Hoo dat? A Saw-whet Owl...four actually

An owl says "hoo dat?" as he is caught in the mist net hanging in the dark. "Damn," the owl thinks as he is put in the cloth sack. The owl doesn't know what to think as he is placed upside down in a plastic jar to be weighed. At the end of the ordeal is freedom...and a cool new ID bracelet to show his friends and impress the ladies.

get me outta here

 I first heard about the Cape May, NJ owl banding project in the fall of 2014. I knew that many other types of birds were banded. Song birds are caught in mist nets hung low across clearings. The nets are very fine and almost invisible. Birds are caught randomly as they commute to and from work. No doubt they simply blamed it on "the man" (which is pretty much dead on).

Back in September, my wife told be about a birding feature on Vermont Public Radio that she heard. I missed it live, but was able to find it online. What really caught my attention was the mention of a Saw-whet Owl banding project at the North Branch Nature Center outside of Montpelier, Vermont.

Saw-whet Owls are one of the few (if not only) owls that can be called in so close during their fall migration as to be caught in mist nets. While I have no experience in banding birds, I was hoping I could attend an evening session and watch.

I found information about the North Branch Nature Center online and sent an e-mail to Chip Darmstadt, Executive Director for the Nature Center. Chip was great at getting back to me. Unfortunately, I wasn't available for any of the October banding dates.

a Saw-whet accepts its fate

I contacted Chip on November 2 to see if there would be any more attempts at banding this year. He said that they might have one or two nights left and that night looked pretty good for banding. He told me to arrive at the Nature Center about 5:45 and we'd check the nets at 6. Chip was very clear that it was late in the season and we might not see anything. I was excited to have the opportunity to go, even though there was no guarantee of seeing an owl. Clearly, based on the attached pictures, I was able to see some owls. It was a life bird for me, meaning a bird I had never seen.

I arrived at the Nature Center before 6 PM and found where the banders were located. There were about 3 banders and several parents with their kids. The plan was to check the nets about every half hour, beginning at 6.

I have seen song bird banding before and found it interesting at how calm the birds are. After they are caught, the birds are placed in paper lunch bags and left on the ground until it is time for the bagged-bird to be banded. The birds settled down when placed in the dark bags. It is the same principle as covering a bird cage or putting a hood on birds of prey used in falconry...or placing a pillow over a snoring husband's face. So I'm told.

The whole owl banding project was fascinating, from catching the birds in the net; to getting the birds out of the net; to bagging and unbagging the birds; and to banding, measuring, weighing, sexing (not sexting), and aging the birds. Even releasing the birds was interesting. (I've tried to capture some of the activities in the embedded video to the left.)

After the birds were tagged and its vitals recorded, the bander would place the owl on a lucky child's outstretched arm. Interestingly, the little Saw-whet Owls didn't fly off right away. They would sit for a half minute or so, then fly off - looking like a large moth flying off in the beams of the flashlights. Sadly, they only picked the cute little kids to release the owls. I have found that people never pick the cute middle-aged men for the really cool things. Maybe they hope these small opportunities will spark something in the children that could alter the course of their lives and maybe they won't grow up to become attorneys or accountants. Just the same, it may limit the hope of these same attorneys and accountants of becoming kids again. Just saying.

Along with banding, sexing, and weighing the owls, the banders needed to determine the age of the birds. This they do by stretching out the birds wing and shining a black light on the underside of the wing. New feathers glow bright pink. The last owl caught was a first-year bird. You could tell because all the feathers glowed pink. Other birds only had a couple pink feathers. These were determined to be second or third year birds (I can't recall which).

It was really a great night. We caught four owls - one owl the second net check at 6:30, two owls just after 7:00, and one owl around 8:00. I thank Chip Darmstadt for always replying so promptly to my inquiries and for being so welcoming to everyone who showed up to watch the banding. He is an enthusiastic steward of nature. What a wonderful treat it is for a desk-bound professional to get out, even for one night, to witness the wonders of the wild things.

There's no doubting Thomas...the "birding death match" continues

Black Skimmer at Milford Point, CT

Back on December 17, 2014, I published a post about a "big year" birding contest several friends and I started amongst ourselves. The idea was to get off our butts, get outside, have some fun, and maybe learn a thing or two.

Keeping in the spirit of any guy undertaking, Jim and Tom immediately went out and bought new binoculars. No doubt the new "bins" will be crucial in securing a win. Perhaps not.

