Emergency Story and an Invitation

There will always be those
who say you are too young and delicate
to make anything happen for yourself.
They don't see the part of you that smolders.
Don't let their doubting drown out
the sound of your own heartbeat.

You are the first drop of rain in a hurricane.

Your bravery builds beyond you.
You are needed by all the little girls
still living in secret, writing oceans
made of monsters, and
throwing like lightning.
You don't need to grow up
to find greatness.

You are so much stronger than the world
has ever believed you could be.
The world is waiting for you
to set it on fire. Trust in yourself

and burn. 

~ Clementine von Radics, from Mouthful of Forevers

Calm sea

My “emergency stories” mostly involve storms. There were lots of storms in my youth. The stories we would tell later would include the names - like we were talking about a wayward family member -- Carla came in 1961 and storms followed varying in strength and damage (Beulah in '67, Celia in '70, Fern in '71, St. Valentine’s Day flood in '72, maybe, Allen in 1980 come to mind), but always resulting in similar responses from folks, good and bad.

Yes, some people would take advantage of others - looting and price gouging happened as it is happening now. But the response I remember best was what I saw from my parents, relatives, friends, and neighbors. People pulled together.

How did you learn about what to do in an emergency?  

Like so many people who grew up along the coast of Texas, I learned from my parents, primarily, when we got a tropical storm or hurricane. 

Our house became the "Flinn Hotel" as folks whose homes were in flood areas would come and stay with us. One time I think we had 17 people with us. Some even stayed in the travel trailer that Dad parked on the driveway. Once the storm passed (and we had no power - sometimes for weeks - remember that?) Dad would make coffee every morning on a camp stove and the neighbors would come for a cup.  We cleaned up – our place and other people’s places. When we rested we told stories, played games, read, and slept.

The emergency responders never slept. The sheriff’s office responded to calls and made calls. Telephone lines were down. People had no way of checking on each other except “going” or getting messages out through people with radios. We were lucky and had access that other folks did not have. Utility workers came from all over to get our power and plumbing and phones going again. 

Communities worked together as people checked on each other – fed each other – cleaned up with each other – mourned with each other. 

“Harvey,” with its incredible damage, felt overwhelming (little did we know). A grownup now (allegedly) I almost felt my parents’ whispering in my ears – “This is what you need to do. This is how to stay safe as you do it.” Their guiding hands were on my shoulders. 

Neighbors pulled together. They did. YOU did. 

NOW we have the challenge of Covid-19 (I keep wanting to put an “R” in there). 

I keep comparing this situation with those earlier experiences. It is so much more challenging in so many ways. With hurricanes we had a “playbook.” We pretty much knew what might face us during and after. This virus is writing the playbook as it goes. We don’t know what to expect. And when people say they have never seen anything like this I have to agree. I have never seen anything like this. 

But I know we have survived storms before. I know that the water isn’t rising, there is no tree resting on the roof, the lights are on, cell phones are working and the WiFi is on the water is safe the neighborhood Facebook group (and so many other groups and individuals) is working hard to take care of folks, we have more than enough toilet paper (that's a joke right there) and paper towels and food. We pretty much have everything we need. And we have time.

I am reminded of those days working through the aftermath of storms with Mom and Dad and I feel those hands on my shoulders and I hear that soft whisper, “You have got this.”

Basketflower - one of Mom's favorites.

Final Note to Self:

*Stay home. 

*Help your neighbor from a distance if you can. 

*Check in with friends and family enough – but not too much.

*Be grateful.

*Pray for all those who cannot stay home because their jobs demand it (and be mindful of who they are: police, firefighters, military, other government employees, the people who work in grocery stores, shipping and delivery services, and others who are helping you stay at home.

*Share good words.

*Remember that we will get through the next hour, day, week, month, year….

*Practice social distancing when you are out.

*WASH YOUR HANDS.

PLEASE SHARE YOUR STORIES! We all need reminding we have got this!

What Do You Do In A Pandemic?

Death can be as common as the common cold.
We have taken everything for granted, 
but we forget that we are only travelers here for a short time.
So don't play the bus driver 
when you don't know how to drive.

― Anthony T. Hincks

Well, it could be so much worse. 

