Eze Speaks of Raven and Chickadee:

“Let me start by saying WIFI has been hard to find this trip.  Every camp says there is WIFI, but that was a stretch, either it didn’t work, it never worked or you have to go to the “office”…I don’t get out that easily. Of course, try to get on mom’s hot spot. She guards that like gold. So, for me to blog is a special treat.

I want to talk about “list birds”.   It all started when my humans met Raven and Chickadee. Now what kind of humans name themselves after birds?  You may know, although politically incorrect, I am a birder, a lister in fact. I know Chickadees when I see them.  They are common on my table feeder at home in Ohio.  I have never seen a Raven.  I have a theory.

Chickadee is really Laurel, she admitted to that and took quite a liking to me. She is a cat person and had a sweet baby of her own for 17 years.  It was Raven I have a problem with.

Raven is a lot like my human dad.  He is a birder for sure, talks birds, knows birds and “speaks bird”.  Yes, he ID’s with sound,  knowing bird language.  That caused me to question: was he really the unknown Raven? He had a lot of face hair and wore a jungle Jim hat … to conceal his identity perhaps? Was I in the company of a Raven?

I know my imagination is running wild, but still….

Yes, I’m going with Raven….I need a new "list bird."  Got the Carolina Wren just yesterday in Tenn. and wild turkeys on the Trace. Until I see evidence on IBird Ultimate (of which I never get a turn on the Iphone)….yes, I’m adding Raven to my list.”

Eze

                                                 ***************************

I knew I should not have let Eze on the hot spot. He is charming when he begs.  Of course, Eric is the Raven in www.RavenandChickadee.com.  Eric and Laurel are full-time RV’ers and the most interesting couple. Their "real" home is in Ashland, Oregon.  They have been out on the road three years in their lovely Arctic Fox. Eric is a very good birder, indeed. We also share a love of fine food and good wine. 

Laurel is a professional writer and blogger which causes me to pause. I ramble on my blog with little experience with journalistic endeavors.  I just know she is going to read this. Be kind, Laurel. :)  

Ed and I so enjoyed their  company; we met on Dauphin Island and we followed them to New Orleans.  We didn’t have New Orleans on our travel agenda, however that is what a road trip can become. Destination unknown.  We spent two days together at the French Quarter Jazz festival.  We did a wonderful walking  tour in the Garden District. Ed had his first Beignets and Chicory coffee.  Eric (alias Raven) and Laurel were so kind to offer their vehicle to get us from camp to the Ferry to the French Quarter, a wonderful adventure together.

I know our paths will cross again. We look forward to seeing you, Raven and Chickadee, soon!

Eric and Laurel  Alias: Raven and Chickadee

Davy Crockett and Meriweather Lewis Slept here:

I have never blogged before in "real time".  Tonight is the exception.  This is one of the last nights on the road for this winter trip of 2015-2016.  I am feeling so nostalgic.  How is our 4 month trip so close to being over? Is is possible?

We left home from Ohio on Dec. 9th, 2015 wondering if we could be happy on the road 4 months? Here it is April 10, 2016 heading full tilt north, back to Ohio.  We share the sentiment of our friends on the road.  Once you are 3 days from home, all you want is to be at home.  We are feeling that this evening.  Also we are feeling the joy of our adventure.


We have covered great distance,  a stop at Okefenokee  Swamp in Georgia and Christmas week on Amelia Island, Ga. Christmas Eve with our dear friends, Sue and Don, and Christmas holidays at their house watching Cairo, Eze's cousin.

We traveled over to visit my dear Aunt Carol and Jim and moved on west to the Emerald Coast (panhandle of Florida). We traveled a similar route last year, this year adding a few new parks and springs to our itinerary.  I enjoyed a visit with a high school friend in Santa Rosa Beach.

This year was "Dauphin Island Birding" winter.  We booked 60 days and awaited the birds to start Spring migration.  Listed 126 species.  In the mean time we walked the beach, biked many miles and waited for Jason and family to join us on Dauphin.

