Location Scouting Hatches Harbor

Jeff let me tag along with him yesterday when he did his field work. The man works 12-14 hour days during the field season, so it was very generous of him to add in a little extra time for me. We went to Race Point North and saw absolutely no terns at all, though sometimes that location is hopping. And then we went to Hatches Harbor where there were several hundred terns scattered around.

I had my Nikon with me so I got some photos and video, but it was neither the right camera, nor the right lens, nor the right time of day by the time we found the birds, so these images are just to give you an idea. It was good to go to get a sense of how much walking (with gear) will be involved, where and when it's likely to see the birds, and how much of a challenge it will be for me and the audience to distinguish the roseates from the other terns and even just other shore birds.

Take a look.

Learning about the roseate tern

I'm starting a new project. It will be a short documentary about the roseate tern. Unlike the common tern, which is apparently still very common, the roseate is endangered. I have a lot to learn yet, so anything I say now may be inaccurate, but here's my understanding and my thoughts at the moment.

And so it begins again

I have just completed my first application packet of the new season. Mary is kindly proof reading it for me. Carleton College - just south of Minneapolis - has an application deadline of 9/18. That seems wildly early to me. Maybe the have an adjunct they want to hire and want to keep the numbers down. Or maybe they want the kind of applicants who are paying attention and quick off the mark. Still, that's almost an entire year between application deadline and start date.