Pull Your Pistol and Step Back in Texas History

I drew my pistol, cocked the hammer back and pulled the trigger. Fire and white smoke belched from the barrel and my advisory fell to the ground with a hole in its side. As it rolled to get away I fired one more shot and the coffee can was hidden from sight in a cloud of white sulfurous smelling smoke. As the smoke cleared the can lay still with holes to show where both round balls had passed through. I was firing a Replica of an 1851 Sheriff’s model cap and ball revolver. I could have been a Texas Ranger holding off a group of Comanche raiders bent on taking my hair or even a Texas Lawman facing down a desperate badman. These guns were also used in the Civil War and many Texans carried them long after. Some relied on the cap and ball revolver even after cartridge revolvers came on the scene. They were carried by such men as the James brothers and Bill Hickok.

People often ask me why I shoot the replicas of old cap and ball revolvers. They are slow to load with round ball, loose powder and percussion caps. They must be thoroughly broken down and cleaned within 24 hours of shooting or they will rust up terribly. I have to answer that they are the most fun of all the guns to shoot. It also seems that no matter how serious life or how old I get they let me step back in time for a while and relive a little history. I won’t go into all the loading and care of the old time revolvers as that information is available on the net and even videos of how to load and shoot them is available to watch on YouTube. I will tell you that today there are more replica types of black powder revolvers available to choose from than you could have found back in the time of the original Colts and Remingtons that were available to our ancestors. I am including some links to some forums I like that can put you in touch with those that shoot the revolvers on a regular basis and would love to help you get into the sport and hobby. I will warn you it is addictive. Get out and make some smoke of your own, Wild Ed


http://1858remington.com/discuss/index.php

http://blackpowdersmoke.com/forum/index.php

http://www.possibleshop.com/pistol-uberti.html

http://www.possibleshop.com/did-you-know/d-y-k-loading-the-c-b-pistol.html

http://www.voy.com/60048/

http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/browse/shooting-black-powder-pistols-revolvers/_/N-1100201/Ns-CATEGORY_SEQ_104503680?WTz_l=SBC%3BMMcat104792580%3Bcat104701680

You may wish to scroll down to the bottom of the page and mute or cut off the playlist sound before playing the video.

http://archives.gunsandammo.com/content/cap--ball-resurrection

The following book is one I highly recommend if you wish to learn more about the Percussion Revolver.

On the Road This Spring/Summer

On my birding trips, everybody gets to do the Life Bird Wiggle.

After taking some time off between book projects I'll be back on the road this spring and summer hitting several new birding/nature events as well as some old favorites. I'm really ready to do some field birding. I really, truly enjoy guiding people and showing them birds.

Here's a list of where I'll be and what birds one might see at each event. I hope to see you out there with the birds!

Santee Birding & Nature Festival
Santee, South Carolina.
April 26-29, 2012

This will be my first time at this event deep in the heart of the range of the painted bunting (and Bachman's sparrow, red-cockaded woodpecker, Wilson's plover). Much of this event is held on and around the Santee National Wildlife Refuge. I'm leading a bird walk, giving the Friday keynote, and playing some music during the social hour on Saturday.

Male cerulean warbler at the New River Birding & Nature Festival.

New River Birding & Nature Festival
Fayetteville, West Virginia
April 30-May 5, 2012
This down-home bird fest is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, in the mountains along the New River in south-central West Virginia. It is famous for warblers, including golden-winged, cerulean, and Swainson's warbler, but the spectacular vistas, amazing wildflowers, and Mountaineer hospitality also contribute to bringing back many repeat attendees each year. I'm leading a different field trip each day and The Rain Crows are playing a show on the final night in The Meadows lodge at the charming Opossum Creek Retreat, where the event is centered.

