I gave up on my blog for a long time. 

Oh well, that was the past...

And I dunno that I honestly need to say why. I've seen some bumps along the way, been engaged and then left being the most noteworthy and I actually have a social life and friends and activities to go do.  It's been an interesting ride

Here I am again!  I'll be 20 years old in about 3 months.  I work full time as a graphic designer, in a print shop in Midland, TX.  It's a pretty awesome career that I enjoy. 

Anyways, since nobody cares about my career or my personal, here are these highlights of one of the last times I was birding...

Oh, by the way, these were taken at Cook Canyon near Ruidoso, NM.  My boyfriend had never seen me bird and I don't think he realized how intense I was going to get.  He thought it was pretty cool.

I'm going to the RGV BirdFest next week...haven't been since 2009 *gasp*. I'm so excited...will be writing and taking a lot of photos! 

I hope to continue the blog...it's gotten funner with all the elements and stuff that my host has come up with, which is always a plus. :)

May your birding be blessed

Christmas break is over, and I lazed it away, hiding out indoors in the mornings and evenings, doing some afternoon birding, not messing with my blog.  Yes, I'm a bum.  No, I'm not proud of it.

But, last week, my boss/mentor at The Eyrie, Jennie Duberstein, sent me the information about a scholarship to attend a bird festival in Alaska.  Naturally, I had to apply.  I'm nearly done with the application and I'm so excited! 

The scholarship is offered through the Tim Schantz Memorial Foundation and is to attend the Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival, in Homer, Alaska. 

Once I submit the application, it's just waiting for the results, hoping I'm the winner.  I'm crossing fingers, toes, and everything else crossable.

For the blog, though, I have plans to publish an essay I wrote for the 2012 Young Birder of the Year Contest...it's long enough for two posts.  Plus, you never know what else I might have up my sleeve ;)

Happy birding,
Alexandria

Well, I did finish the layout last Thursday.  The header, though, isn't working, so we have the one that was original with the layout.  I'm not sure what's up and Weebly won't respond to my query, so it will just have to stay there a while.

But, I'm pleased to announce that I have a lifer!  Northern Flicker, of the Red-shafted variety, bringing my total up to 231. I didn't have my camera with me, so I don't have photos to share, yet.  I'm working on it! :)

Happy birding everybody!
Alexandria

I'm dreaming of Summer and sweating right now. The ice/snow storm that affected Texas and Oklahoma cruelly included my area of Texas, which means I'm freezing my rear end off, or at least fingers and toes. Birds have been plentiful, thanks to corn and wheat: White-crowned Sparrows, Vesper Sparrows, and House Finches right outside the back door, meadowlarks (mostly Western, perhaps one or two Eastern), Northern Cardinals and Mourning Doves within the backyard. We have even recorded an American Robin, seen only once before!

One bird I haven't recorded yet is American Goldfinches. Some years they are quite plentiful and others not. I guess this is an "unplentiful" year. I have also missed the Harris's Sparrows, but there are notoriously few of them anyways. I expect I'll see a few around eventually.

Onto the the plans, though. Now that I have completed my first semester of college and restarted this blog, things are really going to get hopping. I have two main things I want to do:

Redesign the whole layout—I've never liked the way it turned out, but couldn't do much about it (and remember I had no fire to convince me to keep trying). Weebly, my host, has finally come out with some layouts I like, and therefore I want a complete redo! Expect the new look before the end of the week (but I'm not making any promises).

Post at least once a week—I'm going to be doing a small writing course, Adobe InDesign, Flash, and Premiere Pro learning books, and an web coding course, learning more Latin and Greek root words, and practicing my clarinet, but other than that, I'm free. Besides, learning HTML, CSS, etc., and these design softwares is fun to me, not work. I digress. I can write, photograph, and illustrate in my spare time. This is going to be fun!

My hands are still cold, I still wish it was Summer, but I'm excited about unveiling the new look! In the meanwhile, I'm cracking up the radio, pouring myself some hot cocoa, and getting to work.

