Do they or do they not stumble upon a breeding warbler that’s rare in Michigan? Feather Brained author Bob Tarte and Book Character Bill Holm follow careful online instructions and still manage to get discombobulated as they search the vast, foreboding, and slightly muddy Allegan State Game Area (or at least a very small part of it) for this small, elusive bird. Please don’t reveal the special surprise ending to any of your friends!
Questions or Comments? Email Bob at: bob@petliferadio.com
More details on this episode MP3 Podcast - The Quest for the Worm-eating Warbler with Bob Tarte
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Questions or Comments? Email Bob at: bob@petliferadio.com
More details on this episode MP3 Podcast - The Quest for the Worm-eating Warbler with Bob Tarte
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/what-were-you-thinking-pet-life-radio-original--6670171/support.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
You're listening to Petlife Radio dot com.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
You've had a long day at work and you can't
wait to just get home. Take off your shoes, PLoP
yourself down in your favorite chair and relax. You walk
up to your tranquil residential home and you're neatly manicured,
long in your quiet suburban neighborhood. Put the key in
the lock.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Open the door, and.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Yes, the pets have gone wild?
Speaker 4 (00:30):
What were you thinking?
Speaker 5 (00:32):
Welcome to the show about everything you always wanted to
know about exotic pets, where to get them, what to
feed them, and how to care for them.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
You'll even find out why some people live with a monkey.
Speaker 5 (00:43):
Now here's your host, exotic pet expert and author Bob Tart.
Speaker 4 (00:48):
Hey, Bob, what were you thinking? I'm Bob Tart, author
the books and Slave by Ducks follow Weather. Oh what's
that up there? Kitty cornered up in the crown of
the tree.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Right up there.
Speaker 4 (01:01):
That might be a netcatcher. Oh no, it's a and
Bill and I book character Bill Holme and I are
in Alligan State Game Area. And what does this build?
A Swan Creek pond, horse trail and we are looking
for and we have finally heard the worm eating warbler,
(01:24):
which I believe is a name dating back to the Confederacy. Really, yes,
when one of our friends in the South saw a bird,
said called it quite derogatorily, just one of them worm
eating warblers.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
Oh man, Yeah, and it's stuck.
Speaker 4 (01:41):
Yeah, And it's stuck. And even though it isn't finding
a lot of hospitality down there, the worm eating warbler
still is a bird more of the South, not expected.
It's a gnatcatcher there, not a bird we expect to
see in Michigan, which is what brought Bill and I
to this harrowing spot. Would you like to describe it all?
Speaker 3 (02:02):
Primitive is a word that applies a little bit scary, a.
Speaker 4 (02:06):
Little bit scary. We saw someone who looked just like
Denver Pyle go past us in a car, and a
woman from She actually had hand lettering on the side
of her car that said best meth lab in Alegan County.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
It's right in her trunk.
Speaker 4 (02:24):
Yeah yeah, And would you hear the tick?
Speaker 3 (02:28):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (02:28):
So anyway, we gave up hope of hearing or seeing
the worm eating warbler, and then just now we heard
its chipping sparrow like call, and so I thought instead
of waiting quietly for it to call again that I
do a podcast with Bill.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
I think that's going to work.
Speaker 4 (02:46):
I do too, but I think I was a red start.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
It was, Yeah, I believe so see bobos, all of
the bird calls, I only know the cardinal.
Speaker 4 (02:55):
Well, I know them incorrectly. Well, but what have we
seen so far?
Speaker 3 (02:59):
Today? We saw us forest service agent.
Speaker 4 (03:01):
We did, and he was helpful and yet baffled.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
He was. He had no idea where he was, or
where we were.
Speaker 4 (03:07):
Right, or even exactly. He didn't even know where.
Speaker 3 (03:09):
To park right. I took his parking spot. That that
was rude of me.
Speaker 4 (03:14):
He seemed a little relieved, though, to find out what
city boys we were, because I think maybe you know
he's a revenuer. Yes, and you've got to be careful
around here. I'm hearing the natcatcher call.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
But we also saw we heard did we see an ovenbird?
I saw an you saw an othern bird scarlet tanner, Yeah,
we saw male and female. Yeah, you heard an Akkadian flightcatcher.
Speaker 4 (03:37):
And I'm such an expert birder. I looked right at
the female scarlet tannager and I told Bill it was
some kind of Vireo.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Yes you did. And what's the what was it, the
pink throated very warbler.
Speaker 4 (03:51):
Yeah, that's what I thought.
Speaker 3 (03:52):
It's a very nice warbler, yes, or it's a ververy.
Speaker 4 (03:55):
But we are. I'm also taking advantage of this fabulous
setting an elegance State game area to officially announce, because
we haven't announced this officially yet, that my book starring
book character Bill Holme, feather Brained, will be out in
spring twenty sixteen, published by University of Michigan Press.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
It's almost unbelievable, I know, you know, I buy books
from the University of Michigan Press, like sixteenth century Turkish tapestries, right,
you mean that kind of a thing.
Speaker 4 (04:30):
And how their standards have slipped. You know, I never
thought that they would, oh skyltan, they would lower themselves
to It's baffling. It is baffling. But I will say this.
I have to warn you that this time next year
we are going to be the two most famous people
in the world thanks.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
To that book.
Speaker 4 (04:50):
Oh absolutely, And I hope you're ready for the effect
it's going to have on your life.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
It's going to change my life. Yeah, and what was
that again?
Speaker 4 (04:58):
You know, I think as a yellow warbler. Of course
I think I was a yellow warbler. But the reason
we're doing this.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
I see a bird.
Speaker 4 (05:06):
What does it look like?
Speaker 3 (05:07):
It's got wings? Yeah, beak color and it seemed it
had it was a little bit dark.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
Oh I heard police, please to meet you right there?
Speaker 3 (05:18):
Oh my, this is live birding. This is incredible. You
still see What do you think is going to happen?
Speaker 4 (05:25):
I heard either it's either a chestnut. It sounds like
a chestnut side. Could have been a chestnut sided.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
I think it was right in this little pine tree here.
Speaker 4 (05:33):
Yeah, well it might it might come back. And I
really should be birding now because I don't get that
many chances. But I'd much rather talk to my my friends.
What is this bird? There's some kind of hawk like entity.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
Is it a falcon?
Speaker 4 (05:48):
It looks like a falcon. It's fast, It is very fast.
I just heard the yellow throated vireo.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
This is like the there's another one.
Speaker 4 (05:57):
We were okay, there's that little bird in the tree, and.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
There's one right up there that is it looks like
a warbler to me. Yeah, but I couldn't get a
good look there is up there?
Speaker 2 (06:08):
What's going on here?
Speaker 3 (06:09):
We never have this kind of lot there. It is
right in the sun. Is there anything more interesting to
a listener than live birding? He's picking away? Do you
see it?
Speaker 4 (06:21):
Yeah, it looks like a female red star?
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Is that what it is?
Speaker 4 (06:24):
Okay, yeah, it looks like a female red star. Boy,
I know that our audience was just holding their breath
the whole time, trying to determine what bird that was.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
I think I think it's easy to identify. This is
easy for people to project themselves into, because you know,
people like going for walks they see birds. I mean,
I don't think. I think this is probably going to
be one of the most popular podcasts you've ever done.
