This and that...

[SpinnerMan]

Really cool. Thanks for sharing the photos you did manage to sneak in

[DComeaux]

How awesome! I would have loved to have been involved. This stuff really peaks my interest.

As a kid, I remember fondly spending my afternoons on our dairy farm, in the back yard of the house catching dragon flies with a dip net. I'd "band" those with a just right blade of grass, making sure it was not on too tight, and off they went. LOL!! My memory is not what is used to be, but it sure is nice to know somethings remain strong.

[Darren]

Awesome pics, glad it worked out for you (and them) finally. The pic of you with the speck is a keeper

Hope to see a banded wigeon (or spoon!) this fall

[Rick]

The pic of you with the speck is a keeper

Paul's a better photographer than I am. They seem big on pics of the help releasing birds, perhaps to keep volunteers coming...

[Deltaman]

Glad it finally worked out for the banders Rick, very interesting work, and hope the results are worth the extra effort y'all put in!!!!!

[Duck Engr]

Awesome pics Rick! Glad the tide finally turned in your favor.

Saw some map pictures Paul posted on Instagram along with the banding and tranmittering photos. One map shows a track of one that flew clear to northwest Missouri!! I’m assuming that’s one that received a transmitter?

[Duck Engr]

To clarify, it’s obviously one that received a transmitter, but my assumption was it was one of the hens that y’all attached a transmitter to yesterday.

[Rick]

... but my assumption was it was one of the hens that y’all attached a transmitter to yesterday.

They had nets in two locations and captured 9 hens at another location a week or so ago, so it might have been one of those.

On the other hand, I've had texts saying I needed to "ping" (whatever that is) Paul's Instagram, and that hen being one of "ours" could be why. But my resident qualified facebook/Instagram operator is currently out of town, so I've not seen anything on it.

Will try to remember to text for clarification on the hen in question at a more appropriate hour.

[Rick]

Saw this posted elsewhere and thought some here might enjoy it:

[Rick]

Was way too pretty of a morning after what's seemed weeks of sullen ones for me to stay house-bound, so the bug and I took a tour of the countryside that included miles and miles of once fine ag land habitat, some of which I'd not passed in a couple or three years. The bad news being that we saw a heck of a lot of crawfish traps and precious few birds. The good news being that we got to do one of my favorite things, which is dig in near enough to specks to listen in on much of their conversation, if not their smallest talk, and watch new birds dropping in to them. And the really good new being that there was also a body of mostly light geese nearby.

Found myself in the catbird's observation seat just southwest of the specks and not a whole lot farther northwest of the blues with a goodly east wind bringing newcomers to both past the salt grass edge the bug and I burrowed into - and I'd even had the presence of mind to grab my good binoculars from the truck, just in case, before leaving it to walk the farm, so I could enjoy the up-close and personal view not having dressed for the occasion denied me. To say watching the show in person was infinitely better than on the very good video posted above is great understatement.

Beyond those that just drifted in beautifully, many of the really high birds did some flipping on their way in, with a few nearly making it onto their backs before righting. But one of the more interesting things to me was watching the specks decide between the two bodies, one to-a-bird specks and the other mostly light geese, that were just a very few hundred yards apart.

While most of the all-speck flights dropped to their own kind, I wasn't at all surprised to also see some pass by them scarcely missing a beat on their way to the blues and others deciding to fall in with the blues after I'd thought they were opting for their own kind. The surprise to this "old pro" prone to pronouncing that "specks flying with blues act like blues" was how many such mixed flight birds left the light geese to join their kin.

Also found it interesting that the specks were bodied in sheet water with curly indigo, while the blues were in sheet water with rice stubbles.

Super neat morning and a tremendous blessing heading into our long birdless months.

[DComeaux]

I watched that video with a smile the whole time, and it reads like you had a wonderful morning. A whole lot better than mine, for sure.

[Rick]

There were 14 pairs of mallards, 2 pairs of mottleds and a single one or the other on your north pond. Most mallards I saw anywhere in my travels. (Carried out most, but still not all, of the wire the subs left out there. If they'd of been good enough to also leave the wire cutters or claw hammer I didn't think to bring, would have got it all.)

