Month: July 2024

Hard to Swallow…by Brad Marks

Howdy folks! Somehow we have managed to fly through July already. Part of that fly-by was thanks to a pretty busy month here at Intrigued. Intrigued’s 4th celebration, Brad and Jan out in the field and there were several running events packed in there; Jan’s St. Jude run, my failure at Cry My a River and as of last Saturday, our 20th consecutive running of the Bix7 up in the Quad Cities. Admittedly, wasn’t so sure how the Bix would go based on my previous performance in the heat and Bix is traditionally an oven of a race being deep in July. Fortunately, temps stayed Midwestern mild in mid to high 80s for the actual race and all went well, very well actually (temps did go back up to normal post race). A great way to wrap up my road race career, it is all trails from this point on! While I get a bit of recovery in, Brad is going to bring us an adventure from another steamy location.

Take it away Brad…

Jan and I have the Annual Parks Pass, allowing us unfettered access to all of the nation’s national parks, forests, monuments, etc.  We’ve purchased one each year since we retired and have more than paid for the pass with savings on park entrance fees several times over.  When we had the opportunity to visit another National Park, we jumped at the chance to pile on the savings.  If you don’t have your Annual Parks Pass by now . . . well . . . you know who you are.

The desert around Las Vegas is just that; a desert.  We shook it up a bit by visiting the largest reservoir in the US, or even in North America:  Lake Mead.  For those keeping score at home, Lake Powell has more surface area, but Lake Mead holds more water.  Both are suffering from extended drought conditions and increased demand for water.  Kids don’t let the water keep running when you brush your teeth.  After leaving the visitor center, we headed towards the Wetland Trail in Lake Mead National Recreation Area. 

A few minutes into our hike along a ridge, I spotted something flitting in and out of a hole in the side of a cliff.  A swallow was my first thought, but being 50-75 yards away, all I got was a small brown smudge on the sensor near the middle of the photo

Northern Rough-Winged Swallow by Brad Marks

Look closely and you’ll see the tiny image of the bird near a hole where the rock changes from gravelly aggregate to red-striated sandstone.  Did you see it?  Good.

This wetland trail area looks a bit like a capital letter “X”.  The parking lot is near the top with the trail running along a ridge down the middle of the top half of the X.  The marshy area is down the left leg of the X.  The right side of the X was completely dry, even when it met the other side near the middle of the X.  The trail along the peak of the ridge was mostly loose gravel.  Several signs stated that this trail was not maintained and to hike at our own risk.  The top part of the trail was OK.   But as we neared the junction of the X and began the descent, I was very aware I was carrying a 9 lb. camera because the swinging weight was affecting my footing.  Jan must have had a harder time of it.  I imagined I was hiking on a non-stick surface covered in loose marbles.  We descended the loose gravel switchbacks to the bottom of the wash ending up by the running water (left side of the X).   Jan headed upstream along the marshy area and I wandered downstream a bit.  At the bottom of the trail the right side of the X connected with our ravine then branched off again.  This other ravine was probably the one I had seen from above early on.

As I wandered into the other ravine (right side of the X near the center), I saw a branch sticking out of dried mud.  I think it was the remains of a tree that had been washed down the ravine during the biblical rains from Hurricane Hilary the prior summer. This was the same storm system that left standing water in Badwater Basin at Death Valley (future story).

A little brown smudge landed on the end of the branch.  Naturally, I started clicking away.  The smudge was still a bit far for a good photo, so I walked slowly until the bird began to fill the frame. 

Northern Rough-Winged Swallow by Brad Marks

Hit the jump to find out what that smudge was…

Continue reading Hard to Swallow…by Brad Marks

That’s Snout a Bird

Congrats to Jan on the completion of her Run for St. Jude’s. Brad gave me some quick stats – her 16th year culminating in segments totaling 30 miles over 4 days on 12 hours of sleep while driving an RV 465 miles. Now that is what I call getting it done for a great cause! I am back on my feet so to speak and will be participating in my 20th consecutive (minus the virtual Covid year) Bix7 (link here). This 7 mile road race marked my first race ever after a career ending so to speak injury in my former addiction, martial arts. Linda and I have decided this will be our last time participating in this Quad Cities extravaganza to allow for more summer traveling in the future and other endeavors (the trail is where I belong). I will not miss those two nasty climbs, but I will continue to long for those Whitey’s Root Beer Popscicles at the finish line – yummmmy. In light of this step back for “other” activities, thought I’d go with something also “other” for today’s post.

Softshell Turtle found at Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park in Micanopy, FL in April 2023

Clearly “snout” a bird this time ha! Hit the jump to learn more about this long nosed creature.