I'm supposed to be sitting in a hotel in Ireland right now. We had planned to travel from Austin to New York earlier in the week (we would maybe do a little birding in Central Park,* visit the Vessel,** and take a hike on the Highline***) followed by a flight to Dublin where we would hang out in St. Stephen's Green**** or the National Museums ***** near our hotel. On Sunday (yup - TOMORROW) we were to attend a concert with Martin Hayes****** and many friends (some we have heard and some we haven't, but we trust Martin) at the National Concert Hall. 

But after watching the news like a hawk it became clear our plans - made at a time we knew very little about the coming storm - were not sensible for a number of reasons. Since the time we pulled the plug on the trip, New York has become a center of spreading disease, all travel from Europe (now including Ireland) is difficult - almost guaranteed to result in a 14 day quarantine, and the concert - the purpose of the trip - has been canceled.

So, I could be sitting in a hotel in Ireland - madly wiping down everything and wondering what we could do, where we will eat, how we could be safe in this strange city, and how the heck we would get home while avoiding 1) getting sick and 2) ending up quarantined. 

We have a lot going on (I know, I know. Everyone has stuff going on. But we are supposed to be closing on a house and moving. We also have a number of doctors' appointments that we really should not miss.). The logistics of dealing with a quarantine make this current "social distancing" look like, well, a walk in the park.

So, I am most grateful to be home. I am sitting on the sofa with a sleeping cat on one side and a sleeping dog on the other. True crime stories are playing on the TV. DH is in his digital world. We are safe.

As we move forward, we must remember we are all in this together. The same moon reflects back on us all. The same sun shines. I think we forget this sometimes. I know I do.

What do you do in a pandemic?

1. You make decisions like a grown up. Yeah, I hate that too, but now is the time. Listen to the experts/follow the rules/WASH YOUR HANDS.

2. You check on folks who may need some help. Since many of our friends are older people like us, we have plenty of folks to check on.

3. You check on the kids and make sure they know you are "adulting."

4. You catch up on the laundry.

5. You finish the taxes even as you wonder if the accountant wants paper documents or if you should scan and send them electronically.

6. You go to the ponds to see what's shaking.

7. You take a walk in the park (over the next few months there will likely be MANY such walks).

8. You start packing for the move.

9. You post your wildlife observations in a timely manner so you don't lose the photo disc (and post some for those who cannot get out).

10. You read and write and live your life - counting your blessings (number 1 being that you are not stuck in a foreign country trying to figure out what your next step might be).

Here are a few of the plants and animals we got to see because we weren't in quarantine and could social distance while monitoring the ponds and the park:

Today's weather signaled that an eagle would be at the ponds. Of course it was there! It perched, called, and flew - swooping low over the pond - three times. On the third swoop the eagle grabbed something from the water and flew westward toward its nest. I could have stopped there, but went on for the start of what might have been a record day of observations - mostly common things, but never common to me.

I don't cry when I see them anymore. Well, I may still tear up a bit...

Greater Yellowlegs - I still don't know the difference in "greater" and "lesser," but the experts help.

Eastern Phoebe (I think I saw 3 or 4 at the ponds). 

Busy bathing - Canada Geese

The cormorants were drying their wings too.

I thought I had a better photo of a Meadowlark, but this might be the best of a load of bad ones. I'll miss them when they  are gone...silly birds.

Morning doves are so much more that the grey shapes we see from a distance.

I wish I could describe the sounds of the morning. At the ponds the strange buzzy call of the Red-winged Blackbirds was punctuated by other calls - mockingbird, eagle, Red-shouldered Hawk and more. The Northern Cardinals were calling from high in the trees and the Eastern Phoebes called their name. I never thought I'd be able to "bird by ear," but find myself doing it more and more. Of course, I still have to refresh my memory with each seasons visitors - even as I refresh my identification of the ducks (by the end of the winter I know them all by sight, but forget just in time for the CBC - I cannot be trusted when it comes to ducks).

I saw no herons or hawks in the park, but there were other birds all around and a surprise.

Downy Woodpecker - there were three fighting for space. This was the winner.

This is the first Pied-billed Grebe I have seen in the park - not to say they are not frequent visitors. I'm looking forward to walking here most days. The new house isn't far so we will continue our monitoring (as we avoid humans).

The Phoebes were harder to see in the park for some reason. Finally.

Oh the noisy ones - I have such a love/hate relationship with these jesters - Blue Jay.

