Today.

I don't believe in much but I've always felt pretty confident about things happening for a reason.  Today was an excellent example.  It started off with swapping work shifts so I worked the morning instead of the afternoon.  I came home and made some vegan corn chowder, and after two bowls found myself quite comfortable on the couch.  Eventually I kicked my own ass off the couch and headed to Vancouver to walk the dogs along the Frenchman's Bar trail.


Birding was slow along the path, the only interesting bird was a slightly leucistic (or so I assume) White-crowned Sparrow:


I made it to Frenchman's Bar Park planning to head into the woods and look for woodsy birds.  A man with a bouncy off-leash dog on the beach prevented me from going that way, then a random weimaraner was wandering in the parking lot blocking the other way in.  I was pretty frustrated with the situation.  I walked the dogs around the other end of the park but didn't find much going on bird-wise.


Bummed, I decided to leave the park and make my way back towards where I parked.  But as we walked the sun started to peek out...


The lighting was pretty awesome and it cheered me up quite a bit.  I even forced the dogs into an awkward pose on the bike path...


I wished there were more birds around to pose in the awesome light, but this hawk and geese will have to do...


When we got back to the car I decided to keep on walking towards Vancouver Lake.  There were Red-winged Blackbirds perched all along the flushing channel and they made for nice silhouettes in front of the sunset...


We reached an area that was thick with sparrows- a couple towhees, Golden-crowned and White-crowned, and at least one Fox Sparrow.   They loved these trees:


I was feeling much better about our afternoon walk after this and started to head back to the car, but then I noticed another silhouette against the sky.  I thought scrub-jay at first. 


It only took about two seconds for me to realize this was not a scrub-jay and I just about started crying- it was my effing nemesis, the Northern Shrike. 


And so it all made sense- the change in work schedule, the weimaraner, the sun coming out... It was all leading to this bird.


Hell yeah!  I win!! 

Comments

  1. Hell yeah!!!

    So wait a minute, was this a lifer or what?

    Congrats no matter - a killer bird every dang time.

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  2. Killer bird indeed, the killeriest!

    Nice snag there Big Bins Jen.

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  3. Congrats!
    You are such a geek. That is why I love your blog :)

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  4. Big Bins Jen with the snag on the Shrike
    Number 388 near the Frenchman's dike
    Hell yeah...
    Hell yeah...

    It was her nemesis bird, she couldn't track it down
    But now she racked up, and in the West V-town
    Hell yeah...
    Hell yeah...


    Sorry, couldn't help but bust a rhyme since we're committing to Big Bins Jen.

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    Replies
    1. Wow, this is one of the best things I've ever read. Can't stop laughing!

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  5. Those bins are freakin' huge, she sees all the birds
    She sees every damn feather and their little tiny turds
    Hell yeah...
    Hell yeah...

    No spotting scope needed with those big ass bins
    She's got a muthafreakin' 40-sized ocular lens
    Hell yeah...
    You've heard of Big Bins Jen...

    Okay, I'm done...seriously ;-)

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    Replies
    1. Amazing! Turds! Are you secretly a rapper in your spare time?!

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  6. Congrats on your Shrike Lifer, Jen! And I love the shot of your dogs! Happy Birding!

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  7. That is so great! Nothing is more satisfying than tracking down your own lifer. May many more shrikes follow.

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    Replies
    1. Well now that I've seen one I'm sure I'll see them everywhere. That's how it always seems to work!

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  8. Replies
    1. AWESOME. I will be demanding a live performance next time I see ya.

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  9. I think a YOU TUBE of the Big Bins Jen Rap is in order....holy crow I wanna hear it..lol OMG congrats on seeing a N. Shrike wayyyy over <-----there! Yes it was in the cards for sure...now can we work on you winning the lotto and then loaning me some cash?

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    Replies
    1. Oh man, the Big Bins Jen Rap definitely needs to be on youtube, haha. And yes I will get to work on winning the lotto for ya!

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