See you soon and happy birding!
Alexandria

Brainy, maybe.  Birding, no.  I have a confession to make (and surprise everybody in the process).

For the past 16 months, my desire to bird has been pretty much nonexistent.  

I haven't admitted it to anybody, much less myself.  To a few close friends, I have admitted that I haven't been birding as much as I used to, but giving a reason other than the true one.  I blamed it on lack of new lifers, knowing most species of the area and where to find them, nothing left to learn, etc.  I still don't really want to talk about the real reason, on several grounds, but I'll give it in a nutshell. 

At Waterfowl Brigade last year (2012), I fell really hard for this guy who shall remain unnamed.  I fell that hard because he made it appear he returned it.  Well, after camp, when he wouldn't respond to any e-mails and all that happened, I lost my fire for birding.  He also knew a lot about birds, though he considered himself a duck hunter, rather than a birder, and it hurt to go out birding because it made me think of him.

Even after I let go of love, or it let go of me, I still didn't have the fire.  I tried a bunch of ways to get it back, including starting this blog, but nothing worked.  It was just gone.  When I did pick up my binos, I was just as sharp as ever, so it wasn't that I was getting rusty, I just didn't have the passion for it anymore.  It was really bothering and grieving me, because I wanted to be back to normal, but I couldn't stop going further and further away from the old me.

As I was contemplating the article "What the Heck is a Tanager?" in this issue of Birder's Guide, I suddenly felt that old fire come back.  I thought it was gone for good.  Birding was once my life. I enjoyed it, I loved it, I lived for it.  Then it was gone up in smoke for so long, like it was never returning again.

And it's back.  I wish it never would have left, or if it had to, it would have come back sooner, but it's back.  That's the important thing.  It's returned and maybe I'm not the same as I was before, but that's okay.

So, I guess I have a few apologies to make.  

The first and biggest is to my Eyrieblog manager, Jennie Duberstein.  I'm really sorry for what I haven't done for the blog that I could have, Jennie, and for the rest of my time as a Student Blog Editor, I'm going to work extra hard to make up for it.  

Number two belongs to the Rolling Plains Bobwhite (RPBB) and Waterfowl (WTFL) Brigades' instructors who were wondering where the old Alexandria went.  I went absolutely crazy at RPBB and did things I never would have otherwise, though I did work hard.  I don't know if it showed or not, but I didn't even want to be at WTFL with all those memories and flashbacks as bad as they were.

I guess the third goes to my mom, for arguing that I was most certainly just fine and back to normal, when I definitely wasn't.  And for being that horrendous jerk I've been for the past 16 months.

Fourth should be my BFF's.  You knew I wasn't normal, you couldn't do anything to help, and it hurt, disappointed, and puzzled you, the things I've said and done.  And I know you're happy that my fire is back.

To the other friends I've dragged along with me goes the fifth apology.  Those of you who knew the old me, I know you felt so bad to watch me slide into the hell I've been in and I'm sorry I hurt you that way.  Those of you who have only known the newer me, I feel bad that you haven't gotten a chance to know the old me with fire and love for life, especially birding.

Last but most definitely not last, the birds deserve the sixth.  I've partially blamed this on y'all, since it happened because I was into birding.  Not to mention, I've ignored and avoided you like the plague.  But, I've got that old fire, and I'm definitely back in business!

So, from here on out, I'm going to be both brainy and birdy!
Alexandria

"Do not follow where the path may lead.  Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."                                    
                                                                                                                                             --Harold R. McAlindon
Whenever I hear this quote, I think of the Waterfowl Brigade.  Last year, 2012, was the first battalion of this Brigade.  The genius behind it, Tyson Hart, along with several other waterfowl experts, went where nobody had gone before.  There were other Brigades, Rolling Plains and South Texas Bobwhite, North Texas and South Texas Buckskin, and Bass Brigade, about bobwhite quail, white-tailed deer, and fish, respectively and the now extinct Feathered Forces, about turkey, but nobody had stepped up to create one for waterfowl and wetland conservation. 

