New Episode of "This Birding Life!"

Director David Frankel on the set of "The Big Year" with Steve Martin (left) and Jack Black. ©Murray Close.

Episode 33 of my podcast This Birding Life is now live over at Podcast Central and in the iTunes Store Podcasts category. This episode is an interview with David Frankel, director of the movie "The Big Year." David also directed the hit movies "Marley & Me" and "The Devil Wears Prada."

In the interview we chat about the making of the movie, the central theme of the movie and the book upon which it is based (Mark Obmascik's classic book The Big Year), the movie's all-star cast (Steve Martin, Owen Wilson, Jack Black, et al), and how birding and birders are portrayed in the film.

You can't swing a catbird by the tail these days without hitting some sort of reference to this movie on birding and movie blogs, Twitter, Facebook, and even the movie's promotional trailer, which is being run during NFL football games! I'm hoping this will be a really great boost for our favorite hobby, but I have to admit that I'm really curious about how Hollywood's latest portrayal of avid birders will be received by the world at large.

The three lead actors in "The Big Year" are, from left: Owen Wilson, Steve Martin, and Jack Black. Photo © Murray Close.

Give the podcast a listen and let me know what you think. Thanks for lending me your eyes and ears.

Read more »

New Episode of "This Birding Life!"

Director David Frankel on the set of "The Big Year" with Steve Martin (left) and Jack Black. ©Murray Close.

Episode 33 of my podcast This Birding Life is now live over at Podcast Central and in the iTunes Store Podcasts category. This episode is an interview with David Frankel, director of the movie "The Big Year." David also directed the hit movies "Marley & Me" and "The Devil Wears Prada."

In the interview we chat about the making of the movie, the central theme of the movie and the book upon which it is based (Mark Obmascik's classic book The Big Year), the movie's all-star cast (Steve Martin, Owen Wilson, Jack Black, et al), and how birding and birders are portrayed in the film.

You can't swing a catbird by the tail these days without hitting some sort of reference to this movie on birding and movie blogs, Twitter, Facebook, and even the movie's promotional trailer, which is being run during NFL football games! I'm hoping this will be a really great boost for our favorite hobby, but I have to admit that I'm really curious about how Hollywood's latest portrayal of avid birders will be received by the world at large.

The three lead actors in "The Big Year" are, from left: Owen Wilson, Steve Martin, and Jack Black. Photo © Murray Close.

Give the podcast a listen and let me know what you think. Thanks for lending me your eyes and ears.

Read more »

Pizza, Wine, Doing Nothing Much

Why is it so tough to achieve balance?  When things are really busy I adjust to the pace and go, go, go.  But when it slows and there's downtime it can be tough to relax and simply be.  I'm that person still looking for something to do, and then when it's time to speed back up you'll find me feeling sorry for myself for having not taken advantage of the downtime.  The pendulum swings from one extreme to the next and it's something I'm working on changing.

Yesterday the Chef had some free time so we decided to grab lunch at Pizzeria Mozza.  It just opened in Newport and the line's usually out the door, but we were in luck and got right in.  On the way there I fought feelings of guilt--that I should be doing something.  You know I used to have a good grip on this, but with the unpredictability in the economy it's made me feel like downtime is negative time and that's just not true.  Suddenly I said to myself, 'You are doing something.  You're going for lunch."  Seems simple enough, right? *shakes head*

I don't fall off the gluten wagon for much, but this is one of Mario Batali's spots.  Suffice it to say it did not disappoint...and I do believe I was once again able to get a handle on the fine art of doing nothing.  Just in time to get some work this morning.  Figures.

Fried Squash Blossoms with Ricotta.

In a word:  d-i-e.  They were just incredible!

Wine.  Don't have lunch without it.

I'm not much of a wine connoisseur, but the one I tried was great.

And they have a whole wall to choose from.

But the pizza was the motherlode.  The crust was perfect.  

Perfectly perfect, in fact - if there is such a thing.

We had the Fennel Sausage and Bianca (cheesy goodness).

As I said the other day--it's still hot in Southern Cal.  Yesterday was 80 degrees

at noon.  Niiiiice.  So back on with the shorts, lace blazer and booties.
(And no I don't drive hunched over the wheel despite what this suggests.)

Thankfully I don't get sick of this combo...although it did rain today for a brief stint.

By the time I got my sweater on the sun came out. So goes it!

And yes--I am still living it out on Instagram.  Weak sauce or not, it's better than hauling out a camera in a restaurant--the phone was bad enough. Cringe

Read more »

Pizza, Wine, Doing Nothing Much

Why is it so tough to achieve balance?  When things are really busy I adjust to the pace and go, go, go.  But when it slows and there's downtime it can be tough to relax and simply be.  I'm that person still looking for something to do, and then when it's time to speed back up you'll find me feeling sorry for myself for having not taken advantage of the downtime.  The pendulum swings from one extreme to the next and it's something I'm working on changing.

