A Cooper’s Hawk sped from some elevated perch down into the birch tree in our neighbor’s garden.  It’s where many of our Mourning Doves loaf between meals on the grain on the ground.   This time the Coop missed but she sure scared all the smaller birds out of our garden for half an hour.  Except the Bushtits who seem to operate in their own parallel universe.  Sixteen or more come and go, twittering amongst themselves, ignoring all other birds.  They favor only the suet feeder.  There have been eleven turkeys in the flock that has gleaned our garden this week.  A mix of large males, some females and some immatures that are still but half-sized.

Their rich plumage shows what you can do with a palette of browns: cream to dun to tan to chocolate to bronze to brown-black.

Herit Thrush in brush near Ashland Pond.

Spotted Towhe being difficult to spot.  Peeking over the leaves.

Wrentit in motion.

Location:     243 Granite Street, Ashland
Observation date:     11/24/09
Number of species:     15

Wild Turkey     11
Cooper’s Hawk     1
Mourning Dove     18
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)     1
Steller’s Jay     8
Western Scrub-Jay     2
Black-capped Chickadee     4
Mountain Chickadee     1
Bushtit     16
White-breasted Nuthatch     1
American Robin     1
Spotted Towhee     1
Song Sparrow     1
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon)     8
Lesser Goldfinch     3

Location:     Ashland Pond
Observation date:     11/24/09
Number of species:     28

Canada Goose     2
American Wigeon     10
Mallard     8
Pied-billed Grebe     2
Northern Harrier     1
Red-shouldered Hawk     1
Red-tailed Hawk     2
Mourning Dove     2
Acorn Woodpecker     4
Red-breasted Sapsucker     1
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)     2
Western Scrub-Jay     8
American Crow     8
Common Raven     3
Black-capped Chickadee     1
White-breasted Nuthatch     1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet     2
Hermit Thrush     3
American Robin     35
Wrentit     2
European Starling     2
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon’s)     6
Spotted Towhee     14
Song Sparrow     5
White-throated Sparrow     1
Golden-crowned Sparrow     16,        Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon)     8
Lesser Goldfinch     2

The title Lesbian Vampire Killers would make any red blooded male hot to trot for some girl on girl vampire action and so it was that I stuck a stake into the heart of this little sucker. Man, that’s some great punnage there.

Is that a cross in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

So Lesbian Vampire Killers is a British movie centring on a curse. Back in the day, a powerful Lesbian Vampire is killed by the Baron of a town with a magical sword he forged but not before she curses all the maidens in the town to become Lesbian Vampires on their 18^th….See how the caps make lesbian and vampire more important. Anyway present times two pals, Jimmy (Mathew Horne) and Fletch (James Corden) plan a trip to cheap ass hiking to cheer Jimmy up after his selfish girlfriend dumps him for the 8^th time. Little do they know when they arrive at the village that there would be a group of hot girls on a research/party trip. Little do they know that they would all be preyed upon by Lesbian Vampires. Jimmy falls for one of the girls, Lotte played by the very cute MyAnna Burning who has this very sexy accent. I think it’s Welsh. I could be wrong, I have not idea. Anyway, girls are turned, vampires are killed and they eventually face off with the grand poobah Lesbian Vampire.

Jimmy and Fletch work well as a buddy team. Jimmy is mostly deadpan while Fletch is the irreverent larrikin of the two. All their lines are shot through with British humour which works quite well. In fact the dialogue across the whole movie is pretty snappy and the actors bring it across with enthusiasm.

The girls, besides Lotte do not last long. They get turned and then offed pretty quick which is sad but don’t fear. All new lesbian vampires appear to take their eye candy place, one of them being a main vampire Eva who is played by a smoking hot Vera Filatova. She does a good job of looking pretty and saying her lines, what else do you want. Jimmys asshole girlfriend Judy played by Lucy Gaskell is a real bitch in this and I can tell you I was overjoyed to see her Lesbian Vampire ass taken care of. Yes she get’s turned as well. One character who didn’t quite fit was the priest Vicar(Paul McGann), maybe it was just me but I couldn’t take him too seriously.

I'm not sure if I'm suppoed to be aroused or scared shitless by Vera Filatova. Nope, aroused wins!

There wasn’t too much blood in this really and that pretty unusual for a vampire film. When one of the Lesbian Vampires died they melted into a kind of white paste….take the “white paste” as what ever you’d like it to be. While not the flashiest FX they were reasonable and believable and the sets were pretty cool too consisting of fog filled forests, graveyards and run down shacks.

The movie really is for those people who don’t want a story that’s too serious and are just looking for a bit of fun to pass the time. Don’t go too deep. Oh there are boobies. Yes that is important.

I give this one a 7/10 for Lesbian Vampire Booby killing action.

Yes even the DVD cover has boobies. Win!

Dinosaurus Pemakan Daging Terkecil

Rabu, 18 Maret 2009 | 16:19 WIB

TEMPO Interaktif, Washington: Coba bayangkan seekor velociraptor ganas, seperti yang ada dalam dalam film Jurassic Park, tapi hanya sebesar ayam. Itulah gambaran para peneliti Kanada terhadap dinosaurus pemakan daging terkecil yang pernah ditemukan di Amerika Utara.

