RadleyIce

The Flathead Gull Sanctuary

Radd Icenoggle — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 21:45:20 +0000

Alright, it’s really the Kalispell Landfill, but, damn, does it ever bring in the rare gulls. I went last Friday (Nov. 29th) and I was able to pull in Glaucous, Glaucous-winged, Thayer’s, Herring, and Ring-billed Gulls. The Glaucous-winged gull is a state bird for me (yippee). Below is a couple of pics from the outing.

Looking back at Rio Tarcoles

Radd Icenoggle — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 05:40:59 +0000

I was reviewing some photos from this summer and I came across this image from my last day along the Rio Tarcoles. What the hell was I thinking? Walking along a river where I had just seen a 15 foot crocodile. Oh yeah, there were birds to see and what was the worst that could happen? For birds am I willing to take such chances? I did get my lifer Mangrove vireo, Mangrove Black Hawk, southern Beardless-Tyrannulet, and Yellow-headed Caracara. It was totally worth the risk! The only thing is that I need to see more birds and more of the world.

The aforementioned crocodile

Brewing the Northern Lights Juniper Rye PA

Radd Icenoggle — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 04:48:37 +0000

Tonight I brewed up a recipe that I have been mulling over for quite some time, a juniper Rye pale ale. The idea is merge a floral hoppiness of a pale ale with the unique juniper aroma and essence. The following is a summary of the boil and pitch process. Just as the northern lights can be a splash of color and life during a long, cold winter, I want the Northern Lights Juniper Rye PA to be a bright, vibrant brew that awakens a winter palette that has been overwhelmed with thick stouts and complex porters. I will, as always, keep everyone up-to-date as this beer ferments, ages, and is consumed.

For this particular brew, I am using two hop varieties that I have not previously used; the Magnum and Motueka (a New Zealand variety). Another first for me is the use of Juniper Berries, which should lend a pleasant, bitter-sweet aroma which reminds me of gin. The berries are sweet, with a hint of pine and turpentine. This ingredient is traditional in the Scandinavian beers…the homeland of the northern lights.

Fermentables
2 lbs. - Rye Male
7 lbs. - Pale Liquid Male Extract

Hops
2.0 oz. - Magnum 13.5% AA - 60 minutes
1.0 oz. - Motueka 8.9% AA - 15 minutes
1.0 oz. - Motueka 8.9% AA - 5 minutes

Yeast
White Labs American Irish Ale (WLP004)

Steep rye malt for 30 minutes at ~150 F.

Add pale liquid malt extract, and return to boil. Add 2 oz. of the Magnum hops to the boil. A heavy curtain of hop aroma steams up from the kettle. Add 1 oz. of Motueka hops (whole leaf) in steeping bag. Steep the juniper berries in a small pot and pour mixture into a food processor. A quick pulse will crack the berries and create a juniper “slurry”.

With 5 boil minutes remaining, place the remaining 1 oz. of Motueka hops to another steeping bag. Pour the juniper “slurry” through the hops into the kettle and let the berries fall into the bag. Let the entire mixture steep in the boiling wort for the remaining time.

Cool the wort, place into the fermenter, pitch the yeast, and wait for the bubbles.

Original Gravity 1.060	Final Gravity 1.017	Color 6° SRM (Yellow to Gold)
Bitterness 27.0 HBU 80.2 IBU	Alcohol 5.7% A.B.V. 4.4% A.B.W.	Calories 197 per 12 oz.

The passing of autumn

Radd Icenoggle — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 05:49:33 +0000

Today, I was looking at my office window, or rather I was wishing I were on the other side of the pane. Snow flurries had move in from the west and the horses in the neighboring pasture were grazing in a tight bunch that reminded me of images I have seen of musk-ox circled up against some potential predator. Over the horses, a flock of geese flew over as they seem to be headed for warmer climes. It was the first time this fall that I felt the inevitable icy approach of winter.

Sungrebe at Bosque del Apache NWR

Radd Icenoggle — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 20:47:40 +0000

Jerry R Oldenettel from Socorro, NM posted on ID Frontiers that there is a Sungrebe at Bospue del Apache. You can see pics of the bird at http://www.flickr.com/photos/jroldenettel/

Birding by Impression - Giss 2.0

Radd Icenoggle — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:35:14 +0000

I recently heard a podcast that featured Kevin Karlson speaking about his upcoming book - Birding by Impression. The concept is to use general impression upon viewing bird to narrow the identification choices or positively identify a species. Most of us are familiar with of “giss” - using our general impressions and experience to guide us towards an ID. I tend to think of impression birding as Giss 2.0.

Many of us have been unconsciously utilizing this right brain process only to switch to a totally left-brained analytical ID process. We wade into the minutia of feather anatomies and other details. Impression birding has us sticking with that creative thought process. In time, we train ourselves to recognize birds like we recognize friends and relatives. We know our friends without having to think about it, and with use and practice we can know our birds without thinking about it.