[DComeaux]

Just can't find good subs anymore. How'd they do this year, do you know?

[Darren]

Sure sounds neat!

[Rick]

Just can't find good subs anymore. How'd they do this year, do you know?

All I know is they pissed our guys off blazing away at crazy crap. Hope they did for shit and move on.

[Rick]

Sure sounds neat!

Sure was. Easterly wind predicted for tomorrow is tempting me to dig some camo out and slip in by the specks, but I really ought to get my clover cut before it rains again.

[Rick]

Will try to remember to text for clarification on the hen in question at a more appropriate hour.

Just remembered to check, and the MO bird is from an earlier batch. "Takes a while to get them online."

[Johnc]

Makes me want too mount a flock now

[Rick]

Makes me want too mount a flock now

Did you see "your" bird on page 1? She's out there waiting for you.

[Duck Engr]

Will try to remember to text for clarification on the hen in question at a more appropriate hour.

Just remembered to check, and the MO bird is from an earlier batch. "Takes a while to get them online."

Ah, very well. I was ready to blame Rick Hall for causing the premature reverse migration of mallards.

[Johnc]

Makes me want too mount a flock now

Did you see "your" bird on page 1? She's out there waiting for you.

Hahaha oh yes. Just have to memorize that barring pattern for future identification!!

[Rick]

Ah, very well. I was ready to blame Rick Hall for causing the premature reverse migration of mallards.

Given what I didn't see on the lap of SWLA duck country referenced above, it's a wonder they could catch what they did. Wasn't kidding about the little batch in Dave's old north pond being the biggest "concentration" of mallards I saw - even through good glass. That one little blast of cold air may have been all that saved this year's portion of that project. Know it was the most alive the Refuge in general had looked during my time out there this year.

[Rick]

Hahaha oh yes. Just have to memorize that barring pattern for future identification!!

I gave her very specific instructions, but they don't always do as I say...

[Rick]

Wiled away some of a slow ball game in yesterday's chill wind commiserating with the fellow who runs Oak Grove's hunting, and what I heard of it was only good in the sense of misery enjoying company.

[BGkirk]

Wiled away some of a slow ball game in yesterday's chill wind commiserating with the fellow who runs Oak Grove's hunting, and what I heard of it was only good in the sense of misery enjoying company.

id love to see some of there setups and how they manage pressure. Some of later season straps were impressive, the pictures from some of there guides who post on social media almost seam unreal. I know I’ve mentioned that before on this forum.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Rick]

They've 32 blinds on 11,000 acres, with no more than 16 hunted on any one day, so the pressure isn't what most in this part of the country know. But some of what were normally member-favorite blinds struggled like the rest of us, and Mike said some of last year's better hunts came from temporary setups in places localized birds were using - which I gathered was how some of the better hunts on your marsh were made.

I Googled them to see if there happened to be a map/aerial of what they hunt on their site to no avail, but did find this clip kinda-sorta showing one of their setups:

[Darren]

Yep, that would work fine for me.

No open bays with 2 ft swells? No tidal fluctuation and the mudflats that come with it? Yep, that would work just fine.

[Rick]

...some of there setups...

Just watched the video to its end for the first time and see it's Mike in the boat, so I'd guess that's one he hunts.

[Rick]

Woke even earlier than usual this morning to a chill wind through the bedroom windows and drank my first cup of coffee standing out in it and a spit of rain. Glorious, flat glorious. Enough so that the bug and I made two more yard trips between that and enough daylight to go see what we might move from a friend's crawfish ponds that had been holding some bluewings along with their local(?) woodies. Could be I'm crazed by withdrawal, but what should now be a tired pup is sitting here with his nose in my side wanting back out, so I'm not alone.

Way too little winter this winter, and neither of us wants to waste what's likely its last gasp indoors.

[DComeaux]

My neighbor/cousin sent me a text two nights ago at 9:00 PM telling me that a flock of specks were overhead headed north. It does feel wonderful this morning, just too much bright green foliage.