Speaker 4 (06:48):
Oh, I think so too. What the heck is that
raptor that's got me wrapped around its little finger?
Speaker 3 (06:56):
Or maybe it's the rapture?
Speaker 4 (06:57):
Wow, I don't know. It's a small hawk.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
Or he's got a little band on its tail?
Speaker 4 (07:02):
Does it broad wing hawk? I thought that big, slim
wing hawk. So we were not going to after we did,
after I posted part one of the World's Worst Birding Podcast,
I thought maybe that would be about it. But then
something totally unexpected happened on Twitter. What's that a fan
(07:24):
a fan appeared. I'm not going to say her name
because she might not want to be No, we'll just
call her l A. L posted and said that she
had been listening to our podcast and she would like
to hear part two of the World's Worst Birding Podcast.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
I don't understand that at all. I don't know.
Speaker 4 (07:42):
I thought, you know, kind of Laura. I mean, we're
not going to mention her name. It's she's just call
her the l the L Girl. But I said, come on, Laura,
is that something you really want to hear? But I
think she does, so I think we should dedicate this
podcast to her. You hear that shred star.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
You think she was just being self destructively ironic?
Speaker 4 (08:00):
It could be that. It could definitely be that. But
I was hoping that while we were doing this podcast
that there's the red start, that you might get a
chance to hear the worm eating warbler with us. But
I'm not hearing it, are you. No, It's just that
one and only time. But it was so clear and
so unmistakable. Plus we had been hearing call notes earlier.
(08:23):
But that's a big deal for Michigan.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
It's a rare bird, and not to mention for yours truly. Big.
You said big for Michigan, and I said not to
mention for yours, yeah truly, which would be me.
Speaker 4 (08:35):
Oh yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
I mean, I understand when you do these podcasts, you
don't really remember what you say from one word to
the next. But that's okay.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
No, I'd already lost my train of thoughts because I
was I was listening for the warm eating Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
It's hard to do birding and anything else.
Speaker 4 (08:49):
It is, it is. We've just about run out of material,
I would say, already.
Speaker 3 (08:55):
But some rustling footsteps.
Speaker 4 (08:57):
Yes, well we will walk a little further, and maybe
when we get back to Bill's house, we're gonna have
a little picnic, and maybe we will have some more
exciting topics at that point. But here in a red
eyed vireo, here in the red start, and there was
a brief flurry of a bunch of little birds. Maybe
that's what got that worm eating warbler to call. Was
(09:19):
that brief flurry of birds?
Speaker 3 (09:21):
You see you just sort of following the crowd.
Speaker 4 (09:23):
Maybe he was up there with him.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
I think it did seem to be over there with
everybody else.
Speaker 4 (09:30):
Do you have a sinus condition? Or is that a
blue gray gnatcatcher. Oh the birders listening to that are
gonna laugh, aren't they.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
I'm not sure why I'm laughing.
Speaker 4 (09:40):
Yes, And I made a remark earlier that the what
was that really funny remark I made about the worm
eating warbler that the ticking, the ticking sound reminded me
of the ticking you would find on a worm eaten mattress.
Speaker 3 (09:56):
Yes, and I and you know, as I remarked at
the time, and I maintained, and it's not funny, but
it's excellent.
Speaker 4 (10:02):
Right, So we're gonna get a joke too. Yeah, what
was that?
Speaker 3 (10:05):
We heard a lot ab oven birds? Yes, we did,
and I saw one and well, yeah, and I claim
to about I'm not going there. I mean, I believe
every birder whenever they say they've seen a bird, I said,
and I just saw the other the oven timer bird
that goes TikTok.
Speaker 4 (10:23):
Excellent, And that that was another excellent And that's one
of the things I'm gonna wake up in the middle
of the night and just guffaw.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
I know when a full it has to sort of
seep through your mind, and you know all the dimensions
of the joke. Yes, And I mean yours was. I
think I think yours was more complex than mine.
Speaker 4 (10:39):
It was more convoluted, not necessarily complex. Now you know
what the listener is asking right now, the listener is saying.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
Where's the off button?
Speaker 4 (10:48):
And what is this Alegant State Game Area and where
is it? Well, it's in Alligant County, Michigan, not too
far from the city of Alligan, and it is the
largest tract of public land in southern Michigan.
Speaker 3 (11:04):
Did you know that, Bill, I did not know that.
Speaker 4 (11:06):
And the Canada goose was in small numbers, believe it
or not in the sixties, in the fifties, fifties and sixties,
way back it was. And so what they did at
the Alligan State Game Area was that they provided nesting
grounds for the Canada goose. And now we're overrun with them.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
And what's also interesting is that Fennville, which is just
on the border of the Alligan State Game Area, is
known for its annual Goose Festival where every year they
elect Miss Honker to lead the parade.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
Yeah. I just don't think that I think it's good.
Speaker 3 (11:42):
I think it's terrible, and I think that you know,
of course, Alligan County is a little bit retro, shall
we say, is it? Yeah? Yeah, it's sort of like
when I was watching card Sharks this morning and Bob
you Banks was the host, right, and he comes out
and he says, and we have two very pretty card turners.
(12:03):
Oh why? And I said, you know, you know, I
don't know it.
Speaker 4 (12:07):
Well, I guess say there aren't too many skyscrapers in
Alligant County.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
You got that right, right. There is a gun club
not far from here too. I don't know if you
can hear the shooting that's going on behind us.
Speaker 4 (12:18):
I was going to say, the gun shots sound like
they're getting a little close to see. You might retreat
to the car and I bet they're hearing this and
maybe decide if we have a bird another topic for
when we get back to the house.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
But now we better work on that.
Speaker 4 (12:32):
Yeah, so you're listening to what were you thinking? This
is the quest for the worm eating warbler? And I
guess there's not much suspense because we heard the bird
before we even started recording. But maybe we'll see it
on our way back and what are there like one
hundred feet? Yeah, back to the car and then we're
out of here.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
Yeah yeah, well, yeah, I don't think we even got
one hundred feet from the car.
Speaker 4 (12:55):
Oh okay, all right, so let's look at birds a
little bit more since this kind of a nice hot spot,
and then have those gunfires definitely getting closer. I hope
they didn't find that ranger or that government official little revenuer. Yeah,
so we'll be back after this word from our sponsor.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
What were you thinking.
Speaker 6 (13:19):
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Speaker 4 (15:57):
We are very close to the worm eating warbler. I
would say, we're not more than three or four poison
ivy scratches away from it. Would you, Bill, I'd do
is the itchen? So we are looking for it now,
we're within feet of it. I would say, Oh, it's
right here, It is right here. But where can hear that?
(16:18):
I think our listeners can hear. This is a moment.
This is a moment that I hope everyone can share
with us. Worm eating warbler in Alegan County. What's the
day today?
Speaker 3 (16:29):
I have no idea April, wait mark that where? Oh?
Speaker 4 (16:36):
Sorry, I fell I briefly this All of a sudden,
I was looking for the bird well, we'll let you
know if we see it. I know it can hardly
get any more exciting than this, but we'll let you pay.
Speaker 8 (16:52):
We will.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
We paid a word.