Fosil sepupu velociraptor yang mereka temukan itu beratnya 1,8-2,3 kilogram. “Ada kemungkinan mereka berburu dan menyantap apa pun yang bisa dibunuh dengan ukuran tubuh sekecil itu, semisal serangga, mamalia, amfibi, bahkan mungkin juga bayi dinosaurus,” kata Nicholas Longrich dari University of Calgary, Kanada.

Binatang itu diperkirakan hidup 75 juta tahun lalu di daerah rawa dan hutan sebelah selatan Alberta, kata Longrich dan rekannya, Philip J. Currie, dalam sebuah laporan yang dipublikasikan dalam Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences kemarin. “Banyak bukti adanya dinosaurus berukuran besar dan sedang di Amerika Utara, namun tak ada yang sekecil ini,” kata Longrich.

Kini mereka melihat adanya dinosaurus yang mengisi celah tersebut. Tulang raptor kecil ini ditemukan di antara fosil yang dikoleksi sejak seperempat abad yang lalu dan cuma tersimpan dalam laci museum.

Binatang ini dinamai Hesperonychus elizabethae, untuk menghormati mendiang Elizabeth “Betsy” Nicholls. Paleontolog Kanada itulah yang menemukan spesimen tersebut. Hesperonychus berarti “kuku barat”, sebuah referensi yang menunjukkan kuku berbentuk sabit pada jari kaki kedua.

Dinosaurus berukuran mungil lainnya pernah ditemukan di Cina beberapa tahun lalu. Studi terhadap dinosaurus itu membantu para ilmuwan Kanada mengidentifikasi satwa kerabatnya versi Amerika Utara ini. “Pada awalnya dinosaurus ini sulit dikenali karena masih melekat pada batu,” kata Longrich. “Hanya, karena saya telah mempelajari dinosaurus Cina itu, saya bisa mengetahuinya. Apa yang kami keluarkan dari dalam batuan itu adalah spesimen yang amat bagus.”

Seperti halnya velociraptor, raptor kerdil ini memiliki cakar. Awalnya, kuku kecil itu dianggap sebagai kuku anak dinosaurus. “Ketika kami mempelajari tulang pelvis, kami menemukan tulang panggulnya telah berfusi, sesuatu yang hanya terjadi bila binatang telah tumbuh sempurna.”

TJANDRA DEWI | AP

It was a mild afternoon, almost 50 degrees with some weak sunshine.  Down at Ashland Pond the birds–large and small–were active.  White-throated Sparrow among the Golden-crowns.  A Harrier passed over en route to the Billings Rnahc pastures.  Red-breasted sapsucker on the dead tree trunks.  No sap, good chance for insects.  And Robins, coming home to roost for the evening.

Male Lesser Goldfinch in bright new plumage.

Red-breasted Sapsucker with limbalmost obscuring his white moustache.

Black-capped Chickadee, notorious people watcher.  If I’m a birder, is he a peopler?

There were few ducks to be seen and those on the pond were very skitterish.

A block away on Glendower was this tree-topping American Kestrel.

John Bullock had seen a Townsend’s Warbler at the pond but I found only the Yellow-rumps when I was there.

Ashland Pond Observation date: 11/23/09 Number of species:  26.  Canada Goose 17 American Wigeon 10 Mallard 8 Pied-billed Grebe 2 Northern Harrier 1 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 Red-tailed Hawk 2 Mourning Dove 2 Acorn Woodpecker 4 Red-breasted Sapsucker 1 Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) 1 Western Scrub-Jay 14 American Crow 8 Common Raven 3 Black-capped Chickadee 3 White-breasted Nuthatch 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2 American Robin 40 European Starling 3 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon’s) 6 Spotted Towhee 18 Song Sparrow 1 White-throated Sparrow 1 Golden-crowned Sparrow 30 Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) 8 Lesser Goldfinch 2

This info was recieved from STO Online Website.

Raptor Class.

Raptor Class Specifications

For most Americans “Turkey Day” is Thanksgiving.  But at our house this year it came five days earlier than expected.

Altogether there were eleven Wild Turkeys in our garden Sundat afternoon.  Both adults and smaller juveniles.  They politely stayed away from the planted part of the garden and concentrated on a barren area where the Juncos had not cleaned up the sunflower seeds.  The turkeys did. 

In late afternoon I found few ducks at Ashland Pond but there was this Red-shouldered Hawk overlooking the scene.

Steve Runnels is hosting a birder visiting from the far north.  Well, not too far, but Portland is about 3o0 miles away.  The birder was hoping to see some of the species that are found here in southwestern Oregon but not much further north.  And we dd pretty well with the list.

California Towhee at North Mountain Park.  Oak Titmouse in the oaks at Emigrant Lake.  Wrentit was coaxed out of the berry brambles along the Greenway near the Sue Snmith Bridge over Bear Creek.  We also got a good look at two soaring Golden Eagles near Emigrant Lake.  Three Hooded Mergansers on the lake itself.  And a White-tailed Kite hunting at the south end.

We were zero for three on attempts at finding a Screech-Owl.  Missed the Dipper, though I later encountered one along Ahsland Creek in ithia Park.

Here’s the Dipper launching itself from a rock.

