My BIG DAY of Birding - 90 Species!

Yesterday was one of the best days ever (now there's a PL phrase for you, lol) and I want to share my joy of this magical day.  I've been planning this day for over a month.  I had a successful day in finding 90 species in little over 12 hours.

It's been 2 years since I've had  a large number of species in one day on my own.   My previous record was 87 and it was just pure lucky timing that I found so many birds that day.  But yesterday was planned with specific locations and birds to be found there.  I missed some expected birds but passing my previous count by 3 birds was exciting.  I'm not in this for any competition.  It's just pure pleasure to see so many fabulous creatures in one day and also satisfying that my birding abilities have improved in part by my being able to identify birds by their calls and songs.  Out of the 90 birds, 20 of them were identified by sound only, though some of them I did eventually see elsewhere.

Reprinted from my FB page.

5/5/2015 BIG DAY

In order of appearance:

Start time 5:45 am

MOURNING DOVE, HOUSE FINCH, BLACK PHOEBE, MALLARD, ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD, HOUSE SPARROW, PINE SISKIN, ROCK DOVE, SCRUB JAY, GREEN HERON, DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, TREE SWALLOW, BARN SWALLOW, AMERICAN CROW, AMERICAN ROBIN, AMERICAN GOLDFINCH, CLIFF SWALLOW, NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD, NUTTAL'S WOODPECKER, YELLOW-BILLED MAGPIE, EUROPEAN STARLING, BREWER'S BLACKBIRD, SWAINSON'S HAWK, SPOTTED TOWHEE, NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW, BELTED KINGFISHER, RED-TAILED HAWK, TURKEY VULTURE, HOUSE WREN, WESTERN KINGBIRD, KILDEER, WHITE-TAILED HAWK, GREAT BLUE HERON, GREAT EGRET, BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD, CHIPPING SPARROW, WESTERN MEADOWLARK, WHITE-FACED IBIS, WESTERN BLUEBIRD, NORTHERN HARRIER, RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, EURASIAN COLLARED DOVE, CALIFORNIA QUAIL, AMERICAN KESTREL, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, SONG SPARROW, BULLOCK'S ORIOLE, MARSH WREN, BEWICK'S WREN, RING-NECKED PHEASANT, BUSHTIT, AMERICAN COOT, AMERICAN AVOCET, CANADA GOOSE, ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, NORTHERN PINTAIL, GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, LEAST SANDPIPER, BLACK-NECKED STILT, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, NORTHERN SHOVELER, LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW, SNOWY EGRET, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE, BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON, DOWNY WOODPECKER, WRENTIT, WILSON'S WARBLER, HOODED ORIOLE, LESSER GOLDFINCH, NORTHERN FLICKER, OAK TITMOUSE, PIED-BILLED GREBE, GADWALL, CALIFORNIA TOWHEE, RING-NECKED DUCK, AMERICAN WIGEON, LESSER YELLOWLEGS, CINNAMON TEAL, COMMON RAVEN, BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK, COMMON GALINULE, CATTLE EGRET, WOOD DUCK, OSPREY, BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD.

End time 6:00 pm

90 species

Visited 13 locations (2 were repeated)

I took very few photos and just enjoyed my in-the-moment experiences.  But some opportunities were too good to pass up.

House Wren with huge dragonfly in her bill for her babies.  (iPhone photo)

Juvenile White-Faced Ibis

(digi-scoped)

Cosumnes River Preserve Marsh Area

                                                



I was grinning all day.

One of 13 locations I birded yesterday.

Species #88: Wood Ducks.  These beauties were the ones that put me over my record!  Taken at Reichmuth Park.

Julie Ebersole Card Class

I've never spent 7 hours straight making cards before.  Julie Ebersole's two card classes that I attended yesterday were meant to be two hours each.  Ha!  Julie packs so much into her classes that the idea of making 6 to 7 cards in two hours is hilarious.  She is just so likable, talented, funny, creative and generous that I can't wait to take another class or two from her next time she is in Sacramento.

Here's what I made.  My execution is not the greatest but we all worked furiously to get all the cards completed which I did.  I learned a lot of new tricks and looks that I will try on my own.

13 Cards:

One Die - Five Ways to Use It

This is a challenge going on currently over at Paper Artists Online.  It's late so I'm not explaining them just yet.  Maybe later when I'm more alert, LOL.