Speaker 4 (16:53):
There's this trail right there, Bill, Is that a trail? Yeah?
Isn't it look at Yeah, let's see if we can't
down to that trail. Maybe take our listeners with us.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
Hello, we're back.
Speaker 4 (17:04):
And it's really not just moments after the fascinating segment,
fascinating but humiliating segment that you just heard, I've been.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
Just downright bad.
Speaker 4 (17:15):
I've been That was a good segment. I played it,
I played it back, and it's it's just pretty Darren exciting.
It's the closest thing our listener will get to being outbirding.
Speaker 3 (17:26):
With us, or that they'll want to get.
Speaker 4 (17:29):
Yeah, I mean, think of the people who are going
to listen to that and say, gosh, birding sounds like
a lot of fun. Listen to the fun those two
guys are having. I wish I could go birding with them,
or second best, I wish I could read a good
book about what it's like to be a birder.
Speaker 3 (17:45):
Do you have any thoughts on any suggestions?
Speaker 4 (17:48):
Well, we can get back to that, although I think
there's a book called feather Brain coming out. Though, really
we should talk a little bit about the unfortunate ending
to that incident where I was convinced that I was
following the song of a worm eating warbler.
Speaker 3 (18:04):
You had me convinced.
Speaker 4 (18:06):
I didn't realize that we were only eight or nine
feet from the beginning of the trail and from a clearing,
And would you like to describe what happened?
Speaker 3 (18:17):
Well, all of a sudden we started to hear a
number of these calls of the supposed worm eating warbler. Correct. Correct,
And then you started to have second thoughts.
Speaker 4 (18:28):
Correct, especially after following the call and getting out my
binoculars and looking at who was singing.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
Oh, indeed, and it wasn't exactly what you thought it was,
was it.
Speaker 6 (18:42):
No?
Speaker 3 (18:42):
Instead of being the butt, let me say that I
think you were justified in your confusion. I think I'm
always justified in my confusion.
Speaker 4 (18:54):
I mean, there's really I have no other way to live,
but I positive attitude. I do believe. Yes, yes, and
I think for two reasons. One of the reasons will
be I'm going to play the song of the Chipping
sparrow and the worm eating.
Speaker 3 (19:10):
Warbler doesn't sound anything like this. Oh there's a worm
eating warbler belt I just heard it. Here is from
the bird tunes app. The app, I guess you pronounced
it app right on. I don't have a wise phone,
but I have a wise pod. So here is the
(19:33):
we're meeting warbler. Here is eating war very quiet bird. Well,
it's at a distance. It's going to come closer. It's
a lot closer.
Speaker 4 (19:45):
We're meeting warbler. Okay, and now it sounds like what
we heard to me. Now, let's hear that chipping sparrow. Oops, okay,
that doesn't sound but listen to this one.
Speaker 3 (20:04):
Wow, wow, pretty close. Let's hear it one more time.
Which one is this chipping sparrow? I only know because
it says chipping sparrow. We're meeting warbler again.
Speaker 4 (20:19):
And that's another chipping sparrow. Pardon me, I guess it
isn't we just had Chinese food. We're meeting warbler. It
has different chips. There's that, there's this, there's this, and
(20:45):
there's this.
Speaker 3 (20:48):
Well my head is spinning. Of course I could have
had the doers.
Speaker 4 (20:52):
Yes, you had a little bit of that bird attraction fluid. Yeah,
so I guess I could be for gaven for mixing
the two up. But I have to say, in fairness
to me that I still think we heard one because
when we originally heard it, we weren't ten feet from
(21:12):
the entrance. We were deep. We were a couple hundred yards, yes,
And there were no chippings. See that area is too
wet for chipping sparrows. They don't like wet. They don't
like wet.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
They like fields and clearings and woods.
Speaker 4 (21:32):
Well we were in woods, yeah, but it was a
wet woods, you know. And it was around a river,
the Swan Creek right right. And we didn't hear any
other chipping sparrows in there as far as I know,
and so and plus there was this there was this
distinctive worm eating warbler call.
Speaker 3 (21:53):
Note that's boy, that is unique. Should there's not a cardinal.
Speaker 4 (22:04):
Oh oh, excuse me, it's the word eating cardinal. So
you know, I can be excused for once in my
life mixing up a call.
Speaker 3 (22:13):
Once in your life. Uh huh hmmm, if memory serves,
which it rarely does, I seem to recall. And I
believe this might be chronicled somewhere in where was that
I know, I read it somewhere. Oh, I remember feather brains.
Oh they're supposed to cut that story out. Oh you're
(22:36):
not going to tell that, are you.
Speaker 4 (22:37):
I wouldn't know.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
I wouldn't think of talking about how once when I
was at your house, you were saying with great authority
that there was an indigo bunting in your backyard, and
you were going by the distinctive call. Well there was,
there was what indigo bunting. Well, then so we go
out with the binoculars and you're looking around, like you know,
mister birding expert, Oh, there must be an indigo bunting
(23:00):
must be up in that tree over there, because I
hear it so distinctively distinct. They're hard to see.
Speaker 4 (23:05):
Sometimes they're hard to find. They stay high up in
the tree.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
Yeah. Well, then within a matter of what twenty seconds,
the real singer, Well it was. I mean you, as
a matter of fact, I think you maintained that it
was an indigo budding after I pointed out that it
was yellow and I didn't realize, I said, at the time,
I didn't realize that yellow was a shade of indigo.
Speaker 4 (23:28):
Oh well, but see that was early in my career.
Speaker 3 (23:32):
That was early career.
Speaker 4 (23:33):
That was early in my taking up this fine hobby.
I mean, it's not like I would mistake a heron
for a Forrester's Turn or anything, but.
Speaker 3 (23:43):
You'd mistake a biturn for a forest.
Speaker 4 (23:46):
Well. But yes, that story, I'm glad you brought that up.
Speaker 3 (23:49):
Bill.
Speaker 4 (23:49):
That story.
Speaker 3 (23:50):
That story, it's not embarrassing in any way. Yes it
is very embarrassing. But if it sells books, if it
sells books, well that's the level of story. That's just
that's all through c Yeah, to.
Speaker 4 (24:04):
Be picking yourself up off the floor, SAand man, don't
go bunting in a yellow raincoat.
Speaker 3 (24:16):
Wow. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (24:20):
So I don't know, pick up the wife and reader
that story.
Speaker 3 (24:22):
I don't know how much this book is gonna be,
but it's gonna be worth every penny.
Speaker 4 (24:27):
Well, I mean, any story in the book with you
in it, it just comes to life like that.
Speaker 3 (24:32):
Well, then I think people will enjoy this book even
more than the others because I think that I'm probably
featured more in this book than any of your other books.
Speaker 4 (24:40):
I think you may be you have me. I think
you maybe may have more ink in Feather Brain than
in the other three books combined. Do you think that's possible.
Speaker 3 (24:52):
If that's true, then I feel even more slighted than
before those other books.
Speaker 4 (24:58):
Well that you know the editor, my editor.
Speaker 3 (25:02):
Yeah, a lot of good material yet, I mean there
was a whole half of Kitty Cornered was just you
and it got it ended up blue penciled. I have
a lot of good cat stories that were ex sides.