We are over 11 months into our "Big Year birding death match." Currently I'm in second place. This wouldn't be too bad if there were more than three people in our contest. (Let the record show that I was in the lead briefly after a three-day birding weekend in Cape May, NJ - attending a Observatory-sponsored event.)

Jim spends a lot more time outdoors than either Tom or me, but he is busy operating earth-moving equipment. If was really good at his job he could keep one eye free to identify birds while excavating.

I'm at 162 different species since January 1. Tom, the current leader, has over 170 birds, with all but a few from Connecticut. The majority of my birds are from Virginia, followed by New York (Central Park), Vermont, New Jersey, and California.

Of course my first reaction to Tom's lead was that Tom was seeing things, had poor eyesight, was hallucinating, possibly had too many drinks. Sadly, I've come to realize that Tom is actually kicking my butt the old-fashioned way. He's spending the time outside and actually hunting down these little feathered dinosaurs. (These posted pictures are only a couple of the hundreds Tom has taken this year.)

Another bird

Some would think that I might be upset at the prospect of losing my own contest. On the contrary. I'm quite comfortable losing my own contests - Exhibit A would be our annual Thanksgiving archery contest (complete with trophy) that I started. I haven't won it in over three years.  I am getting somewhat smarter though. I'm having Tom locate his trophy, rather than me buying it only to award it to him.

We hope to cap this year's contest with a dinner where we can swap birding stories and bore our wives. Tom did tell me a good story of him stocking an owl to add to his list.  Tom has never seen an owl in the wild, so he was pretty excited to see one on the far side of a marsh. He started picking his way through the reeds and muck. When he finally got close enough to get a good look through his binoculars he was able to identify it as a plastic owl! Hey, plastic owls fool pest birds, why not Tom?

It has been a great year so far. I have spent more time hunting birds to spot than I have ever spent hunting game - probably because the birding season lasts all year. I have birded at home, on a business trip in San Francisco, while visiting my daughter in New York City, while hiking in Virginia, and on birding trips to Cape May, NJ. Some days I only get out for a couple hours.  Other days, I'm out all day.

What I've learned so far is that I know the birds that come to our feeder really well. So that accounts for about 10 species of birds.  Most of the other 151 birds were new to me.  "Lifers" as it were. Many of these I was looking for by going where they were regularly seen.  Other birds I had to look up in the field.  Many of these were missed. They simply refused to pose for me long enough.

Tom did share one of his birding secrets - he outsourced to the internet. He posts pictures he's taken of birds that he can't identify or is looking for identity confirmation on the Facebook group "What's this bird." Some people post some amazing pictures. I can even identify some of them.

The contest continues through the end of the month...then it starts again, and again, and again.  Contact me if you are interested in participating in the 2016 contest.

A Bird's Eye View to Wilderness Wildlife Week 2015

Back in January, I decided to take advantage of an unspoken-for weekend and take a short drive down to Sevierville, Tennessee to visit my father-in-law, Norm Kallemeyn. The timing wasn't completely arbitrary. For years Norm and my mother-in-law, Bobbie, had been talking about Wilderness Wildlife Week, which they had attended and volunteered for many years. Bobbie passed away this past June and I was due to visit Norm. I thought January a good time for me to try to break up the gloom of winter with my ever-sunny disposition and cheery attitude (read - sarcasm). If my visit coincided with the 25th annual Wilderness Wildlife Week, all the better.

A "Birds' Eye View" by Clay Thurston (hanging in my man cave)

"Focus" - driving down I-89 at night with freezing rain; the temperature around 32; no snow tires; being passed by semis. It was a long trip to Tennessee from Northern Virginia and I didn't get in until fairly late. It was good to be there and Norm and I got an early start Saturday morning.

Events started on Saturday, January 24th and ran through Saturday, January 31. There were seminars all week, entertainment, hikes in the Smokies, and vendors to visit.

I had identified a couple presentations I wanted to see pertaining to outdoor photography, outdoor writing, wildlife, and the geology of the Smokies. First, Norm had to introduce me to a couple people, about 1,351 or so acquaintances. Not being well-liked myself, it is hard to imagine that many people seemingly genuinely happy to see you. I had to ice my hand that night after so many introductions. I don't know how the politicians do it.

