Pelee Island Birds

After the wedding and subsequent libations in Chicago, we retreated back to good ol' Canada for the rest of our vacation, and more libations. We stayed with my folks in southern Ontario and vistied Pelee Island for the day. AWESOME place for birds. We checked out the Pelee Island Winery, grilled some meat and drained three bottles of dry riesling. Libations!

Wild Turkeys

Great Egret
The very same majestic frog-hunter that graced the label of the wine bottle that we thrice drained earlier in the day. Coincidence? I think not.



Tree Swallow

American Gold Finches

Gettin' Hitched

I haven't posted anything in a while due to the fact that I recently got hitched. Man, weddings are a lot of work. That said, it was quite a barn burner. We tied the knot church style and then walked across the street to B's old high school (where she was once prom queen).
We hired a rockin' five piece band from Chicago, served hearty food and poured the finest kegged beer Wisconsin had to offer. We had a fine mix of Canadian/Jeju/Abu Dhabi friends and family in attendance and it was the greatest night of my life.

The custodian put up this sign 3 days before the big day. There was no turning back at that point.

Hot weather birdz

Graceful Prinia

For the past few days the thermometer has been flirting with 50 degrees Celcius. It is not a dry heat. It is very much a wet heat. The Arabian Gulf is too hot to comfortably swim in. All spring migrants are long gone and only a few hard-core birds remain here for the hot season. In other news, only 3 more days till the vast green beauty of CANADA! Thinking of venturing out east this summer for a Halifax honeymoon.

Bar-tailed Godwit

My camera was acting up due to the insane heat and humidity of this place. This species holds the record for the longest non-stop flight of any bird. One of these guys went non-stop from New Zealand to China. Bad. Ass. Bird.



Common Terns

Goat Grab in the Desert

Late this afternoon, a kind Emirati fellow we met at our hotel/home invited us out to his desert camel farm for the evening. As a result, a group of us caravaned an hour or so deep into the sand waves. Here B stands on the crest of what is tantamount to a North Shore-sized wave. Only these gritty sand swells move eons slower than their salty wet counterparts. GEOLOGY PEOPLE!

Our host decided that we would feast on Roast Goat. Why do all delicious animals have to be so cute? Oh why damn you! (repeatedly slamming fist into floor) Note the insanely adorable long ears.



This is our host, Mr. Zayed's humble desert retreat. Twas explained to me that even the most pimped out oil-soaked Emiratis are happiest when they can just chill with their kin folk out in the desert. It is the Bedouin life. Tending camels from a simple palm frond hut out in the sand waves. The black cording wrapped around the hut are irrigation lines that bleed droplets of water down the interior walls, keeping it damp and about 10 degrees cooler than the bag-sticking outside temp.



That cute little bugger sure tasted good. I used his floppy ear for a taco shell (kidding). Tear off a piece of homemade flat-bread and envelope some tender meat inside. Grab the Goat you Goat Grabbers. Deliciousity ensued. Thank you Goat.



After all was said and done, a generator-powered TV and DVD kit was pulled from the hut out onto the sand. Here, Mr. Mohammad (wealthy Mr. Zayed's man-helper) watches the latest Bollywood crap-o-rama.

Side note: The two bowls next to the TV table were filled with fresh camel's milk. It was rich and frothy and tasted a little sweet.

Common Kestrel and Cape Hare

A Common Kestrel perched up in a date palm tree.

An alert Cape Hare.