January 1, 2012 FestiviTEAS?

[brlarson]

Other for me.

I was on a wildlife refuge all New Year's day. I had a seabird survey scheduled in the morning and I worked the visitor's desk all afternoon. I finished last year by sharing Yamashita's `Yashiki no cha' gyokuro with my daughter and started the new year with the Mandarin's Wuyi dancong.

[Chip]

Vivacious neoteric period of sun-based earthly rotary motion.

Well said!

I spent my time enjoying sencha and other greens, before heading outside and working on my red cedar tea tables.

Oh, do tell!

Oddly, for the last few days I have been thinking about finding someone who would like to work on chataku make of red cedar, semi rough-hewn perhaps! Coasters would be pretty easy, but the saucer indentation is problematic for most backyard woodworkers.

[Chip]

I was on a wildlife refuge all New Year's day. I had a seabird survey scheduled in the morning and I worked the visitor's desk all afternoon. I finished last year by sharing Yamashita's `Yashiki no cha' gyokuro with my daughter and started the new year with the Mandarin's Wuyi dancong.

How did the survey go? What waterfowl are common, and what are the ones that really get you excited when you see them?

We used to visit local wildlife refuges, but we always had to coordinate it with various hunting seasons which was frustrating. But the water fowl here can be astounding. My personal faves are likely Hooded Mergansers. A rare glimpse of Ruddies was also worth the trip.

[brlarson]

Yesterday, in addition to the harlequins and all of the typical sea- and bay ducks, we had an explosion of common loon, red-throated loon, and horned grebe, with a some red-necked grebe in the mix. We also had northern gannetts plunge diving in the Sakonnet River and a razorbill floating next to shore on Rhode Island Sound.

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Harlequin_Duck/id/ac
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Nort ... nnet/id/ac
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Razorbill/id/ac

It's a cool place!

[Chip]

Yesterday, in addition to the harlequins and all of the typical sea- and bay ducks, we had an explosion of common loon, red-throated loon, and horned grebe, with a some red-necked grebe in the mix. We also had northern gannetts plunge diving in the Sakonnet River and a razorbill floating next to shore on Rhode Island Sound.

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Harlequin_Duck/id/ac
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Nort ... nnet/id/ac
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Razorbill/id/ac

It's a cool place!

Thanks for the reply!

Oh, very cool! I do not believe I ever recall seeing Harlequins, I would remember that. We saw 1 loon one time, but they too are even still on my personal fave list.