Wednesday, February 06, 2008

Birding @ UCI

So today was such a gorgeous day that I decided to ride my bike to campus for the first time since summer. In the open fields by the ARC - anteater recreation center - there were crows and some western meadowlarks that flushed as I rode by. A great-blue heron was hunting in the field as well, no doubt looking for squirrels or gophers, it startled me when I saw it, so much so that I laughed out loud. Probably sealed my reputation as the crazy girl on campus, she stops suddenly stares and trees and bushes, makes strange noises at said bushes, and even laughs to herself seemingly for no reason. Oh well, normal is relative anyhow.
As I left ornithology to walk through the center of Aldrich park, the yellow-rumped warblers were raising hell in the trees, it's sure going to be quiet when they take off for the year. I'm also starting to hear orange-crowned warblers, which I admit had me stumped. Whenever you hear a species again for the first time in a season there's that, "geez that sounds so familiar but what the heck is it?!" moment.
I'm on campus all day today because I have classes spread during the day and into the evening, and then tonight is the Orange County Society for Conservation Biology's meeting at 6:30pm in the Natural Sciences II building. It's open to the general public and many community members attend, more even than students I think. Tonight's guest speaker is actually my ornithology professor, so it should be a great meeting.

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