Speaker 4 (25:14):
I know it's just terrible, but I believe my editors
at University of Michigan Press, they know quality when they
see it. And I believe that all these stories about
with you and them, and I kind of wrote this
is a list of some of the stories. There's a
laugh packed, side splitting story of the first time we
(25:36):
birded the Miskegan Wastewater.
Speaker 3 (25:38):
System and what was funny about it?
Speaker 4 (25:40):
Oh, I don't know nothing.
Speaker 3 (25:43):
Uh you maybe the fact that we went at all,
that it was hilarious that we went to a wastewater
treatment plan and if people you know what.
Speaker 4 (25:52):
Listeners to this podcast can scroll down and we have
some podcasts from Miskegan Wastewater.
Speaker 3 (25:59):
I believe I remember those two or three of them. Yeah,
and oh those were the best. Those were a plus
level podcast comedy goal even funnier than this one. I
don't see how that's possible.
Speaker 4 (26:11):
No, but and we don't want to give too much away.
Speaker 3 (26:15):
But in feather Brain there's a story of the special
bird attraction fluid discovered.
Speaker 4 (26:22):
Now we won't say any more about that. There's another
really really rollicking funny story about us going to nyonkin Point,
Nian King nyon King Point looking for the very first
time the yellow headed blackbird.
Speaker 3 (26:41):
Who you know, you know. I'm tempted to tell some
of that story, but I think the readers are just
going to have to discover it and enjoy I think
for themselves. There's stories about there's at least two stories
about you and me at McGee marsh. And there's a
story of us at metzker Marsh too, And this is
for the warbler migration. And is it as good as
(27:02):
the word meaning warbler story?
Speaker 4 (27:04):
It's I think it's well, I'll say it's on a
power with the worm eating blue story. It can't be better.
Speaker 3 (27:11):
All right, All right, Well that's all we can ask. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (27:13):
Yeah, So and in honor in honor of europe kind
of renewed literary presence. Oh no, that's right, we're talking
about my book in honor of you being in a
book again a little more ink. Yes, so you have
a big announcement.
Speaker 3 (27:31):
It's a major announcement. In fact, it's a major announcement.
Some of you out there may know that I started
a Facebook page or whatever you call it called book
character Bill Holme. Yes, do you remember that.
Speaker 4 (27:45):
I do remember that. We're trying to get my attorney
to look at it.
Speaker 3 (27:49):
Well, then maybe it deserves a podcast it itself. Sometimes, however,
I have to say that I think I may have
done like, maybe two like posts is that what you
call them? Yes, on Book Character Bill homepage before I
ran out.
Speaker 4 (28:02):
Of material, right, But they were two good post, as I.
Speaker 3 (28:05):
Recall, were they?
Speaker 7 (28:06):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (28:06):
Well thank you?
Speaker 4 (28:07):
You got a like on each one from you?
Speaker 3 (28:10):
Well?
Speaker 4 (28:10):
Sure?
Speaker 3 (28:14):
And so I was thinking, since I'm featured prominently in
this book, that I should probably resurrect the book Character
Bill home Facebook page and have to be full of
information in sights, personal reminiscences, feelings, maybe some photography, maybe
some like like like things from your past that I
(28:34):
might want to bring up that our readers might be interested,
that your readers might be interested in any cocktail recipes,
maybe some curried rice recipes, but no I'm thinking. The
only problem though, that I'm seeing with the way things
are developing with this book is that, yes, I'm featured prominently,
but I could have gotten a lot more ink if
(28:56):
I use if you happen to use not Bill Home,
but my entire given name, which is William A. Lanson
Aloysius Albert Home.
Speaker 4 (29:05):
Oh.
Speaker 3 (29:06):
Now, think of the extra ink and the extra space
that that would take up in your book.
Speaker 4 (29:10):
That would devote a high five extra pages.
Speaker 3 (29:13):
It would devote a higher percentage of the book to me,
which is really what I'm interested in.
Speaker 4 (29:18):
Well, our readers are going to be interested in that too.
Speaker 3 (29:21):
You know. You had me read early drafts of this book,
and frankly, I didn't read anything, but I did a
search and found my name and read those parts.
Speaker 4 (29:29):
Well, how are those parts?
Speaker 3 (29:31):
Well, they could have been better, but I could have
been portrayed in a more humane light. But I think
it's fine. Well, I think listeners of this podcast they
can just feel my enthusiasm about this book. It's coming
through their little spits.
Speaker 8 (29:46):
It is.
Speaker 4 (29:46):
But if I'm not projecting as much excitement as I
was feeling a while ago, as that, yeah, well, here's
the little inside thing. For our readers. You finish a book,
you handed into the publisher, and you got to wait
a year for something to happen. A year, wait a year.
I mean, I handed this book off in June, and
I got to wait till like next April or something
(30:07):
for it to come out. And you know, it's a
really weird thing where you write a book, you're done
with it, and then nothing nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing,
plenty of nothing. And on the note of nothing, I
guess we've just about run out of time on this
fine podcast. If I would like to.
Speaker 3 (30:23):
Say, I do think that what's your conclusion about the
worm eating warbling?
Speaker 4 (30:29):
Did we did we find it or did we not?
Speaker 3 (30:32):
I'm certain that you heard it. I'm pretty I'm certain
enough that I thought, frankly, I thought it was that
chipping sparrow when I first heard it, all alone, got
all along.
Speaker 4 (30:43):
But did you hear it the very first time?
Speaker 3 (30:45):
Yes? No, Actually, I had no idea who either one
of those was. And I believe you because you're a
man of birding integrity. Oh I am.
Speaker 4 (30:52):
I'm a man of so much integrity that I'm eighty
percent sure I heard it, and so I reported it
to E Bird as positively having found it.
Speaker 3 (31:03):
I think that's a better percentage than most of those
lists that are posted there. I mean, someone says, oh,
I saw thirty two hundred avessets. How do you count
thirty two hundred?
Speaker 4 (31:14):
I know, I don't know how they do it. Well,
thank you for sticking up for me, and thank you
to all our listeners.
Speaker 3 (31:21):
That wasn't intentional.
Speaker 4 (31:22):
No, I wasn't intentional. And to all the listeners who
I'm sure have just laughed all through this podcast with us,
because I know you weren't really laughing at me.
Speaker 3 (31:32):
No. No, well, I certinly wasn't laughing with you.
Speaker 4 (31:35):
No, And we're not really laughing at our listeners because
we don't have any except for the mysterious.
Speaker 3 (31:41):
L Yes, that's an interesting development. There's actually a listener
out there.
Speaker 4 (31:46):
Yeah, well we'll talk about that after we end this podcast.
So thanks thanks to Bill, thanks to everybody. Visit my
website Bob Tart dot com and you will find no
information on the new book. That's Bob Tart dot com.
No information on the new book, and thanks.
Speaker 3 (32:03):
Slash, no information on the new book.
Speaker 4 (32:06):
And thanks to our producer Mark Quinner.
Speaker 3 (32:08):
Oh bart, Absolutely, he's my guy.
Speaker 6 (32:13):
Thinking about buying a monkey, how about a ferret or
a skunk? Then check out the show that will answer
the burning questions, where do you get them, what do
you feed them, how.
