Life Bird 240

Life bird 240 came to visit the suet feeder today. I was beginning to think that I had the the most "life skills challenged" birds in the neighborhood because the suet feeder, which contains my premium, homemade, lard, peanut butter, oat and cornmeal mix, was totally ignored for the first three weeks that I put it out!!! Fortunately, the cold weather convinced a few birds to have a go, and now I have Juncos, fox sparrows, goldfinches, and a BEWICKS WREN all taking turns. I was surprised that I hadn't seen a Bewicks yet - but upon further reflection, it makes sense, because most of the Wren's I have spotted were either in Texas, in an ancient caldera located in Malheur, or in a Marsh. So, I have the Carolina Wren, the Rock and Canyon wrens, and the marsh wren - which I wrecked a brand new pair of tennis shoes to get a good look at because it WOULDN'T hold still!!

Bird 239 was the bushtit which I have spent countless hours hunting, and never gotten a good look at (although I am SURE I have spotted them flitting about several times.) This also occurred in my postage stamp sized back yard. I was watching the feeder absentmindedly when a flock of "frolicking" birds overtook the cherry tree for about three minutes and then moved on. They were unmistakable, due to their behavior and general color and size, but I did get a good look at a couple - FINALLY!

The birds I am currently hunting shouldn't be too hard to find, but have eluded me so far include:
Barrows Goldeneye
Ruddy Turnstone
Mountain Quail
Barred Owl
Western Screech Owl
Virginia Rail
Gyrfalcon
Merlin (identified by ME)
and various warblers, peeps and shorebirds

I am hoping to schedule in a few Audobon outings here in the spring. I know that there are SO many hotspots in this area that I am overlooking! I can't wait to get out there again!

New Reads

So far this year, I have tried to fit in a little reading each evening and sometimes during my 1/2 hour downtime between jobs Tues, Wed, and Thurs. Last year my reading was a little more sporadic and focused on Biology topics (which I still LOVE), but this year, I am starting with the classics that I should have read at some point in my academic career, but didn't.

The first book I read was Good Earth, by Pearl S. Buck. I enjoyed the intro which really helped me better understand why I was reading a story about a Chineese family written by a white woman. I found the book both intriguing and disturbing. I was surprised to find that I am a farmer at heart :) I loved the relationship that the main character had with the land and his descriptions of how growing crops and even just handling the soil gave him joy. The role of women in the story, however, I found disturbing. I thought Western culture had the monopoly on the oppression of women, but I was wrong. I found it interesting that as I reflected on the story, I found myself oddly sympathetic to the main male character, even though his treatment of his "wife" was so...unfeeling. It has made me want to read a novel that portrays life in modern China. Anyone have any suggestions?

I have started 1984, and so far, I have found it very..."the opposite of subtle." It many of what Melinda used to call "Hemingway Hints," which are very brick-like in nature. I am only about three pages in, but already I have a better understanding of some social references that I only vaguely understood before. Big Brother, for instance.

Not sure what to read next. I think I may try The Scarlet Letter. I am open to suggestions. FYI, my favorite classic novels are: Wuthering Heights, Anna Karenina, Jane Eyre, and The Chosen (and the rest of the series by Potok). I have hit most of the Newberry's. I find Dickens a bit slow, and frankly boring at times. I enjoy a little C.S. Lewis, but, again, find he takes way too much time to explain something and then tends to "re-explain" it 2-5 more times before moving onto a new subject (especially in his religious works). I love Faulkner's ability to provide exquisite descriptions, I like a little of the macabre (A Rose for Emily is my favorite short story), and my guilty pleasures (which, incidentally, can all be categorized as juvenile literature), that I have read at least 20 times, include the Anne of Green Gables series, The Secret Garden, Island of the Blue Dolphins, and The Witch of Blackbird Pond.