Wine & Warblers
Grange Insurance Audubon Center, Columbus, Ohio
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
I originally thought this was a birding-by-ear event called Whining Warblers, but I was happily wrong. The title says it all: There will be wine. There will be warblers. The setting is the amazing "green" GIAC building in downtown Columbus and, given the early May date, there will be loads of warblers and other migrants streaming through the trees along the Scioto River. Did I mention there will be wine? Julie Zickefoose and I will be leading a bird walk or two, after the wine, which should be interesting.

Kenai Birding Festival
May 17-20, 2012
Kenai, Alaska
We're really looking forward to heading to Alaska in May for this relatively new birding event on the Kenai Peninsula. The bird life there is going to be refreshingly different from what we will have been seeing during spring migration in the Midwest—and I'm hoping for a couple of lifers (Aleutian tern and spruce grouse—a jinx bird for me!) We'll be doing bird walks (including a float trip!), evening talks, and some music. Best of all, this event is totally free and open to the public!

Canton Audubon 50th Anniversary Dinner
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Canton, Ohio
Julie Zickefoose is the keynote speaker for this celebratory event for one of Ohio's oldest Audubon chapters. But after she's done yakkin' we'll be playing some music for everyone.

A prairie pothole near Carrington, ND.

Potholes & Prairie Birding Festival
June 13-17, 2012
Carrington, North Dakota
Sooner or later you've got to go to the northern Great Plains to see some of the specialty sparrows that live there (Baird's, Nelson's, and LeConte's sparrows top the list). Why not do it this year during this charming, intimate event? The birds are enough to draw people to Carrington, ND for this event, but once you get there, the breathtaking prairie landscape and the small town hospitality will enthrall you. Highlights include the Pipits & Pie tours where we head out in the pre-dawn to find Spargue's pipit, then celebrate with lunch in a small-town cafe featuring homemade pie (I recommend the strawberry-rhubarb!). Oh and there will be music, too! Here's a photo gallery from last year's event.

Sunset at Hog Island.

Hog Island Audubon Camp "Joy of Birding"
June 24-29, 2012
Hog Island, Maine
Hog Island is legendary for many reasons: famed naturalists such as Roger Tory Peterson and Allan and Helen Cruickshank taught there for many years; and it's the home of Project Puffin, one of North America's most successful species reintroduction/preservation efforts (restoring the Atlantic puffin to its historic nesting sites off the Maine coast). Julie and I and the kids will be there the last full week of June immersing ourselves in the splendor of the Maine summer.

Direct Hit Takes Out One of Our Game Cameras

My brother has been getting some really good photos on his game camera in the last few weeks but apparently it is hail season at our place.  We have had three hail storms in two weeks and a direct hit from a hail stone took out his game camera.  We will have to send it off for some repair work and use another for a while.  Here are a few shots right up till the hit by the hail.  Wild Ed

New Binoculars for a Young Birder!

What might inspire a young birder as much as placing a live bird in their hands? [That's my daughter Phoebe with a baby bluebird in her hands.]

Placing a brand new, high-quality binocular in their hands would probably be on top of the list.

When I think about the optics I used for the first 10 years of my bird watching, it gives me a headache (or brings back unpleasant memories of the headaches my old binocs gave me.) I've said this many times before, we are living in The Golden Age of Birding!

Think about it:

• You can buy excellent starter binoculars for about $100.
• You can walk into any bookstore anywhere in North American and buy a field guide to the birds (or mammals, butterflies, moths, reptiles, etc).
• You can get bird seed and a feeder at any number of retail stores in your town.
• You can listen to any bird song in North America on your ever-present cellphone.
• You can get up-to-the-second info on bird sightings on the same device.
• You can brag INSTANTLY to all your birding friends about the Bachman's sparrow at your bird bath, via social media.

I remember the first time I look at a bird through a pair of really nice binoculars. And I also am regularly reminded about the power of good optics when I loan out my extra binocs to young bird watchers on the dozens of trips I lead each year. Hearing the gasp and "WOW!" when they get a really good look at a bird—well it's a special moment because it might just be opening their eyes to a whole new world.