Speaker 3 (32:24):
Do you take care of them?
Speaker 6 (32:26):
And most of all, what were you thinking?
Speaker 2 (32:29):
With the Exotic pet?
Speaker 5 (32:30):
Experted author Bob Tart every week on demand from petlight
radio dot com
You're listening to Petlife Radio dot com.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
You've had a long day at work and you can't
wait to just get home. Take off your shoes, PLoP
yourself down in your favorite chair and relax. You walk
up to your tranquil residential home and you're neatly manicured,
long in your quiet suburban neighborhood. Put the key in
the lock.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Open the door, and.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Yes, the pets have gone wild?
Speaker 4 (00:30):
What were you thinking?
Speaker 5 (00:32):
Welcome to the show about everything you always wanted to
know about exotic pets, where to get them, what to
feed them, and how to care for them.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
You'll even find out why some people live with a monkey.
Speaker 5 (00:43):
Now here's your host, exotic pet expert and author Bob Tart.
Speaker 4 (00:48):
Hey, Bob, what were you thinking? I'm Bob Tart, author
the books and Slave by Ducks follow Weather. Oh what's
that up there? Kitty cornered up in the crown of
the tree.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Right up there.
Speaker 4 (01:01):
That might be a netcatcher. Oh no, it's a and
Bill and I book character Bill Holme and I are
in Alligan State Game Area. And what does this build?
A Swan Creek pond, horse trail and we are looking
for and we have finally heard the worm eating warbler,
(01:24):
which I believe is a name dating back to the Confederacy. Really, yes,
when one of our friends in the South saw a bird,
said called it quite derogatorily, just one of them worm
eating warblers.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
Oh man, Yeah, and it's stuck.
Speaker 4 (01:41):
Yeah, And it's stuck. And even though it isn't finding
a lot of hospitality down there, the worm eating warbler
still is a bird more of the South, not expected.
It's a gnatcatcher there, not a bird we expect to
see in Michigan, which is what brought Bill and I
to this harrowing spot. Would you like to describe it all?
Speaker 3 (02:02):
Primitive is a word that applies a little bit scary, a.
Speaker 4 (02:06):
Little bit scary. We saw someone who looked just like
Denver Pyle go past us in a car, and a
woman from She actually had hand lettering on the side
of her car that said best meth lab in Alegan County.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
It's right in her trunk.
Speaker 4 (02:24):
Yeah yeah, And would you hear the tick?
Speaker 3 (02:28):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (02:28):
So anyway, we gave up hope of hearing or seeing
the worm eating warbler, and then just now we heard
its chipping sparrow like call, and so I thought instead
of waiting quietly for it to call again that I
do a podcast with Bill.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
I think that's going to work.
Speaker 4 (02:46):
I do too, but I think I was a red start.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
It was, Yeah, I believe so see bobos, all of
the bird calls, I only know the cardinal.
Speaker 4 (02:55):
Well, I know them incorrectly. Well, but what have we
seen so far?
Speaker 3 (02:59):
Today? We saw us forest service agent.
Speaker 4 (03:01):
We did, and he was helpful and yet baffled.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
He was. He had no idea where he was, or
where we were.
Speaker 4 (03:07):
Right, or even exactly. He didn't even know where.
Speaker 3 (03:09):
To park right. I took his parking spot. That that
was rude of me.
Speaker 4 (03:14):
He seemed a little relieved, though, to find out what
city boys we were, because I think maybe you know
he's a revenuer. Yes, and you've got to be careful
around here. I'm hearing the natcatcher call.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
But we also saw we heard did we see an ovenbird?
I saw an you saw an othern bird scarlet tanner, Yeah,
we saw male and female. Yeah, you heard an Akkadian flightcatcher.
Speaker 4 (03:37):
And I'm such an expert birder. I looked right at
the female scarlet tannager and I told Bill it was
some kind of Vireo.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Yes you did. And what's the what was it, the
pink throated very warbler.
Speaker 4 (03:51):
Yeah, that's what I thought.
Speaker 3 (03:52):
It's a very nice warbler, yes, or it's a ververy.
Speaker 4 (03:55):
But we are. I'm also taking advantage of this fabulous
setting an elegance State game area to officially announce, because
we haven't announced this officially yet, that my book starring
book character Bill Holme, feather Brained, will be out in
spring twenty sixteen, published by University of Michigan Press.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
It's almost unbelievable, I know, you know, I buy books
from the University of Michigan Press, like sixteenth century Turkish tapestries, right,
you mean that kind of a thing.
Speaker 4 (04:30):
And how their standards have slipped. You know, I never
thought that they would, oh skyltan, they would lower themselves
to It's baffling. It is baffling. But I will say this.
I have to warn you that this time next year
we are going to be the two most famous people
in the world thanks.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
To that book.
Speaker 4 (04:50):
Oh absolutely, And I hope you're ready for the effect
it's going to have on your life.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
It's going to change my life. Yeah, and what was
that again?
Speaker 4 (04:58):
You know, I think as a yellow warbler. Of course
I think I was a yellow warbler. But the reason
we're doing this.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
I see a bird.
Speaker 4 (05:06):
What does it look like?
Speaker 3 (05:07):
It's got wings? Yeah, beak color and it seemed it
had it was a little bit dark.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
Oh I heard police, please to meet you right there?
Speaker 3 (05:18):
Oh my, this is live birding. This is incredible. You
still see What do you think is going to happen?
Speaker 4 (05:25):
I heard either it's either a chestnut. It sounds like
a chestnut side. Could have been a chestnut sided.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
I think it was right in this little pine tree here.
Speaker 4 (05:33):
Yeah, well it might it might come back. And I
really should be birding now because I don't get that
many chances. But I'd much rather talk to my my friends.
What is this bird? There's some kind of hawk like entity.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
Is it a falcon?
Speaker 4 (05:48):
It looks like a falcon. It's fast, It is very fast.
I just heard the yellow throated vireo.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
This is like the there's another one.
Speaker 4 (05:57):
We were okay, there's that little bird in the tree, and.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
There's one right up there that is it looks like
a warbler to me. Yeah, but I couldn't get a
good look there is up there?
Speaker 2 (06:08):
What's going on here?
Speaker 3 (06:09):
We never have this kind of lot there. It is
right in the sun. Is there anything more interesting to
a listener than live birding? He's picking away? Do you
see it?
Speaker 4 (06:21):
Yeah, it looks like a female red star?
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Is that what it is?
Speaker 4 (06:24):
Okay, yeah, it looks like a female red star. Boy,
I know that our audience was just holding their breath
the whole time, trying to determine what bird that was.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
I think I think it's easy to identify. This is
easy for people to project themselves into, because you know,
people like going for walks they see birds. I mean,
I don't think. I think this is probably going to
be one of the most popular podcasts you've ever done.
Speaker 4 (06:48):
Oh, I think so too. What the heck is that
raptor that's got me wrapped around its little finger?
Speaker 3 (06:56):
Or maybe it's the rapture?
Speaker 4 (06:57):
Wow, I don't know. It's a small hawk.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
Or he's got a little band on its tail?
