vegetation surveys day one

Thanks to my assistants, Julie and Jan, things went quickly and smoothly today. We performed 20 vegetation surveys, hiked at least four miles (possibly closer to five) and had fun doing it. Well, I had fun and they seemed to as well. Anyway, as suspected the dominant vegetation types are blackberries and grass. Throw in a splash of thistle, rose and black hawthorne and you've got an idea of what the sites I've been surveying are composed of. Tomorrow we'll finish up at EE Wilson, then harvest blackberries and maybe some apples (we harvested pears today).

This has got me to thinking about a story I was recently told. A former co-worker of mine has a habit of talking about birds. Having worked with her and knowing the misinformation she often spreads I feel justified in noting that she is a pretend, and not an actual, ornithologist. She once claimed that two turkey vultures (whom I saw with my own eyes) were in actuality red-tailed hawks. Being part Lakota she also felt the need to yell out a greeting to "brother hawk" in front of everyone, showing us all how wise and in touch with nature she is. Recently she claimed that a bird circling high overhead (at work) was a bald eagle. Even better it is part of a mated pair of bald eagles that nest in the trees just behind work. When someone mentioned the dark head she said "they're young." Here I feel the need to note that "young" birds are "immature" and do not breed. An eagle cannot be both mated and immature. Either it has a dark head and tail (is immature) and is unmated or it has a white head and tail and possibly mated. She then started mentioning the mated pair of bald eagles at EE Wilson. There is a pair of osprey at EE Wilson that I've watched each morning when I pass by the water. I have never seen a bald eagle though, maybe they winter there, maybe they just aren't very active. Why does it bother me to hear this woman talk? I suppose because the people she's telling are four and under. Shouldn't we want to lie as little as possible to these kids? Should we care if they think we're cool or impressive? I mean I can impress toddlers by potting on my own, I don't need to lie to them in order to do so. Ultimately I want people to be outside. I loved working with the kids and "birdwatching" with them, birds are a good way for people to connect with nature. I'm just irritated by people that feel the need to show how much they know by lying. It really "gets my goat."