Rio Grande Valley, Birding Day 1, Report 1 UPDATED!

NOTE: I'm updating this post after some information re IDs from my brilliant commenters.
Saturday was a long day at two wonderful facilities: the South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center and Estero Llano Grande State Park in Weslaco. In order to include more pictures, I'm going to split it up into separate posts for each place. We'll start off with a visual tour of SPIBNC.

This fairly new facility is located 3.5 miles north of the Queen Isabella Bridge, right off the main drag on the island. The boardwalk stretches over the mudflats of the Laguna Madre (the bay between the barrier island that is South Padre and the continental U.S.), and they have everything from birds to alligators to coyotes out there. We arrived around 8:30 at low tide, so the mudflats were exposed:Also exposed were these huge jellyfish who'd been trapped by the retreating tide. I don't know if they live or die while waiting for the water to come back in.

You know it's going to be a good day when the first bird you see is a lifer:This beautiful Reddish Egret wasn't even fussed that people were staring at him; he just strutted around like he owned the place.

The wind was blowing at probably 30 or 40 miles an hour, which is pretty normal for the beach (and South Texas, actually). That made a morning in the mid-40s into a wind-chilled experience, but we were hardcore and stayed out there with our guide, Tim Bradshaw, a thoroughly good egg. He showed us what there was to see on this windy morning:

Black-bellied Plover still in winter plumage

a Common Moorhen showing his blazing red schnozz

Brown Pelican flying about twenty feet over our heads

that beautiful Little Blue Heron

a Tricolored Heron and his pal the Roseate Spoonbill

a side-by-side comparison of Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs

Cute little Pied-billed Grebe

this Northern Harrier was our constant companion, flying over the area the entire time we were there and then landing for a few seconds on this native grass stem (which I figured would collapse under his weight, but it didn't)

Tim said these were Mottled Ducks; I would've passed them off as lady Mallards myself. Speaking of Mallards, there was a hybrid Mallard that Tim pointed out who was much bigger than a normal Mallard and who was missing that white ring separating the green of his head from his chestnut-colored breast. I didn't get a picture, though, dangit! No telling what this big guy's mom/dad cross-bred with; a goose?

The spoonbill returns!

a drinking Willet whose little not-quite-shut eye is cute to me

UPDATE!This isn't a Dunlin, say Laura and John; it's a dowitcher. Now--Long-billed or Short-billed?
I suppose my uncertainty stemmed from the awfully long bill on this guy. However, bill length isn't a reliable indicator of which dowitcher we have, according to Roger Tory Peterson! (Huh?) He states in his Field Guide to the Birds of Texas and Surrounding States (1988), "Bill measurements of the two overlap, but extreme long-billed birds of this species are easily recognized...." That white eyebrow is also distinctive.

I'd say this guy's bill is pretty long; Peterson states that a 3-inch bill qualifies as a Long-billed's bill, so I'm going with Long-billed Dowitcher here. Further, RTP states that the breasts of the Short-billed are more spotted than the more solid-colored or barred Long-billed's. This fellow's breast looks more like a solid darker area than spotty. What do you think?

This shorebird business is tough; Tim did give us a great tip about spotting Spotted Sandpipers: he said they always bob up and down when they walk. He said they're the only sandpiper that does that, though my field guide says that both the Spotted and the Common (which the Spotted in winter plumage resembles) "nod and teeter constantly." Of course, the Common Sandpiper is NOT common here at all! It's one of those Eurasian species that's seen only up in Bering Strait and places like the Pribiloffs.

Well, that was our rapid but rewarding trip to the South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center. We meant to go back there, but we just ran out of time. I already listed the birds we saw there -- UPDATE: though now I have to amend my list! Off comes the Dunlin and on goes the Long-billed Dowitcher in a shaky but educational ID process. One thing's for certain: I'm glad the Willet is so much huger than the other shorebirds. He was pretty easy! I also learned that "snipe" is a reference to that distinctive headshape that our boy up above has: that long bill extending from his head, almost like a Woodcock's head does. It's funny-looking but cute, in my opinion.