In the park the wildflowers were budding and blooming. I took some time to snag photos of whatever held still or smiled brilliant color into the warm air. I wanted to add a few more, but my Google storage is full. I suspect I'll be moving the blog. Stay tuned.

Texas Bluebonnets, Common Stork's-Bill, Rain Lilies, Wine Cups 

Common Stork's-bill

Grape Hyacinth - these are everywhere. I need a photo of Z in the hyacinths as well as the bluebonnets.

Mexican Buckeye 

Redbud 

Mountain Laurel

I grabbed this photo of the old bridge while trying to get a shot of the message left behind the tree where the hawks once nested. People leave messages for people in the jail across the creek. This was well hidden and survived park cleanup. 

Second Avenue Bridge

Message on a bandana.

One of the many squirrels that mocked poor Zelda. She chased none, but surely did want to.

Sundown at the ponds.

NOTES: 

*https://www.audubon.org/news/the-insiders-guide-birding-central-park-new-york-city

**https://www.hudsonyardsnewyork.com/discover/vessel

***https://www.thehighline.org

****http://ststephensgreenpark.ie

*****https://www.museum.ie/Home

******https://journalofmusic.com/listing/02-01-20/martin-hayes-and-common-ground-ensemble

FINAL NOTE: Take care of you. Take care of each other.

Lucky Day

We are all a great deal luckier than we realize, 
we usually get what we want - 
or near enough. 
~ Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

I was thinking about fate and luck and life today as I drove slowly down the roads looking for birds. I would like to say I was only on untraveled country roads, but I cannot. I can say that I mostly pulled over and never got a honk or a shaking fist from another driver. It's Sunday. Traffic is light.

Zelda waited patiently for me to finish (and twice I left the car - I almost never do that. It turns out that it was part of today's luck). And this time I had her belted in. For some reason I was nervous about her safety. Perhaps it did matter. just before the final turn back towards our town a stray dog was guarding the pothole-riddled road that marked the end of the bird-crawl. The dog jumped up when it saw us coming - it wanted to play chase and the passenger-side window was open. I've heard nightmare stories of dogs jumping out the window of a moving car. I'm not sure that Z would consider it. She made no move to jump, but she did see the dog and looked over at me. She could have been thinking "what's the matter with that dog?" or "aren't you proud of me for staying put? Whatever. I probably need to make belting her in a habit.

The state highway traffic was slow enough for me to be lured to a stop (I pulled in by a gate, people. I'm not completely crazy.) to photograph the eagle's nest.* The grey and gloomy day did not lend itself to good photos. I will play with it, but will likely have to try again - before the trees leaf-out.

I noticed very few birds in the usual spots so slowing for a group of "little brown birds" seemed important - I might not see many birds today (and I was later in the day than normal - already not expecting much). Then, in a location I've never seen one before, I recognized the weird low swooping - unmistakeable black and with wings - of the Pileated Woodpecker.** 

I feel like I'm always trying to shoot through a fence or twigs or something. Still, there is no mistaking this bird.

Woohoo!

 It stopped near the turtle pond and I fumbled for a few shots. There are moments on this little stretch of road that are hard to describe. 

I laughed away the tears and moved along to grab some photos of the usual suspects...mockers and grebes, teals and cormorants, killdeer and vultures, and cardinals - the cardinals were everywhere. I missed a photo of the lone hawk (probably Red-shouldered) that refused to wait as I made the u-turn. Meadowlarks, phoebes, and bluebirds showed up. And I finally saw some Cedar Waxwings. [Last winter giant flocks showed up everywhere and often - in the parks, along the country roads, and in the neighborhood. We usually see them starting in early January. But this year was dramatically different.] Today I watched a large flock of birds fly across the road and perch in our red oak. Finally, the Cedar Waxwings showed up.

I think the Robins have been here all winter.

One grebe at the ponds and two down the road near the "ford."

Terrible shots from below, but you can at least see the black mask and yellow-tipped tail that say  Cedar Waxwing.

A number of cardinals were just across the highway from the ponds

That showy male cardinal often gets all the attention. The female is a beautiful bird. This one was feeding on a hackberry, I think.

I'm closing in on getting a new camera...maybe...

Another red bird at the turtle pond...

...and one at my house.

