Believe it or not, but I have spend more time lately reading books about growth and birth of little humans, than birds themselves. I know, this is hard to believe. After all, little humans are easy to ID. Duck size (average 7 pounds), pink skin, fat cute little bummies, and unmistakable song (which they are supposed to use loudly, night or days, unlike these neotropical migrants who only sing in May, between 7 AM to 9 AM).
Thus it was a surprise for me to discover that so much literature was available for the growth and development of a single specie. "what to expect when you are expecting" alone has more pages than David Sibley "The Sibley guide to bird life and behaviour"! And this is even BEFORE the baby is even born!!!!
So anyway, I spend the last months or so reading, studying and comparing many many different books about pregnancies, took all the classes available, etc.
So then last week Diane woke me up at 5AM (and lied telling me it was actually 6AM) and told me "let's go to Crane Creek", I became suspicious. I remembered this paragraph about the nesting instinct of soon-to-be mothers. A few hours before birth, pregnant women are supposed to get a burst of energy that lead them to do all sorts of things, including cleaning the house, the windows etc.
Diane being a birder, maybe this burst of energy translated into a desire for a birding trip?
Anyway, it was an offer I could not refuse. See the books also say "be specially nice to your wife". So of course I sacrificed myself, packed the binoculars (and the scope, you never know what could show up), snacks, drove through the local McDonald for coffee, and here we went.
The trip on the board walk started in a near comic way. Diane almost had an accident. With a prothonotary warbler. The warbler was flushed by another birdwatcher and had to make a desperate turn in order to avoid Diane's belly (remember she is full term it was no little task for the bird). Nice way for Diane to see a lifer I guess. Wonder if the ABA rules specify something that would allow me to add it to our baby's list.
The other highlight of the trip was a great lifer for both of us. There was a Least Bittern calling (it would be really too much to call this a song), and this plus birding with Diane made it a wonderfull day! Too bad she did not wake me at 4h50 instead of 5h00, because people around told me the bird was seen from this very same place, at less than 6 feet away!
Anyway, I digibinned a few mediocre pictures on this trip. Next year, I promise, I should have a much better camera.
Oh, and by the way, no baby yet....
Eastern Screech Owl
Chesnut Sided Warbler
Cape May Warbler
Black Throated Green Warbler
Gray Catbird
Yellow rumped warbler
