I have to say, this has been quite a week! Started with a trip down to the St. Louis area for the boy’s agility show. Raven was a rockstar qualifying 8 out of 10 runs placing in all if I remember correctly. Ruger, well, as they say…at least he’s cute. He did qualify on one of his runs – he’s young and still getting used to the big ring stress. Went for a run the day after and blew my May training goal of an 18 mile day out of the water with a 22 miler (the cooler temps were greatly appreciated). Then, as if that wasn’t enough, had a fun outing with the Intrigued staff – except the lawyers, they are still on double secret probation thanks to their previously mentioned copier stunt. Word has it Brad might cover that event, so I’ll leave those details for him. Retirement life is certainly good!
For today’s feature I am adding a new entry in the “in a Tree” series.
Hit the jump to see more high branch topknot glory and for the bonus content!
For those that have not been long-time followers, I like to feature intriguing birds in a tree – more specifically, species you do not generally expect to find hanging out on branches. Previously I’ve featured Turkeys in a Tree (link here) and Greater Roadrunners in a Tree (link here) as well as a few other oddities. Even Brad got into the action with his hilarious Groundhog in a Tree post (link here). Today’s Quail in a Tree, or QiaT, happens to be a very first for me.
Sure, I’ve seen a lot of Gambel’s Quails in my lifetime and before this, every single one of those encounters consisted of me trying to get shots of them while they ran like maniacs through the desert scrub. As a runner, I definitely admire the speed they can achieve with those spindly legs. Pretty sure it a kinesiology counterbalance advantage gained from their goofy looking feathered topknot. I had designed my own version to test out during one of my ultras last year. Linda saw me trying it on the day before the race and gave me a “HARD NO”, so my theory remains untested.
Probably for the best as I had missed a very important feature when I was researching the design. Little did I know they could SPLIT their topknot, clearly giving them a 20 to 30% increase in short burst velocity – the Quail’s version of nitro canisters. The first ultra of the season is fast approaching (50K CMAR – link here), so I need to get going on version 2.0 of my topknot. Hmmm, might even add lights to it so I can see it during the night miles. Word to the wise, Bri, DO NOT show Linda before race launch this time.
This particular specimen was hanging out at Henderson Bird Viewing Center during our Las Vegas trip in March. In particular, it was found on the THIRD visit to the center. I was stunned that we had not located a single one on the previous visits – normally a sure thing based on all the previous year’s we had visited there. Clearly I was looking too close to the ground the entire time. This plump fella was pecking at one of the buds on the tree as we were heading out having finally tinned the Crissal Thrasher (link here). As Otara Millionaires Club (OMC) so eloquently stated “How bizarre, how bizarre”. Good luck getting that earworm out of your head “is that a Chevy ’69?” hehehe.
Not sure Linda appreciated the delay in getting out of the hot desert sun, but I had to get a picture to add to my oddity collection. While I was focused on the specimen in the tree, Linda pointed out one of the speed demons on the ground. Got a quick snap before it effortlessly sliced through some ground tangle. Success, I now have the perfect reference to analyze for the proper topknot placement – on the way back to the hotel I was busy trying to use my arm to mimic the proper placement and curve translation to my head. Linda noticed – “YOU ARE NOT WEARING THAT DURING A RACE!!” I wonder if most successful inventors are single…
As I didn’t have a lot of variety in this QiaT series, decided I would give you some bonus content to round out the post. Another sure thing at Henderson is the Verdin, in my humble opinion, the absolute cutest of the desert songbirds.
Their bright yellow head compliments their light grey wash across their breast and then transitions to the darker greys it you move down the back and into the wings. My favorite part is the adorable chestnut shoulder patch on the wing bend. You can just see a touch of it in these few shots – more prevalent if you are head on. They are year round birds in the lower southwest, but if you want to cut down on the hunt, they are always abundant in the trees surrounding the Henderson ponds. I never get tired of seeing them.
This is one of the few birds that build nests for roosting. According to Cornell, these roosting nests help them stay warm in the cold desert months. Simply look for their spherical nests constructed from thorny branches/twigs and you should be set for a nice tinning – assuming you can get a clear shot at them. The sneaky devils are master black belts in keeping obstacles between them and long glass.
Will leave it there for today’s post. We are actually packing to head out for another dog show over Memorial Day weekend. Hey… I just had an idea.. what if I put a topknot on Ruger…not that he needs additional speed, but it might keep him focused…”Linda, I have an idea….” , “NO!”, “But I haven’t even told you wha..” “I know..answer still NO!”. I have this constant nagging feeling I will never reach my full glory…just saying.
Life Intrigued 