From Left Field

Cleveland 7, KC 6

ap recap :: box score :: game log

Can't deny it, this team is exciting. They take a 5 run lead, squander it, save the tie, break the tie. Westbrook looked sloppier than usual. Bob Wickman made it interesting by allowing KC to tie the game in the 9th. Bentancourt was brilliant in 2 innings pitched, striking out 4. But the hero of the game: Omar Vizquel. He was hitless until the 11th when he hit a perfectly-placed triple. Matt Lawton hit a sac fly to score Little O. But that's not all..... In the 9th he threw an absolutely perfect relay to Martinez at home to save the game and send it into extra innings. Without that play, the Royals would have won the game. Watching the play was like watching perfectly choreographed dance. And people say that baseball is boring!

I found a great site yesterday called Retrosheet. I was looking for an archive of box scores because I want to see what the Tribe did last year. All I remember from last year were a lot of base-running mistakes, hitting into double plays, and a distinct lack of plate discipline. It is refreshing to realize that on July 30, 2003 the Indians beat the A's in Oakland.

Wake up folks, we're an Empire!

How on earth do people in this country NOT realize that we're an empire? Our imperialism is demonstrated in so many ways. Here's one: we have nearly 370,000 active military troops stationed around the world.

The list of countries grouped by number of troups:

>10,000
UK
Italy
Afghanistan
Germany
Iraq
Kuwait
Japan
South Korea

2,000 to 10,000
Cuba
Spain
Qatar
Bahrain

1,000 to 2,000
Iceland
Belgium
Portugal
Turkey
Pakistan
Uzbekistan

<1,000
Honduras
Norway
Netherlands
Greece
Kyrgyzstan
United Arab Emirates
Oman
Thailand
Singapore
Australia
Diego Garcia

(source: National Geographic, Foreign Service: Soldiers Waging War and Keeping Peace, May 2004)

Fahrenheit 9/11

Paul and I saw Michael Moore's latest yesterday in Indianapolis. Interestingly enough, the crowd was large for a Thursday mid-day showing and it was full of "Republican looking Hoosiers" as I think of them--older, white, middle class residents of one of the most conservative cities in the country.

If you haven't seen the film, I cannot urge you strongly enough to go see it for yourselves. If you think that the facts used to create the film are spurious, just check out the fact checker at michealmoore.com to get the back-story.

I thought that I would leave the theater in rage, but instead I just felt like crying. There is something completely demoralizing about seeing dupes and pawns of the rich, selfish, morally bankrupt Republican party.

Back Again

We returned from our time on Lake Erie last night. We filled the feeders, checked the box and went to sleep. Today we planted shrubs and mowed the yard. No sign of any bluebirds until tonight when we saw some activity in the area of the nest box (which is void of nest). Through our binocs we made out Papa and 3 fledglings. We're convinced that they are the new fledges because they were much more mottled in color than the 1st brood. So, all is well....three little ones made it and are thriving.

Bluebirds -- Fledging Accident??

Yesterday when we checked the box after our walk around 10, we found bluebird remains on the ground outside the box. There were two pieces of wing and a tuft of feathers on the post. Inside, we found an empty box, fresh poop, 2 small spots of blood, and 2 feathers. For two full days, we've tested all sorts of hypotheses about what could have happened to the little ones. Here's a smattering of what theories we've floated.

1. A snake got in the box. Refutation: the snake would have plugged up the whole and not allowed them to escape and would have still been in the box when we checked it.

2. A House Sparrow attacked. Refutation: he would have attacked all the birds, leaving all of them injured or dead inside the box.

3. A raccoon attacked the box. Refutation: the box would probably have been on the ground and/or the latch opened.

4. A cat attacked the box by sticking its paw inside the hole. Refutation: there would have been a lot more blood and feathers inside and probably more than one dead fledgling.

5. There was a problem during their fledging. Refutation: its not impossible, but they were still 2 days away from a normal fledgling date. This explains the remains outside, but why the spots of blood inside?

