Long Time, No Blog

Yes, I am still alive...I think. The year is almost over, and not a moment too soon. Last time I spent a day birding was...in 2008? No birding for me this year, just the unrelenting tortures of the damned (as usual) and time spent working and raising my two lovely little monkeys. At least the kids are happy and healthy, and that's all that matters at this point.

Occasionally I have seen birds more or less by accident. The highlights have been few and far between:
Yellow-breasted Chat seen twice near the pond in April.
A wayward Black-necked Stilt added to our yard list on April 26.
Several sightings of Swallow-tailed Kites around our home in April and once in June. Also saw a couple flying over Eastex Freeway in Beaumont on July 12th.
A Wood Stork observed from our backyard on July 17th.
Nesting Gray Catbirds (as confirmed by a fledgling at our kitchen window on June 25th).
American Robin present in our neighborhood in spring and summer (a seasonal first).
White-winged Doves regularly visiting our feeders in July.
A male Orchard Oriole at our hummingbird feeders on July 27th.
A Swainson's Hawk seen from the second floor windows of City Hall in Beaumont on October 1st.
An adult Bald Eagle flying over the highway between Silsbee and Lumberton on November 12th.
A Painted Bunting in our yard on November 1st. Here's a crummy photo to prove it.Finally finished work on my studio earlier this year and started painting again (sort of). The less said about that the better, at least for now. Who knows, maybe I'll blog again in another eight months.