And here’s that same Dipper dipping his head underwater to look for food. 

There was a covey of California Quail near the bird feeders at North Mountain Park.

American Goldfinch, North Mtn. Park.

Two Western Bluebirds in oaks overlooking Emigrant Lake.

One of two male Wood Ducks we saw in Ashland Creek near the bandstand.

Emigrant Lake showing the snow level in Cascades down below 4000′ after overnight storm.                                                                                                                     Location:     North Mountain Park
Observation date:     11/21/09
Number of species:     14

Canada Goose     40
Mallard     8
California Quail     6
Acorn Woodpecker     4
Western Scrub-Jay     6
Spotted Towhee     1
California Towhee     1
Fox Sparrow     1
White-crowned Sparrow     6
Golden-crowned Sparrow     18
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon)     10
House Finch     2
Lesser Goldfinch     6
American Goldfinch     2

Location:     Emigrant Lake
Observation date:     11/21/09
Number of species:     18

Canada Goose     70
Bufflehead     2
Hooded Merganser     3
Western Grebe     4
Great Blue Heron     3
White-tailed Kite     1
Golden Eagle     2
American Coot     4
Rock Pigeon     10
Acorn Woodpecker     16
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)     1
Western Scrub-Jay     10
Oak Titmouse     1
Western Bluebird     25
American Robin     4
Golden-crowned Sparrow     4
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon)     6
Lesser Goldfinch     4

The 2010 Ford Raptor was build for the true off-road enthusiast.  Check out this video that shows the dynamic capabilities of the truck.  Jamal Hameedi, cheif engineer of the Ford SVT comments on the truck’s ability to jump (the truck was actually built to jump) and he also touches on the trucks Hill Descent Mode.

Runde Auto Group’s customer, Brian Hauber, took this footage of his new Raptor going down a hill in the Hill Descent Mode. I think it’s safe to say that he loves his new Raptor so far.

We still have a white 2010 Raptor for sale at our Ford store in Manchester, IA. Here is a short video walkaround of it.

If you’d like to check out this truck in person, please give our sales staff at our Ford store a call at 888-927-2630. If you’d like to check out our entire inventory, go to www.RundeAutoGroup.com — Or call us at 866-735-5200.

We didn’t find a great variety of birds in the weed-choked field next to the northeast cornerof Medford Airport.  But it was great birding.  Even the notorious sticky mud was less pernicious than it can be.

My best shot of one of the Short-eared Owls aloft.

This small picture gives you the ratio of wing to body length.  Wings: >3′    Body: 15″

White-tailed Kite kiting.

And then in his very sleek profile speeding past.

The field was alive with Savannah Sparrows, Mourning Doves in pear trees (no partridges), Meadowlarks serenading the unseasonable mild afternoon (near 50 degrees).  And on the gravel pile in the middle of the field: one American Pipit and one Say’s Phoebe.  And more Savannah Sparrows.  Here’s one in a pear tree:

And then below one in profile.

Western Meadowlark, also in a pear tree.

MODOs in a pear tree.  Actually a pair in the pear.

Western Bluebird against the blue yonder.

Kestrel, not in a pear tree.

Location:     Medford Airport
Observation date:     11/19/09
Number of species:     14

White-tailed Kite     2
Northern Harrier     2
Red-tailed Hawk     1
American Kestrel     1
Short-eared Owl     2
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)     2
Say’s Phoebe     1
Western Bluebird     6
American Robin     2
American Pipit     1
Savannah Sparrow     75
White-crowned Sparrow     15
Western Meadowlark     80
Lesser Goldfinch     2

Golden-crowned Kinglets working a Ponderosa.  A Golden Eagle gliding across the Ashland Creek Canyon.  And a little weak golden sunshine on a cold morning.

Here you can clearly see a Golden-crowned Kinglet.  Well, you can clearly see his chest.  That clearly marked head is tucked behind the limb, of course.  The GCKIs were too fast for both me and the digital camera.  When the tiny bird was in frame, the camera was too slow to focus or zoom.  When they were moving, I was too slow to keep up with their jumps, flutters, parachute drops to a lower perch.

They’re  gregarious birds, unlike their cousin, the Ruby-crowned who is often quarrelsome, querulous and quirky. The Ruby-crowned will flock with other species, like chickadees or Bushtits, but eschews his fellows except on migration.  The Golden-crowns breed in our local high elevation forests.  The Ruby-crowns are only here in Ashland in the off-season, breeding further north and east of the Cascades crest.

Location:     Glenview Dr.
Observation date:     11/19/09
Number of species:     5

Golden Eagle     1
Steller’s Jay     16
Western Scrub-Jay     4
Golden-crowned Kinglet     10
American Robin     4

John Bullock and I saw two White-throated Sparrows this morning near Ashland Pond.  Though never common here, this seems to be a good winter for WTs.  I’vee seen at North Mountain Park as well.  This morning they out-numbered White-crowned, 2 to 1!   And zero Fox Sparrows.  Maybe a Harris’s can be next?

One of the abundant wintering Golden-crowned Sparrows, down from the north to bask in our freezing winter fogs.

One of the Song Sparrows that posed while the nearby White-throated Sparrow hid in the brambles.

Spotted Towhee looking over his shoulder.

Downy Woodpecker.

