I am gone for almost a week, and look what happens! Threads get locked, people go nuts, yadda, yadda, yadda.

By the way, you have no idea how much I missed this place. It's kind of sad, really. I was stuck watching really boring videos of birds. Stupid thesis.:faint:

I had to attend a boring department meeting today, but next week SPRING BREAK!!!!! And I'm not sick so far. This is wonderful since I'm usually sick on spring break. Of course, I have to grade about 60 essays on break, but what the hell. I don't have to prepare lessons, not that I do anyway. I've been doing this so long that I prepare my lesson in the car on the way to school.

Laurend -- What are you doing on birds? Sounds interesting.

This week is our spring break, but I haven't had much time to enjoy it.

I am basically comparing the provisioning (feeding nestlings) rates of male and female Loggerhead Shrikes. I have a whole bunch of videotapes of birds that were taken over the last few years to watch to get my data. It wouldn't be so bad, except for the fact that the tapes are crappy. Bad lighting, bad clarity, zoomed in too close to the nest or too far out, you get the picture. There were a lot of people responsible for making the videos, and some of them apparently weren't very skilled. Not to mention the fact that the records are a little shoddy. Some of the videos show birds that have identification bands before they were supposed to have been banded, or they have the wrong bands on, etc. This is a major problem because the males and females are identical, so the only way I can tell which bird I am looking at is by which combination of bands they have. Basically, I love what I am doing, but I HATE these damn tapes.

These are Loggerhead Shrikes, for anyone who doesn't know what they look like.

I am gone for almost a week, and look what happens! Threads get locked, people go nuts, yadda, yadda, yadda.

By the way, you have no idea how much I missed this place. It's kind of sad, really. I was stuck watching really boring videos of birds. Stupid thesis.:faint:

Glad to see you back. I thought that maybe your computer was on the fritz.:help:

Glad to see you back. I thought that maybe your computer was on the fritz.:help:

Thanks, TOM. I went to see my parents for a couple of days at their vacation house (no internet), and they basically conned me into staying there and working on the tapes. I'm glad they did, though, because I have less than a month before I have to give a presentation about my thesis and I have to have some preliminary results. Knowing my speed, I doubt I'll get through the 55 or so tapes that I have left to watch by then, but I've got at least a little data to work with.

Thanks, TOM. I went to see my parents for a couple of days at their vacation house (no internet), and they basically conned me into staying there and working on the tapes. I'm glad they did, though, because I have less than a month before I have to give a presentation about my thesis and I have to have some preliminary results. Knowing my speed, I doubt I'll get through the 55 or so tapes that I have left to watch by then, but I've got at least a little data to work with.

I hate to say this, but "shut down your PC and get to work".

I hate to say this, but "shut down your PC and get to work".

I know, I know. I am actually getting ready to watch one right now. It's not so bad once I get started, it's just that getting started is the hard part.

I know, I know. I am actually getting ready to watch one right now. It's not so bad once I get started, it's just that getting started is the hard part.

That is the story of my life in a nutshell.

I love the photos. Did you take them? If so, where are you that you have those adorable little Horned Lizards? We used to have them here in Houston when I was a little girl (we called them hornytoads). Long gone from this area now. The last time I saw one in the wild was in South Texas.

Cindy

I love the photos. Did you take them? If so, where are you that you have those adorable little Horned Lizards? We used to have them here in Houston when I was a little girl (we called them hornytoads). Long gone from this area now. The last time I saw one in the wild was in South Texas.

I didn't take them, I just found them on the internet. I believe that the photo with the lizard was taken in Texas, though. The birds are neat, though, because they impale their prey on thorns, twigs, and barb wire. That was probably the fate of the lizard.

Those pics are great. Ironically enough, my cat just brought in a dead bird. I found it following the trail of feathers in the hallway.