I wish we'd stayed longer, but the wind was howling and we decided to go inland for a while. Tomorrow, I'll show you birds from our trip to Estero Llano Grande State Park. For now...

gotta fly!

Small selection of Day 1 RGV birds

Day 1 and we're exhausted. Here's just a hint of all we saw today:

Great Egret with a too-big fish that he would end up dropping

White Ibis

Reddish Egret

Little Blue Heron

Roseate Spoonbill

And that was just a hint, and just day 1--more soon! Today we did the South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center and then the Estero Llano World Birding Center.
TOTALS:
25 lifers
73 species
My lifers-in-one-day total might be beaten! My first trip to Cape May, I got 31 lifers in two days; I'm going to say that this day was my biggest day ever!

Tomorrow, it's the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge and the Arroyo Colorado Birding Center. It'll probably be Monday or Tuesday before I get up all the pics and the full list, so stick with me, and wish me luck tomorrow. Still hoping to see Green Jay, Green Kingfisher, Altamira Oriole, and more.

THIS POST WAS UPDATED.
Oh my gosh, we're down here on South Padre Island, and it's FREEZING! And WINDY! But we've made one birding stop so far: the South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center, a beautiful facility with a long boardwalk with viewing platforms and both fresh and saltwater marshy areas and mudflats.

We saw 34 species, thanks to our intrepid guide Tim Bradshaw.
Mallard--including a hybrid who was HUGE--Tim said he'd probably been parented by a Mallard and a domestic duck.

Blue-winged Teal
Northern Pintail
Redhead (in rafts of like 150 birds!)
Pied-billed Grebe
Brown Pelican
White Pelican
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tri-colored Heron--LIFER!
Reddish Egret--LIFER!
White Ibis--LIFER!
Roseate Spoonbill--LIFER!
Osprey
Northern Harrier
Common Moorhen--LIFER!
American Coot
Black-bellied Plover--LIFER!
Killdeer
Spotted Sandpiper--LIFER!
Willet--LIFER!
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Sanderling
Western Sandpiper
Long-billed Dowitcher--LIFER!
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Caspian Tern--LIFER!
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Red-winged Blackbird
some kind of pale-colored sparrow--didn't get a good look!

WHEW! Sitting in a coffee shop now, getting ready to leave the Island to go inland where it's warmer and less windy. The sun is out, the beach is beautiful, and my lifelist is growing faster than a little fledgling in the spring!

Pictures coming up tonight!

Geeked up!

I'm so geeked up and ready to go to the Valley that I can hardly stand it. I feel like Peter Petrelli from season one of Heroes, glowing and about to explode -- the excitement of a roadtrip, new birds, going to my old hometown of Harlingen and my old favorite hangout of South Padre Island, and spending some quality time with ol' Mary, my little sister-pal! It's just almost too much! Almost!

I was just on Mel's Peruvian wonderblog and marvelling at all the amazing southern hemisphere birds she's seeing lately, and I was surprised to find some of the RGV "specialty birds" on her list -- I guess the tip of Texas is the northernmost part of their range. That just got me even more excited to get down there and start looking for birds.

Here's a list of some of the birds I'm hoping to see down there, all of which would be lifers and some of which are only on the USA birdlists because of their presence in the southernmost tip of Texas:

Altamira Oriole, Bolsero Campero, I. gularis

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Pijije, Dendrocyna autumnalis

Black-throated Sparrow, Chiero Gorjinegro, Amphispiza bilineata

Bronzed Cowbird, Tordo Ojirrojo, Molothrus aeneus

Brown-crested Flycatcher, Copetòn Tiranillo, M. tyrannulus

Clapper Rail, Rascòn Picudo, Rallus longirostris

Common Ground-Dove, Tortolita Comùn, C. passerine

Common Moorhen, Gallareta Comùn, Gallinula chloropus

Common Pauraque, Pachacua Pucuya, Nyctidromus albicollis

Couch's Kingbird, Tirano Mexicano, T. couchii

Dunlin, Playerito Lomo Rojo, C. alpine

Great Kiskadee, Luis Bienteveo, Pitangus sulphuratus

Green Jay, Chara Verde, Cyanocorax yncas

Groove-billed Ani, Garrapatero Pijuy, Crotophaga sulcirostris

Harris's Hawk, Aguililla Cinchada, Parabuteo unicinctus

Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Carpinterillo Mexicano, Picoides scalaris

