don’t mind me TOO much with my picky-picky, I’m just an ornithologist at heart, even if I haven’t done fieldwork for too many years. :>

itradedsosa

I gather you know nothing about Brown except that vote this week and his performance today. Before you go off on Sherrod Brown, you might want to check his record in the House — which was EXCELLENT and progressive.

For some, the vote on torture was a deal breaker — and I understand that. But Sherrod Brown is not in any way our enemy. Quite the opposite. Keeping DeWine in simply helping the real torturers consolidate power.

I am glad you have such a noble past as “not-a-troll.” But today you are not helping cement that image much.

Thank you for your reasonable response (except perhaps for the last graf, but why quibble). No, I don’t know much about Brown. I’m glad he’s been a reliable progressive.

I came on strong in earlier posts, I’ll admit that. I don’t like votes in favor of torture, no matter what political calculations may have come into play. I think there are lines that our elected representatives should never cross.

Besides SB, the other democrats I identified previously have cast very bad votes on very important pieces of legislation, which I also identified.

Would I rather have those dems in office than republicans? Of course. But, if our dems are going to vote wrong on so many bills, it’s sometimes difficult to see how we’re anything but less bad off with them in office. I would hope we’re all aiming higher than less bad off.

As for all this troll stuff: I don’t post comments often enough for that accusation to make much sense. But I do have a question:
Is that what this little community is all about? Strongly held opinions are not acceptable on a comments board? When did that happen?

Hey, give me a smackdown (like Immanuentize did here) if you think I’m wrong. That’s cool. But the thought police smear stuff, the stasi-like investigations of my previous posts, that all seems a bit silly and definitely unworthy of the ideals we all believe in.

Excellent point, of course. No quibble from me.

In a pure and perfect world . . . oh don’t I wish.

I think we’re aiming for the same ends.
Probably my tactics are not satisfactory to you, but we all have to try to do what we feel is best.

Thanks for point me to your post. I had missed it.

immanentize @ 105

I gather you know nothing about Brown except that vote this week and his performance today. Before you go off on Sherrod Brown, you might want to check his record in the House — which was EXCELLENT and progressive.

Thanks for pointing that out. I’ve felt pretty lonely out here this week.

Please refer to my comment @ 159.