In many ways, this camp is different from the others.  For one, it is far more laid back than Rolling Plains Bobwhite, most likely the hardest one.  We get a little bit of "free" time, where cadets are supposed to work on their projects, but they can take a nap or do whatever they please.  The instructors aren't quite as hard on us as the RPBB ones can be.  Don't get me wrong, I love both camps (in fact, I love RPBB better), but with the frantic pace information is thrown at kids in a short time,  its nice to at least have a little time to unwind.  For another, instead of focusing on one species and its habitat, we have many species of waterfowl and a few habitats which we have to learn.  At RPBB, most of the instructors are older, but here almost all are much younger, yet another difference.

This year, I was an Assistant Flock Leader; last year, I'd been a cadet, or first-year, and after I went home, I went on to do 23 projects, such as giving presentations and creating a waterfowl plant book, to return to camp for this position.  I was there to mentor my group or flock of cadets, the Northern Pintails, and help them win top flock.  Unfortunately, we lost by 6 points, but as I told them, I still thought they were amazing.  They were an outstanding group of 2 gals and 3 guys, with different talents and strong points.  One girl painted the best duck decoy, and overall, we won top duck calling, and other honors.

Since I haven't gotten the photos from this year's camp, I wanted to share some from last year.

This is the property where we stayed, near Palestine, Texas.  The owner, Dr. Robert McFarlane (Doc) , has a beautiful place and is definitely dedicated to waterfowl conservation.

Learning about feathers and how to ID duck wings

Launching the rocket-guided net used to capture birds for banding

Folding the net

Ducks in a swim-in trap, that we were trying to get into a carrier cage to band.  Last year, my flock couldn't get the ducks even after trying for 15 or 20 minutes, but this year, my flock got them in there in about 3 minutes.

Banding a duck

Learning how to use radio telemetry to track birds

Collecting plants

Looking at aquatic invertebrates

Painting duck decoys; last year's was a Green-winged Teal; this year, I chose to do a Harlequin Duck.

My flock last year, the Green-winged Teals.

Eating a raw persimmon...ain't ever gonna do that again!  That experience belongs expressly to last year; nobody was daring (or stupid enough to this year.

This year, on practically every outside fan, and in a bunch of other places, there was a Barn Swallow nest.  They were all relatively big nestlings but still so cute!

What a big mouth you have!

A flock of Canada Geese hangs around Doc's property year 'round; the biggest joke in the Pintail flock was that since we were in Texas, wouldn't they be called "Texas Geese"?

Some beautiful trumpet flowers...bringing up a lot of memories

Arrowhead plant flowers

The BigWoods Lake

Quack!

I'd like to thank all of the instructors, cooks, student workers, and Doc for everything they do for this wonderful camp.  It was an amazing five days and I enjoyed it a lot for the most part. 

Don't be shy to ask me questions!  You can read  about some of my RPBB experiences here.  If you're interested in attending one of these camps, you can go to www.texasbrigades.org.  I want you to attend one!

It’s a normal June morning in rural Central Texas, peaceful, cool before the heat of the day, and filled with cheerful birdsong.  But, wait a minute, is that marching and cadence calling in the distance?  If it was between June 15th and 19th, 2013, yes, you certainly heard the 21st Battalion of the Rolling Plains Bobwhite Brigade, where I spent five incredible days.
What is Bobwhite Brigade?  Is it some kind of boot camp?  In a nutshell, it’s a camp where quail conservation is taught alongside leadership and teambuilding skills.  Marching is an activity that serves a few purposes: get kids up and moving in the morning, make them work together as a team, and teach them discipline.  Although some people would argue Bobwhite Brigade and the rest of the Texas Brigades are boot camps, and at times they seem like one, this camp is just one amazing experience with no affiliation with the military.