Speaker 4 (07:02):
Does it broad wing hawk? I thought that big, slim
wing hawk. So we were not going to after we did,
after I posted part one of the World's Worst Birding Podcast,
I thought maybe that would be about it. But then
something totally unexpected happened on Twitter. What's that a fan
(07:24):
a fan appeared. I'm not going to say her name
because she might not want to be No, we'll just
call her l A. L posted and said that she
had been listening to our podcast and she would like
to hear part two of the World's Worst Birding Podcast.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
I don't understand that at all. I don't know.
Speaker 4 (07:42):
I thought, you know, kind of Laura. I mean, we're
not going to mention her name. It's she's just call
her the l the L Girl. But I said, come on, Laura,
is that something you really want to hear? But I
think she does, so I think we should dedicate this
podcast to her. You hear that shred star.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
You think she was just being self destructively ironic?
Speaker 4 (08:00):
It could be that. It could definitely be that. But
I was hoping that while we were doing this podcast
that there's the red start, that you might get a
chance to hear the worm eating warbler with us. But
I'm not hearing it, are you. No, It's just that
one and only time. But it was so clear and
so unmistakable. Plus we had been hearing call notes earlier.
(08:23):
But that's a big deal for Michigan.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
It's a rare bird, and not to mention for yours truly. Big.
You said big for Michigan, and I said not to
mention for yours, yeah truly, which would be me.
Speaker 4 (08:35):
Oh yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
I mean, I understand when you do these podcasts, you
don't really remember what you say from one word to
the next. But that's okay.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
No, I'd already lost my train of thoughts because I
was I was listening for the warm eating Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
It's hard to do birding and anything else.
Speaker 4 (08:49):
It is, it is. We've just about run out of material,
I would say, already.
Speaker 3 (08:55):
But some rustling footsteps.
Speaker 4 (08:57):
Yes, well we will walk a little further, and maybe
when we get back to Bill's house, we're gonna have
a little picnic, and maybe we will have some more
exciting topics at that point. But here in a red
eyed vireo, here in the red start, and there was
a brief flurry of a bunch of little birds. Maybe
that's what got that worm eating warbler to call. Was
(09:19):
that brief flurry of birds?
Speaker 3 (09:21):
You see you just sort of following the crowd.
Speaker 4 (09:23):
Maybe he was up there with him.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
I think it did seem to be over there with
everybody else.
Speaker 4 (09:30):
Do you have a sinus condition? Or is that a
blue gray gnatcatcher. Oh the birders listening to that are
gonna laugh, aren't they.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
I'm not sure why I'm laughing.
Speaker 4 (09:40):
Yes, And I made a remark earlier that the what
was that really funny remark I made about the worm
eating warbler that the ticking, the ticking sound reminded me
of the ticking you would find on a worm eaten mattress.
Speaker 3 (09:56):
Yes, and I and you know, as I remarked at
the time, and I maintained, and it's not funny, but
it's excellent.
Speaker 4 (10:02):
Right, So we're gonna get a joke too. Yeah, what
was that?
Speaker 3 (10:05):
We heard a lot ab oven birds? Yes, we did,
and I saw one and well, yeah, and I claim
to about I'm not going there. I mean, I believe
every birder whenever they say they've seen a bird, I said,
and I just saw the other the oven timer bird
that goes TikTok.
Speaker 4 (10:23):
Excellent, And that that was another excellent And that's one
of the things I'm gonna wake up in the middle
of the night and just guffaw.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
I know when a full it has to sort of
seep through your mind, and you know all the dimensions
of the joke. Yes, And I mean yours was. I
think I think yours was more complex than mine.
Speaker 4 (10:39):
It was more convoluted, not necessarily complex. Now you know
what the listener is asking right now, the listener is saying.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
Where's the off button?
Speaker 4 (10:48):
And what is this Alegant State Game Area and where
is it? Well, it's in Alligant County, Michigan, not too
far from the city of Alligan, and it is the
largest tract of public land in southern Michigan.
Speaker 3 (11:04):
Did you know that, Bill, I did not know that.
Speaker 4 (11:06):
And the Canada goose was in small numbers, believe it
or not in the sixties, in the fifties, fifties and sixties,
way back it was. And so what they did at
the Alligan State Game Area was that they provided nesting
grounds for the Canada goose. And now we're overrun with them.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
And what's also interesting is that Fennville, which is just
on the border of the Alligan State Game Area, is
known for its annual Goose Festival where every year they
elect Miss Honker to lead the parade.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
Yeah. I just don't think that I think it's good.
Speaker 3 (11:42):
I think it's terrible, and I think that you know,
of course, Alligan County is a little bit retro, shall
we say, is it? Yeah? Yeah, it's sort of like
when I was watching card Sharks this morning and Bob
you Banks was the host, right, and he comes out
and he says, and we have two very pretty card turners.
(12:03):
Oh why? And I said, you know, you know, I
don't know it.
Speaker 4 (12:07):
Well, I guess say there aren't too many skyscrapers in
Alligant County.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
You got that right, right. There is a gun club
not far from here too. I don't know if you
can hear the shooting that's going on behind us.
Speaker 4 (12:18):
I was going to say, the gun shots sound like
they're getting a little close to see. You might retreat
to the car and I bet they're hearing this and
maybe decide if we have a bird another topic for
when we get back to the house.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
But now we better work on that.
Speaker 4 (12:32):
Yeah, so you're listening to what were you thinking? This
is the quest for the worm eating warbler? And I
guess there's not much suspense because we heard the bird
before we even started recording. But maybe we'll see it
on our way back and what are there like one
hundred feet? Yeah, back to the car and then we're
out of here.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
Yeah yeah, well, yeah, I don't think we even got
one hundred feet from the car.
Speaker 4 (12:55):
Oh okay, all right, so let's look at birds a
little bit more since this kind of a nice hot spot,
and then have those gunfires definitely getting closer. I hope
they didn't find that ranger or that government official little revenuer. Yeah,
so we'll be back after this word from our sponsor.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
What were you thinking.
Speaker 6 (13:19):
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Speaker 5 (15:47):
And monkeys in my cart, don't check my insurance policy.
Speaker 2 (15:54):
We'll turn your back over to Bob.
Speaker 4 (15:57):
We are very close to the worm eating warbler. I
would say, we're not more than three or four poison
ivy scratches away from it. Would you, Bill, I'd do
is the itchen? So we are looking for it now,
we're within feet of it. I would say, Oh, it's
right here, It is right here. But where can hear that?
(16:18):
I think our listeners can hear. This is a moment.
This is a moment that I hope everyone can share
with us. Worm eating warbler in Alegan County. What's the
day today?
Speaker 3 (16:29):
I have no idea April, wait mark that where? Oh?
Speaker 4 (16:36):
Sorry, I fell I briefly this All of a sudden,
I was looking for the bird well, we'll let you
know if we see it. I know it can hardly
get any more exciting than this, but we'll let you pay.
Speaker 8 (16:52):
We will.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
We paid a word.
Speaker 4 (16:53):
There's this trail right there, Bill, Is that a trail? Yeah?
Isn't it look at Yeah, let's see if we can't
down to that trail. Maybe take our listeners with us.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
Hello, we're back.
Speaker 4 (17:04):
And it's really not just moments after the fascinating segment,
fascinating but humiliating segment that you just heard, I've been.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
Just downright bad.