Yesterday the Chef had some free time so we decided to grab lunch at Pizzeria Mozza.  It just opened in Newport and the line's usually out the door, but we were in luck and got right in.  On the way there I fought feelings of guilt--that I should be doing something.  You know I used to have a good grip on this, but with the unpredictability in the economy it's made me feel like downtime is negative time and that's just not true.  Suddenly I said to myself, 'You are doing something.  You're going for lunch."  Seems simple enough, right? *shakes head*

I don't fall off the gluten wagon for much, but this is one of Mario Batali's spots.  Suffice it to say it did not disappoint...and I do believe I was once again able to get a handle on the fine art of doing nothing.  Just in time to get some work this morning.  Figures.

Fried Squash Blossoms with Ricotta.

In a word:  d-i-e.  They were just incredible!

Wine.  Don't have lunch without it.

I'm not much of a wine connoisseur, but the one I tried was great.

And they have a whole wall to choose from.

But the pizza was the motherlode.  The crust was perfect.  

Perfectly perfect, in fact - if there is such a thing.

We had the Fennel Sausage and Bianca (cheesy goodness).

As I said the other day--it's still hot in Southern Cal.  Yesterday was 80 degrees

at noon.  Niiiiice.  So back on with the shorts, lace blazer and booties.
(And no I don't drive hunched over the wheel despite what this suggests.)

Thankfully I don't get sick of this combo...although it did rain today for a brief stint.

By the time I got my sweater on the sun came out. So goes it!

And yes--I am still living it out on Instagram.  Weak sauce or not, it's better than hauling out a camera in a restaurant--the phone was bad enough. Cringe

Read more »

Simple Saturday

Sticking with her usual patterns, Mother Nature tossed out something just shy of a scorcher this weekend in Southern California.  Yes I realize waxing on about the weather is so blah-de-blah, but guess what?  It's bloody fall, bloggers are donning fur and sweaters as we speak, and there is simply no way in the name of perspiring underarms that I'm about to get in on that game.  Instead I spent Saturday morning staring blindly into my closet trying to come up with something other than shorts to wear.  Refusing to get into an outfit frenzy--you know the ones where half the closet goes flying around the room don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about--I spotted my favorite shoes, quickly tossed on a pair of jeans and a blouse that's never made it onto the blog.  Goal:  Don't over think it or it'll be 5pm before you know it.

Upon emerging from the house I was hit with a wave of heat that almost had me spin on my heel and head back inside, but margaritas were calling and there was no time to delay.  I managed to grab my camera on the way out the door, but as fate aka Instagram would have it the battery was left in the charger.  Niiiiice.  This evening I contemplated renaming the blog:   My Life On Instagram.  Has a little ring to it, don't you think?  

Outfit:  Zara-Blouse, Current/Elliott-Boyfriend Jeans, Gap-Cami, 

Dulce-Clogs seen here and here aka good old days, Sorial-Bag

Have you ever bought something, wondered if you'll ever wear it and then it turns out to 

rescue you from wardrobe block on a regular basis?  For me that is this Zara Blouse.

So happy I didn't leave it behind.  Now need a couple more just like it...

These shoes get so much wear in my day to day life.  

The company closed and I've regretted not getting a second pair almost every day since.

*Insert rationing the shoes here*

Nothing like a cold margarita on a hot day.  And yes we were able to sit outside.

It was bloody 85 degrees in the middle of the afternoon!

Anyway, I am looking for some sort of jolt to the closet because trying to get my fall on in summer weather is basically a drag.  I wake up in the morning, think about a light sweater and then laugh at myself as the sun beams through the window giving my arm a tan.  Good luck with that one, Carrie!  Shortly after margaritas I spent some time window shopping and left feeling somewhat deflated.  Is it me or does everything kind of look the same right now?  It's that whole 80's thing yawwwwn.  I saw some little kid in a pair of neon pink socks and a green neon skirt.  It took everything in me not to scream, "Do you even know who Madonna IS?" I mean hel-looo Desperately Seeking Susan!  

That being said, unless Dallas Raines (local weather guy) tells me otherwise, prepare for a resurgence of my somewhat tan faded legs this week.  I'll just stand idly by while everyone in blog world strolls by in their various fur, leather, and sweater ensembles.  Anyone for a mid-summer hippie vibe?

