People photos from the Midwest Birding Symposium

I'm going to spare you my excuses for not updating my blog more.

So September brought the Midwest Birding Symposium in Lakeside, Ohio.  My arm got twisted (Thanks, Jeff!) and I am so glad I gave in.  Not only was it a birding event, it was full of faces I wanted to see, people I love to spend time with, and lots of new and wonderful people to meet.
There are a bazillion photos to share....here are about, oh, forty of them.


First, Palito:
Palito got to meet lots of new people and see new places...

The Black Swamp Bird Observatory!!!



Ottawaa National Wildlife Refuge!!!



He got to meet (and be blown on by) the President of the ABA!


And Liz!!



Palito doesn't like cole slaw.  He's an owl.


The Birder's Gang Sign:


He got to meet Kim Kaufman!  He was so nervous.....


And Barb!




And beer!


And Gentleman Jack!



Here, Corey taunts him with a knife.



And now the people:
Okay, I was totally innocent this time.  I was INNOCENTLY taking photos of Lynne and Kathi, and what happens?  Up goes the FINGER.
And look at the hairy eyeball she is giving me too!





Okay, funny story.  Al Batt told a hilarious story the last night of the symposium, and here's a short synopsis:
When he was a teenager,  he and a friend let some Muscovy ducks loose in their high school.  They put tags on the wings of FOUR ducks:  Duck #1, Duck #2, Duck #3 and Duck #5.  And the next day, the school was in an uproar because they "couldn't find the last duck".
Well, we found Duck #4!




The Rain Crows!





Ann Oliver's KICK ASS shoes:


Bacon!!!!  Yes, he's a people!


I went birding with the guys, and it was so great....
(Corey Finger, Christopher Ciccone and Greg Miller....yeah, THAT Greg Miller!)


Corey liked the back of my car.


Here's Kathi being all volunteery at her post at the information/registration booth:





Ah, the boat ride on Thursday night.  Lynne and Ruthie had JUST gotten there as the boat was leaving.
It was a fun, albeit rocky trip.  And it was GREAT to finally meet Ruthie...we actually got her to Ohio!


Oh, and here's a random bird photo:



Do yourself a favor and mark your calendars for the next Midwest Birding Symposium....
In 2013!

Introducing my new mascot

A few of my birding friends have mascots.  Little stuffed animals or toys that accompany them on their travels, who are the subject of photo shoots at ever-changing locales.

Well, I wanted one too.  I'm special enough to have a freakin' mascot.  I was going to get the BEST mascot.  A PROPER mascot.

I laid out the idea on my Facebook page, and among the more racy suggestions, a friend reminded me about my Mom's owl collection. Mom gave me lots of her old owl knick-knacks and sit-abouts when I started at RAPTOR, and one in particular came to mind.
(Little owl figure...sounds perfect for me, right?  Wait.  It gets better.)



Back story:
About 30 years ago, Mom got a present from a friend, and when she opened it, it looked for all the world like a small ceramic penis.  As it turned out, it was upside down and it was really a terra cotta owl from Mexico.
But the back of it....yes, it resembles a penis.

So I had a little owl with an  (albeit unintentionally) obscene  body part.
(Sounds perfect, right? Wait. It gets better.)

Now this little thing needed a name.  Not just any old name like George or Stavros or Boris.  It needed a Latino name.  Preferably one that captured the true essence of this singular item.
(Yes, I wanted it to give a nod to the phallic nature of the thing.)
Doug, one of our newest members of the Flock, came through for me.  I described it to him, and his suggestion was "Palito".  Which means in Spanish.....wait for it....
Little Stick.
(Sounds perfect, right?  Wait.  It gets better.)

So. Obscene yet cute owl, named Palito.  I took him to Starbucks with me this morning for his first photo shoot with one of the baristas.




Rachell, a favorite of mine. And as dirty-minded as I am.
She looked him over, and said, "It's a whistle?"  I laughed and said, "No...of course not.".  Then I looked at the holes in the back.  And put the obscene part of the owl in my mouth.  And blew.

Well, I'll be dipped.  He IS a whistle.

So I have a mascot in the shape of an owl, with a backside shaped like a penis, named Palito, and you can blow him.  Perfection.  It made my day.
(What cracks me up to no end is the....look of utter terror on his face.  Makes the locales seem so sinister)


Palito's first day out consisted of:


Sitting on a fallen sycamore tree by the Little Miami River...



Wondering if he was brave enough to go for a swim...




Meeting a tiny toad.....




And also meeting Hooper....




He went with me to pick up dinner.....





We kicked back in the hammock for a bit....




He climbed a tree.....and immediately thought, "Holy crap!".....



He was terrified by the young milkweed bugs.....



And the lone milkweed tussock moth caterpillar.....



The monarch caterpillar made him feel faint....




The purple martin house (vacant) perplexed him............




He wants to know what kind of gall this is...........




And he thought he could be brave enough to explore on his own, but he's just too terrified....



So that's Palito.  Look for him at birding festivals near you! And let's see how many famous birders I can get photos of while they are playing his whistle.