I miss Joe’s humor and ability to tell a tale. We need to bring more humor and joy of birding back to Cobirds!
Deb Carstensen, Arapahoe county Sent from my iPhone > On May 4, 2022, at 3:14 PM, David Suddjian <[email protected]> wrote: > > What a fun post and awesome Joe-Phillips reshare! > > Go Phillips birders! > > David Suddjian > Ken Caryl Valley > Littleton CO > > > Sent from my iPhone > >>> On May 4, 2022, at 3:01 PM, Larry Modesitt <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >> >> Joe Roller suspected that honoring Mom on Mother’s Day could be done better >> than old-fashioned methods such as personally doing her cooking, decorating, >> or gardening. Joe’s advice on Cobirds for Mother’s Day 2009 remain timely >> and special today. And Joe would find a way to revere both Mom and bird >> habitat by making a special weekend out of Mother’s Day and CFO’s Colorado >> Birding Challenge! Since eBird has siphoned off many Cobirders, you might >> need to forward Joe’s thoughtful suggestions to your birding friends. >> >> Larry Modesitt, Arvada >> >> Although I found that the passerine migration was slow a few days ago in my >> favorite place, Phillips County, Colorado, other sightings thrilled me, with >> both Eared Grebe (2) and Western Grebes (1) representing new county birds. A >> lone drake Wood Duck and two Ring0billed Gulls just added to the fun. Where >> were these prime birds – why, at the sewage ponds of Haxtun and Holyoke, of >> course. The Cooper’s Hawks still hang out near their nest in Holyoke City >> Park. Lark Bunting flocks graced the plains, with a few nice shorebirds at >> ephemeral ponds. There were no birds at phemeral water bodies, be warned. >> >> It occurred to me that tomorrow, Sunday, being the special day that it is, I >> might propose a truly novel suggestion – take Mom to Phillips County for a >> Mother’s Day treat she will forever cherish. Your older brother and bossy >> sister might have taken Mom to the shore or the mountains or Hawaii, but >> I’ll bet they never were thoughtful enough to guide Mother to such a >> gem-like destination. Let’s face it, birders can be a little grumpy on this >> holiday. Mother’s Day was established to occur in mid-May by some >> wrong-headed Congressmen decades ago, smack in the middle of spring >> migration. How thoughtless! And though each of us birders loves, honors, and >> respects old Mom, ornithophiles would never have established this holiday in >> May, but would have voted for it to fall sometime in February, when birding >> is slow. >> >> But, make the best of it, take Mom on a grand tour of Phillips County, the >> jewel of the northeastern plains, a thrill for her AND a birding opportunity >> for you I would consider this gesture generous, not selfish, because let’s >> face it, every Mother’s Day up til now has not been warbler-centered, but >> has been all about her! >> >> So pack up the SUV, dust off your spare field glasses, head northeast from >> almost anywhere in our state and within four to twelve hours, presto, you’re >> there. Whether in her birding history Mom has become a seasoned veteran or >> remains a rank beginner, Phillips County will surely reveal its avian >> treasures to the sharp-eyed. As a warm-up to spotting the avifauna, I’d >> start with a meal in the cuisine capital, downtown Holyoke. There nestled >> together on a single block are truly savory international places for fine >> dining – not just standard American, but Chinese, Mexican, Sub, Donut shop >> and Convenience store styles. >> >> Then how about shopping for a card and gift on cosmopolitan Interocean >> Avenue? The Holyoke Hardware Store has a sidewalk display of colorful >> hanging floral baskets. Or let Mom go inside and have her pick of Mother’s >> Day gifts from the large “75% off rack.” She’ll be surprised at the choices. >> And at the Haxtun Super, there are special Mom’s Day sales on Skoal and >> Copenhagen for her everyday needs, and for her garden, 25 lbs. of steer >> manure for $9.99 (bagged) or for as low as $1.99, “bag it yourself.” >> >> And now to the birding. I’ll bet that Mom’s Phillips County list is pretty >> low. Be sure to have a brand-new notebook and a writing implement. She can’t >> miss Eurasian Collared-doves, Horned Larks are ubiquitous, and Swainson’s >> Hawks can be seen without much trouble. Swainson’s Warblers can be more >> difficult to spot. If she is squeamish about odiferous sensations as you >> approach the famed ponds, you can assure her that repulsive olfactory >> emanations are just not going to be a problem. (Skip over the fact that the >> Haxtun Sewage Ponds are adjacent to the Farfal Brothers’ Feed Lot), And it’s >> not just those efficient little lakes that work their magic. Good migrants >> can be found along County Road 14 and in the hamlets of Paoli and Amherst. >> As evening falls, and you wind your way back home, be patient with your >> Mother. She will want to relive the details, as she always seems wont to do >> on Mother’s Day, of how intense her labor pains were with you, how numerous >> were the dirty diapers she changed, and how her hopes and aspirations for >> your development as a person of character were repeatedly thwarted, through >> no fault of her own. But let it all go in one ear and out someplace else >> while you mentally play back those Vesper Sparrow vocalizations, relive the >> wide-open spaces, the high winds, and the rare ducks floating high – on the >> sewage ponds of Phillips County. >> >> Joe Roller, Denver >> >> -- >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >> Groups "Colorado Birds" group. >> To post to this group, send email to [email protected] >> For more options, visit this group at >> http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en?hl=en >> * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. Include >> bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate >> * Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/CFO/Membership/ >> --- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "Colorado Birds" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected]. >> To view this discussion on the web visit >> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/448835d1-3966-4bdc-a35c-90ed60daa126n%40googlegroups.com. > > -- > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups "Colorado Birds" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en?hl=en > * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. Include > bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate > * Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/CFO/Membership/ > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Colorado Birds" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/51E11F43-793B-4EA0-852B-ECE6319DB254%40gmail.com. -- -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en?hl=en * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. Include bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate * Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/CFO/Membership/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/1CE01D8B-7128-443F-AD41-3DD86B576F92%40aol.com.