Read more »

Simple Saturday

Sticking with her usual patterns, Mother Nature tossed out something just shy of a scorcher this weekend in Southern California.  Yes I realize waxing on about the weather is so blah-de-blah, but guess what?  It's bloody fall, bloggers are donning fur and sweaters as we speak, and there is simply no way in the name of perspiring underarms that I'm about to get in on that game.  Instead I spent Saturday morning staring blindly into my closet trying to come up with something other than shorts to wear.  Refusing to get into an outfit frenzy--you know the ones where half the closet goes flying around the room don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about--I spotted my favorite shoes, quickly tossed on a pair of jeans and a blouse that's never made it onto the blog.  Goal:  Don't over think it or it'll be 5pm before you know it.

Upon emerging from the house I was hit with a wave of heat that almost had me spin on my heel and head back inside, but margaritas were calling and there was no time to delay.  I managed to grab my camera on the way out the door, but as fate aka Instagram would have it the battery was left in the charger.  Niiiiice.  This evening I contemplated renaming the blog:   My Life On Instagram.  Has a little ring to it, don't you think?  

Outfit:  Zara-Blouse, Current/Elliott-Boyfriend Jeans, Gap-Cami, 

Dulce-Clogs seen here and here aka good old days, Sorial-Bag

Have you ever bought something, wondered if you'll ever wear it and then it turns out to 

rescue you from wardrobe block on a regular basis?  For me that is this Zara Blouse.

So happy I didn't leave it behind.  Now need a couple more just like it...

These shoes get so much wear in my day to day life.  

The company closed and I've regretted not getting a second pair almost every day since.

*Insert rationing the shoes here*

Nothing like a cold margarita on a hot day.  And yes we were able to sit outside.

It was bloody 85 degrees in the middle of the afternoon!

Anyway, I am looking for some sort of jolt to the closet because trying to get my fall on in summer weather is basically a drag.  I wake up in the morning, think about a light sweater and then laugh at myself as the sun beams through the window giving my arm a tan.  Good luck with that one, Carrie!  Shortly after margaritas I spent some time window shopping and left feeling somewhat deflated.  Is it me or does everything kind of look the same right now?  It's that whole 80's thing yawwwwn.  I saw some little kid in a pair of neon pink socks and a green neon skirt.  It took everything in me not to scream, "Do you even know who Madonna IS?" I mean hel-looo Desperately Seeking Susan!  

That being said, unless Dallas Raines (local weather guy) tells me otherwise, prepare for a resurgence of my somewhat tan faded legs this week.  I'll just stand idly by while everyone in blog world strolls by in their various fur, leather, and sweater ensembles.  Anyone for a mid-summer hippie vibe?

Read more »

Angry Birds

The new Nature's Classroom facility at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge.

I was down in the Florida panhandle a while ago, helping to open a wonderful new building at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge called "Nature's Classroom." This facility will serve as a resource for area residents, teachers, students, birders, photographers, and nature enthusiasts, giving them a place to meet, learn, explore, and a base from which to enjoy St. Marks NWR.

Some of the team responsible for the new Nature's Classroom building at the ribbon-cutting.

While there I gave three talks and lead a couple of bird walks, one of which was on the Plum Orchard Trail behind Nature's Classroom. We had 30 or so folks along, including some keen young bird watchers, and the birding was fairly good, considering it was a hot, muggy afternoon. We had lots of red-eyed vireos, eastern kingbirds, a green heron, immature white ibis, little blue heron, tricolored heron, pine warbler, four woodpecker species, and a noisy flock of brown-headed nuthatches. But the most interesting sighting happened right at the end of the walk on the sandy pool of water behind Nature's Classroom.

As we returned on the loop trail, one of our group spotted two shorebirds out on the pool. We initially thought they were spotted sandpipers because there were lots of spotties around and because they were teetering their tails the way that spotted sandpiper often do. But as they came out of the vegetation and walked closer it was clear that they were the larger solitary sandpiper. And they were really behaving weirdly: running around excitedly, bobbing almost constantly, looking into the grass.

Solitary sandpipers doing their best Angry Birds impression.

That was when the object of their attention slithered into view: a banded water snake came gliding toward the birds. The birds seemed to be conflicted about this: should they run or should they fight? As soon as the snake would head away from them, the solitaries would chase it. If the snake came toward them, they scampered away. Certainly the snake was too large for them to kill and eat, and I'm not sure that the snake could have subdued the sandpipers, so they were left to perform pantomime parries and thrusts with no actual attacks.

The whole scene lasted just a few minutes, but it was interesting to watch. I guessed that these birds might have been youngsters migrating south with the fall, and this might have been their first snake encounter.

Solitaries and the water snake.

This was my first trip to St. Marks—one of our oldest national wildlife refuges. What a fantastic place it is! I'm certain I'll be back again for another visit.

Read more »