This is the trailer for that documentary “Ghost Bird” which explores the craze and controversy surrounding the “re-discovery” of The Ivory-billed Woodpecker in Arkansas.
Dec 04 2008
Turkey Mulligatawny Soup
The spices in this mulligatawny, a rich Indian soup flavored with curry and garam masala, will help you wake up from your post-Thanksgiving coma.
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion
1 medium Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and diced
1 medium carrot, peeled and medium dice
5 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 can low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups diced, cooked turkey
1 1/2 cups cooked basmati rice
1 (14-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
INSTRUCTIONS
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Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. When it foams, add onion, season with salt, and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Add apple, carrot, and garlic, stir to coat in butter, and season again with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sauté until apple is tender and onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. |
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Sprinkle flour, curry powder, garam masala, cumin, and cloves over vegetables and stir until spices are fragrant and flour has cooked slightly, about 2 minutes. |
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Slowly add broth, stirring until flour has dissolved. Bring to a simmer and cook until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add turkey, rice, coconut milk, and lemon juice and return soup to a simmer for about 20 minutes. |
This is delicious!! And I have a lot of leftovers mulligatawny for the next few days.
Dec 04 2008
Not all hope is lost though
After having my rant about the Bush administration, I was treated to a glorious sunset. The type that tells you that everything will be okay if we have faith and do the right things.
Dec 04 2008
Bush attempting to gut ESA
I tend to stay away from the political on this blog, but this latest round of Bush BS has pushed me beyond upset. The outgoing administration is attempting to enact a “minute to midnight” regulatory ruling that would completely undermine the Endangered Species Act. The rule would allow departments and agencies to engage in building projects without having the sign off of a government biologist if an endangered species can possibly be effected. For example, let’s say the Corps of Engineers is planning to build a dam on a river such the Thompson River that holds Bull Trout, with this change of regulatory procedure, they would be allowed to build the dam without consulting a biologist on the effect to the trout. The ESA would lose its ability to protect endangered species. Not surprising, considering that this idiotic scheme comes from the most anti-environment administration in living memory.
Dec 03 2008
The Flathead Gull Sanctuary
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.
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Nov 23 2008
Looking back at Rio Tarcoles
 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 |
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Nov 20 2008
Brewing the Northern Lights Juniper Rye PA
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.
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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.
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Cool the wort, place into the fermenter, pitch the yeast, and wait for the bubbles.
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Nov 19 2008
The passing of autumn
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.
Nov 18 2008
Sungrebe at Bosque del Apache NWR
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/
Nov 18 2008
Birding by Impression – Giss 2.0
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.
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