Lark Sparrow, Garriòn Arlequìn, Chondestes grammacus

Lesser Scaup, Pato Bola, A. affinis

Lesser Yellowlegs, Tinguìs Menor, T. flavipes

Lincoln's Sparrow, Gorriòn de Lincoln, M. lincolnii

Marbled Godwit, Agachona Real, L. fedoa

Mottled Duck, Pato Tejano, A. fulvigula

Nashville Warbler, Chipe Gorrigrìs, V. ruficapilla

Olive Sparrow, Gorriòn Olivàceo, Arremonops rufivirgatus

Red Knot, Playero Conuto, Calidris canutus

Reddish Egret, Garza Melenuda, E. rufescens

Ruddy Turnstone, Chorlete Comùn, Arenaria interpres

Sandwich Tern, Charràn de Sandwich, S. sandvicensis

Tennessee Warbler, Chipe Peregrino, V. peregrine

Tricolored Heron, Garza Flaca, E. tricolor

White-tipped Dove, Paloma Perdiz, Leptotila verreauxi

Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Cuclillo Piquiamarillo, C. americanus
It's a pretty amazing list, and these are only the birds that are supposed to be abundant or common down there; I didn't even include anything that was supposed to be uncommon or rare or accidental! You'll note that the list has the common English name, the Spanish name, and then the usual Latin genus and species. This has been a real advantage when Birding Mommy starts talking to me about birds she loved as a child--she only knows the Spanish names, which aren't exactly easy to match up with the English names I know.

Still, there are some bird names she's used that I haven't been able to find the English translation for. Does anyone know what a "calandria" is? (spelling is my approximation based on her pronunciation) I was so happy to find out, for instance, that a gorrion is mostly like a sparrow and a galandrina is probably a swallow, though that isn't always true on that list.

One Spanish name that I really like is that of the Western Wood-Pewee: Tengofrìo Occidental, which, loosely translated, means "I'm cold in the West!" Hee hee!

Anyway, the birds above are probables for the trip, which means my lifelist could grow by at least 32 birds! There are other South Texas specialties I might see; it just will be a little harder to find them at this time of the year. I was really hoping to see a Verdin, a Roseate Spoonbill, a Vermillion Flycatcher, a Pyrrhuloxia, an Aplomado Falcon, and an Anhinga -- but they're all "uncommon" according to this list I found online. They also list Sandhill Cranes as uncommon, which is a real disappointment. I really want to see one!

We were going to camp out when we were down there, but we've ended up booking rooms at (where else?) Motel 6. I almost always stay at Motel 6 wherever I go, because you always know what you're going to get--a clean room, nothing fancy, cheap rates--no matter where you are. So we're staying on the Island Friday and Saturday nights, and we'll come back sometime Sunday afternoon or evening.

It's been ten years since I was in the Valley; I wonder if it's changed at all. It never used to seem to change when I would go down there from college or when I lived in Austin and Fort Worth. Should be interesting!

Finally, I go birding!

Great-tailed Grackles are EVERYWHERE here.

The weather finally cooperated with Birding Mommy and me today, and thanks to having the day off for Dr. King, we were able to go birding in Macallister Park. I've seen some good birds there before; it's where I saw my first Lesser Goldfinch, so in a pinch (for time) we went there before running some other errands.

There was still some leftover mist and drizzle blowing around, but it stopped soon after we arrived. We've had major flooding here in the last few days, and the evidence is clear in these low-lying water collection areas:At the bases of many trees, we saw these little fort-like collections of debris, wood, and trash (in this case a Coke bottle and a car tire). We had between 1.5 and 5.5 inches of rain the other da, and all that water just rushed over the little creek beds that lay dry and dormant for most of the year. One observation: That would be a perfect little wall to crouch behind, were there snow on the ground, for snowball fights!