At this point, all we know is that one bluebird fledgling has died. We believe that because we haven't seen any activity around the box by Mama, Papa or the first set of fledglings, there are 3 fledglings in a tree somewhere. When the first group fledged, we didn't see them for over one week and didn't see much of the parents during that time either. This is why we think that the parents (and the first fledglings?) are protecting and feeding the new fledglings. It is still a mystery as to how the one died. Did it fall from the nest during fledging, hit itself on the barbed wire under the box and get carried off (or at least most of it) by a predator? That is the explanation that we're going with for now. We have to believe that all is alright with the other 3 and that the cause of the death was due to immaturity rather than predation.

I cleaned out the box yesterday and reinstalled it today after witnessing Mama and Papa near its old location. Bluebirds begin their annual molt around now, so it is unlikely that we'll have another brood. Males grow infertile and females are unable to conceive during their molting cycle because doing both would cause death from too much physical stress. Molting wears them down and even if they could successfully mate, the stress of feeding and caring for a brood might be too much. But I feel better letting their instincts tell them what they want to do instead of taking down the box and forcing them to make a decision that they otherwise would not make.

We are leaving town tomorrow morning. I am agonizing over the fact that we won't be here for a whole week. I suppose that I wouldn't see the fledglings during that time even if I were here, but because there's a chance that they could appear, I want to be here. The only thing I can do now is hope that when we return, we'll see the little ones hanging out with their family.

Paul and I have been very saddened by the death of the one fledgling and the possible loss of the others as well. We realize that these birds are not domesticated animals and have a high mortality rate just by virtue of being seen as food by so many other creatures. But a loss is a loss. The best we can do is figure that if the 3 do survive, the survival rate of the box this year is still over 50%. Small comfort, but comfort nonetheless.

Bluebirds -- Day 13

Before the latest storm rolls in (there are still people in Bloomington without power from the last one!), we shot this photo of our 13 day old nestlings. There really isn't any news about them today. I haven't seen the fledglings, but Papa has been his usual busy self.

The activity around the other feeders has hit another high. I think that finches have recently fledged because not only are there about 30 of them around at a time, I see distinct fledgling behavior from some. They sit near their parent(s) chirping and doing this spastic wing-flapping that screams "feed me!!" Happily the parents do not oblige them since they know that it's time for the little ones to figure out how to survive on their own.

The hummingbirds have also been eating quite a bit. The feeder near the bluebird box seems to be relatively unguarded so it sees the most activity. I've seen two and three hummers at one time feeding at it. The other feeder is staked out by a male who sits in the Hickory tree. He appears when another hummer dares to approach the feeder and quickly attacks them. I don't like this behavior since it seems mean-spirited, but hey who am I to judge the hummingbird code?

Bluebirds -- Day 12

Paul took the picture of the blues. Aren't they huge now? They barely fit in the nest anymore.

The "old" fledglings have been hanging around the box a lot in the last two days. It is a common sight to see 2 or 3 of them sitting on top of the box. They peek inside the box periodically to see what's going on, but usually Mama or Papa will shoo them away. I can't wait to see the whole family hanging out catching insects together.

Seattle 2, Cleveland 1

ap recap :: box score :: game log

I watched the whole game last night with the sound turned off. I'm really not a fan of TV broadcasters and I find that I get much more out of a game when I'm not bothered by their general inanity.

It was a great game. Seattle came into the game on a 11 game losing streak, 21 games from .500 and 17 games back from division leader Texas. In other words, their season is over. Long-time Mariners are becoming flotsam; they traded their pitching ace Freddy Garcia and have released SS Rich Aurilia, C Pat Borders and 1B John Olerud. I suppose if the ship is going to sink, better to go down without so much salary owed to players.

The game was a pitching duel between Jake Westbrook and Joel Pineiro. Pineiro only made one mistake allowing a slumping Jody Gerut to break out and hit a home run. Westbrook hit a batter and then the Mariner rookie Justin Leone hit his first major league home run. Otherwise, there really wasn't any offensive action.

