Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Despite his magical powers, I don’t think Trump is thinking this through, to be honest.

You don’t get rid of your umbrella while it’s still raining.

We are aware of all internet traditions.

You can’t love your country only when you win.

If senate republicans had any shame, they’d die of it.

Some judge needs to shut this circus down soon.

Our job is not to persuade republicans but to defeat them.

Do not shrug your shoulders and accept the normalization of untruths.

I’d try pessimism, but it probably wouldn’t work.

… riddled with inexplicable and elementary errors of law and fact

When do we start airlifting the women and children out of Texas?

It’s the corruption, stupid.

Good lord, these people are nuts.

This fight is for everything.

“Everybody’s entitled to be an idiot.”

Reality always lies in wait for … Democrats.

The poor and middle-class pay taxes, the rich pay accountants, the wealthy pay politicians.

Americans barely caring about Afghanistan is so last month.

Being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace.

“But what about the lurkers?”

Is it irresponsible to speculate? It is irresponsible not to.

Hot air and ill-informed banter

Usually wrong but never in doubt

The party of Reagan has become the party of Putin.

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On The Road – Albatrossity – Montana Prairies

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Albatrossity

In late June we visited my youngest daughter at her field site in northern Montana. She is a research ecologist at the Smithsonian Institute, working on the restoration of American prairies. The site is isolated, and simultaneously humbling and amazing. If you like wide open spaces, this is indeed the place. Our travels, towing a teardrop trailer that we just picked up in January of this year, took us through some other gorgeous country as well. Here are some images of some of those places, critters, and vistas.

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Northern NebraskaJune 21, 2022

Our first night was in north central Nebraska, at a recreation area that had only three sites, but we were also the only folks there for the night. We did see some kayakers on the lake; otherwise we had it to ourselves (and the Dickcissels, Sedge Wrens, Catbirds and Meadowlarks). Here is a look at the lake, as the solstitial sun sets on the Nebraska Sandhills.

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On The Road – Albatrossity – Nebraska Sandhills – Week 2

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It’s Albatrossity Monday!  This week we also have two fun posts from ema who i think sometimes goes by ema ema.  Then JanieM takes us back to Mendocino, and BigJimSlade adds the missing day from our Hike in the Dolomites!

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More images from our time in Nebraska’s Sandhills in the spring of this year. Some of these birds can also be found in my patch of Flyover Country in the summer, but the Sandhills have a variety of different habitats, and are just far enough away to have a couple of breeding species that we don’t have in these parts.

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Hutton Ranch Niobrara SanctuaryMay 26, 2022

Here’s a bird that used to breed in Nebraska (and lots of other places in the Midwest and Great Plains). Sandhill Cranes (Antigone canadensis) have used a wet meadow on the Hutton Ranch Niobrara Sanctuary to raise kids for several years now. Here’s mom, dad, and the two kids (colts) this year. Cranes lay two eggs, but often only head south with one chick in the fall, since it can be tough to feed (and protect from predators) two youngsters. But some years they successfully raise both of them, and here’s hoping that this is one of those years.

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On The Road – Albatrossity – Nebraska Sandhills – Week 1

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On the Road Again!

We spent the third week of May this year at the Hutton Niobrara Ranch Wildlife Sanctuary, a former ranch now operated by Audubon of Kansas, dedicated to wildlife conservation, and about a 6-hour drive from home base in Manhattan KS. We had been there a couple of times previously, in July and again in October (previously chronicled here) during the pre-vaccine period of the pandemic in 2020. This was a chance to see the Nebraska Sandhills in springtime, as well as an opportunity for E to use her chainsaw and help clear invasive eastern red cedars from the prairies. This installment and the next one will showcase some pictures from that week.

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Nebraska SandhillsMay 27, 2022

First let’s take a look at the landscape and the meteorology. On our previous July trip we were treated to a stunning lightning show from a supercell (aka mothership) cloud. This time was not as spectacular cloud-wise, but the lightning storm off to our southeast continued into the wee hours of the morning. A faint rainbow here, but mostly just clouds, sky, and a sea of grass.

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On The Road – Albatrossity – Spring plumage portraits – 2

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It’s Albatrossity Monday!  On Tuesday we see Mendocino, this time through JanieM‘s eyes.   BillinGlendale will be taking  us to Highland Park, but he said something about Chicken Boy, so I’m not sure what to think about that!   Get out your climbing boots because Wag is taking us to the Elk Range to close out the week.

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This concludes our series of avian portraits for the spring 2022 season. Stay tuned for some bird images from the Sandhills of Nebraska, which we visited in May 2022, and from the shortgrass prairies of Montana, where we will be heading in late June!

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Near Manhattan KSMay 11, 2022

Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra), female in alternate (breeding) plumage

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On The Road – Albatrossity – Spring plumage portraits – 1

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Sorry about the hiccup yesterday.

It’s Albatrossity Monday on Tuesday this week!  Then we see some gorgeous flowers from Nancy on Wednesday, and PAM Dirac brings us home with a 2-day European tour!

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The next 2 weeks for this series will feature close-up portraits of many birds you have seen here in the Spring 2022 Flyover Country posts. The idea is just to showcase the subtlety and complexity of spring plumage in a variety of birds. Minimal commentary and pretty pictures. I hope you enjoy these!

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Near Manhattan KSMay 12, 2022

Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)

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On The Road – Albatrossity – Spring 2022 in Flyover Country – Week 5

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It may be in the high 90s here, but it’s still spring in flyover country with Albatrossity.  I’m not sure what Bill has in store for us this week, but we get to spend 3 days in the Caribbean with Elma, so I’m a happy camper.

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Week 5 of Spring in Flyover Country, and migration is winding down here. The birds in this installment are all here for the summer.

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Near Manhattan KSMay 13, 2022

One of the most eagerly anticipated summer birds in these parts is the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Tryannus forficatus). This male was flying back and forth with a female at a spot where I am pretty sure these birds nested last summer. I never found the nest or photographed the cute fledglings, so I have another chance this year!

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On The Road – Albatrossity – Spring 2022 in Flyover Country – Week 4

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Lots of color this morning from Albatrossity!  Benw takes us to Joshua Tree where we see amazing stone and stunning skies.   BillinGlendale takes us to College, and Munira takes us on a walk, complete with haikus!  Wag finishes out the week with some breathtaking views.

It’s my birthday today, and the Jan 6 committee was kind enough to schedule a hearing to help me celebrate.  I’m not sure I could think of a better gift, except that it conflicts with my hair appointment, which I just cancelled because I have my priorities.  Albatrossity must have known it’s my birthday because we have some great chunky birds today.  My favorites!

Albatrossity

Week 4 of Spring in Flyover Country brings even more colorful birds, with even more to come next week. But first let’s show off one of my favorite birds from my backyard. Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra).  The all-red male is easy to ID, but that golden-yellow female can be tough, especially if the male is not around. Our best clue is that giant beak, which can’t be confused with a pointy oriole beak!

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Elk City KSMay 7, 2022

And then there is this guy. Another Summer Tanager. Summer Tanager males have a strange and sometimes funky plumage in their first summer as an adult bird (aka first alternate plumage). They have the same honking big beak, but the feathers are a mixture of red and yellow patches. Each one is unique, at least in my experience. So it is a challenge for field guide artists!

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