Little danger of snow here, however. We wandered around the place for a little while, and we saw a lot of great little birds--though we were there kinda late (9:30ish). Here are a few photos of a beautiful Golden-fronted Woodpecker, a Texas specialty:

Backlighting was rough and she was rather fidgety, but I was thrilled to finally get a good long look through the binocs at this beautiful little lady (I'm guessing it's a lady because the males have a red cap, but it might well be a male still wearing fall color). When I saw my life one back in February, it was just a very quick glimpse--just enough for the ID. We watched this girl for a little while. She made a loud checking sound that I thought at first was a squirrel barking, but it turned out to be this bird--a nice surprise!

We also saw this flycatcher, which I think is an Eastern Phoebe--but then I'm terrible with flycatchers--who wouldn't cooperate and come closer OR turn around:

Once I got home with the field guides, I kept trying to make it into something cool like a Texas rarity (Ash-throated Flycatcher, etc.) but I think it's just a fall-yellow-splash-bellied Eastern Phoebe. He was very quiet, so there was no tell-tale song. Note the possessed-laser-beam-o'-death eye in the second pic. Eek.

Next, we headed into a more heavily wooded area. At first I was ready to give it up as a bad job, as we heard very few bird sounds. Then, I heard a little Carolina Wren tea-kettling, so we stopped and I began to pish in earnest: That was when the inundation began! We had a pair of Northern Cardinals, several Carolina Wrens, a couple of Ruby-crowned Kinglets, and a pair of these personal favorites: A nice little White-throated Sparrow, something I hadn't seen since leaving Pennsylvania.

And this teeny tiny little wren, which I think is a either a House Wren or a Winter Wren, based on the coloring, the eye stripe, and the tiny tiny size:
When you zoom in on his little face, you can definitely see a whitish stripe over his eye and some barring on his flanks (Winter Wren) but Peterson distinctly states that the Winter Wren is darker than the House Wren, and this little guy was rather light brown. Carolina Wrens are easy to ID with their rusty coloring and white eye-stripe; Bewick's Wrens are very pugnacious and their tails bob up and down more than the other wrens--not to mention the rather distinct songs of each wren. But this little guy... he was just so tiny, like a Ruby-crowned Kinglet; House Wrens are bigger. But now that I listen to the calls one after the other here at home (can you believe I forgot my phone with the BirdJam? groan...!), I'm thinking it was a plain old House Wren. Do you agree? Winter Wrens can be found down in these parts, but other than that eye-stripe, I just don't see it. Dangit.

Let me tell you, wrens go car-ay-zee when you pish them! I just started pishing, and very quickly I had Bewick's Wrens bobbing their tails at me, Carolina Wrens tea-kettling at me, and these sweet little House/Winter? Wrens very interested in who or what was making that noise, and Birding Mommy and I were just surrounded by spastic little birds all a-twitter with excitement. It made my day, my week, my month!

We saw a few other cool sights:


A dash of color on a drab day:

Some neat little moss or lichen:
Also an opportunity to read my palm.

I like this little buck's facial expression:
I'm getting so geeked up about the RGV birding trip at the end of the month. Mary's on a cruise with her husband right now, so there's no one to spend hours on the phone with, psychotically anal-retentive planning and discussing and re-discussing every second of the trip, dangit! But she'll be home soon, and before I know it it'll be time to go. I'm studying my RGV specialty bird list every night before bed, but what I'd really love is to just see some Sandhill Cranes.

Breeding plumage already!?

Saw a Northern Cardinal today, resplendent in his beautiful red breeding suit! No dull winter garb for this boy. At the same time he was chipping and posing and dancing among the branches of a little oak near the door at work, another male was singing his "purdy purdy purdy" song not a hundred yards away. Is it that time again already?




Oh please let it be spring migration time! pleeeeeeeeeeease!