Speaker 4 (17:15):
I've been That was a good segment. I played it,
I played it back, and it's it's just pretty Darren exciting.
It's the closest thing our listener will get to being outbirding.
Speaker 3 (17:26):
With us, or that they'll want to get.
Speaker 4 (17:29):
Yeah, I mean, think of the people who are going
to listen to that and say, gosh, birding sounds like
a lot of fun. Listen to the fun those two
guys are having. I wish I could go birding with them,
or second best, I wish I could read a good
book about what it's like to be a birder.
Speaker 3 (17:45):
Do you have any thoughts on any suggestions?
Speaker 4 (17:48):
Well, we can get back to that, although I think
there's a book called feather Brain coming out. Though, really
we should talk a little bit about the unfortunate ending
to that incident where I was convinced that I was
following the song of a worm eating warbler.
Speaker 3 (18:04):
You had me convinced.
Speaker 4 (18:06):
I didn't realize that we were only eight or nine
feet from the beginning of the trail and from a clearing,
And would you like to describe what happened?
Speaker 3 (18:17):
Well, all of a sudden we started to hear a
number of these calls of the supposed worm eating warbler. Correct. Correct,
And then you started to have second thoughts.
Speaker 4 (18:28):
Correct, especially after following the call and getting out my
binoculars and looking at who was singing.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
Oh, indeed, and it wasn't exactly what you thought it was,
was it.
Speaker 6 (18:42):
No?
Speaker 3 (18:42):
Instead of being the butt, let me say that I
think you were justified in your confusion. I think I'm
always justified in my confusion.
Speaker 4 (18:54):
I mean, there's really I have no other way to live,
but I positive attitude. I do believe. Yes, yes, and
I think for two reasons. One of the reasons will
be I'm going to play the song of the Chipping
sparrow and the worm eating.
Speaker 3 (19:10):
Warbler doesn't sound anything like this. Oh there's a worm
eating warbler belt I just heard it. Here is from
the bird tunes app. The app, I guess you pronounced
it app right on. I don't have a wise phone,
but I have a wise pod. So here is the
(19:33):
we're meeting warbler. Here is eating war very quiet bird. Well,
it's at a distance. It's going to come closer. It's
a lot closer.
Speaker 4 (19:45):
We're meeting warbler. Okay, and now it sounds like what
we heard to me. Now, let's hear that chipping sparrow. Oops, okay,
that doesn't sound but listen to this one.
Speaker 3 (20:04):
Wow, wow, pretty close. Let's hear it one more time.
Which one is this chipping sparrow? I only know because
it says chipping sparrow. We're meeting warbler again.
Speaker 4 (20:19):
And that's another chipping sparrow. Pardon me, I guess it
isn't we just had Chinese food. We're meeting warbler. It
has different chips. There's that, there's this, there's this, and
(20:45):
there's this.
Speaker 3 (20:48):
Well my head is spinning. Of course I could have
had the doers.
Speaker 4 (20:52):
Yes, you had a little bit of that bird attraction fluid. Yeah,
so I guess I could be for gaven for mixing
the two up. But I have to say, in fairness
to me that I still think we heard one because
when we originally heard it, we weren't ten feet from
(21:12):
the entrance. We were deep. We were a couple hundred yards, yes,
And there were no chippings. See that area is too
wet for chipping sparrows. They don't like wet. They don't
like wet.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
They like fields and clearings and woods.
Speaker 4 (21:32):
Well we were in woods, yeah, but it was a
wet woods, you know. And it was around a river,
the Swan Creek right right. And we didn't hear any
other chipping sparrows in there as far as I know,
and so and plus there was this there was this
distinctive worm eating warbler call.
Speaker 3 (21:53):
Note that's boy, that is unique. Should there's not a cardinal.
Speaker 4 (22:04):
Oh oh, excuse me, it's the word eating cardinal. So
you know, I can be excused for once in my
life mixing up a call.
Speaker 3 (22:13):
Once in your life. Uh huh hmmm, if memory serves,
which it rarely does, I seem to recall. And I
believe this might be chronicled somewhere in where was that
I know, I read it somewhere. Oh, I remember feather brains.
Oh they're supposed to cut that story out. Oh you're
(22:36):
not going to tell that, are you.
Speaker 4 (22:37):
I wouldn't know.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
I wouldn't think of talking about how once when I
was at your house, you were saying with great authority
that there was an indigo bunting in your backyard, and
you were going by the distinctive call. Well there was,
there was what indigo bunting. Well, then so we go
out with the binoculars and you're looking around, like you know,
mister birding expert, Oh, there must be an indigo bunting
(23:00):
must be up in that tree over there, because I
hear it so distinctively distinct. They're hard to see.
Speaker 4 (23:05):
Sometimes they're hard to find. They stay high up in
the tree.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
Yeah. Well, then within a matter of what twenty seconds,
the real singer, Well it was. I mean you, as
a matter of fact, I think you maintained that it
was an indigo budding after I pointed out that it
was yellow and I didn't realize, I said, at the time,
I didn't realize that yellow was a shade of indigo.
Speaker 4 (23:28):
Oh well, but see that was early in my career.
Speaker 3 (23:32):
That was early career.
Speaker 4 (23:33):
That was early in my taking up this fine hobby.
I mean, it's not like I would mistake a heron
for a Forrester's Turn or anything, but.
Speaker 3 (23:43):
You'd mistake a biturn for a forest.
Speaker 4 (23:46):
Well. But yes, that story, I'm glad you brought that up.
Speaker 3 (23:49):
Bill.
Speaker 4 (23:49):
That story.
Speaker 3 (23:50):
That story, it's not embarrassing in any way. Yes it
is very embarrassing. But if it sells books, if it
sells books, well that's the level of story. That's just
that's all through c Yeah, to.
Speaker 4 (24:04):
Be picking yourself up off the floor, SAand man, don't
go bunting in a yellow raincoat.
Speaker 3 (24:16):
Wow. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (24:20):
So I don't know, pick up the wife and reader
that story.
Speaker 3 (24:22):
I don't know how much this book is gonna be,
but it's gonna be worth every penny.
Speaker 4 (24:27):
Well, I mean, any story in the book with you
in it, it just comes to life like that.
Speaker 3 (24:32):
Well, then I think people will enjoy this book even
more than the others because I think that I'm probably
featured more in this book than any of your other books.
Speaker 4 (24:40):
I think you may be you have me. I think
you maybe may have more ink in Feather Brain than
in the other three books combined. Do you think that's possible.
Speaker 3 (24:52):
If that's true, then I feel even more slighted than
before those other books.
Speaker 4 (24:58):
Well that you know the editor, my editor.
Speaker 3 (25:02):
Yeah, a lot of good material yet, I mean there
was a whole half of Kitty Cornered was just you
and it got it ended up blue penciled. I have
a lot of good cat stories that were ex sides.
Speaker 4 (25:14):
I know it's just terrible, but I believe my editors
at University of Michigan Press, they know quality when they
see it. And I believe that all these stories about
with you and them, and I kind of wrote this
is a list of some of the stories. There's a
laugh packed, side splitting story of the first time we
(25:36):
birded the Miskegan Wastewater.