Location: Ashland Pond Observation date: 11/18/09 Number of species: 24

Canada Goose 15; American Wigeon 60; Mallard 20; Pied-billed Grebe 2; Red-tailed Hawk 2; Mourning Dove 1; Anna’s Hummingbird 1 Acorn Woodpecker 2; Downy Woodpecker 1; Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) 2; Western Scrub-Jay 16; Common Raven 2; Black-capped Chickadee 5; White-breasted Nuthatch 1; American Robin 4; Wrentit 2; Spotted Towhee 10; Song Sparrow 6; White-throated Sparrow 2; White-crowned Sparrow 1; Golden-crowned Sparrow 18 Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) 15; Purple Finch 3; Lesser Goldfinch 2

Yamaha 700 Raptor

Quad Bike For Sale

Yamaha Raptor For Sale – This great example of the most popular Quad Bike on the road today is offered for sale by a private seller on www.myquadbike.co.uk . As you can see from the picture it is a red framed model Yamaha YFM 700R SE registered in 2008 with very low mileage.

At the time of publication it had 300miles recorded and is a Fully road legal quad bike with only 1 Owner from new. For more information on this Yamaha Raptor and many other Quad Bikes For Sale – please click on any of the links provided for Yamaha Raptor 700 - where you will be able to contact the seller.

Should you wish to keep up to speed with Quad Bikes in general, you can follow us on twitter for updates.

Let’s admit it, most horror anthologies usually aren’t very good. You may get a good story out of the 3 or 4 shown but they rest tend to be crap. Fortunately when I sat down to watch Trick r Treat I was pleasantly surprised. The four stories in of themselves were pretty good but the thing that impressed me the most was the way they interwove them together. It wasn’t a simple four stories wrapped up by another. Each story was linked to another by something almost like watching Pulp Fiction but with ghosts and ghoulies. There was a short prologue story which kind of kicks off the whole chain and eventually the last story links back to this which was cool. The first story was to do with a Serial killer(Dylan Baker) and the humorous way he tries to dispose of his latest victim. The Second story centred around the telling of a tale of murdered children on a school bus and a group of kids that go down to the lake to offer tribute to them but have other motives. Thirdly is the story of Little Red Riding Hood, a vampire and werewolves. This one was pretty cool itself with Anna Paquin from X-Men playing the Little Red. Finally it ends with a grumpy old man(Brian Cox) who hates Halloween and a little pumpkin headed daemon who teaches him the true meaning of Christmas…er I mean Halloween. This one was probably my favourite and Brian Cox played a great old man battling it out with the little imp. Come to think of it another one from X2.

Mum says that putting a sack on my head means I'm really good looking.

All the actors handled themselves well and were quite believable. The director was Michael Dougherty who really hasn’t directed much at all but based on this I think he really should. He has a number of acting and writing credits to his name as well including the screen play to X2 which is one of my favourite movies.

The cinematography and colours of this were just beautiful. Highly above it’s straight to DVD standard. Shots of a mountain-scape that drops to a school bus sinking into a lake or a street with pumpkins head lit with candles really brought out the atmosphere. There were times were the effects were a little off such as the werewolf transformation scene which had short stints of CGI that didn’t add up but overall most effects were practical. The last story had some really nice practical work. There was blood but not too much really for a horror movie or maybe I’m just desensitised to it all.

Dear god they ripped my dirty dreams out of my head and put them on film.

Sadly there was no boobage in this film. Awwww I hear you all say…Wait! I lie. There was a glimpse of boobs in the werewolf transformation scene. Yay! Don’t blink or you’ll miss it.

If you don’t like horror anthologies I’d still recommend watching this was to see how one should be put together. For myself I give this one a solid 8/10.

Yes Anna Paquin is in true blood...I watch it for the story.

Our intrepid band of birders was met with freezing fog at 8AM as we gathered at the Ashland Dog Park.  We soldiered on.  Good views of Red-shouldered Hawk near the Sue Smith bridge over Bear Creek.  A pair of curious Wrentits checked us out when we walked through the willow grove near the bridge.  Wrentits were calling in the frozen air while most birds were silent, even the Scrub-Jays.

Western Bluebirds were into the mistletoe at the oak grove downstream from the bridge.

At Ashland Pond we could not find the Eurasian Wigeon that had been present for over a week.  But two female Lesser Scaup had joined the duck crowd.  The female Hooded Merganser today was on Bear Creek, not Ashland Pond.  A Sharpie was lurking near the pond and thus we saw few small birds of any kind.  The one Lincoln’s Sparrow was just along the waterline on the north side of the pond near the out-flow culvert.   The only Waxwings were a group fly-over.

Mourning Dove, behind the fence at the Ashland sewer plant.  They love that spot in the winter.

Black Phoebe atop sewer plant building.

White-breasted Nuthatch honked at us from the top of a Ponderosa next to Ashland Pond.  By this time (after 10AM) the fog had burned off and our fingers were less numb.

