These were definitely unique responses worthy to see again. I know a lot of
us missed Jimmy's clue until he said something a couple weeks later during
a field trip and we all were flabbergasted to have missed it, but you know
we were all so enthralled with the poetry....
:) Stacy Burleigh
On Fri, Jan 29, 2016 at 9:34 PM, Matthew G Hunter <matthewghunter@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Hi Folks,
I was just going through some 2015 sightings reported on the Umpqua
Birds list and ran across this series of emails that was some classic fun
from last summer. Paul Meyer shares a photo of a bird (from Idaho) asking
for some help to ID it. Russ replies with some ... clues, but no direct
identification. Jimmy replies with *more clues* but no OBVIOUS
identification given, and then there is my poem (poetry is sweated out of
me during hot summer days mostly) having fun with Russ's
non-identification. But.........
What I REALLY wanted to share with you was something I DID NOT EVEN FIND
OUT UNTIL SEVERAL WEEKS AFTER JIMMY'S POST!
If you look at Jimmy's stacked sentences, check out what the first letter
of each sentence spells as you go down!
G
R
A
Y
C
A
T
B
I
R
D
So, he DID reveal the identity of the bird in Paul's photo. Sneaky guy!
Maybe I was the last person to know about this, but I thought that was
pretty ingenious, and since I ran across this again, I wanted to share this
for whoever missed it last July! :-)
Best,
Matt
On Thu, Jul 23, 2015 at 4:50 PM, Matthew G Hunter <
matthewghunter@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Why doth Russ tarry,
In giving an answer?
He is thus wary,
Being caught w/his pants, er...
For if he were off,
In his quick advice,
To believe him again,
We'd all think twice.
But this is a silly,
Rhyme just for fun.
'Cause Russ is a teacher,
And a very good one.
And Jimmy and Russ,
If you get them started,
You'll bust your gut laughing
'Til the sun hath departed.
But now I must end,
This sing-songy yarn,
And get back to work,
On my beloved barn.
...Species heard/seen first half of day while working on my barn:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S24358367
Matt Hunter
Melrose
On Thu, Jul 23, 2015 at 3:28 PM, James Billstine <billstinj@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Gosh I hate it when people don't tell me what I
Really want to know
And you say the call is distinct?
You couldn't just tell me what it is?
Cap is black you say?
Always moving
Through the
Brush?
In and out of sight?
Really great clues.
Darn it!
On Thu, Jul 23, 2015 at 3:20 PM, Russ Namitz <namitzr@xxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Paul~
This bird is usually a skulker, so the fact that you obtained a photo
is excellent. It is gray all over with a darker black cap. What you can't
see in the photo are the chestnut undertail coverts. It just barely makes
it into Oregon as a breeding species in the NE corner of the state though
one can usually see this species in migration at Malheur NWR. It has a
distinctive call, almost onomatopoeic, reminiscent of its mammalian
namesake.
Russ Namitz
Medford, OR
------------------------------
From: pkmeyer@xxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [Umpqua Birds] What is this?
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 2015 12:59:53 -0700
CC: pkmeyer@xxxxxxxxxxx
To: umpquabirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Does anyone have an idea what this is? Near Lake Coeur d’Alene in
north Idaho a couple weeks ago.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127702706@N08/sets/72157655849282970
Paul Meyer
--
James Billstine
http://birdsandbrawn.blogspot.com/
