Sunday, February 4, 2018

A bookish update...

Almost through reading:


I've never read an Elizabeth Bowen novel before, and while I probably won't be blogging about this one, I did like it enough to want to try some of her other books.

Highlights from the St. George Winter Bird Festival:
Jan. 26-27th turned out to be an awesome birding weekend for me. I saw 17 birds that I'd never seen before, which was a lot of fun. My favorite? The Vermillion Flycatcher.

(Female)











Isn't this bird cute?  It's common in places like Texas, but it is very rare in Utah. There are only a few that winter over here. And I got to see two of them!!! I also saw several Great-tailed Grackles.


Apparently, they like to hang out in the Wal-Mart parking lot. But that's not where I saw them; I spotted these birds walking along the Virgin River and at Tonaquent Park along with one Hooded Merganser, a dozen Wood Ducks, two Verduns, three Kestrels, a Rock Wren, Bewick's Wren, Wilson's Snipe, Northern Mockingbird, Black Phoebe, Abert's Towhee, several Gambel's Quail, a Ladderback Woodpecker, some Black-tailed Gnatcatchers, and a Crissal Thrasher (which has a long curvy beak and a very lyrical song). And on our very last day at the bird festival we finally spotted this sleepy screech owl.


All in all, it was a very good birding trip!

Recently checked out of the library:
Blood Mist by Mark Roberts
Red Hill and Among Monsters by Jamie McGuire
Stalking Ground by Margaret Mizushima
Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper by J.L. Bryan
Mobile Library by David Whitehorse
Wickedly Wonderful by Deborah Blake

Recently viewed on DVD:


Traitors, an Arabic movie with English subtitles, is set in Tangiers, Morocco, and follows Malika, the lead singer of an all-female punk rock band, as she tries to earn enough money to pay for her band's first demo and keep her mother from being evicted from their apartment. It's written and directed by Sean Gullette. And I loved it. The setting. The tough and fiesty main character. The music. Everything.

 Happy viewing.
And Happy Reading!
  


33 comments:

  1. I hope you are enjoying Red Hill. I enjoyed that one! It was less romance and more zombie goodness than I was expecting which was great!

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    1. Red Hill is next on my list! I love me a good zombie read. :)

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  2. I love the names of birds, they can be so evocative and exotic! "Crissal Thrasher"!

    What, no Wodehouse on your library list yet :)

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  3. Aw! That little owl is cute! I’m glad you got to go on this trip and see all these new to you birds.

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  4. I haven't read anything by Elizabeth Bowen either, but I would like to. I'm glad you enjoyed the bird festival. The Vermillion Flycatchers are lovely!

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    1. Aren't they amazing? They're so brightly colored in real life they almost look fake at first. :)

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  5. Oh such pretty birdies and I love the owl. Every once in a while I hear an owl hooting in our neighborhood and I love it. I live in Texas so I need to be on the lookout for that red bird!

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    1. Yes, you do!! It's just a little thing, but so amazing.

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  6. Love your photos - sounds like you had a great time :) I've never read anything by Bowen either - glad you enjoyed her book :) Hope you have a great week!!

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  7. Sounds like a wonderful birding weekend and I'm glad you got to see some birds you haven't seen before. I love the first pic; that bird is colourful!

    Hope you enjoy all those library books! :)

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    1. Thanks, Melody! I hope the library books end up being good, too. :)

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  8. My dad is a massive bird fan. He'd love to see what you've seen!

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    1. Birding can be kind of addictive! I'd love to see all the birds of Scotland sometime. :)

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  9. Thanks for the pics of the birds and the success of your bird watching trip! I'm glad your birding weekend was a success. :) The eagles on our property in the country have evidently laid this years eggs. The friend who watches and photographs them is eagerly awaiting the hatching.

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    1. Oh, how fun! Eagles are so beautiful. And to watch the chicks hatch and grow would be amazing. :)

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  10. I found The Death of the Heart hard going when I read it. It has made me afraid to pick up any more of her books! I know many admire her writing, however. If you can, please blog about the next title you read if you like it, then I will be encouraged to give her another try.

    Fabulous pictures! I am glad your bird watching was successful.

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    1. I'll keep you posted about the next Bowen I try. I'm thinking either Eva Trout or The Little Girls depending on which one I can get through inter-library loan. :)

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  11. That last owl is amazing! I just want to squeeze his little face!! Thanks for sharing your photos. I loved seeing them.

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    1. Aren't owls awesome? I think they're my favorite birds to spot. :)

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  12. I LOVE your bird pictures. My daughter is on the look out for a snowy owl. I used to love to watch birds as a child with my grandparents. I'm loving now that so many hawks and eagles are back in Wisconsin - they are so majestic!

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    1. Hawks and eagles are amazing birds! And I would love to see a snowy owl someday...but I'll have to head to your neck of the woods in order to do it. They don't come to Utah. :)

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  13. Sounds like a fantastic birding trip, and I love the photos! I enjoy birds, but lack the patience for proper birding. Still, I enjoy seeing the birds that come to our feeder, and others that I notice on my walks and drives. I live in a semi-rural area, so I often get to see hawks and even bald eagles.

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  14. Your bird photos are wonderful! Thanks for sharing your bird watching adventures!

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  15. Pretty birds! I don't know much about birds, but I do see A LOT of quail in my neighborhood and backyard. They're the cutest. I love seeing the quail families waddle around. Adorable!

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    1. Quail are the best, especially when they have all those babies that look like little puffballs running around your yard. :)

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  16. The photos of the birds are gorgeous, Lark. I am glad you had a nice birding trip! We have mostly big crows in our neighborhood. I hope you enjoy your library books!

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  17. Beautiful bird pictures. I would love to see a mockingbird.

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    1. They're awesome! I hope I see them again sometime. :)

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