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February 2010

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Subject:
From:
Manon Van Schoyck <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Manon Van Schoyck <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Thu, 4 Feb 2010 11:02:58 -0500
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This may be the worst case of cabin fever that I've ever seen!

                                Manon VanSchoyck
                                www.ohionature.org
----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve J." <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, February 04, 2010 10:57 AM
Subject: Re: [Ohio-birds] Winner of "Biggest Loser"


> (Shocked expression followed by ecstatic jumping up and down. Hugs other
> biggest loser contestants, followed by the welling up of tears)Thank you
> one and all for this most highest of honors. (tears)  I hardly know what
> to say...sniff
>
> (wipes tears from eyes) sniff...I didn't believe that I had any hope of
> winning such a great and noble achievement. I was sure that there were
> others out there that had only seen just a bird or two during this past
> Wulf-monath.  Surely there is one out there.  However, I will accept
> this award on behalf of those who were too afraid to speak up and
> acknowledge that they were unable to go out and enjoy the avian bonanza
> that is all around us.
>
> And I will use this platform to go and speak out against homelessness
> and hunger and disease, to achieve world peace, and to get the kids back
> outside instead of in front of the TV/computer.
>
> ahem (clears throat, drinks a sip of water).
>
> My fellow Birders,
>
> During this tumultuous era of war and social upheaval, we are forgetting
> those out there that are the littlest among us, the unseen in some
> cases.  They hide in the shadows, but they are there looking at us and
> watching us.  Watching us go on with our busy lives barely caring that
> they are even there.  We neglect them, ignore them. We feed them and
> their children food that is not fit for humans to eat. We offer up
> places to clean up and rest but then let them fall into a state of
> disrepair so that it is not fit for even vagrants from another country
> to come and seek shelter for the night, or even take a bath. We MUST
> turn the tide we MUST stop this injustice.
>
> Therefore my fellow Birders, I encourage YOU with all the power that
> this award gives me, to do what I..and my family have done.  To take
> steps to right the wrongs  that WE have committed to those least among us.
>
>
> My fellow Birders, there are so many hungry birds out there, so many
> that I can not feed them myself.  So I am asking each each and every one
> of you to feed the birds.  It's one of the easiest things that you can
> do to help end this scourge of hunger. Go buy a feeder and feed (pref.
> black oil sunflower), put feeder up and put feed in feeder.  The birds
> will thank you, and will surely sing to you a chorus of happy melodies.
>
> Then, when you are able, take the next step, go and buy a bird bath and
> put it out so that the birds can have a decent place to bathe.  However,
> in order to keep diseases at bay, you MUST KEEP IT CLEAN...Take time to
> change the water daily..or atleast biweekly.  Help it stay clean by
> sanitizing it once a month...use bleach.
>
> Then my fellow Birders, take the next step when you are able.  Go online
> or the library and get plans for a birdhouse and then take time to
> lovingly build and display at least one in an open air public
> environment.  The birds NEED YOU!
>
> And finally a subject that is near and dear to my heart, a subject that
> I must admit that I don't do enough of. I speak of our children.  As
> many of you know, our children have attached themselves to the
> television through hand held devices meant to simulate a real world
> environment.  But I say TURN THAT Wii OFF!   TAKE THE PLAYSTATION..THE
> X-BOX..THE COMPUTER GAMES..AND..THROW..THEM...AWAY!!! ....Give your kids
> a pair of binoculars and take them birding, to observe those that are in
> the shadows watching us so that they might gain a better understanding
> of the world and those around us.
>
> Do these things and that world peace thang should pretty much take care
> of itself.
>
> Thank you, and may God bless you, and may God..BLESS...AMERICA!!!
>
>
> I now yield the remaining balance of my time to the birders of Ohio.
>
>
> Sincerely,
>
> The Biggest Looser 2010
> Steve Jones
>
>
>
> Kathi Hutton wrote:
>> Reading about the adventures of fellow Ohio birders in pursuit of their
>> Century List (100 birds in January) used to leave me jealous of their
>> trip lists and the time they had to devote to birding.  Then, I came up
>> with the idea of a competition the rest of us could join; one open to
>> those of us with full-time commitments and limited access to the many
>> birding "hot spots" of our state.
>>
>> The winner of my semi-regular and unofficial contest to see who has the
>> shortest January list, a contest with the joking name of "Biggest Loser,"
>> would then have a chance at state-wide infamy, and would also have a goal
>> to beat for next year.
>>
>> Thanks to all who participated, on and off list, and also to:  Al LaSala,
>> who urged us to be bird watchers instead of bird spotters, to Andy
>> Sewell, who advised me and my fellow losers that joining a Christmas Bird
>> Count next Jan. would jump start our 2011 numbers, and to Shari Jackson,
>> who reminded us that ALL birders are winners, no matter how long your
>> trip list.
>>
>> And now, the moment you have been waiting for - the Biggest Loser for
>> 2010 ....
>>
>> I almost gave the title to first time poster Kim Batzer, with a mere 26
>> species, until I heard from Steve Jones, whose busy work schedule has
>> kept him out of the field all month and left him with only 15 birds for
>> Jan.  Congratulations, Steve!  You are our Biggest Loser this year!!
>>
>> All in fun, fellow birders, all in fun!
>>
>> Keep looking up, and I'll see you in the fields,
>>
>> ~Kathi
>>
>> Visit me at:
>> http://katdocsworld.blogspot.com/
>>
>> ______________________________________________________________________
>>
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>> Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at
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>>
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>>
>>
>
> ______________________________________________________________________
>
> Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
> Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.
> Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at
> www.ohiobirds.org/forum/.
>
> You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at:
> http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS
> Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]
>
>

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