That's what happened to me. And if you remember the moment you sparked on birds and birding, maybe you want to help someone else enjoy that same experience.

Our friends at Leica Sport Optics have joined up with us at Bird Watcher's Digest to find a worthy young bird watcher in the United States to whom Leica will be giving a new pair of Trinovid binoculars. If you read our magazine you know that this model is a top-rated binocular, so it's no small thing to give away. It's NOT a $100 starter binocular. That's why we're calling this giveaway Leica's Great Leap Forward for a Young Birder. We think it could provide that very thing for a deserving young person who is interested in birds.

If you know a young birder who would really benefit from some new (and really nice) binoculars, won't you consider nominating them?

The winner and five runners up will also receive an autographed copy of my new book The Young Birder's Guide to Birds of North America.

Thank you!

Caption Contest #21 WINNER!

The Rain Crows rehearse for their upcoming gig at the nudist camp,
singing with a bear behind.

Congrats to Amy Girten for the winning entry!

Choosing a winner for these caption contests is always tough—there are so many clever entries! This time was even tougher.

First runner-up:
Alan Pulley said...That's Bill Thompson singing background, for those that may not recognize him without his shirt.

And honorable mentions to:
Beyond My Garden said...Listen to the Rain Crows. It's worth coming out of hibernation.

Erik said...His name must be Pooh, he's trying to pick up the honeys.

Erik also said...Which one looks slower? Which one looks slower?

cyberthrush said...Dang, ripped off again... thought I paid to see The Barenaked Ladies perform and only realized after arriving that the ticket said "The Bearnaked Ladies."

Northern Goshawker said...With the Grateful Dead no longer touring, the dancing bears have been looking for a good summer jam band and found one in the Rain Crows. Here, Cubby is chillin’ to Cotton Candy Sky.

I could easily pick a winner at random—you all are some funny folks!

I hope you enjoy these little side-trips to goofyland. I know I do! Thanks for playing everyone!

Texas Spring Turkey Season

Spring Turkey season opens at our place March 31st and the opener always brings back memories of past seasons. This year I will only be calling and taking pictures as we are just getting turkeys back to their historic range on our place in Lampasas. We had a set back when a neighboring hunter killed one of our gobblers in deer season but at least two gobblers are staying around with a few hens.

I remember turkey season many years ago when as a teenager I would chase turkeys through the woods in Llano and San Saba counties with just a mouth call and a .243 rifle. I later added camo consisting of Army surplus camo clothing and charcoal rubbed on my face. There were a lot of times that ole gobbler would see me move or the shine of my gun, face or hands and be gone in a flash. As my skill developed and I learned about face paint, camo gloves and gun camo I became more proficient at bringing home a gobbler. I got good enough at calling I started using a shotgun and getting those gobblers to come in close. I remember seeing the first outdoor television programs showing someone using a turkey decoy and how the turkeys came to the call looking at the decoy and not the hunter. I finally found a plastic turkey decoy in one of the outdoor mail order catalogs and ordered it. There was no Internet or online search and ordering at that time, just the Gander Mountain and Cabelas mail order catalogs. When that first plain looking decoy came in the mail I could hardly wait until season to try it out. The success I had with that plastic decoy through the years helped me take a lot of gobblers and even a few with my old Fred Bear Grizzly recurve bow. I remember using rubber bands and a hot glue gun to put real turkey wings and a tail on that solid grey-black plastic decoy, from a distance it almost looked alive but kind of beat up. I guess the gobblers thought she looked great as they sure came in time after time.