I was very impressed with Westbrook last night. He was usually ahead in the count early with lots of 0-2 and 1-2 counts. His 37-67 ball-strike count reflects this. Plus, he pitched a complete game so the bullpen could have an extra day of rest. I like his delivery--he doesn't have a lot of extra motion and he doesn't flail about and look like he's tipping over after he releases the ball. He maintained his concentration throughout the game and only had one shaky inning. If he hadn't hit Olivo, even if Leone had hit a home run, that would have only tied the game.

Tonight, Cliff Lee is pitching for Cleveland against the Mariner Travis Blackley. Yours truly will be "in the crowd".

Bluebirds -- Day 11

I tried taking pictures of the little ones today but I can't figure out the camera and I seem to be a bit too short to get anything in focus, so no picture. Sorry. The humidity has really dropped off, so although it's still 80° it is not nearly as hot as it has been. They didn't look any more comfortable in the box than before, but I imagine that it is nicer for them.

Bluebirds stay in the nest for 15-20 days. We are leaving town on Tuesday which would be their 16th day in the nest. I missed the big fledge event last time and I'm really hoping that this is a precocious bunch who will be testing out their wings on the 15th day. Otherwise, I will probably have to wait another year to see a fledging unless they have a 3rd brood which would be a bit unusual for this part of the country. Fledgings are supposed to be wonderful things; little heads peeking out, lots of coaxing from parents, a brave leap, lots of flapping, oftentimes hitting the ground before being able to make it to a safe tree branch. Oh, I do hope I get to see this!! By the time we get back a full week later, they will probably be hidden somewhere in a tree by the parents. I don't recall seeing the first group of fledglings in the open for over a week and a half.

Bluebirds -- Day 10

Boy have I interracted with a lot of animals today! I did a 4½ hour shift at Wildcare today and it was mayhem. I was the only volunteer there with the shift manager Molly for most of that time. The avian room was in disarray because a major release and transfer was going on. We released 14 robins, and when I mean "we", I mean we. The avian outdoor area that housed them doesn't have a convienent way of releasing the birds, so we had to catch all of them individually and take them out the door. We transferred the bluebird fledges to and outdoor tent as well although they are still hand-feed. Inside, we still have 2 of the original 6 Chimney Swifts (the others found homes) which eat every 30 min. There were 2 Cardinals and 2 Robins who needed 20 min feedings as well as 2 tiny Hummingbirds who were brought in still in their nest!! On a 30 min feeding schedule were 2 Carlolina Wrens, 3 Robins and 2 Mockingbirds and a Catbird. On a 40 min feeding schedule were the 6 Bluebirds, 1 Grackle, 1 Cedar Waxwing, 6 Robins and 2 Blue Jays. I'd get finished with one group only to have another need feeding. Then on top of it, I'm running around outside releasing birds, taking birds out for some "sun time" and whatnot.

After Wildcare, I released a Starling at Target. Even though I don't like the idea of another Starling out in the world, it was pretty cool to release a bird. After doing some shopping there (hey, if you ever shop Target, look for the clearance racks--I find terrific stuff for cheap!) I went to Marsh for a salmon fillet for dinner. Then I went over and picked up Jeanjamin (aka Ben the Dog). He'll be staying until Sunday.

When I got home I checked the nest box. We had 70 mi/hr winds here last night along with some fierce rain, but they are just fine. As I type, Papa periodically shows up on the deck hook and then swoops off to find a tasty insect for the little ones. I lost the email that contained links to the photos, so we're out of luck as far as pictures go. Maybe Paul will snap one when he gets home.

A Break for the All-Star Break

Sorry to interrupt the stream of bluebird updates for something so silly as professional baseball to "all" (how many of you are there anyway? I never get comments) who couldn't care less about grown men playing a child's game. But tonight is the All-Star Game and while it is not the mathematical mid-point of the season, it is the unofficial one. In a game so happy with statistics, I find it refreshing to think that the 1st half of the season is slightly longer than the 2nd but no one seems to care.