Continue reading That’s Snout a Bird

Not on the Prairie

Howdy everyone, been a bit of time since I last posted. Big thanks to Brad for leading the ship while I was preoccupied. I have two quick running updates to give you before we get to tonight’s featured feathered friend. The first is I want to wish Jan and Brad best of luck on their St. Jude run. They headed down to Memphis, TN this week with the rest of the St. Jude runners to make their annual charity run ALL THE WAY back to Peoria, IL – and you think ultras are hard! Luckily the runners are given segments to run so there is rest involved, but I believe at least one group is running on the road at all times with an accompaniment of chase vehicles. Jan is the one doing the running and I just got a report from Brad she completed her first segment in the rain and will be up bright and early for her next stage tomorrow morning. Brad has a chase vehicle role making sure everyone has the support they need to make it all the way back home. It is a wonderful charity event and wish them all the best. I am sure Brad will be able to give us an update in one of his future posts.

The second running update is … hmmm.. damn, I forgot what the second one was. Let me try my trusty mnemonic I’ve used since my freshman days in college to remember things (see end). Nope, sorry. Anyway, let’s get to our “purdy” bird.

Prairie Warbler found at Sweetwater Wetlands Park in Gainesville, FL in April 2023

Hit the jump to learn more about this rather stupid officially named bird … and details on my mnemonic if you are interested.

Continue reading Not on the Prairie

Déjà Vu All Over Again…by Brad Marks

First off, we want to send our wishes out to our Texas based family, friends and others that were recently impacted by Hurricane Beryl. Texas is our home away from home and it is disheartening to hear about them experiencing another severe weather related event. Over the years, we have barely escaped crippling ice storms, hunkered down for a wicked tropical thunderstorm and witnessed the destruction at Rockport from Hurricane Harvey (link here). You are all proven Texas Strong! Locally I am going stir crazy waiting out the final days before the big race. Been getting some Beryl fallout as it has been raining extensively here the last couple of days and likely to continue up through the race. This race is already a “sufferfest in the valleys of death” – adding in a mudfest isn’t going to help my spirits any (link here). While I make tweaks to the final race plan, Brad is going to take you back to California…no wait, Vegas…so confused ha.

Take it away Brad…

Ever have the feeling you’ve done something before?  Or been someplace before that you’ve never been to.  That sort of happened to me when I was reviewing photos from a recent trip to Las Vegas and points nearby.

This story, and the bird, are nearly identical to another one, except that all of the facts have been changed.  The venue is different.  The nearby airport is different.  The bird is different (mostly).  The desert setting is nearly identical.  The lighting conditions are nearly identical with the featured bird sitting high on a twig like before.  The camera body is the same.  The lens is different.  Jan took all of the photos of both birds.  The fact that I was nowhere nearby is identical.  In fact, I didn’t even know Jan photographed this bird, too, until I reviewed the photos at home, just like last time.

Wait a minute.  Is he just re-publishing the story about the California Thrasher (here) and simply retitling it?  Has Wildlife Intrigued gone bonkers?  Well, sort of. See if you can spot the differences from this photo.

Crissal Thrasher by Brad Marks

Jan and I were, can you guess, on vacation again.  Last time we were in California at the Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve in California.  This time we were at the Clark County Wetlands Park just outside Las Vegas, Nevada. 

As is the custom, once we park the car, I assemble Jan’s camera first.  This was the first trip with her brand-new Nikon 200-500mm lens.  (Wildlife Intrigued uses exclusively Nikon equipment.  If anyone from Nikon is reading this and wishes to sponsor the Wildlife Intrigued blog, please contact our Legal department.)  I knew she was itching to try it out on birds.  Once the lens was on the camera, I handed it over and got out of the way.  For some reason, it took me a few extra minutes to assemble my camera this time.  Maybe because we traveled by air and had to use two camera bags with bits scattered all over.  It could also have been that I was tangled up in my new Black Rapid strap (not their fault).  After a minute of untying nylon webbing knots, I was ready to go.  In the meantime, Jan was busy capturing this feathered friend.

Crissal Thrasher by Brad Marks

I wandered across the empty parking lot to the first trail into the brush.  Literally, as my feet hit the well-groomed trail, my mobile phone rang.  I didn’t recognize the phone number (it wasn’t in my contact list) and was going to let it go to voicemail.  But remembering I’d had a call from that area code a few days before, with a similar number that was legit, I answered it.  It was the hotel we had booked to observe the eclipse (booked 18 months prior to the eclipse).  The little town near the center line of totality for the April 2024 eclipse had been hit by a tornado.  About the only buildings left standing in town were our hotel and the school gymnasium.  As tragic as that is, the senior center and senior housing were completely leveled.  The hotel was going to house the newly homeless seniors and needed my room.  After a bit of teeth gnashing, I realized I really had no choice and let the room go.  It’s now scramble time for finding a spot to view the eclipse.  At the time, the eclipse was less than two weeks away, which meant that finding a hotel room anywhere near the centerline of the eclipse, without costing my firstborn child, would be impossible.  (See the story Twice in a Lifetime for the result of the search if you are curious.)