Many years later I was watching the tube one Saturday morning in the off season and here were these two guys in a weird shaped camo tent hunting turkeys in the middle of a field with a decoy right outside the tent. I thought I can’t believe this will work as the turkeys will see that tent out in the middle of an open field and won’t come anywhere near it. I was starting to think the turkeys were tame as the turkeys walked right up to the decoy and one of the guys shot that turkey at mere feet from the tent. I knew it must have been a fluke or a place where turkeys had not been hunted much at all. Flipping through the channels a little later in the week I saw another hunter on another outdoor show setting up a turkey decoy and one of the strange camo tents in another open field. He then proceeded to call several turkeys right up to the tent and took one with his bow. I went to the catalog basket in the bathroom library and started looking through the pages of an outdoor catalog. I had to have one of those magic camo tent blinds. That was the beginning of my love affair with pop up camo blinds and turkey hunting. These things allow the regular guy to have success with shotgun or bow in hunting turkeys just about anywhere. I have had people that can’t even call send me emails about having turkeys come to a decoy set up outside a pop up blind. If you are like me you will find a lot of uses for your blind. I have used mine on deer, hogs, and predators. The pop ups are great for birding and wildlife photography. I have even hunted waterfowl and sand hill cranes from one of the blinds. It pays to read and watch for new techniques and gear to be used in hunting. Sometimes it will even change your life or at least the way you think and hunt. Have a great time chasing a gobbler this year. Have fun, make sure of your target and above all be safe.

Remember to take someone new to the field and get them started hunting. Once upon a time someone took the time to take you hunting. This article is dedicated to the friends, buddies and loved ones that took the time to take me hunting through the years. I hope I made you proud, Wild Ed


The following are YouTube videos showing the effectiveness of decoys and popup blinds. The second one they have a little problem with their shooting but it shows how good the decoys and blinds work so I used it. You may wish to scroll down to the bottom of the page and mute or cut off my music playlist before watching the videos.  Ed

Feel free to click on Post a Comment and leave a comment or read the comments of others. Thanks, Ed

Caption Contest #21

Yes, kids, it's time once again for another Bill of the Birds Caption Contest. Use the comment interface of this blog to submit your clever caption for the photo above and, if your entry is selected as the winner, you will receive a fabulous prize: a collector's edition copy of the ultra-rare, best-selling bird book Bird Watching For Dummies autographed by the author (if we can find him and get him sobered up enough to make his mark).

Back story: This photo shows Julie Zickefoose (left) and Wendy Eller (in blue jacket) performing a Rain Crows' song during my recent milestone birthday celebration. Backing the gals were members of The Realbillies (not shown) from Athens, Ohio. There was a stuffed black bear in the corner of the stage area and a friend took this photograph with my camera. I think the image opens up a world of caption possibilities and I cannot wait to see what y'all come up with!

Deadline is Tuesday March 20, 2012. Now start bruin up some funny captions!

Texas Quail Populations, Song Birds and Raptors, Something to Think About

I can remember going to my grandfather’s places in Lampasas and Llano counties in the seventies and eighties and hunting quail with my bird dogs. I could always kill a mess of quail if we worked at it for a few hours. It wasn’t like hunting in South Texas or West Texas where we could always get a limit. After I got married I was lucky enough to be able to hunt some farms and pasture land between Colorado City and Abilene that belonged to my wife’s family. There were quail everywhere and my dogs and I spent many a fun day in that part of the world. The quail populations are down so much that I no longer hunt them or keep bird dogs.

The event that brings me to tell you my observations happened Saturday morning as I was sitting at the dining room table having coffee and reading the paper. A streak came through the trees and plowed into the flock of white wing dove at our bird feeder. One of the dove slammed into the dining room window and the streak hit it before it fell to the ground. The flying streak turned out to be a Coopers Hawk that terrorizes the birds at our neighborhood feeders on a daily basis. As I watched it pluck the feathers from the dove I thought about how the hawks have increased in population since my younger years.