The basic key to impression birding are the following;

Size: What relative size is the bird?
Shape: What is the overall shape of the bird?
Structure: What are the prominent or unique features of the bird?
Behavior: Is the bird engaging in some differentiating behavior?
Habitat: Where am I seeing this bird? (I love this one!)
Coloration: What is the color of the bird? (I hate this one…colorblind)
Vocalization: Is the bird calling/singing?
Comparison: Who are the bird’s neighbors?

I am only paraphrasing Kevin’s methodology and he has a wealth of articles, written by him, on his site that discuss this topic. I encourage everyone to give it a gander or two.

Now, I feel that impression birding is a great weapon to add to our arsenals, but it is just another tool. I do not believe that it is a replacement for knowledge, experience or analysis; it is one more skill that we can employ to help us bird better.

The homebrew..finally tasted!

Radd Icenoggle — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 05:30:22 +0000

This evening I brought over a couple of bottles of my two latest homebrew to Andy’s place for a little tasting and watch the bills on MNF (we won’t mention the game outcome, but it was brutal). Below is a couple of pics of the brews and my intentional impressions.

	The Sticky Sweet Maple Honey Porter has a light mouthfeel and the flavor has subtle tones of maple and the high alcohol lends a near wine-like quality. The nose is floral.
	The South by Southwheat Agave Ale was very clear, both in color and in mouthfeel. Very refreshing with sweet, nectar flavors. I think that this is going to be a hit.

Kashmiri Chili

Radd Icenoggle — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 01:54:07 +0000

Ok..there’s is no such thing, but this is what happens when you let a hillbilly get a hold of good spices…we make chili. This is actually a variation on a recipe shown to me by an Indian friend, a very Americanized Indian friend. The recipe is stupid simple but the results are great.

	Add Sesame Oil and butter to stock pot. Drop in Garam Masala, Curry, Mustard Seeds, and Chili Powder to the oil mixture. Stir for 2-3 minutes.
	Soften onion in spice/oil mixture. Later add cubed potato and garlic.
	Add lean ground beef and cook until browned. once the beef is browned, add tomatoes and juice to the pot. Let simmer for a couple of hours.
	Add the juice of one lime towards the end of the cooking. Adds a nice citrus tartness.
	Serve on top of basmati rice. Enjoy!

Warm day along South Cottonwood Creek

Radd Icenoggle — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 23:33:16 +0000

Today we (Olivia and I) went for a little hike along South Cottonwood Creek. The weather was overcast and warm, and the trail was a little muddy. It took 3 changes of water to get Olivia clean when we return home. These kind of days bring that unique quiet where you only hear what you choose to concentrate on. The running of the water over the worn rocks. The unique dampened squish from the thin layer of mud under my boots. The rolling calls of Clark’s Nutcrackers in the forest. The bird count was slow and low with Golden-crowned Kinglets, Brown Creepers and Mountain Chickadees making up the bulk of the sightings. I was able to scare up a lone Dark-eyed Junco.

Caprese Salad with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Anchovies

Radd Icenoggle — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 05:00:53 +0000

This evening I made a delightful caprese salad with roasted cherry tomatoes and anchovies. This is a super simple dish to make, and it is suitable for a starter salad or as a salad entree.

Slice the cherry tomatoes in half. Salt and pepper them, and place in a 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.

Cut mozzarella into ~1/2 inches slices.

Drizzle a bed of extra virgin olive oil\on the plate, and arrange mozzarella slices and anchovy fillets.

Remove cherry tomatoes from the oven. Place on top of the salad with basil

Salt and pepper to taste and enjoy.

Paired with Rogue River Juniper Pale Ale

Rogue River Juniper Pale Ale

Radd Icenoggle — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 04:30:25 +0000

Appearance: Dark Golden with a thick creamy head
Aroma: Soft pine aroma with light hops
Taste: Creamy palate with bright pine notes…very pleasant

Overall: I have never had a juniper-infused ale, but I have been thinking of using that ingredient in an upcoming homebrew. So, when I saw this on the shelf at Rosauers it was quickly grabbed and purchased. I enjoyed this brew; however, it is not what I find to be a session beer. It is great for a pint or two. I can’t wait to brew my Northern Lights Juniper Rye PA…coming soon.

Bozone Tasting Room

Radd Icenoggle — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 05:14:36 +0000

This evening Andy and I went down to the Bozeman Brewing Company’s tasting room. We started off with a Pumpkin Ale. We both thought that it was somewhat over-spiced with, in my opinion, the allspice taking over. My next brew was a Dry Irish Stout on a nitrogenated tap. This was excellent with a milky mouthfeel and great hints of coffee and smoke in the aroma like cowboy coffee. A great beer that I hope stays in rotation. I ended the session with a beer that is big in every way, the Hopzone. I refer to this ale as “Man candy” — heavy hopness, not bitter - hoppy, and a stiff belt of a heavy gravity Double-IPAish beverage. The Bozone never disappoints, they are always stretching their limits with new ideas and techniques. I encourage everyone to support this great local brewery whenever possible.