Location:     Bear Creek Greenway–Ashland
Observation date:     11/15/09
Notes:     Saw one pair of Wrentits.
Number of species:     26

Canada Goose     11
Wood Duck     8
Hooded Merganser     1
Red-shouldered Hawk     1
Red-tailed Hawk     4
Mourning Dove     9
Acorn Woodpecker     1
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)     1,   Kingfisher   1
Black Phoebe     1
Western Scrub-Jay     2
Black-capped Chickadee     2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet     5
Western Bluebird     6
American Robin     10
Wrentit     4
European Starling     15
Spotted Towhee     4
Song Sparrow     1
Golden-crowned Sparrow     8
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon)     6
Red-winged Blackbird     15
Brewer’s Blackbird     20
House Finch     2
American Goldfinch     3,  Lesser Goldfinch 15

Location:     Ashland Pond
Observation date:     11/15/09
Notes:     First Scaup I’ve seen on Ashland Pond this autumn. Eurasian Wigeon not seen today.
Number of species:     17

Canada Goose     31
Wood Duck     2
American Wigeon     60
Mallard     15
Lesser Scaup     2
Sharp-shinned Hawk     1
Belted Kingfisher     1
Acorn Woodpecker     1
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)     1
Western Scrub-Jay     4
White-breasted Nuthatch     1
American Robin     2
Cedar Waxwing     14
Spotted Towhee     2
Lincoln’s Sparrow     1
Golden-crowned Sparrow     8
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon)     4

It was a Rogue Valley Audubon field trip to Emigrant Lake, southeast of Ashland.  After days of rain, high elevation snow, fog, clouds and general grayness, today was bright though cold.  And the birding gods provided some golden moments.  First we found Western Bluebirds all about us as we birded in the Emigrant Lake Recreation Area.  We managed to rouse the curiosity of a single Oak Titmouse.  Numerous Robins, Acorn Woodpeckers, Juncos, the usual wintering birds.

Out on the lake itself a few Western Grebes, Mallards, Buffleheads all of the female persuasion.  Then Bill Hering spotted a large, sharp-winged bird moving along the far shore.  It was a Peregrine.  Of course, he quickly flew out of sight.

We moved on to the cement spillway.  From there we had good views of Rattlesnake Butte, the rock faced hill overlooking that end of Emigrant Lake.  A pair of very large, dark birds were circling.  Too late in the year for Turkey Vultures which would have been expected there three months ago.  Wings far too long for Raven.  Big head, big tail.  Big bird: two Golden Eagles.  One landed on the butte, then launched itself again.  As we watched a third Golden Eagle crested the hill to our right so for a brief time all three were visible at once.  We got some looks at one eagle through the scope.  Within a few minutes they had all moved over the ridge and out of view. 

We braved the boot caking mud at the south end of the lake to see seven Green-winged Teal females and then a couple of California Towhees, curious about the noise we were making.  And thin clouds of Bluebirds passed overhead a couple times during the morning.  Just as we were nearing our cars to leave Suzanne Hering found our White-tailed Kite on a dead tree above the stubby willows.  The Herings were 2 for 2 on the day.

Location:     Emigrant Lake
Observation date:     11/14/09
Number of species:     28

Canada Goose     300
Mallard     4
Green-winged Teal     7
Bufflehead     5
Hooded Merganser     4
Western Grebe     10
Double-crested Cormorant     1
Great Blue Heron     3
White-tailed Kite     1
Red-tailed Hawk     3
Golden Eagle     3
American Kestrel     1,           Peregrine 1
Rock Pigeon     40
Acorn Woodpecker     25
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)     10
Western Scrub-Jay     35
Common Raven     12
Oak Titmouse     1
White-breasted Nuthatch     2
Western Bluebird     65
American Robin     50
European Starling     40
Spotted Towhee     6,           California Towhee  2
Golden-crowned Sparrow     10
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon)     15,   Red-winged Blackbird     30
House Finch     1
Lesser Goldfinch     15

Throughout 2010 I will be leading a series of photographic opportunities workshops to photograph some of Britain’s most impressive birds of prey. The dates and location in the Peak District coincides when the birds are in optimum plumage condition. Working with one of Britain’s leading Falconers’ who understands the specific requirements of discerning photographers will enable you to obtain a series of outstanding images to add to your portfolio. The location for each bird is definitive for the species – hence the reason we do not include birds which do not actually occur in the Peak District.

Dates & Fee

• 30 January 2010 @ £175.00 per participant – Sold Out
• 25 September 2010 @ £175.00 per participant – 5 places remaining
• 20 November 2010 @ £175.00 per participant – 7 places remaining

Bird species to include

• Goshawk
• Peregrine
• Buzzard
• Long-Eared Owl
• Tawny Owl

To reserve your place

Simply email or call the office on tel: 01663 743 089 for a booking form and itinerary.

Original image here better shows the markings under the wings and on the tail.

The Unidentified Bird of Prey
02 September 2009
Tiana Beach (bay side), East Quogue, NY

I sat down to watch Surveillance this week and kind of ended with mixed feelings. Directed by Jennifer Chambers Lynch daughter of director David Lynch, she has taken to being behind the camera just like her father. Surveillance centres on a police station in a rural area of the US where some killers have been going on a spree and which the authorities have been unable to catch. In walk two FBI agents played by Bill Pullman and Julia Ormond. They rock up and begin ruffling the feathers of the local authorities at the station and while investigating they begin to find out that no one is who they seem. Dum Dum daaaah! What else is new.