I probably wasn’t marching those mornings; I was more likely filling water coolers for the twenty-two “cadets”, their four adult “covey” or group leaders, and four Assistant Covey Leaders (known as ACLs who were cadets last year and earned their way back).  This year, I was a Special Agent, or, in other words, a well-worked, well-appreciated go-fer.  Some of my duties included filling water coolers, helping set up activities, and acting as assistant to instructors.  I was much higher on the totem pole, which equaled more privileges, but I missed being more involved with the coveys and the learning process.

As a behind-the-scenes staffer, I gained more insight on how the camp was run and appreciated more fully what the instructors had to deal with.  I arrived Saturday morning, eager to be at camp, and after putting away my bags and greeting instructors and friends, was put to work setting up a display of Brigades shirts.  As the day progressed, I figured out what was expected of me and threw myself into it.  This camp is a “no-whining zone” and though you can complain in private, to your fellow Special Agents quietly, and to the trees, you’d better not whine to an instructor when they ask you to find another instructor and you have to go through all three buildings before you finally find her.  Or when somebody tells you that the bathroom isn’t working properly and you have to talk to several people before you eventually discover somebody who can fix it.  Not allowed.  Luckily, I was eager to please and everybody from the cadets to the highest instructors knew if they brought me a problem, I would fix it, or find somebody to fix it.  This was excellent for my reputation, but could be hard on the legs at times.

The first day, the introduction to the camp includes what Dr. Dale Rollins, top quail expert of Texas and founder of RPBB, calls the “national anthem of quail”, Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd, because of the line,

“And this bird you cannot change.”

Since we can’t change the bird, we have to change the habitat to fit it’s needs, the cadets learned.  These words carry through the camp, especially when they dive into anatomy, the next activity.  The amount of knowledge thrown at them is astounding, but every cadet I’ve talked to after camp remembers these words.

Monday, a day spent almost entirely in the field, presented a choice.  Stay at the lodge and potentially catch up on sleep or pick a covey to go with.  Sleep was a very tempting factor, but in the end, I strapped on snake guards, covered myself in bug spray, and hopped in a truck with the Bobwhite Covey.  This has always been a girl covey, and I belonged to it as a cadet, but this year it was the only co-ed covey in the history of the RPBB. 

As we stopped at the bird dog demonstration, after chancing upon

4 white-tailed deer,
A pair of Greater Roadrunners,
1 Northern Mockingbird,
7 Lark Sparrows,
and a low-flying Turkey Vulture someone (not me) mistook for a hawk,

Rebekah, the ACL and one of my cadets when I was an ACL, announced “Alexandria’s a birdwatcher, so if you want to know anything about birds, just ask her.”  Just then we heard “bob-bob-WHITE!” off in the distance.  One cadet, who sounded just like Tow Mater in Cars, drawled.  “I don’t need a birdwatcher to tell me that’s a quail!”  We all laughed.

As I stood there, half listening to the instructors, half searching for birds, I felt a queer sensation.  I’d never heard bobwhites at this station before, had I?  Come to think of it, I’d never heard bobwhites period during my previous two camps, despite the fact there’s some excellent quail habitat!  That was only the start of a glorious day.

The next station was habitat evaluation, where we heard several more bobwhites and even saw one perched in a low-growing mesquite, calling away (great birding moment: shared binos + answered questions = this girl is cool!  Can you tell me more about birding?”)  All through the day, we heard bobwhite, after bobwhite, even seeing a few more.  We chased radio-collared quail (when you have long legs, can go fast, and know how to climb fences like a pro, you find yourself in a tiring position!), learned how different predators leave different eggshell evidence in nest deprivation (thank goodness we’re not quail!), and did sweep nets demonstrations (grasshoppers for your chicks?).   Later, I found out while driving along Dr. Rollins found a quail calling in the ditch, made the “damsel in distress” call, and a male had come running out.  Too bad I missed out on that!  The statistics were 3-7 quail at each stop, and it made Dr. Rollins’ whole year.  For the past six years, the land has been silent, no familiar whistles from bobwhites, but this year, they were going strong.  I think it was quite a tribute to everyone, to hear so many quail.  Perhaps they were saluting us!