Zelda had to wait again as I watched, but missed documenting, another six or so different woodpeckers.  She is a good dog - asleep now and bubble-barking as she chases squirrels in her sleep. 

It is big enough to see from the highway, but only in the winter when the trees have shed their leaves.

NOTES:

* I have a crazy thought rattling around in my head that I'd like to hike closer for some photos. First I'll need to research the property owner and hone my approach. The last time I sought access to someone's property I got a multi-call runaround followed by a reluctant sounding, but firm "NO." 

**Other people have reported seeing the pileated over the last few weeks, but I don't know that I have seen it since the CBC. And, since that was the important day, I tried not to be impatient or frustrated. If I had not delayed going out today, if I had not stopped to photograph the eagle's nest...lucky, lucky me.

FOOTNOTE:

A friend called to let me know she was going to be in town and would be able to pick up some materials I was going to donate to our Junior Master Naturalist group. I asked her if she would have time to come to this place with me. Once I introduced her I knew she would be able to navigate the "bird crawl" on her own. 

We checked on the location of the Spotted Chorus Frog from last weekend. We heard no calls, but saw Greater Yellowlegs and Killdeer.

So we took a couple of hours and identified ducks (!) and other birds. We saw many more than I'd seen earlier AND the Vermilion Flycatcher appears at the very end and there is a strong suspicion that we saw the juvenile Bald Eagle as well. What a day!

The coot shook out its wings.

Redheads and a coot.

Red-bellied Woodpecker

The final list of birds:

Red-shouldered Hawks
Bald Eagle
Merlin
American Kestrel
Turkey Vulture
Great Egret
Great Blue Heron
Pileated Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Logerhead Shrike
Vermilion Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Northern Cardinal
Northern Mockingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Red-winged Blackbird
Pine Warbler
Red-crowned Kinglet
Carolina Chickadee
Pipit
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Meadowlarks
Eastern Bluebird
Ring-billed Gull
Greater Yellowlegs
Wilson's Snipe
Canada Goose
American Crow
American Coot
Pied-billed Grebe
Chipping Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow

Oh, heavens! And the ducks...

Redheads
Blue-winged Teal
Green-winged Teal
Cinnamon Teal
Gadwall
Northern Shoveler
American Widgeon

And the one frog:

Spotted Chorus Frog (heard along Shallow Ford Road just to the west/southwest of Slough Pond)

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Great Blue Heron

Vermilion Flycatcher

NO MORE PARTIES (I said it, but I guess I didn't mean it - you would have to know my friends)

Come come! Come Out!
From bogs old frogs command the dark

and look...the stars

~ Kikaku, Japanese Haiku

It is winter-ish* and a few of us have been listening for winter-breeding frogs. Down in Leander there is a location where the Strecker's Chorus Frog are calling while the Spotted Chorus Frog has been heard near Temple.** And they aren't calling to direct attention to the "stars." The males are calling to the females. It's courting conversation. It's more like "come over here baby!" [I know - not an appropriate pick-up line, but the frogs don't know that.]

This spot is usually dry. When the field floods the birds come out to eat whatever the water attracts (and forces out of the ground). If it is winter, the Spotted Chorus frogs wake up. This view explains why we will NOT see the frogs from the roadway. It also explains why we will be able to take audio recordings. It's a pretty quiet spot. The folks living nearby almost rolled their eyes - wait, they did roll their eyes - when I started talking about the frogs calling.

So, a few folks were interested in taking a short road trip up the highway in the hopes of hearing the Spotted Chorus Frog. There is always the hope we would SEE one too. But the frogs are calling from private property. We might have to be satisfied with recording the call (which is very distinctive - a fast call that sounds like one is running a fingernail across the small teeth of a comb). Anyway, I was the hostess as I am the one who knew where to find the frogs in question.

I know, I know - I said I wouldn't be responsible for any more events/activities after some of my past wayward attempts. But these folks are pretty easy - no sign-up and minimal organizational details required. They will show up or not. We will hear the frogs or not. If we open our eyes we will definitely see birds as we will be in the middle of a couple of "hot spots." One way or another it would work out - and it did.***

There was an attempt at gaining physical access to the property. I stopped at a nearby house and got the name and number of the person responsible for the land. Three phone calls later I got the "reluctant" refusal**** so we would stand at the fence and be satisfied with audio recordings.***** To prepare I visited the area a number of times during the last couple of days - to know if and when the frogs might be counted on to start their calls (so some of the photos may come from an earlier drive. The sky will tell - early morning shots are grey and dark. In later shots there is sunshine.).

