First blog of the New Year

The holiday season was a blur of activity and creation. I sewed several gifts, with several more to complete! I need to remember next year to start my sewing earlier, but I say that every year and it never really changes. School starts up again on Monday. I've had to rearrange my schedule due to a job offer that I couldn't refuse. March 7 I'll be starting burrowing owl and curlew surveys in Boardman, OR. I'll be far from home but right on the Columbia River and surveying birds in a position that could turn into a graduate school opportunity. This term I'll be taking an Avian Museum Curation class, which I am excited to the nth degree about. Anyway, back to the grindstone . . . which likely means back to blogging.

I saw a bird a few days ago that I have yet to identify. Having used all of my resources I'm contacting my research adviser. It was awesome. It had a white crown, a white breast, streaked sides, yellow armpit patches, white wingbars and dark upperparts. This bird was about the size of a sparrow, but doesn't look like any sparrows that I know! I'll keep you posted.