recently....

it's the time of year when we students, if dedicated, must swap out our accoutrements of leisure for those of a more responsible life. school has started up again, and homework assignments and semester projects are coming down the pipeline. for me, this means i'll be spending less time birding, and more time sweating over a computer. i've put away my binoculars and bird books (to a great degree), in exchange for books and backpacks. but, i've also added another activity to the rotation, in my quest to be a more well-rounded person... i recently dusted off my road bike, and started the painful journey toward becoming a competent rider again. biking is a pastime i very much enjoy, though not nearly as much as birding. it is equally rewarding, if only in a different manner. it remains to be seen, however, how successful i'll be at sticking to the program, and balancing birding with biking. i'm not sure how i'll be able to ride my bike while there are birds in view, without having to stop and seriously lament the fact that i don't have binos with me. who knows, maybe i'll create some hybrid of the two, and learn to enjoy them both at once - doubtful. the impetus for my long overdue return to riding (before i moved to new zealand i was logging around 60 miles a week) is a trip to yosemite that is on the horizon. if one is not so inclined, there is no need to get in shape to experience yosemite. but, since i like the idea of testing myself physically on the many hikes the place has to offer, and getting out of the valley floor, onto the barely less-beaten track, i find it necessary. the hike to the top of yosemite falls (the highest waterfall in n. america!) is no joke. though i plan on devoting an entire day or two to serious birding - PILIATED WOODPECKER, AMERICAN DIPPER, and other very interesting birds can be found there - this trip is primarily a bonding experience for friends both old and new. so, it will include much hiking, and i don't want to be left in the dust.

in other news: this week i had two very uneventful birding trips. one to imperial beach, the other to the san dieguito lagoon. despite the extreme lack of variety in bird life, i was able to get two new birds for the year: GREEN HERON, and NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW.


GREEN HERON