RGV Trip status: GO!

I've been putting together a trip down to the Rio Grande Valley for January, and I'm deep in the planning stage, getting birding lists, highlighting birding spots, and making reservations! My sister-pal Mary will be joining me on the adventure, and the details are coming together!

Birding lists downloaded into Excel spreadsheets/sorted: CHECK! and CHECK!
Campground reservation process begun: CHECK!
Date selection: CHECK! (no link here--it'll be January 29th-31st)
Birding spot selection: CHECK! and CHECK! and possibly CHECK!
Birding research: CHECK! and more CHECK!
Weather research: CHECK! and a little more CHECK!

So the preliminary steps are completed; I'll be digging up my famous camping checklist, putting the gear together, and all that stuff as we get into January. I'll also keep researching prime spots, adding and removing spots, sorting my checklists, and so forth, all in nervous anticipation of seeing as many South Texas specialties as I can.

Again, any suggestions on where to find the best birds on and around South Padre Island (the Port Isabel end) and the lower Rio Grande Valley (from Harlingen east) would be appreciated, so all you RGV Birding Festival veterans, lemme hear from ya!

Front-yard birding

The other morning, I saw what I guessed was a Yellow-rumped Warbler, just getting some pale yellow splotches on the sides of his breast, making sharp "chip" sounds in the live oaks of our front yard. Now I'm not so sure; I was looking through Birding Mommy's Texas field guide (a Peterson's that I got her in February), and he didn't even list the YRWA at all; this book was written before the lumping of the Myrtle and the Audubon's warblers into the Yellow-rumped. Still--I think it was a Myrtle variety; the yellow spots on the streaky breast were just starting to get a bit pronounced. I couldn't see whether he had the butter-butt, though; he was just too high in the tree.

As another ID bit of info, he was doing that warbler thing where they rub the sides of their beaks on the branches, as though sharpening the beak on the branch. Do you know what I mean, or is that just some weird thing I've noticed and made into a warbler thing?

So I came inside and listened to the BirdJam and didn't hear a lot of chipping except at the end of the recording, and that chipping was rather less sharp and strong than what I heard in the yard. Still, when I looked at my field guides, I recognized the fall plumage of the YRWA right off. Do they make sharp chipping sounds, to the exclusion of their downward-slurring trill? Again, I wish I'd had my camera--I grabbed my binocs but not the camera, as the battery was pretty much dead on the camera. Dangit.

This morning I went outside and listened for the chipping, but I couldn't hear it. Instead, I heard the constant buzzy chatter and chick-a-deeing of some Black-crested Titmice and Carolina Chickadees. I managed to get some photos too, having charged the battery, although the birds were moving very quickly in the cool morning:

See the bird there? No? Come on, really? You can't see him? Okay, how about here?

Surely you see the birds in this one, right? Right?

Okay--I admit it: I took these pics by pointing my camera in the direction of the rapid movement, hoping I'd capture something. But if you can make out anything remotely bird-like in all those moss clumps and leaves, then you've got me beat. I could swear there was something there when I was snapping the pics, but I can't find anything now.

I did get lucky a couple of times, though:When I started snapping, he was on the roof; by the time the shutter opened a split-second later, this bird was on the wing. Honestly, I have no idea what it was. At the time, I remember thinking "Orange-crowned Warbler?" (they're almost as abundant down here as sparrows!) But looking at this pic, I really don't know.

I also saw this:I think it's a Black-crested Titmouse, though the photo doesn't capture much of his head. But I remember thinking it was when I was snapping, though I was snapping so fast (and it's been a long day since I took them) that I don't remember.

I thought this was a chickadee, but there's no black chin-strap:He's really tiny, and look at that needle-like beak. A warbler? A kinglet (also very common, the Ruby-crowned)? John? Hap? Patrick? Help me out here.

It's frustrating working with all these leaves and moss clusters on the trees, not to mention that I can either snap photos or look through my binocs and make careful IDs--never both. These guys just move too fast, and I'm way out of practice. It's been a long non-birding fall and winter so far, and I feel like my meager-at-best field skills have gone to pot.