Dam kids graffitied, the ground again. Better call for backup.

I liked Bill Pullmans character, Sam Hallaway. He seemed gruff and distant and focused on the job and Pullman pulled this off well, excuse the pun. Ormond also did well with her character which was quite believable problem was the last 30 or so mins of the movie where the characters all reveal themselves, not to put any spoilers, but the believability kinds of comes into question at that point and I kind of lost interest in them.

The movie plays with flash backs to several groups. A couple who are out on a drug buying trip. Stephanie, a girl (played beautifully by Ryan Simpkins) with her family which isn’t as happy as seems and two police officers with dreams of being heroes are crossing into vigilantism. The groups slowly come together as their worms surface. This is actually the best part of the film. The character depths are shown and flaws revealed but you get to like them. It all comes to a head where the group meets the killers and this is where it became a bit contrived for me. Maybe I’m a little jaded with these sorts of films maybe I’ve seen it all before. I managed to pick the reveal for the two FBI agents 20mins before it actually happened and I’m pretty sure most people will. It was reasonably obvious.

Back at the station the FBI agents are interviewing the survivors of this encounter with the killers. Tensions arise between cops, victims and FBI with parties begging to act suspiciously. The problem I had at the end is what often happens. The killers are shown to be the super villain like geniuses that are always thinking 10 steps ahead of everyone else. Sure I don’t mind that every now and then but in this case it really irked me. One of the cops was this snap shot shooter. Could take out a car tire moving at 100miles from 50m yet at then end he couldn’t shoot a person in the head/body from 3m away. WTF is that! Anyway script issues aside Jennifer Lynch did a great job with direction and she does have a great eye for the camera. Maybe it’s to do with her dads mentoring, maybe it’s cause and effect, maybe it’s karma who knows. It all fit in very nicely.

So in ending, this isn’t a bad movie. I could have been a great movie for me if it wasn’t for a few issues I had with the script. I could be a little hard on it but it is watchable. I’d give this one a 6.5/10. Oh, not a booby to be seen. Dam you Lynch!!

Julia Ormond. Yes, the French ladies like to take off their clothes. God bless.

Adult White-crowned Sparrow at North Mountain Park.

White-throated Sparrow at North Mountain Park.

Lincoln’s Sparrow skulking in the pondside brush, North Mountain Park.

Female Hooded Merganser showing her consummate hairdo.  Ashland Pond.

Lousy picture of male Eurasian Wigeon, alsoon Ashland Pond.  The Wigeons have been hunted and will not stay close to shore when a human is sighted.  This bird may have taken a wrong turn in the Bering Sea and ended up on this side of the Pacific.

Great Blue Heron, in Ashland Pond.  Then looking down from aloft.

At Ashland Pond there was a brief flurry of raptor rage.  A Northern Harrier had caught something, the furry prey and some extraneous grass stalks were hanging from its talons.  A Red-tailed Hawk was in pursuit, hoping to steal the Harrier’s meal.  To escape the Harrier flew swiftly and low to the ground through the trees along Ahsland Pond, forcing the Red-tail to pull up into the air.  At that moment an aggressive White-tailed Kite sturck from above, diving onto the back of the Red-tail.  The Harrier used the distraction to escape, flying north acorss Bear Creek and away from the RT.  The much more agile and swifter kite drove the Red-tail into cover along Bear Creek, leaving the Kite rule of the Billings Ranch range.

Acorn Woodpecker at work in the acorn pantry.  B Steet & Oak, Ashland.

Western Screech-Owl at children’s playground, Butler Playground, in Lithia Park.

Dipper in swirl of Ashland Creek, next to the playground.

I heard good things about the movie Dead Girl but I wasn’t convinced so when I sat down to watch it I was pretty much thinking this was going to be another crap fest. Well for the first 20 mins or so it didn’t do much for me. The slightly washed out colours looked cheap at first. The two mains we meet, Rickie played by Shiloh Fernandez and J.T played by Noah Segan both seemed pretty shallow and acted out like stereotypical high school students. This was all until they find the Dead Girl in a sealed off room of an abandoned medical facility. It’s then that the two personalities begin to polarise. The dead girl (sexy Jenny Spain. Yes even if she is dead) is a zombie but in quite good nick. How she got down there is never explained. The two friends panic and leave her but J.T. goes back and ends up killing her but she comes back to life so decides to use her as a sex toy while Rickie thinks he’s crazy. Rickie doesn’t want any part of it and guilt kicks in so he tries to free her but finds out she is quite feral and so splits.  There is a side story with Rickie and a Joann (Candice Accola) who he is infatuated with and eventually spirals into a kidnapping by J.T. and meeting with the dead girl.  It’s always awkward when your living and dead girlfriends meet.

Yes, there was some dead action in the back section....ewwwww

The movie is tense and the lack of morality by J.T. is juxtaposed to Rickie who’s initial impotence do anything, possibly due to the friendship with J.T. and the fact the dead girl is well dead, fortifies into a resolve to act. It does pose the question that if somes dead or zombie do they have rights? Beats me. I just watch the film but and leave the philosophy to you.