KM and BD recording and checking out the field.

HY grabbed some amazing photos. He's promised to share.

In any event the group gathered and we headed down the road (as I made the last attempt at permission to cross the fence). The frogs were located and recorded in two spots (we also think we might have heard some calls of the Southern Leopard Frog later, but they didn't call long enough for us to record). 

Then it was on to the birds. We saw a Bald Eagle, Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets, the Vermilion Flycatcher, Loggerhead Shrikes, American Kestrels, Northern Mockingbirds, Eastern Phoebes, Eastern Bluebirds, Wilson's Snipe, meadowlarks, hawks, cormorants, White-faced Ibis, Greater Yellowlegs, and ducks (lots and lots of ducks). Here you go:

I saw this Red-tailed Hawk on the first trip of the day. We saw another later.

Greater Yellowlegs filled the flooded field. I was reassured by KM that this species did not eat frogs. 

The shrikes were out in numbers.

The Canada Goose is called the rat of the bird world. I do like to hear and see them, but they are on the increase here.

The first of a few American Kestrels.

The Bald Eagle would appear early and again as we were preparing to leave...quite an accommodating bird.

I never get a decent "in flight" shot of anything, but this is the eagle.

Here is another.

Ring-billed Gull

DUCK BREAK: Yes, there were ducks. I took a few photos. The ducks are still mostly too far away for me to get good photos. I am often frustrated in the field when trying to identify them. But as the winter rolls along, I start to be lured into an appreciation of some of them.

Cinnamon Teal

Gadwall

Northern Shovelers

Here we have American Widgeons and a couple of Hooded Mergansers. The male merganser dove as I took the shot.  I think one of these ducks in the foreground is a juvenile and the other a female. I dunno. 

There is the adult male with that obvious white "hood." The wild-feathered wild-eyed bird  is the juvenile.

This might be a clearer shot of the male merganser.

There were other ducks - pintails, Blue-winged Teal, Ring-necked Ducks, and likely a few more. [I have to stop including ducks or they might make me identify and count them on the Christmas Bird Count next year. And I do not do ducks.]

More birds and stuff:

White-faced Ibis

If you catch the sunlight just right their whole body glows an iridescent green...gorgeous.

Greater Yellowlegs

The Ibis is in the shadows, but it almost looks like these Wilson Snipe are showing off their improbably long beaks to  another bird with an impressive one.

Wilson's Snipe

This Killdeer popped up a the last minute.

Once the sun came out the turtles were warming up.

Another shot of the Greater Yellowlegs from where the frogs were calling. 

We saw 15 to 20 Canada Geese along our route. 

The Bald Eagle returned. 

One of our company was hoping to see the eagles. I really thought it was too late in the day. I'm glad I was wrong.

Most of the birds left the pond when the eagle arrived. This GBH moved up to a perch in one the trees surrounding that pond.

I didn't adjust any of the photos here. My computer is full and I don't have time. The Vermilion was high on a utility line as the sun was going down. I took a few "silhouette" shots before it turned and looked into the sun.

NOTES:

* We haven't had much of a winter this year.

** Yeah, it was me. I discovered them calling a couple of years ago while birdwatching and there are 3 or 4 spots where we look for them. This year I started hearing them in one area and quickly notified the Amphibian Watch folks I've been volunteering with the last three years.

***And I love these people - I trained with all of them at one time or another. They have taught and continue to teach me so much. And they make me laugh. What would be a better way to spend a Sunday afternoon?

****There are some "famous" examples of rare species impacting land use in our general area. Property owners and such are VERY reluctant to even whisper about an unusual species or let someone on their property to look (or listen).

*****I'm used to driving up and down these roads and being satisfied with recordings and photos made from the car.

Final Note: As we were about ready to leave (154 photos of the Vermilion Flycatcher) a car pulled up. It was a fellow just getting started in birdwatching. I showed him my camera, talked to him a bit, encouraged him to try a couple of "nature nerd" apps, and handed him my card. If he is serious (and writes for info) I can send him information about getting in touch with the local Audubon. 

People are starving for the wild.

I get fed regularly.

There is still enough to share - for now.