Bird of the Day: Bald Eagle

by Doctor Science Yesterday morning I spent about an hour along the Raritan River in central NJ. The river is less than 50m wide at that point, so it’s possible to look at every one of the several thousand Canada Geese present, trying to find a rare goose (Cackling, Snow, White-Fronted, etc.) mixed in, even … Read more

The Running of the Deer

by Doctor Science

Last week (more or less) included my husband’s birthday, and for his celebratory dinner I made Juniper-Spiced Venison with Brown Goat Cheese Sauce[1]. The crowd went *wild* — it may have been the best venison any of us have ever had [2], and it was certainly the tenderest wild-caught venison I’ve ever encountered.

I realize that I generally count as one of the “anti-gun” crowd, so it may surprise you to learn that I have no objection to hunting per se. On the contrary: I support local hunters as much as possible. I don’t hunt, but that’s for lack of hand-eye coordination and depth perception — I pose no danger to the broad side of a barn.

The reason I support hunters is because I’m a serious lifelong birdwatcher. I’ve asked around, and I’ve never known a serious birder who was categorically opposed to hunting, even the vegetarians.

Audubon16_peregrine_falcon

Peregrine Falcons (aka Duck Hawks aka Great-Footed Hawks), by John James Audubon. Red in beak and claw, in this case.

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5 years on

by liberal japonicus Not the usual Friday open thread. Andy Olmsted's father posted a comment on the thread about grief, and noted it has been 5 years since Andy was killed by a sniper along with Capt. Thomas Casey. If you've come to ObWi since then and are not aware of who Andy was, you might … Read more