Jenny Spain washes up real good

There are some funny moments such as J.T and pal trying to kidnap a girl to make into a new dead girl only to be beaten up by the victim and there are also some huh? I don’t get what the fuck just happened moments too that just don’t click but overall barring the weakish start it ends with a strong performances and a pretty good story line. I give this one a 7.5/10

Don't you just hate it when your panties slip down? I know I do.

Guten Tag liebe Leser und Leserinnen!

Heute unterhielten sich Martin und ich im Unterricht aus irgendeinem Grund über Wraps (also das Zeuch zum Essen).

Ein Wrap, die Füllung ist hier lecker verpackt in einen grünen Putzlappen.

Dabei fiel uns auf, dass das Wort “Wrap” aufgrund dessen, dass es keiner aussprechen kann schon ziemlich beknackt ist. Doch dabei hat das Wort solch eine Gestaltungsvielfalt.
Denken wir einmal an das World Wide Wrap, ohne das wohl einige von uns heutzutage aufgeschmissen wären, hat man mit ihm doch unbegrenzte Möglichkeiten!

WWW hat heutzutage fast jeder

Zudem ist Wrap ein vorallem bei Jugendlichen sehr erfolgreiches Musikgenre. Aus dem Wrap entstanden auch andere Musikstile, wie zum Beispiel der Wrapcore. Wrap wird zu den Essgesängen gezählt. Zu den bedeutensten Vertretern dieses Genres, die Wrapper genannt werden, gehören “50 Chickenwraps” oder “MC Fladenbrot”.

Weitere Verwendung ist bei dem allseits bekannten aber leider schon ausgestorbenen Dinosaurier Wraptor. Würde er heute noch leben wäre er sicher ein äußerst netter und geschmackvoller (haha, super Wortwitz ) Kollege.

So stellt man sich heute dieses ausgestorbene Lebewesen vor.

Wusstet ihr schon, wenn man bei Wrap a und r vertauscht, dann kommt Warp raus, das ist doch toll, oder?

Einen leckeren Gruß wünscht

Ihr/Euer Jan

(Bildquellen: http://www.dvo.com/
http://www.womansday.com/
http://www.wikipedia.de)

A couple dozen Rogue Valley Audubon birders showed up for the first Wednesday bird walk.  It’s led by Dennis Neibuhr, Jim Harleman and drew many of the veteran birders in the county.  Despite fog we managed some pretty good birds.  I did not get a good pic of the Merlin that first was “kestrel” then possibly an “accipiter” until it was clearly seen as a Merlin, especially after examing one young birder’s very clear photo of the bird as it sat and ate.

Other good birds for the day: a singing Marsh Wren just west of Touvelle Park.  Three California Towhees.  An adult White-throated Sparrow spotted by Bill Hering along Butte Creek.  Two Great Horned Owls.  Duck total for the day: zero.  None on the creek, none on the Rogue, none in a large pond.  One river otter, four deer, acres of wintry fog.

Waxwings hanging out.     California Towhee.              Great Egret, Whetstone Pond.

After the walk some of us checked Whetstone Pond.  One female Shoveler, Coots, PB Grebe and numerous Mallards, including this female looking great in ther tardy sunshine.  Also two Great Blue Herons and a couple Harriers.

Location:     Denman/Little Butte Creek Wednesday Walk
Observation date:     11/4/09
Notes:     Little Butte Creek/Denman Wednesday Walk #1  Foggy to clear, 40
degrees to 60  Record # of participants = 27
Number of species:     41

Canada Goose     1
California Quail     1
Northern Harrier     1
Red-tailed Hawk     2
Merlin     1
Great Horned Owl     2
Belted Kingfisher     3
Lewis’s Woodpecker     2
Acorn Woodpecker     20
Downy Woodpecker     3
Northern Flicker     12
Black Phoebe     1
Western Scrub-Jay     22
American Crow     2
Black-capped Chickadee     29
Oak Titmouse     3
Bushtit     37
White-breasted Nuthatch     6
Brown Creeper     1
Bewick’s Wren     1
Marsh Wren     1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet     23
Western Bluebird     5
Hermit Thrush     1
American Robin     28
Wrentit     1
European Starling     10
Cedar Waxwing     58
Yellow-rumped Warbler     24
Spotted Towhee     23
California Towhee     5
Savannah Sparrow     3
Fox Sparrow     2
Song Sparrow     2
White-throated Sparrow     1
Golden-crowned Sparrow     89
Dark-eyed Junco     38
Red-winged Blackbird     18
Western Meadowlark     6
Lesser Goldfinch     16
American Goldfinch     1

I got a chance to do some birding  with the owner of Greensprings Inn today.  He is Diarmuid McGuire.   Turns out we knew each other in an earlier life. 

We met at Emigrant Lake.  There was a line of a few dozen White-fronted Geese and three Cackling Geese on the shoreline of the south end of the lake.  And Western Bluebirds were all over the oaks at the northwest side of the lake, inside the recreation area.
Also onb the shrivelled lake: a few Bufflehead and Western Grebes. 

At the entranbce to the recreationarea we watched a Kestrel swoop down on a Red-tailed Hawk hunting in a hay field.  No harm, no foul.

White-breasted Nuthatch in white oak at Emigrant Lake.  You could have a three nuthatch day while staying at Greensprings.  The red-breasted would be right outside your door.  White-breasted at abundant at Emigrant Lake and Pygmy can be seen on the road from Hwy 140 to Eale Ridge on the west side of Klamath Lake.