We had such a wonderful time with the "kids". There was crabbing and beaching afternoons and great food and fun.  There was a "LIFER" found by Jason, the Clapper Rail.  Kayaks were launched and seafood eaten. I spent as much time as would allow with my beautiful grand daughters. As always, the time went by too quickly.

We made new and interesting friends, some I hope forever friends.  We parted the Island, over the bridge,  heading for New Orleans. Hopefully we will return someday.

A New Orleans adventure, a Natchez, Miss. history lesson and  a north heading on the Natchez Trace. A history lesson every few miles.  Ancient Americans, 200years AD, mound builders walked the Trace.  American Indians, the Choctaw and Natchez and the Chickasaw Indians followed. "Kaintucks" from W.Va and Ohio and Pa. walked back home on the Trace after floating down the Mississippi River to sell goods. Only took them a month! Confederate soldiers are buried along the Trace.  So much American History.  The sad "Trail of Tears" story comes alive along the Trace.

Tonight we are parked up on a hill in Davy Crockett State Park.  Pretty much by ourselves, only a few other travelers.  A rainy afternoon to finish up the Trace, we have had a nice dinner with a good red and are playing "Southern Traditional" music, a collection of old-time southern favorites performed on mandolin, banjo, guitar, and fiddle.

I chose the music at the store  of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail, one of 400 parks in the National Park System, celebrating 100 years this year.  That is a very good thing. Our National Parks are such a gift to every American.

So, our trip is ending, should be home in a few days.  Feeling sad, must be the music and/or the wine. That is what happens when you blog in real time.

Be Well,
Diana

Vacation from an Adventure

April 3, 2016 

I’ve been busy recording birds on the migration.  Have not had a moment to write about anything else.  So to catch up with Our Life In The Lark:

I call last week a vacation from an adventure, not a vacation from a vacation.  We don’t consider our four month adventure a vacation at all.  It’s a learning opportunity, it’s an escape from northern winter and it’s birding.  That entails a lot of work.  Pleasant, but still work.  We do all of the things that need being done when you are home. Cooking, cleaning, bill paying, entertaining and shopping.  We have been doing it at Island Time.  Add Southern Time to that and it is any wonder anything gets done. 

We have a lovely bakery on the Island.  If there are five people in line ahead of you…well, just plan a lengthly wait for your bread or the best Pecan cinnamon roll ever.  Ed feels Island time is perfect.  Eze is OK with it….I’m doing better than last year.

Back to vacation last week.  Jason and Michaela and the girls, Rylan and Savana, joined us on the Island for a week.  Their spring break in Davis, Ca. worked with Spring Break here on the Island.  We planned this last year as a rendezvous.  Pap-Pap and WaWa split for a beach house (a bucket list item for me) and the kids bought tickets to fly.  

What a wonderful time we had.  A great big 2 story beach house with a back yard, our own private docks and view over the Mississippi Sound.  The front of the house faced the Gulf Beach.  

We did stuff.  Kids kayaked the marsh from the house.  We dined and drank with style (never hurts to have an exec chef in the family),  we “beached” “shelled” “crabbed” and  hiked the Audubon.  Jason got us all a LIFER, a Clapper Rail in the scope.  He is heading down the birder path. 

We ate ice cream before supper and stayed up late.  Eze tolerated the girls and was won over by Rylan by the end of the week.  The girls camped one night  with Pap-Pap in the Lark in the driveway.  I preferred the use of soaking tub and master suite.  I suppose in the biggest of buss RV’s  there are bath tubs, not so the Lark.

As all of our time with the “kids”, time goes by too quickly.  The week flew by.  They went on to several days in New Orleans.  Had a great time, as Facebook tracked their adventures for us.

They are back home and we are enjoying our last week at camp Dauphin Island.

We found Dauphin Island on the web for last years Lark adventure.  We spent thirty days winter 2014-15 and returned to spend 60 days this winter.  60 days is too long for us in one spot is the verdict.  Saying later into April was the birding thrill this year.  The migration started the last of March and is going full steam.  We have over 125 specious on the Island this year and 7 LIFERS.  Our life list is close to 350…will hope to get there by the end of this week.

