[obol] Pine Grosbeaks, finally

From: BILL ROSIE <watice@xxxxxxx>
To: OBOL <obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 9 Mar 2015 03:07:10 +0000
Hi All,
I needed to bring my car
to the shop near Stayton this morning, so convinced my wife it would
be fun to try for the Pine Grosbeaks at the Pass, and she was
agreeable.  So we dropped it off and drove with our other, newer car.
 We walked about a mile up the PCT.  I showed her the bear grass, the
seeds of which they are said to eat on.  She became enamored looking
at them while I went on, and just a short distance down the trail
went off to the left to the little lookout and sat on a rock.  As she
did not join me in about 5 minutes, I retraced my steps back down the
trail to the bear grass, but she was not there.  So I figured she
must have gone on past the lookout not knowing I was there, so I
headed up the trail.   She must have started walking fast to catch up
with me for it was a few hundred yards further, and by the time we
found one another she was not too happy.   So I figured it was time
to turn around.  When we reached the Summit Trail we headed up it and
in about 50 yards she said she was hearing a grosbeak.  (Yea, she got
used to my playback.....what can I say)  She said, “Can't you hear that?”  My
hearing is not what it used to be, and I said, “Nope.”  Then the
discussion started to include things like “going to get a
check-up,” and “getting hearing aids,” and “getting the wax
out.”  I suspected she was still ticked off at me for her getting
lost, so I thought it best to say, “I can hear it now that I am
turning my head differently.”  It worked like a charm.  She was now
into finding a grosbeak, so I figured I had better let her be the
leader, and told her to head us in the best direction off the trail. 
We finally flushed a couple of females (I suppose Providence would
have it that way) and we were then lifted to a better mood.  What
finding a good bird won't do.............



Prior to that we had not
seen or heard even one bird!  No woodpeckers, mountain bluebirds,
ravens, robins or even a piece of junco.  Heck, not even a Boreal
Owl!  It was a glorious day as far as weather went.  We were in short
sleeves.  I also noted how low Detroit Lake was, and began wondering
if there would be enough water running into it to return it to the
usual summer level.   If not, the economy will likely suffer.
 

Bill Tice: Birding - The best excuse for getting outdoors, and avoiding chores.
[obol] Pine Grosbeaks, finally

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