Meghan Bohn
@bohn-meghan
Former animal keeper, current children's library assistant. Opinions are my own.
Yosuke was a Very Grumpy Daisy n spilled a jumbo diet Coke over a *stack* of library books to protest being in the collar. I paid for the 1 from my dept and had to email another library with 'heads up, it's coming in with a note and I know it was the first checkout and here's a pic of him'.
Apparently they found something they didn't like back in January. *shrug*
Water was really high. No cygnets and most of the gosling were grown, but did hear the first bobwhite in years, saw Caspian and common or Forster's terns, and saw a fox snake!
Huh, somehow didn't have 'domestic cat' yet! The 1st pic is what you get after an ID, the 2nd is what you get when you click 'post to iNat' (I didn't). It initially id'd as a dog, which is why iNat is useful for second and third opinions. And yeah, there's a gamefication thrill of new species.
#TenMinMerlin some migrants sprinkled in the usual suspects for Forest Park. Almost noon at the time, so missed out on most of the morning crowd.
#TenMinMerlin from the start of today's Spring Bird Count! I've never heard so many Nashville and Tennessee warblers before, and never seen so many Baltimore orioles. Later in the morning, I watched a singing catbird get id'd by Merlin as a mockingbird, so yeah, I don't buy that one.
#TenMinMerlin from this morning when I was doing raspberry cane transplants. I'd be very surprised if there was actually a mockingbird.
Found a clump of common star-of-bethleham growing in the front bed and weeded it with extreme shoveling and now there's a large hole and oh...no, now I have to buy a plant to put in it. Only thing to be done. 😃
One Minute Merlin. I don't know goldfinches by ear yet. I can make out the 'potato chip' if I know that's what I should be listening for, but I can't pick it out on its own. #TenMinMerlin
An actual #TenMinMerlin! My local Audubon chapter had an informal bird walk for all levels of experience. I was on the board years ago and was Delighted to see that the new board members were young and queer and welcoming. ❤️🏳️🌈 Never did see the Orchard Oriole, so not sure about that one.
This was supposed to be a quick snap from the couch with a mediocre phone but somehow Yosuke looks like he's in a painting.
One Minute Merlin. There was a goldfinch singing before I opened the app. ##TenMinMerlin
Opened up the window to a cacophony of bird songs, but Merlin crashed when I stopped recording after a minute. So I know Blue Jay and BC Chickadee was also in there, really not sure about Field Sparrow. OneMinMerlin because the plumber is here in 30 minutes. ##TenMinMerlin
Much needed car birding trip to the boat ramp and Banner Marsh. Several turtles escorted across the road and identified Eastern Meadowlarks singing for the first time. #TenMinMerlin
Well, a three minute #TenMinMerlin is better than nothing. I've seen robins earlier today and can hear cardinals now that I've stopped recording.
#TenMinMerlin as I was trying to separate common milkweed seeds from their fluff this afternoon. The usual suspects; something was drumming after I stopped recording, and the cardinals were calling this morning. The oak tree appears to have budded out overnight.
*Every* cat DNA test result I've seen has had some percentage of Savanna and you can't tell me those are out there running around unaltered, either. I'm curious if my Magnificent Floof actually has some Ragdoll in him, but not enough to pay for results I don't trust. 🙄 thanks for the info!
Much as I hated working outside in the winter at various zoos, at least it left me with shoveling muscle memory, winter gear, and layering knowledge such that the worst part of shoveling snow for 35 minutes in -9 F windchill was my glasses constantly fogging up. Much better than -40 F polar vortex.
Post a bird to support @sbworkersunited.org and warn your followers not to buy Starbucks for the duration of the strike 🪶 Mute swan *not* happy that we drove by their cygnets.
You *can* leave a message at the Rockford office number, even if it's not *technically* for legislative issues.
Teddie (The Magnificent Floof)'s biggest 'kill' yet. He drug that fleece top from the bedroom upstairs all the way down. Chie is delighted that a new fuzzy bed has appeared.