GREENSPRINGS INN

The Greensprings In sits on over 100 acres of woodland at the intersection of Hwy 66 and the Hyatt Lake Road.  It’s 17 miles from I-5 and Hwy 66 in Ashland.  The resort has a restaurant where I had a great breakfast burrito.  There are motel-style rooms and five new cabins, each with great mountain views and woodsy privacy.  On the grounds we found Purple Finches, Mountain Chickadees, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Ravens and Steller’s Jays.  The latter were making lots of angry noises high in a Ponderosa but we could not see what they were loudly despising.  Likely an owl or accipiter.

In the spring there will be Hermit Warblers, Cassin’s Vireo, Juncos, Chipping Sparrows, Dusky Flycatchers, Barn Swallows and Rufous Hummingbirds.

McGuire and I will put together information on some birding excursions from the Inn that may be of interest to visitors there.  It is on the north edge of the extensive Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.  There are numerous great hiking trails, fine widlfowers and butterflies in spring and summer.  The birding areas are all around.  It’s 45 minutes eastward to the Klamath Basin.  Within a few minutes are Hyatt Lake and then further north Howard Prairie: Osprey, Bald Eagle, Williamson’s Sapsucker, Cassin’s Finch, Sandhill Cranes, White Pelican, Northern Goshawk, Vesper Sparrow, Mountain Bluebird, Wilson’s Snipe.  Just west of the Inn at Greensprings Summit (El. 4551′) you can turn north on a road that goes past Little Hyatt reservoir: Dipper at the dam, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Lazuli Bunting, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Cassin’s Vireo, Chipping Sparrow.  About 1.5 miles west of the Inn is Keene Creek reservoir.  Today there were Hooded and Common Merganser, and Bufflehead on the lake.  In late summer I’ve seen both Common and the elusive Barrow’s Goldeneye here.

Hwy 66 between the Inn (4500′) and Emigrant lake down at 2500′ is good territory for Lewis’s Woodpecker in winter.  I saw one from the car.  Also: Acorn Woodpecker, possible Sooty and Ruffed Grouse, Western Meadowlark, Lesser Goldfinch, Lazuli Buting, Green-tailed Towhee, Northern Goshawk.

The color of autumn leaves is still predominant at low elevations where native and introduced deciduous trees are found.  The oaks, maples, aspen, alder, dogwood, willow and cottonwoods all carry some of their 2009 edition leaves.  By the end of November most of those will be on the ground or washed downstream.

The wild mustard and a few chicory weeds still bear flowers.  Those, too, will be gone by Thanskgiving.  The frogs that hop into Ashland Pond on warm, sunny mornings will be sleeping  ‘neath the mud before long.  It’s been two weeks since I saw my last garter snake.  The young fawns have lost their baby spots and grown their long, winter coat. 

Now much of the motion in the treetops is not avian, it’s the flutter of another leaf falling toward earth.  That yellow flash is not a warbler in flight, but a willow leaf afloat on the chill air.  And we may now be seeing the winter bird assortment that will be with us through February.  Robins and Cedar Waxwings are now scarce around Ashalnd.  I’ve seen only one Varied Thrush.

Down at Ashland Pond I stopped to locate a scolding Ruby-crowned Kinglet constantly calling from dense cover.  I never did spot the tiny Kinglet, but what had him upset was a Red-shoulderd Hawk hunkered in the low bursh along between Ashland Pond and Bear Creek.

The single female Hooded Merganser continues on the pond and the Black Phoebe can be seen nearly every morning.  Occasionally a Kingfisher is in the area, rattling around.  Thye sparrow count seemed low, and I couldn’t re-find the White-throated. The smallband of Purple Finches will likely be in the area until the snow begins to melt in the mountains next spring. 

And up on Granite Street the Western Screech-Owl continues to roost in his same tree despite the loud demoliton and construction action on the lot next door.

In our garden the Wild Turkeys have becoe regulars, politely–so far–refraining from digging our newly planted shrubs with their large feet.  The Band-tailed Pigeons visit daily.  The number of Lesser Goldfinches has dropped while Juncos slowly accrete.  The one Mountain Chickadee is often bullied  by the flock of smaller, aggressive Black-capped Chickadees.  The White-breated Nuthatch so far has not had to share feeders with the Red-breasted which every winter come down from the higher slopes.  No Siskins here yet, and only occasional visits from wintering sparrows, aside from the omnipresent Spotted Towhees who live here and see no reason to be nomadic.

Location:     Ashland Pond
Observation date:     11/1/09
Number of species:     21

Canada Goose     17
Wood Duck     2
American Wigeon     45
Mallard     22
Hooded Merganser     1
Red-shouldered Hawk     1
Rock Pigeon     30
Mourning Dove     4
Belted Kingfisher     1
Acorn Woodpecker     2
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)     4
Black Phoebe     1
Western Scrub-Jay     15
Black-capped Chickadee     4
Ruby-crowned Kinglet     3
Spotted Towhee     4
Song Sparrow     5
Golden-crowned Sparrow     4
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon)     6
Purple Finch     6
Lesser Goldfinch     3