OK, next the bird eye quiz. Yes, I did by this photograph. My wife and daughters didn't quite believe it at first. It is now hanging on the wall. Make your guesses. Write them down - starting top row, left to right. Whoever wins gets my Parakeets or a prize of similar value (which would mean you pay me money). I think I only got 3 or 4 correct.  Here goes, sung to the tune of "Ten Little Indians" (or Ten Native Americans to be PC): Row 1: Brown Thrasher, Great Blue Heron, Mockingbird, Sandhill Crane, Burrowing Owl; Row 2: Carolina Wren, Cattle Egret (breeding colors), American Goldfinch, Tricolor Heron (breeding colors), Robin; Row 3: White Ibis, Mourning Dove, Indigo Bunting, Blue Jay, Double-crested Cormorant (breeding colors); Row 4: Anhinga (female breeding colors), Cedar Waxwing, Saw-whet Owl, White-throated Sparrow, Great Egret (breeding colors); and Row 5: Wood Duck (male), Red-bellied Woodpecker (female), Black Vulture, Cardinal (male), Atlantic Puffin. Let me know where to ship the Parakeets. Their names are Sid and Geno.

Raptor-man's Friend, unhappy

All the presentations I attended were good to excellent. I particularly enjoyed the presentation on "The Dos, Don'ts and Hows of Photographing Birds" by Clay Thurston (865-281-0645). Clay had a ton of great photos and was humble enough to include many "out-takes" where his bird subjects didn't exactly cooperate. Clay imparted several useful bits of information in his presentation. These included how to position the bird in the picture, using the rule of thirds, to highlight the bird's movement and other features of the photo and that you usually have to take a lot of photos to get that one really great shot.

I also attended a very interesting presentation by Norm's friend, and financial advisor, J. Greg Johnson on hiking in Israel and Ireland. OK, they aren't the Smokies, but Greg is a proud Appalachian so that was the hook. As a side note, Greg is also the author of Sanctuary, a book on meditations from the Great Smoky Mountains.. I read it and it is very well written - especially for a financial advisor.

It was a about the best free event I may have ever attended, not counting my wedding or the birth of my daughters (but those weren't really "free"). And I had a very nice visit with my favorite father-in-law. You can't beat that.

In the back of the Wildlife Week program was an "in memoriam" section for friends and volunteers who had passed in the last year. This section had a nice write-up on my mother-in-law Bobbie and her service as a local volunteer and involvement in the community. I know it meant a lot to Norm.

The big drama among the volunteers this year was the announcement that they were moving the event from January to May in 2016. Time will tell what the impact will be - to speaker and vendor participation and general attendance. One thing for certain, it will be a lot warmer for the hikers.

Confessions of a Gear Whore, Part 1 - the Orvis sling pack

Here is my not-too-secret confession, I love gear - particularly outdoor gear. Whether it's a new fly box, GPS, hunting vest, fly rod or reel, tenkara rod (a whole other blog post there), or backpack..., I love new gear. Not just any kind of outdoor item will do.  It has to be well-made and well-designed stuff.

Jim Boucher helping Kirk land a fish

Several years ago I was fishing the West Branch of the Ausable River in New York with my dad, brothers, and a cousin from Tupper Lake, Jim Boucher. Cousin Jim, unlike the rest of us, is a very good fly fisherman. In fact, since these are his local waters, Jim serves as our local guide on most of our trips. Not only can Jim fish, but he has good gear. Of particular note is his Orvis Safe Passage Sling Pack.

The benefit of the sling pack is that most of the time pack is out of the way, but it is easy and convenient to access it when you need it. Because it is slung over your shoulder, you can slide it around to your front using just one hand to access tippet, flies, or whatever.

Orvis Guide Sling Pack

I liked the idea so much I bought the Safe Passage version after that fishing trip. My mom also got one for my dad. I never thought of going back to a traditional fly fishing vest. The version we bought is quite a bit smaller than the Guide version to the left.

When I decided to get back into birding I was looking for a good pack that would allow me ready access to my gear - camera, guide(s), etc. A regular pack was too inconvenient to take off when wearing binoculars. The more I thought about it, the more I thought that the Guide Sling Pack might be the perfect solution.  It was.  The end. (Hemingway would like those crisp, short sentences, but my posts would be way too short, so I continue.)

The pack has a main section and two other zippered pockets. The main part of the pack opens into a large compartment. This space is large enough for a good-sized camera with plenty of room left to tote your binoculars or lunch. At the far left of the picture is a mesh pouch for water bottle (for those who drink water).

The largest pocket is big enough for the Sibley Eastern U.S. field guide and another, slightly smaller guide. I also keep a small voice recorder in this pocket. Using a voice recorder can be a more convenient and quicker way of keeping track of birds than writing each one down.