All-in-all, I found it a different experience than my previous years.  I liked the fact I could help more people, and got to share my love and knowledge of birding, quail, and conservation, but enjoyed working more closely with the cadets.  Although I didn’t learn anything new (except a dance of all things!), I proved how dedicated I am to this camp and kept my name fresh in the minds of some of the top conservation people in Texas.  I even got to meet a graphic designer and social media expert, who chatted with me about my chosen field of graphic and web design, which was very unexpected.  And, at the end, I received a touching surprise (yes, I had tears in my eyes).  I came to this camp, thinking I was doing it out of my love of Rolling Plains Bobwhite Brigade, it’s instructors, and it’s mission, and I received $200 which I put toward my higher education. 

So, as just about everybody at this camp hopes, certainly all the instructors, Free Bird's first two lines will never come true; that we will have quail and never have to live by memories alone:

“If I leave here tomorrow
Would you still remember me?”


Happy Birding!

Alexandria

PS I’ll post some photos next week when I get them!

Recently, I wrote an Eyrie book review for the new book by Tim Gallagher, Imperial Dreams.  This was one of the best books about birds I'd read in a while,but I won't spoil it.  You can read the review here.

Happy Birding!
Alexandria

Howdy y’all, from deep in the heart of Texas! I’m Alexandria Simpson, an avid birder . I wish I could say I had been birding all my life, but my avian infatuation did not begin until I was eleven. I could not have asked for a better location to begin my now-favorite hobby:  the Rio Grande Valley in Texas. My pastor invited me to go birding on South Padre Island with him and his granddaughter. More than four years have passed and I haven’t stopped. I enjoy every minute of birding and look for any opportunity to bird. I doubt I could ever thank him enough for that trip; it inspired me so much and helped me decide what I wanted to be when I grew up. Since I have been homeschooled all my life, I am able to incorporate studying birds into my curriculum. Since my family birds too, it is pretty easy to convince my mom to take us on a bird field trip.

Becoming an ornithologist is my future goal. I read everything bird-related I can find:  books, newsletters, magazines and even some scientific journals. Maybe someday I’ll be able to read those scientific papers without falling asleep. I listen to song/call CDs to develop my birding by ear skills. I am active in several conservation groups and regularly give presentations about conservation and birding.  For two years, I have been a youth ambassador for Texas Brigades, wildlife education and leadership development camps for teens.

My birding passion led to improvement and development of other talents and interests:  writing, photography, and drawing. I had done all of those things in the past, but never really progressed in skill. I also really disliked writing. After I began birding, I developed better observational skills which helped me immensely with drawing and writing. In fact, writing actually became one of my favorite things to do—at least when writing about nature.

When I was twelve, my first illustration was published, and I had an article published at thirteen. Some of my other accomplishments are placing second in writing and third in photography in the 2009 ABA Young Birder of the Year Contest, second in photography and honorable mention in writing in the 2010 contest, second in illustration, third in writing, and third in photography in 2011, and second in writing and third in conservation in 2012. In the Texas 4-H photography contest in 2011, I placed at both the county and state levels in five events.  In 2012, I was published in the Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine, which has a readership of over 100,000.  I am also currently serving my second term as Student Blog Editor for The Eyrie.

I’m sure everybody has great expectations when they begin blogging and set goals of, say, two posts a week, which they expect to achieve.  I’ve also seen bloggers with wonderful writings and observations, start out strong and peter out.  So, with my own history of strong beginnings and weak endings (in some things), and seeing others do the same, I’ll keep my objectives tucked away in my own mind.  All I’ll say is this: It’s for the birds, and if that doesn’t keep me going, I shouldn’t call myself a birder.

Happy birding!

Alexandria