For the Birds

(I would have used "yellow-bellied sapsuckers", myself, but "loons" works, too.)

I usually refrain from politics on the innertubes, but I will say this:

Don’t mess with birders, dude.

Seriously.

Mojo has been an avid birder AND survivalist since as long as she can remember. She's more at home in the woods than most. And not in the stupidly romantic Cute-Forest-Creatures-Clean-My-House-And-Mother-Nature-Is-My-Bestest-Friend-Evaar sort of way, but in the more realistic Mother-Nature-Will-Indeed-KILL-Me-If-I’m-Disrespectful-To-Her-And-Might-Kill-Me-Anyway-Just-Because-I’m-Unlucky-That-Day sort of fashion.

Part and parcel with the territory of observing birds comes the necessity of learning how to cope with the various unpleasantries of outdoor life. What the nonbirder might find extraordinary—such as fellow birder Haskell Curry’s story of how he arrived several hours late to his wedding, utterly plastered in mud, because he was watching ducks that morning—a birder accepts as just the Natural Course of Events.

But there are some things they won't accept.

Audubon Society of Portland Statement on the Occupation of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge

Warning from the Birding Community to the Terrorists in Oregon: We're Watching You

So, umm, yeah. Occupy whatever Federal building you want. Eat whatever snacks you like. But interfere with a birder’s desire to go look at birds, and suddenly there's a problem. Here's hoping it can be resolved peacefully. If not, well, I have my money on the birders.

They at least know enough about outdoor life to bring their own snacks.

Mojo