I keep my "Rite-in-the-Rain" hard-bound book and pen in the smaller front pocket along with Zeiss lens wipes. The book is a convenient 4.25" x 6.75" and the pages are waterproof. The pen has waterproof ink, won't freeze and can write from any angle. The book and pen are the perfect combination for writing field notes in any kind of weather.

To the left is a picture of all the stuff I typically take with me when I head out the door into the field, minus my binoculars. So far the outfit seems to work very well and I don't see a replacement pack in my future.

An added benefit to this set-up is that I also have a Guide-sized sling pack for fly fishing. I'd argue that this dual purpose makes the whole purchase economical as well. I can see how certain spouses might disagree with this view.

Fly Tying Redux

My first Salmon fly - the pheasant-winged head-knocker

When I started tying flies back in my 20s some people thought they were too large to be practical. Maybe I'd have better luck knocking out a fish than I would have in actually hooking one. Such hurtful words were painful and launched my 20+ years of suffering from fly-tying PTSD. My only form of solace was, of course, my mother.

Once I determined that I was tying-challenged and suffering from PTSD, I did what any American man would do, I went to my mother. Much to Mom's surprise she received a fly-tying kit from me for Christmas. At first she thought it was a bad joke. Soon, however, she had signed up for fly-tying classes and was turning out some really beautiful flies - wet flies, dry flies, all kinds of flies. They actually looked like the pictures in the books.

Unfortunately, after almost two decades of cranking out flies, Mom decided to retire the fly vise. It was a sad day when the Boushies had to once again purchase commercial flies. It did cause me to revisit the status of my PTSD. After years of quiet therapy, I decided I was ready to relaunch my fly tying. Besides, I thought that maybe using a lot of Mom's fly-tying supplies and tools would be good karma.

My reentry into the world of wrapping thread around a naked hook began in early February when I signed up for Orvis's (free) Fly Tying 101. Not only could I revisit the basics, but I would also receive two coupons and walk home with whatever I was able to tie.

The tying class was taught by Dan Davala, Orvis Fishing Manager, and James Kammel, a fly fishing guide and owner of Catcher & the Fly. There were about 6 other tyers and me in the class. Ages were from the early teens (twins brought by their grandfather) to early 50s. The class was about half women.

Dan gives the introduction

Instruction started with the very basics, wrapping thread on the hook and tying off the fly with a whip finish knot. It was interesting and a bit entertaining watching people who have never seen a whip finishing tool trying to tie a whip finish knot. Eventually, most seemed to get it.

After the very basics were mastered, which took the better part of an hour, we moved to tying our fist flies - a woolly bugger. Wrap the threat, tie on the marabou tail, tie on the chenille, tie on soft hackle, wrap chenille, wrap hackle, tie off at head, add head cement...done. Simple enough. I tied two respectable flies and think that I may be on the road to tying PTSD recovery. Only time with tell.

Remember, I said respectable, not good. I still have a few patterns to figure out and may retain Dan's services for a couple private lessons.

Things went well enough for me to spend the balance of an Orvis gift certificate on tying materials. I'll have to show up in NY this year on our fishing trip with flies for my dad and brothers.

Let the tying begin. I don't know that I'll get as good as Mom, but if I can catch some fish with my flies I'll be pleased enough.

Dan helping woman use the whip finishing tool

You're Never Too Old to Learn

I was disappointed in the performance of the plastic clip on the tree strap that came with the Bushnell® HD Trophy Cam. Disappointed in the way it broke in the cold. My solution was to use an old kayak tie-down (left). OK, confession, it wasn't old, but it was available and I could replace it by the time it was warm enough to kayak in Vermont.

It is generally a good idea to question your own cleverness. The new strap was great and it did a phenomenal job. I wondered why Bushnell® was so "thrifty" as to not include such a fantastic strap initially. Unfortunately, man-genius here never got past what a great solution I'd come up with to consider other issues, such as why Bushnell® include a strap that was a little less visible.

After I reattached the camera to a tree, I left to run some errands. When I was driving up the driveway on my way home I spied a bright yellow ribbon around a tree. Unfortunately (or fortunately), we weren't praying for the return of a loved one, or Tony Orlando. I guess you can attach your game camera to a tree using a bright yellow strap if you'd like for the game cam to be stolen. I'm sure the raccoons had a great laugh that night.

I took the camera down and ordered a dark strap from Amazon. Now it is securely attached, easy to adjust, and won't be broken by the Vermont weather.

