One for the birds

March 1, 2025

Well, it’s not quite all about the birds. I’ve got one bike shot to squeeze in here before leaving for Sweetwater again. I’ve got a streak going, but not one of the good kind. I think we can classify this one as unusual enough to be adverse.

It was chagrining to squeeze the tire on the bike when I entered the kitchen this morning and find it completely flat again. There must have been more than one thorn in the tube, because the bike has been nowhere since I brought it home from the repair job. There’s nothing to be done now, so I just voice my frustration to Rachael when she comes out later and proceed with my plan for the day. Not long after sunrise I leave for Sweetwater, getting there at 7:30.

It’s a very satisfying outing and really reinforces the value of showing up at a promising time of day. I’m there for about three hours, come away with one new bird - an unexpected one I didn’t even know made an appearance out here - and pleased that my knees are doing better. The swelling in my legs has gone down and I managed about three miles without too much difficulty this time.

We’ve still got one more morning, and there are still another half-dozen birds I can hope to see here if I’m lucky: a green heron, night heron, moorhen, orange-crowned warbler, black-throated grey warbler, marsh wren, blue-winged teal are all possible. Sounds like it’s worth one last pass.

It’s worth getting out early just to see the unusual sky this morning.

Wilson’s snipe, a much better shot than the first one I saw.

Rachael is just returning from her walk when I return, and she’s enthusiastic about the new outfit she picked up at REI yesterday. She thinks you’ll approve too.

Afterwards I took the wheel back to Fair Wheel, confident that they’d stand behind their work. It took a few iterations, but they did. It didn’t take long for the guy to come back and say he couldn’t find a problem. I pointed out that the lack of air seemed like a concern so he looked again, gave up, patched the tube, and added sealant. It feels like a fair outcome.

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Today’s list (26 species): Western bluebird, Pied-billed grebe, Snowy egret, Abert’s towhee, Song sparrow, Savannah sparrow, White-crowned sparrow, Rough-winged swallow, Tree swallow, Mallard , Gadwall, Northern shoveler, Gila woodpecker, Wilson’s snipe, Least sandpiper, Killdeer, Long-billed dowicher, American coot, Ring-billed duck, Ruddy duck, Northern harrier, Northern mockingbird, Red-winged blackbird, House finch, Rock pigeon, Mourning dove

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