Our next adventure takes us NW to Natchez, Miss. and then North to Nashville Tenn. via the Natchez Trace.  A parkway of history, 50 MPH speed and no stop signs.  Said to be as beautiful in the spring as the Skyline Parkway in Va.  We shall see. The adventure continues.

THE BIRDS ARE ARRIVING....a continuation of the last three blogs on Dauphin Island

If you are following our bird and bird list for Dauphin Island, this is a continued list from Feb. and March and April blogs.

Yellow-Throated Vireo  LIFER

April 2, 2016



My last entry on OurLIfeInTheLark shows 121 species on Dauphin Island since we arrived.

The birds are arriving daily across the Gulf of Mexico and Landing on Dauphin Island.

This is what we came for and are not disappointed.

Tennessee Warbler

Blue Winged Warbler

Yellow-Billed Cuckoo

LIFER  Yellow-Throated Vireo

#125

American Redstart

#126

Summer Tanager

Yellow Billed Cuckoo

April 2016 Bird List (continued) Audubon Dauphin Island

I Wanted to wait until April 1st to continue  the list of species on Dauphin Island.  But I just can't wait.

We had 100 yesterday with the hooded warbler.

Last evening we had a typical nasty rain and thunderstorm over the Mississippi Sound. The kids from N. California thought it was great!  They rarely get a thunderstorm.  Wind driven rain raised our marsh noticiably in three hours. That was when Jason saw the Clapper Rail.

Evidently it also drove in the birds coming across the Gulf.

This AM birds started to be seen everywhere.  

First at the Oyster Mounds (ancient) we met some serious birders.  The word was that a worm-eating warbler was there and an Orange-crowned Warbler was also  there.   Both birds NOT on our life list.

I had to remind Ed we only see our children several times a year and we needed to move as they wanted to see our campground, the Audubon Trail and get to the beach for one last afternoon.

For Ed a serious sacrifice, which  he indeed made.

Then as soon as the kids headed for the beach, he was out the door....

LIFER  Yellow-Throated Warbler

#100

Prothonotary Warbler

Hundreds of Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds

Palm Wabler

Hooded Warbler

104

All of these birds were within 2 blocks of our rental and within 1 block of each other.

Simply amazing.  Ed got great shots!

Hooded Warbler

Northern Parula

LIFER   Worm-eating Warbler 

Blue-Headed Vireo

Black and White Warbler

Prothonotary Warbler

Eastern Kingbird

Prothonotary Warbler

Yellow Throated Warbler

#110  Species on Dauphin Island since Feb. 

8th

Yellow Bellied Sapsucker

#111
Oven Bird
Orchard Oriole
Indigo Bunting

#114


LIFER:   Vermilion Flycatcher

This bird has only been to the Island
a couple of times...ever....Texas migration.
A really really special list bird for us.


LIFER:  Pine Siskin
This bird is seen often in Ohio, but never
has made our list.  Glad to get it here!


#116

We never found the Orange Crowned Warbler

Vermilion Flycatcher

Pine Siskin

Wood Thrush
Scarlet Tanager
Summer Tanager
Yellow-Crowned  Night Heron
White Throated Sparrow

#121

Yellow-Crowned Night Heron

Yellow Bellied Sapsucker

Northern Parula

Not the best picture of the Worm-Eater Warbler
We will do better....he moves fast!

Be Warned: Children and Granddaughters at Blue Fish....unless you are related.....

Blue Fish Beach House on Dauphin Island

Crabbing

A Tween !!

Beach Babies

Feeding the Gulls

Sea Museum on Island

Lifer Kind of a Day! 3/17/2016 St. Pat's Day White - Winged Doves

White-Winged Doves

Located at Audubon Marsh Observation Platform

Mated Pair of Mottled Ducks
Ed captured these on the Marsh today also