On weekdays, I get up really early and I'm out the door by 7 a.m. I just wish I didn't have to get right into the car in order to be on time for work; it's a 25-mile drive to the temp job, and it takes me the better part of an hour to drive it each morning. That's one thing I've had to get used to again since moving back to a big city: traffic. I sure didn't miss it when I was living a whole eight minutes from my job in Bellefonte!

I was talking to my brother about some birds in his backyard; he lives south of here in Kingsville (the town where I went to college). He described what sounded to me like a whole mob of Great Kiskadees around his place. I can't be sure, though he was positive that's what he was seeing when I showed him the field guide. I've really got to take a weekend and drive down that way; I could check out his yard on Saturday morning, then head south about an hour and half to Harlingen. I want to try the Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge, in the hopes of seeing some Texas/Mexican specialties. Hard to believe that I could know the Valley so well yet not have a clue where this refuge actually is, but I lived down there a full 27 years ago and I wasn't a birder back then. I don't even know if the refuge existed back then; I don't think it did.

As always, I tend to make rather overblown plans with very little detail, and then they usually just fall apart. That's a life lesson I've learned since the whole California move fiasco, and I'm trying to change it. I just get very excited, you know? But I'm going to do some research on the TX Audubon Society Web site; if anyone has any tips about how to take a super-fast South Texas bird swing, please pass them along in the comments!

Birdy Christmas!

Some of the gifts this Christmas:My sister Raquel, painter of the birds, created these ornaments for Birding Mommy (above) and me:
Pretty cool! She said she's taking orders for next Christmas, so I'm thinking of an entire series of warblers....





It's been a birdy day all around this Christmas. Mary, my niece Lilia, and I took a walk around the neighborhood to look for birds; I'd seen a Yellow-rumped Warbler in the front yard this morning (but didn't have my camera, dangit!). This little Mockingbird flew up into the setting sun to pose for me:Birdy Christmas, everyone!

Peacock!

Run for your lives.

Winter birding, minus photos

Although winter here feels like autumn to me now, complete with trees shedding their leaves, we have had a few sub-freezing nights here in San Antonio. Driving around the neighborhood, I see so many frozen little tender plants, not prepared for the slight frost of a Texas winter night.

Still, there are signs of life in the bird world, as we've had Carolina Wrens in the backyard each morning, teakettling their little lungs out. The Inca and White-winged Doves are still reporting for breakfast each morning, as my mom leaves them a nice mix of birdseed. Bluejays and Northern Mockingbirds are everywhere as well, having little skirmishes among the high branches of the live oaks and hackberries.

Raptors are everywhere too: Black Vultures have replaced the Turkey Vultures of earlier in the season. Each day when I leave work, there are four or five of them on the streetlights outside the building complex. The other day, I was walking out of a restaurant at lunchtime when a beautiful Sharp-shinned Hawk flew about ten feet above my head! And Red-tailed Hawks make regular appearances on the lightposts and fenceposts along the highway on the road to work.

I have been working as much overtime as I can lately, trying to save up money for when this job ends. I'm applying to jobs both here and back east, hoping to get something closer to AB in Pennsylvania. My temp job end date was moved from December 31 to January 31, so at least I'll have a little more time during which to work and save money. I'm trying to get something lined up for when it's over, but so far--nothing. Still, I'll keep trying.

Meanwhile, seeing those few birds has really made me hungry for the spring migration. My goal is to see a Golden-cheeked Warbler here in the only place they can be found, near Camp Bullis just to the northwest of here. I want to see one before I move on to the next chapter, ideally back up near/in PA with AB; I'm not really planning on being here much longer (or so I hope!).

I hope you're all having a wonderful pre-Christmas week. Merry Happy Hannukah Kwaanza Christmas Yule!

Healing well!

So I had my follow-up appointment with Dr. Bice, my cool dentist, yesterday. He said I'm healing very well! I was in and out of there in a half hour.