Speaker 3 (25:38):
System and what was funny about it?
Speaker 4 (25:40):
Oh, I don't know nothing.
Speaker 3 (25:43):
Uh you maybe the fact that we went at all,
that it was hilarious that we went to a wastewater
treatment plan and if people you know what.
Speaker 4 (25:52):
Listeners to this podcast can scroll down and we have
some podcasts from Miskegan Wastewater.
Speaker 3 (25:59):
I believe I remember those two or three of them. Yeah,
and oh those were the best. Those were a plus
level podcast comedy goal even funnier than this one. I
don't see how that's possible.
Speaker 4 (26:11):
No, but and we don't want to give too much away.
Speaker 3 (26:15):
But in feather Brain there's a story of the special
bird attraction fluid discovered.
Speaker 4 (26:22):
Now we won't say any more about that. There's another
really really rollicking funny story about us going to nyonkin Point,
Nian King nyon King Point looking for the very first
time the yellow headed blackbird.
Speaker 3 (26:41):
Who you know, you know. I'm tempted to tell some
of that story, but I think the readers are just
going to have to discover it and enjoy I think
for themselves. There's stories about there's at least two stories
about you and me at McGee marsh. And there's a
story of us at metzker Marsh too, And this is
for the warbler migration. And is it as good as
(27:02):
the word meaning warbler story?
Speaker 4 (27:04):
It's I think it's well, I'll say it's on a
power with the worm eating blue story. It can't be better.
Speaker 3 (27:11):
All right, All right, Well that's all we can ask. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (27:13):
Yeah, So and in honor in honor of europe kind
of renewed literary presence. Oh no, that's right, we're talking
about my book in honor of you being in a
book again a little more ink. Yes, so you have
a big announcement.
Speaker 3 (27:31):
It's a major announcement. In fact, it's a major announcement.
Some of you out there may know that I started
a Facebook page or whatever you call it called book
character Bill Holme. Yes, do you remember that.
Speaker 4 (27:45):
I do remember that. We're trying to get my attorney
to look at it.
Speaker 3 (27:49):
Well, then maybe it deserves a podcast it itself. Sometimes, however,
I have to say that I think I may have
done like, maybe two like posts is that what you
call them? Yes, on Book Character Bill homepage before I
ran out.
Speaker 4 (28:02):
Of material, right, But they were two good post, as I.
Speaker 3 (28:05):
Recall, were they?
Speaker 7 (28:06):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (28:06):
Well thank you?
Speaker 4 (28:07):
You got a like on each one from you?
Speaker 3 (28:10):
Well?
Speaker 4 (28:10):
Sure?
Speaker 3 (28:14):
And so I was thinking, since I'm featured prominently in
this book, that I should probably resurrect the book Character
Bill home Facebook page and have to be full of
information in sights, personal reminiscences, feelings, maybe some photography, maybe
some like like like things from your past that I
(28:34):
might want to bring up that our readers might be interested,
that your readers might be interested in any cocktail recipes,
maybe some curried rice recipes, but no I'm thinking. The
only problem though, that I'm seeing with the way things
are developing with this book is that, yes, I'm featured prominently,
but I could have gotten a lot more ink if
(28:56):
I use if you happen to use not Bill Home,
but my entire given name, which is William A. Lanson
Aloysius Albert Home.
Speaker 4 (29:05):
Oh.
Speaker 3 (29:06):
Now, think of the extra ink and the extra space
that that would take up in your book.
Speaker 4 (29:10):
That would devote a high five extra pages.
Speaker 3 (29:13):
It would devote a higher percentage of the book to me,
which is really what I'm interested in.
Speaker 4 (29:18):
Well, our readers are going to be interested in that too.
Speaker 3 (29:21):
You know. You had me read early drafts of this book,
and frankly, I didn't read anything, but I did a
search and found my name and read those parts.
Speaker 4 (29:29):
Well, how are those parts?
Speaker 3 (29:31):
Well, they could have been better, but I could have
been portrayed in a more humane light. But I think
it's fine. Well, I think listeners of this podcast they
can just feel my enthusiasm about this book. It's coming
through their little spits.
Speaker 8 (29:46):
It is.
Speaker 4 (29:46):
But if I'm not projecting as much excitement as I
was feeling a while ago, as that, yeah, well, here's
the little inside thing. For our readers. You finish a book,
you handed into the publisher, and you got to wait
a year for something to happen. A year, wait a year.
I mean, I handed this book off in June, and
I got to wait till like next April or something
(30:07):
for it to come out. And you know, it's a
really weird thing where you write a book, you're done
with it, and then nothing nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing,
plenty of nothing. And on the note of nothing, I
guess we've just about run out of time on this
fine podcast. If I would like to.
Speaker 3 (30:23):
Say, I do think that what's your conclusion about the
worm eating warbling?
Speaker 4 (30:29):
Did we did we find it or did we not?
Speaker 3 (30:32):
I'm certain that you heard it. I'm pretty I'm certain
enough that I thought, frankly, I thought it was that
chipping sparrow when I first heard it, all alone, got
all along.
Speaker 4 (30:43):
But did you hear it the very first time?
Speaker 3 (30:45):
Yes? No, Actually, I had no idea who either one
of those was. And I believe you because you're a
man of birding integrity. Oh I am.
Speaker 4 (30:52):
I'm a man of so much integrity that I'm eighty
percent sure I heard it, and so I reported it
to E Bird as positively having found it.
Speaker 3 (31:03):
I think that's a better percentage than most of those
lists that are posted there. I mean, someone says, oh,
I saw thirty two hundred avessets. How do you count
thirty two hundred?
Speaker 4 (31:14):
I know, I don't know how they do it. Well,
thank you for sticking up for me, and thank you
to all our listeners.
Speaker 3 (31:21):
That wasn't intentional.
Speaker 4 (31:22):
No, I wasn't intentional. And to all the listeners who
I'm sure have just laughed all through this podcast with us,
because I know you weren't really laughing at me.
Speaker 3 (31:32):
No. No, well, I certinly wasn't laughing with you.
Speaker 4 (31:35):
No, And we're not really laughing at our listeners because
we don't have any except for the mysterious.
Speaker 3 (31:41):
L Yes, that's an interesting development. There's actually a listener
out there.
Speaker 4 (31:46):
Yeah, well we'll talk about that after we end this podcast.
So thanks thanks to Bill, thanks to everybody. Visit my
website Bob Tart dot com and you will find no
information on the new book. That's Bob Tart dot com.
No information on the new book, and thanks.
Speaker 3 (32:03):
Slash, no information on the new book.
Speaker 4 (32:06):
And thanks to our producer Mark Quinner.
Speaker 3 (32:08):
Oh bart, Absolutely, he's my guy.
Speaker 6 (32:13):
Thinking about buying a monkey, how about a ferret or
a skunk? Then check out the show that will answer
the burning questions, where do you get them, what do
you feed them, how.
Speaker 3 (32:24):
Do you take care of them?
Speaker 6 (32:26):
And most of all, what were you thinking?
Speaker 2 (32:29):
With the Exotic pet?
Speaker 5 (32:30):
Experted author Bob Tart every week on demand from petlight
radio dot com
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