Being a falconer I have been interested in hawks, owls, harriers and falcons for most of my life and I am a real supporter and fan of raptors; however man has created a catch twenty two as far a raptor management. They have been given total protection and have enjoyed such for several decades and the populations have responded accordingly. So much so that many bird populations and especially quail have suffered in years when there are low populations of rodents the primary prey of hawks. More people are now setting up bird feeders; there are more city pigeons and more towns full of grackles. What this means is that more hawks are able to survive that first year out of the nest and become efficient killers on the wing. Past studies have shown that as many as eighty percent of fledgling hawks did not survive their first year; I no longer believe that to be the case. Studies are being done on nesting quail in the south, more and more the Coopers hawk is coming up as the villain. I hear from people that raise pigeons and are quitting because of the Coopers Hawks taking their birds on a regular basis until they are wiped out. Many members of our local poultry raisers groups can no longer let their flocks free range because of the number of hawk attacks. Some flocks have been completely decimated or they have to be penned and raised on feed. I tried to raise roller pigeons here and could not as I was losing several birds a week to Coopers hawks.

On a recent trip from Round Rock to Abilene my wife and I counted eighty two hawks along the roadway. Most were Red Tailed hawks along with a few Coopers. Since Coopers are a predator of the woods and thickets and are not out in the open much I am sure we passed by many more. Last deer season sitting watching a cut Milo field early one morning in Nolan County I watched twenty two harriers and hawks check the field out for prey. I used to hunt quail on a regular basis in this field but now it is not worth the effort, I wonder why? We have had three quail coming to our feeder at our place in Lampasas after an absence of quail for several years. Last week I found one of the hens remains in a circle of feathers near the feeder, the victim of a hawk attack.

Man almost decimated the hawk and falcon populations at one time with our use of DDT. The knee jerk reaction of total protection was not good wildlife management and if it continues it will be to the detriment of other populations such as quail and song birds. Maybe it is time we manage raptor populations with actual science and for the good of the total system and all wildlife.
Just a thought, Wild Ed

West Texas by Wyman Meinzer

A good friend sent me the following video in an email this week.  I had seen it before but some how these pictures make my spirt soar and bring back memories of being in West Texas.  I just had to share them with you.  For those of you that know West Texas you will understand my feelings, the rest of you will get a glimpse into the soul of West Texas.
Wyman Meinzer is one of those people that speaks through the lens of his cameras.  Being an amateur photographer I have studied his work for years and enjoyed the wildlife and scenes of Texas he has shared with us. I have dedicated this week’s blog to his video of West Texas pictures as the music and pictures show some of the reasons that many of us are so drawn to this State and feel such a close connection to the land and wildlife. Take a few moments to enjoy the pictures of Wyman Meinzer and the music of Doug Smith. If you get the chance get out and see some of West Texas for yourself. Wild Ed

Before you play the video scroll down to the playlist at the very bottom of this page and hit the speaker icon to mute my playlist music or just turn it off so you can hear Doug Smith's music that accompanies Wyman's pictures. I would also suggest you click on the full screen icon right after starting the video so you can see the pictures as large as possible. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. Wild Ed

Wyman Meinzer's West Texas from Wyman Meinzer on Vimeo.

My Best Birthday Bird

Today is my birthday. And it's not just any birfday. It's my 50th. Funny I don't FEEL 50, and I'm not even sure how the time flew past so dang fast. But here I am, teetering on the brink of my second half-century.

I've spent quite a few of my recent birthdays in some far-flung birdy place: several in Guatemala, one in the Philippines. This year I'm happily staying at home on the farm in southeast Ohio (though there is some planned merry-making in the offing). In thinking about my best birthday bird ever, there is one that jumps to mind: the bat falcon I got to add to my life list in Guatemala on March 3, 2008. You can read my account of this experience in this post and this post.

My 2008 bat falcon in Flores, Guatemala. My best birthday bird ever.

The funny thing about that bat falcon sighting was that bat falcons are not that difficult to find in Guatemala, yet I'd been skunked on seeing one over the course of multiple visits to that exceedingly birdy country. I'd seen the much rarer orange-breasted falcon several times, but no bat falcon. Thanks to my buddy Jeff Bouton for spotting that 2008 bat falcon for me. It was starting to get both weird and a bit embarassing not to have seen this common falcon.

