Birdin'

Another birder friend from the mainland came down to see the vaunted Green Pigeon on Friday. He found it, and on Saturday we spent a grueling but rewarding 10 hours birding with my Korean birding amigo. Best was a Long-tailed Shrike (a sweet lifer), and we also saw plenty of singing Japanese Bush Warblers and handsome little Siberian Stonechats, like these fellas. Worst was a dead oiled Ancient Murrelet. My K-b-amigo, who apparently studies dead birds, picked it up and put it in a bag, which sat on the floor of the car. The Murrelet was pretty ripe, and pretty soon the car was smelling quite deathy. At the next stop, we wisely tied the bag to the roof rack, but I think Murrelet legs were dangling out of the ragged little sack, because we got some 'wtf?' looks from other motorists. At least the car smelled a lot less deathy. In other news, sandwiches are delicious.