Before getting to the Indians, I'd like to welcome you all to listen to a very good interview on Fresh Air with Terry Gross. I've been listening to her for years now--I became a regular devotee when I lived in Columbus, OH back in '97. I worked nights, so during the day I would be driving around town going to libraries, the grocery store, etc and inevitably the show would be on. I still have a palpable memory of sitting in my old Camry in the Kroger parking lot until the show concluded because I was so engrossed. Aside aside, here's a link to a show with Michael Sokolove, author of The Ticket Out: Darryl Strawberry and the Boys of Crenshaw. Even if you are not at all interested in baseball, this interview is great and definitely worth listening to.

My mom sent me an email this morning letting me know that Cleveland has been named "The Most Tortured Sports City" by the folks at ESPN(2). Her message simply said "Just thought that you might want to know this if you don't already." Very well said, Mom, very well said. I know that I do not suffer nearly as much as most Land of Cleve fans since I loathe the Browns and dismiss the Cavs as a basketball-lite (yes, even with LeBron). And my sunny and hopeful optimism about life (this said solely for the purpose of people who truly know me to get a belly laugh) keeps me going through all the near misses that the Indians have had in the last decade. But every once in awhile, I feel my enthusiasm and patience waning. I want to win BIG, dammit! Paul thinks that I'm too tough on the players because I do occasionally unleash a torrent of fury on one of them. But he's a Cardinals fan. What does he know of torment? Sure they've lost heart-breakers, but those are more than evened out by the fact that they are one of the winningest baseball franchises. But that's the past? OK, how about this year. "Experts" said they'd have a decent year, but boy are they proving everyone wrong. They are kicking some serious ass over in the NL. Only the mighty Yanks have a better record and that hold is very tenuous. Unless they become injury plagued I see no reason why this team isn't headed for the playoffs.

Jealously aside, where are the Indians now that we're mid-way through the season? A whopping five players are All-Stars. They are 3 under .500 and 5½ games out of 1st place. They are talking about winning the division. They are better than average in the AL in batting in all major categories except for HRs. They are worse than average in the AL in pitching in all major categories period.

Here's what I think. They won't win the division without making some trades and it's questionable if they are going to do that. Second-half pushes for division titles can be costly in the long run and I wonder if the front office is thinking seriously about making a gamble like this. I'm a frugal person (some might say cheap), so I liked the trolling of the cast-offs in an attempt to put together a bullpen, but I realize now that we need to buy some experienced talent. I think that the Tribe has managed to home-grow some starting pitchers, but we need guys who can maintain leads or at least keep the surprisingly good offense in the game. Just like the teams in the '90s this team can make up deficits in the late innings. It doesn't help when they gain a couple of runs in an inning only to give up a couple.

But seriously, even with a good trade or two, I don't think that this is the breakout year of the Tribe. Don't get me wrong, they are much improved since last year. Even though they lead the AL in failed steal attempts, they are a lot more successful at getting free bases. Plate discipline has definitely improved in most players that needed to stop swinging at every pitch in the dirt (yes, Coco, I mean you). They look better defensively, but Casey Blake's recent clumsiness is worrisome and Jody Gerut still doesn't look comfortable out in right field. Belliard compensates for poor movement (read: he's out of shape) by playing in shallow right, but that makes it tough to turn double plays on weakly hit grounders unless the pitcher can get to the ball which is unlikely because they have a penchant for falling off the mound after each pitch.

I think that besides pitching keeping them out of the running (which, granted, can be amended by some trades), I think that the major reason that they won't become division champs (and I sincerely hope to eat these words): I doubt that they have staying power over the long haul. Most of them haven't played enough full seasons in the majors to be conditioned for it. Plus, there's always the wild card problem that is injury and who knows who will throw out their back or injure their bicep or tear a ligament. There are some hungry, hungry minor leaguers just itching for their chance to show off their stuff in the bigs (Peralta, Sizemore, Phillips) and they just might get their chance.

