Category Archives: Labradoodle

Geocaching – A Cold Restart

Yesterday, I was cleaning up some Apps on my iPhone and came across Geocaching. I haven’t used that app in a number of years but opening it, I got interested in the activity, once again. And today went out and found my 95th cache.

Here’s what I wrote in 2012:

“I was out looking for a bald eagle’s nest at Fountainebleau State Park when a Texas auto pulled up. The driver asked if I’d found it and having been there before, helped me locate it through my scope. When I asked if they were birders, he replied, “No, we are geocachers from Biloxi.”

Well, I knew what geocaching was since our grandson, Mac, had just gone on a Cub Scout geo outing. When my new friend asked, “Want to see one?” I followed him up to a little path into the underbrush. He reached down and lifted up a root, showing me the drilled hole in the underside, with a small cylinder inserted. He showed me the rolled up log sheet inside – and I was hooked. I went to his website (Gulf Coast Geocachers)read up a bit, downloaded an iPhone app, and was off and running.”

So this morning, Ginger and I went on a hike to try to find a nearby cache which I previously have looked for and never found. We zeroed in with the iPhone and here’s what the site looked like:

See the cache?
Small caches like this usually just contain junk items.

In addition to finding caches, you can also find and move trackables, that are found in some larger caches. Years ago, I put six trackables in play and one, Roaming Vizsla, has logged 2611.9 miles in the last eight years.

Presently in the UK, Roaming Vizsla has logged a lot of frequent flyer miles.

Geocaching is very compatible with dog walking, birding, even cycling or paddling – and well-suited for solitary Covid-19 outings. I’m hooked once again.

Late Summer Birds

Here are some birds from several outings we’ve had locally during a beautiful but too dry, Fall season. Many of these shots were taken with a Labradoodle straining on with leash to “help.”

This Hermit Thrush was one of many foraging along trails.
Eastern Phoebe
This Winter Wren was inquisitive but not ready to hop right out there for a photo.
Common Yellowthroat
I’m thinking this is a Broad-winged Hawk, now well on its way south. Let me know if its a Red-shouldered.
Lincoln Sparrow – backlit.
A fast-moving Ruby-crowned Kinglet who was too fast for me and my camera. White eye ring.
White-throated Sparrows have shown up in droves recently. It will be nice to see them all winter.

Many birds are moving out and others are gathering to do so. But we have the finches, juncos, and siskins coming. They and the faithful crows, nuthatches, chickadees, blue jays, woodpeckers, and titmice will slug through the winter with us, as we continue to hunker down and get out to enjoy Vermont. Be safe.

Florida Birding sans camera

We are enjoying good weather and birding in Cedar Key but an extra leash tug from Ginger ended up with a dropped camera and a jammed lens on my SX60 Canon. So it’s iphone time and the birds here are out there a ways.

We’ve been enjoying pelicans, ibis, oystercatchers, ospreys etc from our back deck and going on some nice outings, but missing the Canon.

We have an Osprey who spends hours on a post just behind the cottage. Here’s a shot of him – sorry about the quality.

Right beside him this morning was a yellow-crowned Night Heron.

We drove out to the little airport today and found hundreds of shorebirds whirling through the wind and alighting on the tarmac. There were hundreds of Semipalmated Plovers, and many dowitchers and sanderlings. Who knows what else was huddled in that avian mass?

A storm is coming and birds are seeking shelter. Here are a lot of Royal Terns huddled on a roof.

New camera time when we get home.

Youngsters

Ginger and I had a birding venture the other morning which was delightful – there were dozens of young sparrows, many practicing their songs, and the lifting fog, changing colors, and warming temperature just added to the trip.

Early fall mornings in Vermont are cool and lovely.
This young Northern Flicker thought he was hidden.
Just one of probably 25 juvenile Song Sparrows.
Nearly every morning I’ve birded the reservoir, this local attorney is taking his pre-work workout.
I love hearing White Throated Sparrows trying out their voices, with varying degrees of success.

Most of these birds will head out but the woodpeckers, chickadees, nuthatches, blue jays, crows, and others will be around when we bird this winter here on snowshoes. But let’s not push it.

The Sparrow Farm Trail

One of the most scenic sites locally is also a prime birding spot – and a fine mountain bike trail. Today Ginger, our pup, and I took a little hike, seeing and hearing a few birds, but also just enjoying a pretty September morning in Vermont.

The view to the west showing Camel’s Hump peak. A Broad-winged hawk was circling and calling to add a nice touch.

The trail is part of a major network built and maintained by community groups and the city.

Ginger, my birding companion, can get a bit impatient.

Here’s a view from the trail showing the farm and one of the many Monarchs out and about.

Birding With Ginger

We have a new dog, a nine-week old Labradoodle named Ginger Ale, who I took birding for the first time this morning. I promised not to pepper the blog with puppy pictures but let me introduce her.

5.3 pounds of energy

I wanted to go up to the local airport in search of Eastern Meadowlarks, since few have been seen in the state this year, but what I found was a beehive of activity with seven Civil Air Patrol planes giving rides and towing q glider – and very little bird activity.

We walked the ramp area, watching planes and getting some exercise — it’s a place I’ve had several planes stored so it’s a little stroll down memory lane. Ginger found a nice spot to catch a rest.

After an hour or so, we loaded up and were heading down the road with the windows opened when sure enough, I heard a Meadowlark. After shedding the car behind me, turning around on the busy road, I was able to take a few shots. The cameral wasn’t set right and I had to rush things but it was a successful end to the outing.