If you're still reading, and you can't wait to learn more about my odd birthday obsessions, you can read about my favorite birthday food (my mom's cherry-custard pie) in this post from 2009.

I guess the bat falcon could be replaced at the top of the birthday birds list. But it would take something like a whooping crane flying over the farm, being chased by a gryfalcon, which was being buzzed by a Xantus' hummingbird. Now THAT's a birthday birding experience!

March 3, 2008. Lake Atitlan, Guatemala.

Hey! What's That Big White Bird?

While guiding a field trip of bird photographers last weekend at Goose Pond Fish & Wildlife Area near Linton, IN, we had a special treat. We enjoyed a "Hey! What's that BIG WHITE BIRD?" moment.

Amid the thousands of migrating sandhill cranes were a few whooping cranes! During the weekend we saw 16 whooping cranes total—a significant percentage of the world population of this critically endangered bird. (There are about 600 whooping cranes total counting both wild and captive birds).

We were very careful to give the whooping cranes plenty of space. And they rewarded us with wonderful looks, if slightly distant. But that's what spotting scopes are for, right?


We watched the whoopers foraging in the wetlands.

We saw them in flight, and on Sunday, we even saw a few of them engage in some courtship dancing, which I'd never seen before in this species. To see this many whooping cranes in one place in one day, outside of their wintering areas in Texas and Florida, is really notable.

As the final field trip wound down on Sunday, we had one more BIG WHITE BIRD surprise. While watching northern harriers, rough-legged hawks, red-tailed hawks, and a young bald eagle coursing and soaring over a wet meadow, one of our group called out a flock of large white birds approaching us from the north.

It was a flock of 16 American white pelicans, newly arrived from the points farther south. The spring's first sighting at Goose Pond. And a great way to end the weekend, with the promise of spring's coming.

White Bass Time at Colorado Bend

One of my favorite places to spend the day fishing or go camping on the Colorado River is at Colorado Bend State Park.  The word is that the White Bass spawning run has kicked in and you can get in on the action.  Located just west of Lampasas, where the Colorado River forms the border between San Saba and Lampasas counties is a beautiful State park in the Colorado River valley bounded by bottom lands with tall trees and high scenic bluffs. The water runs in long winding pools and shallow, rock-strewn rapids. In places, beautiful waterfalls cascade to the river below. The park is famous for the spring white bass run. The white bass swim up river to spawn out of the depths of Lake Buchanan. Fisherman come from all over the State to fish for the white bass each year. If you catch the peak of the spawning run you can stand and catch a white bass almost every cast. Most of the time you have to work a little harder for your catch, one of my favorite methods is fly fishing with small blue scuds or freshwater shrimp flies on an ultra-light fly rod. If the bite is slow I have found slowly paddling the river while trolling with a blue or blue and silver plastic grub to be the most productive for putting enough fish in the cooler for supper. If you are real lucky you might catch a striped bass, hybrid bass or channel catfish while casting or trolling on the river.

The fishing is only one reason to visit Colorado Bend; it is also a great place to view wildlife up close. Over a hundred species of different birds, feral goats, feral hogs, raccoons, grey foxes, bobcats, skunks, ringtailed cats, deer and armadillos all call the park home. Don’t leave any food out if you are camping or you may have night visitors you did not invite in your camp. Down stream from the boat ramp is a rookery of nesting Great Blue Herons worth the trouble for the adventurous hiker or paddler. If you watch close you might even get to see a Bald Eagle soaring up the river. You can hike to Gorman Falls or explore the many other trails in the park for days.

You can find out much more about the park at


http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/colorado_bend/

Take time to take someone you care about into the wild and share the experience of making memories. Colorado Bend is a great place to start, Wild Ed

Feel free to click on Post a Comment and leave a comment or read the comments of others. Thanks, Ed