Bottom line: it'll be fun, it'll be a close race to .500, it'll be the pre-breakout season for this young team that is deserving of many compliments and happy futures. And again, I really do hope that I eat my words.

Bluebirds -- Day 9

I just came inside from checking the box and all 4 nestlings are doing just fine. They are growing very rapidly. It must be all the deliciously large insects that Papa carries in to them constantly (or at least it seems like it). I get a great look at what he has in his beak because oftentimes he'll perch with morsel (waiting for it to die?) on the hook that we have on the deck that we kept it up for him even though we took down the hummer feeder that was hanging from it.

It's hot today but fortunately the humidity has abated a bit. It must get pretty damn uncomfortable in that box when it's really hot and humid.

Here's the photo of the day.

Yesterday, I noticed for the first time Papa carrying a fecal sac from the nest box (oh, the joys of bluebird monitoring!) Like I told Paul when he gave me a strange look at my excitement over the event "it's not every day you see a sac of shit flying through the air". If you are curious about how birds manage to keep their nest boxes clean with all the pooping that goes on, this article is a good resource. I think that birds make our babies look totally inferior and downright disgusting compared to their little ones. And with landfills overflowing with shitty diapers, we look like the most inefficient, abusive toward our environment and idiotic species on the planet. Oh, but when don't we look like that!?

Bluebirds -- Day 8

Here's the photo of the day.

I think that our nest box is larger than the one pictured above because our birds aren't quite as cramped. But they are getting big. All of them have now opened their eyes. I was out earlier mowing the grass and weeds around the box and interrupted a feeding session. When Mama and Papa would arrive, I'd turn off the mower and go back into the house. Otherwise they would sit on the fence with tasty morsel in their beak chirping to their little ones who were probably wondering what exactly was going on. It is extremely hot and humid here today and I've only been able to do about 20 minutes of mowing at a time before needing a break. I think that this has been good for the birds, because not only is my mowing exposing bugs, but my absence is allowing for the parents to capture them. (On a normal day, it takes a full 2 hours to mow the lawn--and yes, we only have a push mower--I should be tons thinner than I am!!)

During my mowing of the very long grass (we've been negligent of it lately b/c of all the rain), a garter snake escaped from under the mower unhurt thankfully. I spotted a small toad down by the road and was able to avoid him/her as well. I also found 2 downed nests underneath the long row of pines. We've had some heavy winds lately and I'm sure that the abandoned nests have easily become dislodged. I have a feeling that they are ex-finch nests because we have a big influx of them at the feeders now. We have had a lot more hummingbird activity again, so I'm thinking that their 2nd broods have fledged and are feeding themselves.

Bluebirds -- Day 7

Here's your first and second photo du jour.

One of the nestlings has opened his/her eyes! I assume that both are open since I could only see its profile. It must have been the first bird to hatch.

Yesterday Paul and I witnessed a remarkable sight. All four fledglings arrived at the nest box to check out their siblings. At one point, two were sitting on top of the box and two were on the outside of the box vying for room to peer into the hole. They hung out awhile, but didn't appear to enter the box to get a closer look or to feed the little ones. One of them did do a little insect hunting at one point, but then flew off with the others in tow. We haven't seen them today.

Mama and Papa have been very active around the box, though. We saw Papa with a large, very green grasshopper-looking insect in his mouth. No way could a hatchling swallow it, but there he went, into the nest to deposit it in whatever fashion he could. No wonder bluebirds are voracious eaters if that's what they are accustomed to!

It started raining again about 20 minutes ago. I think that it has rained every day of their very young lives. They'll be more comfortable hanging around water foul once they fledge than their own siblings :)

Bluebirds -- Day 6

Boy are they getting big! We snapped this photo an hour ago. As you can see, pinfeathers have appeared and they are sitting upright by leaning their necks and heads on the side of the nest. It seems to me that the nest would be a bit too crowded with more than 4 birds!