Just as I hung up the phone Jan came back and wanted to show me a bird.  As we walked up to the twig where it was sitting, it had chosen to skedaddle.  (I really didn’t get to see it until later.)

Crissal Thrasher by Brad Marks

Hit the jump to find out today’s feathered friend.

Continue reading Déjà Vu All Over Again…by Brad Marks

A Cast of Thousands…by Brad Marks

Hoping those here in the States had a happy and safe 4th of July celebration! Our Intrigued HQ is just down the road from an individual that puts on a rather impressive annual show for us ruralites. Had some of our staff over (including Brad and Jan), filled the coolers with drinks, threw some meat on the grill and capped the night with things that light up the sky and make you go Oooohhhh and Ahhhhh – life is good. I did manage to come out with a losing record in our highly competitive JARTS tournament (the real ones, not those pansy ones they try to pawn off on kids these days). That will have to be remedied during our next Intrigued outing!!! As promised in my previous post, Brad has posting duties while I taper/rest/heal/plan/worry/obsess/fret and generally drive Linda crazy this week leading up to the first ultra of the year. One of those planning tasks is to set the crew schedule. In this case, only a cast of one (well, and 3 furry assistants), but I can tell you without hesitation, Linda is the secret sauce to success. While I go through the details with her, we’ll have Brad bring us an adventure with a much larger crew!

Take it away Brad…

After a very long and productive day of birding at Harris Neck NWR in Georgia, Jan and I decided we needed just a little bit more birding in our full day.  Our memory cards weren’t quite full, and what’s the use of having large memory cards if you don’t fill them?  Plus, we had plenty of battery life left on our cameras.

We decided to visit the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge, which sits on the South Carolina state line shared with Georgia.  While on a bird walk on Hilton Head at the Audubon Newhall Preserve, we heard people talking about the “millions” of ducks at Savannah.  Others on the walk said there can’t be more than 10-20 birds there, there has never been a “million” in one location.  A million ducks would be interesting.  That sounded like a challenge for us.

Savannah NWR, at least the part we visited, is a drive-through nature preserve.  The gravel drive is mostly a causeway type of thoroughfare, raised a few feet above the tidal water on either side.  We had just entered the preserve and rounded the first corner when we saw a large grey pickup parked along the side of the road.  That usually means there’s something worth photographing nearby.  I pulled within a respectable distance of the truck and parked the car.  Jan and I already had our cameras assembled and ready to go from earlier in the day.  We saw the owner of the truck on the other side of the road on a smaller walking path.  He was looking into the distance. 

As we approached the driver was shaking his head and muttering something about, “every time I move, they move.”  He had just driven non-stop from Virginia and was a bit worn out chasing ducks back and forth across this little pond.

Black-Bellied Whistling-Duck by Brad Marks

What’s that sound, everybody look what’s going down on the other side of the jump!

Continue reading A Cast of Thousands…by Brad Marks

A Little Red, A Little White and Lot of Blue

Welcome to July everyone, or as we say here “Grind Month”. With the turning of the calendar page, I am roughly 1.5 weeks out from the first ultra race of the year (link here). This is one of the few times I’ll complain about all the cool temps we’ve been experiencing lately as it is definitely impacting the heat acclamation period essential for these long Midwestern summer races. It’s already a sweat filled grind with the benefit of the conditioning and I am definitely not lucky enough to carry these low 60’s temps much further into this month. Need to get through that ultra and then close the month out with my 20th consecutive and last running of the Bix7 up in the Quad Cities (link here). Although usually hotter, the Bix is 25 miles shorter than CMAR so at least the torture doesn’t last as long ha. I am going to take a break from Intrigued as I finish up the ultra race prep – Linda accuses me of turning into a basket case as I fret the details up until the starter pistol goes off and she doesn’t want me passing that on to our readers. Sooooo, I’ll bring you this pseudo 4th inspired post and then let Brad keep everyone entertained until I’m out of the hospital..I mean done with the race!

With that, let’s get started with a little red, a bit more white and a lot more blue.

Black Skimmer found at SPI Convention Center Flats in January 2023

Hit the jump for today’s Independence Day themed double feature.

Continue reading A Little Red, A Little White and Lot of Blue