Bottling Day

Radd Icenoggle — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 21:01:02 +0000

I finally bottled my latest two batches of homebrew, the Sticky Sweet Maple Honey Porter and the South by Southwheat Agave Ale. Below I will give my impressions of each patch as they went into the bottle.

Sticky Sweet Maple Honey Porter

Dark as the ace of spades and fully on the alcohol. The taste was mild on the roasted coffee notes and the high ABV lent a wine-like warmth. This will be a great winter warmer-type ale.

South by Southwheat Agave Ale

Definitely citrus notes in both the aroma and taste. The color is great orange-tinged straw yellow. Low flocculation caused a very hazy beer, but hey it’s a wheat ale…perfect!

Saturday at Hyalite with old friends

Radd Icenoggle — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 20:42:08 +0000

This Saturday morning Olivia and I went up to Hyalite for a little hiking and check out the waterfalls. The weather was severely overcast with moments of sprinkles and glimpse of sunshine. Olivia loves to hike and explore rabbit trails. It was nice to see some old friends. Clark’s Nutcrackers were abundant and Golden-crowned Kinglets active fed among the spruce and fir.

What’s been missing

Radd Icenoggle — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 05:12:49 +0000

With Election Day looming tomorrow, all the talk from the well-groomed media puppets is about character, experience and, even, the associations of the candidates; however, the one term I have not heard in quite some time is environment. It seems with the volatile state of economy and our current foreign policy engagements, neither candidate has or will address the environment other than tacit nods to global warming that were given during the early stages of the campaigns.

I think that issues such as resource extraction practices and wildlife/habitat protection should be pushed in front of future President with vigor. Leading a horse to water…or in all likelihood a donkey to water. As I see the current paradigm, the window of opportunity for securing habitat is closing with each passing year. We have to remain optimistic and positively influence our future President, so that these issues are dealt with in the true spirit of stewardship (a great word usurped by the right-wing).

Just my two cents.

The Value of a Quick Hike

Radd Icenoggle — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 04:34:00 +0000

Sometimes I choose not to go for a hike because there doesn’t seem to be enough time for it. Well, this evening that awful assumption was put to rest completely. With the nice weather and all, I rushed home after work and grabbed Miss Olivia for a quick loop up and down Kirk Hill. It was perfect weather for a hike and Olivia was had a great time.

The light was great and the air crisp, although the extent of the bird life was a few Red-breasted Nuthatches and Mountain Chickadees. A nice leg stretcher after was exactly what I needed.

Annual Audubon Trip to Ennis Lake

Radd Icenoggle — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 04:22:36 +0000

Every year John Parker graciously leads the Sacajawea Audubon trip to Ennis Lake where the target species are scoters, loons (other than Common), and maybe a Herring Gull or two. While had a few gulls, but the waterfowl and loon numbers were way down. The lake was as empty as I have ever seen, but hey we’re out birding and the weather was great for Ennis (warm and windy). We had a great group with many good birders. Young Andrew continues to develop as a birder, and Peter was giving his calls and songs as usual. how someone can actually, first, know that many vocalizations, and, second, have the ability to imitate them is absolutely beyond me. We didn’t see any scoters or rare loons, but a cooperative Bonaparte’s Gull, two rather tame Great Horned Owls, and the first Herring Gull of the autumn.

* Notice brown washing indicating a first year Bonaparte’s Gull

Full Trip Report at WilderTrack.com

South by Southwheat Ale

Radd Icenoggle — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 03:35:53 +0000

Tonight I brewed my South by Southwheat Ale. It’s a wheat ale twist a couple of twists - the use of agave nectar in place of honey, which I normally use, and Sorachi Ace hops (a Japanese variety that is supposed to lend a mild lemon/citrus flavor - perfect for a wheat beer). I am using the American Hefeweizen yeast from White Labs for this particular brew. Images of the brewing process and brewing particulars to follow.

Fermentables
2.5 lbs. - American Two-row Barley
1 lbs. - Flaked Wheat
4 lbs. - Wheat Liquid Male Extract
1 lbs. - Agave Nectar

Hops
0.5 oz. - Sorachi Ace 14% AA - 60 minutes
0.25 oz. - Sorachi Ace 14% AA - 15 minutes
0.25 oz. - Sorachi Ace 14% AA - 5 minutes

Yeast
White Labs American Hefeweizen (WLP320)

Steep American Two-row Barley and flaked wheat for 45 minutes at ~155 F.