More photos of Day 6 birds:
http://www.hunt101.com/img/184188.jpg
http://www.hunt101.com/img/184189.jpg

This morning Paul and I attended a 2 hour session at Wildcare about birds. We learned a lot, although it was definitely one of those session where you leave knowing that you know hardly anything about the given subject. Not only has wildlife rehabilitation been a recent phenomenon (25-30 years) which means that the rate of research and discovery is quite rapid and contradictory, there are so many species of birds that it is nearly impossible for someone to gain a comprehensive understanding of these creatures. On top of that, there are currently very few published books and guides that aid in hatchling and nestling identification. So even if you know the conditions under which a bird needs to be cared for, it's hard to tell oftentimes what you're dealing with. The majority of baby birds that come into the center are of the "TBD" species.

The lack of information about what hatchlings (~0-4 days old), nestlings (~5-10 days old) and fledglings (~11 days old until they leave the nest) look like for each species combined with the fact that Wildcare gets most of the native species of birds presents an unique opportunity for an enterprising sort of individual. If someone would just take pictures of the birds every day during their development and publish such a photo book, one could do a lot of good for avian rehabbers out there and make a nice profit. This is definitely something that Paul and I are interested in doing. We're also interested in learning how to enhance the outdoor avian areas based on the needs and behavior of different species. Currently, there is a distinct lack of distinction in the avian cages. What needs to happen is the creation of a more realistic, naturalistic environment where fledglings and adults can (re)acclimate themselves to their preferred natural environments.

Bluebirds -- Day 5

We had another storm last night around 5 am. That's the 4th night in a row I believe. All is safe and comfy in the nest box; our nestlings are doing just fine. I'm relieved that all four are still alive looking healthy since we did have a fatality of one from the first brood.

Here's your picture du jour. Enjoy.

Bluebirds -- Day 4

Paul and I just came in from checking the box and all four nestlings are doing well and growing like weeds. At Wildcare today, I feed a brood of 5 who were brought in last week. I have a new-found respect (awe, really) for what the parents do because they ate and ate and ate and ate. Of all the birds that I've feed there, they definitely ate the most for birds of their size. I would call even the Blue Jays "dainty" (how often are Blue Jays considered that!?) compared to their blue brethren.

They look about ready to fledge although they were still inside. I'd love for them to be released here, but I'm sure that the powers-that-be have other plans for them. Plus, I'm not sure if Mama and Papa are quite prepared to take on another brood of 5 plus their own. If they were closer in age, it might be possible, but I don't think that they should be distracted from their little ones.

There are 2 photos today: 1 & 2. Look at how much bigger they are from just 2 days ago.

Bluebirds -- Day 3

Day 3 photo

Again last night we had violent storms blow through and again Mama and Papa protected their little ones. When I checked the box this morning, 4 hatchlings were safe and sound and dry. These birds will be fearless when they grow up!

Bluebirds -- Day 2

Yesterday in the afternoon, Paul and I checked the box and found 4 healthy, sleeping hatchlings in the box! No sign of egg shells, so the 4th hatchling must have hatched sometime earlier in the morning (not that I imagine it takes that long for parents to remove the shells).

We had a veryviolent storm last night around midnight that caused Paul and I distress. We were both incredibly relieved this morning when we saw the box intact. And I'm happy to report that all 4 little ones are just fine (I've checked twice today).

This photo was taken by the same guy as yesterday. He took pictures of his hatchlings for their 14 days in the nest box. I'll include a link to the appropriate day's photo while ours are growing up.

We Have a Hatch!

After returning last night from our weekend in Cincinnati, Paul and I checked the box and found 3 tiny hatchlings. The 4th egg was uncracked and pristine. We had fierce storms last night and I was worried, but mama and papa did a marvelous job of protecting them. All three were dry and unscathed this morning when we checked the box. The 4th egg was still intact although I think that I saw a small crack, so perhaps it will hatch today. When you see the size of these birds, you really wonder how they manage to get out of the shells!

This is not my photo, but it is of 1 day old birds that look exactly like ours. Note that this nest also had a late hatcher. The egg really puts their size in perspective!!