I chalk it up as an ultimate win, but I had to laugh at myself for overlooking the obvious. Of course, once the obvious was mounted on a tree, it was easier to see.

I was also educated a couple weekends ago. Every Sunday at 8 AM a group meets down at a park in Virginia to bird. I decided to go to the same spot on Saturday to try out a "new" spotting scope I was renting for a couple days. I was slow getting out, but 8 AM seemed too early on the weekend anyway. I decided to hit Huntley Meadows Park first. It was pretty much a bust as far as seeing a variety of birds, but there were a lot of Mallards and Canada Geese. What I learned was how difficult it is to identify ducks when they are all resting with heads tucked under wings. I also learned that, at the right angle, a Mallard drake's head looks purple - not green. I confirmed this observation at the National Zoo the other day on a noon-time walk.







My final observation and lesson learned is that it is really quite difficult to take an iPhone photo through a spotting scope (right). It is hard to line up that small lens with the small scope eyepiece. At least you can see the ducks with their heads hidden. There must be an easier way to line up the iPhone camera and the scope...perhaps a bright yellow strap would work. I have one that I'm not using and is now far too short to tie down a kayak.

Naked and Afraid of Fat Guys in the Woods with River Monsters

My name is Kristopher Boushie and I have a late-night television problem. It is an accepted fact that most people need a solid eight hours of sleep every night to stumble through life barely conscious of their surroundings. I, however, due to my unique genetic make-up and dietary intake, can stumble through my day on less than six hours of sleep. My reduced slumber provides me with additional time in my day to worry about an unending number of actual, potential, and imaginary misfortunes. I can also use this extra time more productively by watching marathon sessions of several "outdoor" shows - Naked and Afraid, Fat Guys in the Woods, and, the purest of the outdoor genre, River Monsters.

Naked and Afraid. Each show features two strangers, a man and a woman, who choose one survival tool (knife, flint and steel, duct tape). They are then dropped in some God-forsaken corner of the world where they have to survive for 21 days, then make it to an extraction point to be picked up. Lots of bugs, snakes, rain, leeches, ticks, and dirt. There is no romance in this show - naked or not. I particularly liked the guy who showed up in the jungle with duct tape. The first thing his partner had him make her was a bikini. The couple is supposed to have some survival training, but it may only consist of shopping at Whole Foods for a week. Here is the thing, these people are not fat. They actually need to eat and there is never enough food. Some get darn skinny. I'm thinking of trying to get on the show to shed a couple pounds myself. The show is on the Discover Channel.

Fat Guys in the Woods. "Survival is simple, just don't die." It is a great tag line. Unlike the "Naked" people, these guys can skip a few meals. In most episodes the grub is scarce (and may actually be a grub). The three fat guys are taught survival skills by "Creek," the thin, blond-haired, pony-tailed guide. The goal is to survive five days in the mountains - four days with Creek and one night alone. The last night the guys have to build their own shelter and start their own fires. While they may not be naked, a good thing, most are pretty afraid. They clearly are not used to being away from TV, fast food, or a warm bed...and for that reason it is pretty entertaining. This show is on the Weather Channel.

Where the real river monsters are!

River Monsters. OK, the photo to the left isn't from the show. It's my dad, grandpa, and friend fishing in the Adirondacks. To hear those old fishing stories, there were river monsters back then!

This is the most addictive of the shows. I'm good for only a couple episodes of "Naked" or "Fat Guys," but I can watch Jeremy Wade all night. I'll watch an episode or two or three, then look up and it's after midnight. Then I dream of how I can possibly get his job. I haven't figured out a solution to this yet, but I am working on it.

Jeremy Wade with friends

This guy fishes all over the world, but spends most of his time in South America and the Amazon. He seems to speak fluent Spanish, so I will need to bring Karen with me as my fishing translator, but not my sound man. Jeremy Wade's sound man got hit in the head by lightening, so it seems dangerous. The guy was OK - good thing since they couldn't get him out right away. Except for the constant rain, bugs, sweltering heat, and fish that could kill you, it looks like a lot of fun. River Monsters is on the Animal Planet.

I've found another pastime when I'm not getting my eight hours of sleep...writing blog posts. I look up and it's already almost 11 PM. It is almost time to turn to the work work I brought home from the office - more writing, but not as much fun because you have to cite everything...rather than just make it up as you go.

If you want to sleep well don't combine dreams of  naked fat guys and river monsters or you will certainly be afraid. Sweet dreams.