The die is Cherry Blossom from Darice

Thanks for looking and your comments.

Way Behind

Though I've been busy making a variety of cards I just haven't made time to post them here.  SO...since it's just a few hours until March arrives I decided to have an end-of-the-month gallery review.  You will see I've been a little busy with challenges, grandkid cards, Valentine's Day and many more.  So here is what I've been making since my last post.

Grandkid cards for a collective birthday party.  The card base is from Stephanie Barnard's Step Up card die and the critters are from Paper Smooches.

The next three are two card samples I created with the sketch I made for the March PAO Card Sketch Challenge.  The sentiment stamps are from My Favorite Things, the hydrangea is Stampendous and the flower border is Unity Stamps.  Hydrangeas were colored with Copics.

Of course I always have to get some coffee cards made...one of my favorite card subjects.  Stamps and dies are all from Taylored Expressions.  

The next 5 cards are a continuation of the "Kill the Kit" challenge on PAO.  I didn't totally kill the kit but I definitely used up a lot of that paper pad.

One of my goals (and challenge thanks to my friend Jen) this year is to make 5 holiday cards a month so by the time December rolls around I have a pile in my arsenal.  This particular group of 5 was made from gorgeous cocktail napkins!  After peeling away the excess layers leaving the printed layer left, they are then glued to white card stock.  These 5 were all embossed with various folders for more texture before adding them to card bases.  I really feel like I have cheated if I don't involve some stamping. 

This next card was made for a friend and co-PAOist who is moving soon.  All stamps are SU.

This darling bird from Hero Arts was stamped in a year old ink pad I made myself.  It has really held up well.  The flowers from Stampendous were embossed in green embossing powder and then colored.

This card was one of those cards that just hit me and I knew exactly what I wanted to do, even though  it hit me a tad late.  This is a birthday card for my friend Jen's husband.  He is keen on vintage cars as well as keeping up with what is happening on Wall Street.  I couldn't have been luckier to have this paper from Graphic 45 of the New York Stock Exchange.  I found the old Pontiac somewhere online about a year ago and have just been waiting to use it.  I printed it out in red and then cut it out on my KNK.

 And finally Valentine's Day cards.  The first two were for my grandkids.

These last two for my dear friends Jen and Nancy.

Well that pretty much summarizes cards for February.  I hope to be more on top of posting cards for March.  

Thanks for looking and your comments.

Unity Friends With Flair Friday

I am in a challenge over on Paper Artists Online called "Kill the Kit".  I selected to kill  Graphic 45 8x8 French Country paper pad.  I am getting the job done slowly, one card at a time.  This was my first card of the group.  I've been wanting to play with the Unity "Mod Clocks" for some time.  So I employed my Klic N Kut by scanning the clock and 'timeless' sentiment and using the print and cut method on the KNK.  So, so easy...no dies required.  I also made a shadow for the clock with the KNK.  The clock is colored with Copics, the sentiment edged with Distress Ink and the rest is all paper from the collection.

Unity FWF

Sometimes when I have very little time I can come up with a quick idea thanks to the awesome Unity Stamps!  Here's my very fast submission for this week's FWF using Bee Happy Hexagons.  What a darling set.  All stamps are from this set.  My Fisksars hexagon punch was the perfect size to pop out these different textured hexagon stamps.

Thanks for looking:)

PAO January 2015 Challenge

As I said below, I hope to participate in various challenges.  This PAO challenge simply involves using an item or items in your stash that need to be used up.

In my case that would be everything in my craft room!  Therefore I decided for the month of January, my selection for this challenge will be to use up, to the best of my ability, the November and December TSOL monthly card kits.

Today I completed my first Valentine card.  This quite possibly will be my card to my sweet hubby.  Valentine's Day is also our wedding anniversary...the 28th!  But knowing me I will change my mind a few times before 2/14.

Anyway this card was made with multiple TSOL items from December's Card Kit and Die Hard Club sets.  The base is Stephanie Barnard's Step-Ups Basic Card die for Sizzix.  What I found to be so wonderful in making this card was that everything I needed to make this card was included in those two December kits.  The only exception was the medium grey card stock from my stash used for the card base.

Thanks for looking.