Today turned into the best kind of day possible.
We search for nests in two different ways. The area-searching I described in my last post and by watching the males takeover incubation from the females in the evening. Today I wanted us to use the second method, so I sent the crew out for a few hours in the morning to collect our invertebrate samples and spend a bit of time nest searching. The plan was for them to be gone a short time, come back, eat a big lunch, and then go back out in the evening. I stayed behind for the morning to get some computer work done, but was going to go out into the field for the longer evening session.
I was working on the computer when I heard the first bike roll in right on time. I knew something was up when Garrett came walking into the cabin before taking off his hip boots. “What’s three plus three?” he asked.
While my math skills could be stronger, Garrett’s are pretty good. I wasn’t really sure why he was asking me this, especially since I thought it was an easy math problem. “6, why?”, I replied - honestly a bit worried.
“That’s how many nests we have now.”
“No way!”
The crew, when only in the field for ~3 hours, had found three Godwit nests. THREE! Three of the four had area searched effectively. One of the three nests is presumably still laying. Epic!
The boys wanted to celebrate with a good lunch before heading back out to get more, (more!) nests. I left one cooking, and Garrett and I headed down to quickly talk to the Heilmans.
Once there, we knew our plans might be changing. We were going to celebrate all right. It was a gorgeous sunny day and the Heilman’s wanted to take me up on my offer of some young backs and big muscles for doing some work in their garden. To thank us they were going to treat us to dinner, and Judy had the baked beans and potatoes cooking.
Garrett and I rounded up the troops, and we brought them over to the main house. We spent the afternoon putting in new fence posts, putting up fencing, cleaning out bird boxes, petting the puppies, cooing at the baby chickens, moving some rocks and logs out the garden, and enjoying some good people and conversations. We got the fence up around the garden, so Judy can finish putting in her seeds. A few big tasks that we were happy to lend some youth, muscles, and extra hands to help them out.
In return to thank us and to get to know the crew, we had a BBQ. We set up a table using some plywood and sawhorses, got out some chairs, and fired up the BBQ. Baked beans, potatoes, hamburgers and sausages. Judy had outdone herself again, and everyone was happily scarfing down good and chatting. The sun was out, and it was too warm for coats. The dog even behaved an stayed away from the area we were eating outside. To top it off Judy pulled out some pre-made pound cake, frozen raspberries and blueberries from the yard, and whipped cream. Yum! They made my day when Judy remembered there was ice cream in the big freezer. Larry said I could go get it if people wanted, since he was too tired to walk over there. It was the icing on the cake on a great day. They certainly spoiled us.
Once the pound cake came out, Garrett and I decided the three nests in one day was enough. It was more important to enjoy the time with the Heilmans, and lend them some extra hands. Overall it was a good day. 6 nests and some fun time on the farm. Can’t beat it.
— May 16th, 2015
We search for nests in two different ways. The area-searching I described in my last post and by watching the males takeover incubation from the females in the evening. Today I wanted us to use the second method, so I sent the crew out for a few hours in the morning to collect our invertebrate samples and spend a bit of time nest searching. The plan was for them to be gone a short time, come back, eat a big lunch, and then go back out in the evening. I stayed behind for the morning to get some computer work done, but was going to go out into the field for the longer evening session.
I was working on the computer when I heard the first bike roll in right on time. I knew something was up when Garrett came walking into the cabin before taking off his hip boots. “What’s three plus three?” he asked.
While my math skills could be stronger, Garrett’s are pretty good. I wasn’t really sure why he was asking me this, especially since I thought it was an easy math problem. “6, why?”, I replied - honestly a bit worried.
“That’s how many nests we have now.”
“No way!”
The crew, when only in the field for ~3 hours, had found three Godwit nests. THREE! Three of the four had area searched effectively. One of the three nests is presumably still laying. Epic!
The boys wanted to celebrate with a good lunch before heading back out to get more, (more!) nests. I left one cooking, and Garrett and I headed down to quickly talk to the Heilmans.
Once there, we knew our plans might be changing. We were going to celebrate all right. It was a gorgeous sunny day and the Heilman’s wanted to take me up on my offer of some young backs and big muscles for doing some work in their garden. To thank us they were going to treat us to dinner, and Judy had the baked beans and potatoes cooking.
Garrett and I rounded up the troops, and we brought them over to the main house. We spent the afternoon putting in new fence posts, putting up fencing, cleaning out bird boxes, petting the puppies, cooing at the baby chickens, moving some rocks and logs out the garden, and enjoying some good people and conversations. We got the fence up around the garden, so Judy can finish putting in her seeds. A few big tasks that we were happy to lend some youth, muscles, and extra hands to help them out.
In return to thank us and to get to know the crew, we had a BBQ. We set up a table using some plywood and sawhorses, got out some chairs, and fired up the BBQ. Baked beans, potatoes, hamburgers and sausages. Judy had outdone herself again, and everyone was happily scarfing down good and chatting. The sun was out, and it was too warm for coats. The dog even behaved an stayed away from the area we were eating outside. To top it off Judy pulled out some pre-made pound cake, frozen raspberries and blueberries from the yard, and whipped cream. Yum! They made my day when Judy remembered there was ice cream in the big freezer. Larry said I could go get it if people wanted, since he was too tired to walk over there. It was the icing on the cake on a great day. They certainly spoiled us.
Once the pound cake came out, Garrett and I decided the three nests in one day was enough. It was more important to enjoy the time with the Heilmans, and lend them some extra hands. Overall it was a good day. 6 nests and some fun time on the farm. Can’t beat it.
— May 16th, 2015