As I sat in the chair waiting to be seen, I studied several wall posters with information about various dental subjects such as tooth deformities, the structure of the teeth and jaws, and so forth. I saw this interesting little image:
So that's what's in my future, I guess: three crowns in one. I asked about it, and the hygienist said you have to sacrifice the teeth on either side of the empty spot in order to anchor the bridge. I already have a crown in back (which is probably what cracked my tooth in the first place; it never did sit right in my mouth and was hurting from the time I got it, just before I left for California). The tooth on the front side is healthy. I guess they could take off that crown (can they do that?) and then put a bridge in. Sounds expensive.

Besides, the tooth in front of my abducted tooth is now becoming my new favorite tooth, as it is also very smooth. I've found myself licking its surface more and more, again as a source of comfort to me when I'm bored, anxious, etc. If they made it into a bridge, my little smooth surface would be gone!

By the way, I think my dentist must shop at this website. He had all that stuff, right down to the model of the rotted teeth!

Imagine: if I were to get a bridge, I'd have a total of FIVE robo-teeth on that side of my mouth (can you tell which side I've chewed on my whole life?). I already have two crowns on the two back teeth on the bottom (one was a filling that fell out in sixth grade and I let it go too long = root canal) and the other tooth I broke while eating CornNuts in my tenth grade English class. Ouch! So anyway, there would be those two robo-teeth (or teefs, as I like to call them) on the bottom, and then the three (two crowns and a fake tooth--a fake tooth!) on top. Wow. As I was telling AB last night, I would be unstoppable! I could chew through anything! I could bite the caps off beer bottles!

Still--that's a good ways off, I'm guessing sometime around the day I get dental insurance again. In the meantime, I'll be healing until I can gum things to death. I can't wait to chew on that side again, but then again--there's kinda nothing there to chew with. No surface for the bottom robo-tooth to masticate against. Will it ever be the same? And imagine chewing something like a tortilla chip--a sharp-edged one like a Nacho Dorito or something--that'll just be asking for a painful poke in the gums!

Hmph.

I miss my tooth.

Feeling better today

This was the only picture I could find online showing George and his gold tooth with his friend Martha. From Blingee--whatever that is. AB only recently introduced me to the greatness that is George and Martha. If you've never read the books, you're missing out!

I'm feeling better today. It was tough getting up this morning, but I made it to work (a bit late) and managed to stay the whole day. The pain has subsided a good bit, and I was able to eat some potato leek soup this evening for dinner. The broth I had last night and at lunch was hardly enough for me! I probably have to keep eating the soft foods another couple of days, but I'm feeling a ton better than I did at this time last night.

I miss my tooth though. It was my favorite tooth. I had a habit of feeling the side of it with my tongue because it was very slick, you know--like a comfort thing. Now it's gone. The big molar on the other side is just as slick but it's not the same. Does anyone else in the world have a favorite tooth?

Meanwhile, I'm trying to look for jobs in the Philly/Baltimore/DC area now. Nothing's happening down here in San Antonio anyway, and if I were to move up that way, I'd be so much closer to AB and to the spring wood warblers I know and love! I'm sure spring migration down here must be amazing, but it's not the same. PA is the last place I called home, and I'd love to get up there again, if only to be with or near AB again.

...like I need a hole in the head

Presenting, in these last few moments of excrutiating pain before I take my Tylenol w/ Codeine, my beloved upper left big molar:I told my dentist (that's his gloved hand) I'd put it on my blog. Thank you, Dr. Bice, for a pain-free extraction. I just wish it was still pain-free, but thanks to a nasty infection in the roots, it sure isn't.

You'll recall my toothache I spoke of when I was driving to TX from CA--this is that same tooth. No wonder it hurt. Note the fact that it's split in half. That happened in my mouth, probably shortly before I left CA. All that jaw-clenching in my sleep, I guess. Plus it was a big filling that should've/would've been crowned had I not left PA and my dental insurance.

Okay, it's getting hard to type because my hands are shaky from the pain. Think good thoughts for my little holey head.

Goodbye, old friend.