Add wheat liquid malt extract and agave nectar, and return to boil. Add 0.5 oz. of the Sorachi Ace hops to the boil. Smell the goodness.

After the boil was over, the color was a tad darker than straw yellow - perfect for the wheat ale…I can’t wait to taste this one.

Original Gravity 1.055	Final Gravity 1.015	Color 4° SRM (Yellow)
Bitterness 7.0 HBU 24.7 IBU	Alcohol 5.3% A.B.V. 4.1% A.B.W.	Calories 181 per 12 oz.

Passage

Radd Icenoggle — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 00:48:35 +0000

As the light faded into twilight this evening, thousands of Mallards descended upon the few remaining stubble fields south of Bozeman. I surmise that this event is my true herald of autumn, the small waves of migrating waterfowl honking overhead as they pass through the valley. Some may settle for the winter or, at least, a couple of weeks; others are on their way to points further, the Rio Grande Valley or Bosque del Apache…places I must visit. The snap is in the air and a blue autumn sky is accented by colorful Mallards and Northern Pintails.

Sticky Sweet Maple Honey Porter

Radd Icenoggle — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 02:06:32 +0000

Today I brewed a recipe of my own devices, a Sticky Sweet Maple Honey Porter. The intent of this was to have big porter with sweet tones of coffee, maple, and floral tones from the Fuggles hops and honey. In what follows is the recipes, images from the brew day, and the brew particulars.

Fermentables
7 lbs. - Dark Malt Extract Syrup
1.5 lbs. - Honey
1.25 lbs. - Maple Syrup
1 lbs. - Rye Malt
1 lbs. - American Black Patent

Hops
1.0 oz. - Fuggles 4.6% AA
0.5 oz. - Fuggles 4.6% AA
0.5 oz. - Fuggles 4.6% AA

Yeast
White Labs Irish Ale (WLP004)

Steep black patent and rye for 30 minutes at ~155 F

Add dark malt extract and 1oz of Fuggles hops. Bring up to a boil.

Add honey and 0.5 oz. of Fuggles hops at 15 minutes.

Add maple syrup and the remaining 0.5 oz. of hops at 2 minutes.

Original Gravity 1.078	Final Gravity 1.022	Color 21° SRM (Brown to Dark Brown)
Bitterness 4.6 HBU 14.5 IBU	Alcohol 7.5% A.B.V. 5.8% A.B.W.	Calories 259 per 12 oz.

Postscript: The fermentation is healthy to say the least.

Another good day at Ennis Lake

Radd Icenoggle — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 03:53:48 +0000

One day alone is wonderful to have at Ennis Lake during the fall, but to have two such days is sublime.

Sam Koenen and I took his mini-me, Jabe, out for a bit of guy time with some birding and breakfast at Yesterday’s Cafe (best sausage gravy ever…I mean ever…challenge me, I dare you!). Oh yeah, the wonder mutt, Miss Olivia was along as the offical bird dog. After breakfast, we headed towards Jeffers and the south end of Ennis Lake. The birds were the usual cast of characters for the area, save for a few Bonapart’s Gulls and Hooded Mergansers. The day was really about having a good time with good company, and little birding made it a great experience.

Oh almost forgot, at Harrison Reservoir, we had 3 American Pipits…probably the last I will see until next April/May

You can see the complete trip report here.

The Safeway Samurai Swordsman…WTF!?

Radd Icenoggle — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 21:39:49 +0000

Every once in a while you come across a set of circumstances so incredibly odd that it defies description. At lunch today, I had to go into Safeway, and upon entering the store, two police officers were holding a obliviously “crazy” man. First of all, one of the cops had his flashlight beam focused on the suspect — we’re inside a brightly fluorescent lit grocery store. That works. Next, our suspect has schizophrenic hair that had not seen a comb or shampoo in at least a good month. He was wearing a white t-shirt — well, the t-shirt was white but the thick layer of dirt, grease, oil and other dried fluids obscured that particular fact. Now for the kicker, the other cop was holding a cheap, knock-off samurai sword. I kid you not, a sword, a f’ing sword. This brought many questions to my mind.

“A samurai sword, really?”

“Who brings a sword into the grocery?”

“Does this guy always carry a sword?”

One question after the next kept bombarding my cranium, well, they still are tumbling around in there. I should have asked the cops, “What’s the deal here because I can’t deal with mystery of the Safeway Samurai swordsman?”, and that way I could have got it out of my system.

When good decisions are made

Radd Icenoggle — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 02:42:37 +0000

Olivia partying on the snow.

Radd Icenoggle — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 18:42:16 +0000

Today’s snow give Olivia the chance to have a great time outside.

First Snow of the Season

Radd Icenoggle — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:26:02 +0000

This morning I woke to a steady, if not howling then talking loudly, wind. Looking outside there was a dusting of snow and big flakes screaming through the air. The first snow of season…looks like winter might be long and hard this year.