scarlet fever

Didn't you think scarlet fever was a thing of the past? When I heard that one of Phoebe's classmates had it last week, I was kinda surprised since you don't hear about it much anymore, at least not in the U.S. You hear about the more common afflictions, like impetigo, chicken pox, head lice (very common here!), but scarlet fever?

When Thijs began acting a little strange, I started taking note. Yesterday he took a loooooooong nap (w dad who just returned from states), but we'd also stayed up late playing at the park + looking for bats, so I figured he was just catching up. Then today, he also wasn't himself. He didn't feel like riding the merry-go-round 10x like he always does, and he fell asleep in the ice cream shop! It wasn't just a little nap where you wake up feeling refreshed - he was knocked out. Lucky he has a swell pop who carried him the whole way home!

When he woke up, he had a temp of 39 degrees C, headache, and he looked fatigued. Under normal circumstances, I would've just treated it like an ordinary viral infection, but knowing that streptococcus group A might be at stake, I took no chances. Mommy was on high alert.

Got on the phone and found a doctor who'd see him within 15 mins. On the way he threw up - poor guy. Doctor pegged it as scarlet fever when he saw the typical "strawberry tongue" and sandpapery skin, even though he hadn't broken out in a rash. Too bad penicillin tastes so wicked - oh, aren't the next 10 days going to be FUN!

It's just a coincidence, but while Thijs was napping, I was packing for my Virginia trip. This is the second time bad fortune has struck the family while mommy was either getting away/planning on getting away. Somehow I've gotta find a way to break this curse!

off the path

Saw this stunning bird today in Oud-Heverlee Noord (northern marsh), a conservation area about 15 km from Tervuren. Didn't even know it was there - I went to see Cetti's warbler and other marsh birds, but apparently i was in for an even bigger treat!

As I was watching a beautiful male reed bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus) eating seeds off a tall reed, I saw a crow-sized black bird take off from a willow tree. At once it struck me as a strange-looking bird so I didn't look away, and how fortunate was I to make that decision. Microseconds later I saw the ivory bill and red crown, and at that moment my jaw dropped and my eyes almost popped out of my head. It was the Black Woodpecker (Dryocopus martius)(Wiki file shown)!

Interestingly, I might not have seen the Black Woodpecker if I'd stuck to the path. I'd decided to explore some fields nearby where I heard some birds vocalizing, and that's when the woody woodpecker flew by. If I hadn't been standing in just that spot at that time I might have missed it. Funny how life drops little jewels like this when we allow ourselves to "let go" of our expectations and just enjoy being in the here and now.

By the way, a Cetti's warbler did eventually sing, once I decided to get back on the path.

like my new eyes?

got new glasses today
watched slugs mating
made monoprints of golden Siberian cranes and pink bugs
read Harry Potter to kids
thought about cutting the grass
but swept the sidewalk instead since now i can see all the dirt my Belgian neighbor can see!

no. 215 - witwangstern

My WP list continues to grow. I passed the 200 mark while birding in Gibraltar with my Belgian bird friends from Oost-Brabant. The Witwangstern, or Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybridus)(Wiki file shown), winters in Africa and is my 215th bird - what a beauty she is. Only thing missing was sharing the excitement with a friend.

I got to Sint-Agatha Rode a little after 9:30 am. Dropped kids off at school and convinced Thijs to let another mommy help him in swimming class. I knew I'd miss swimming with him, but how could I miss seeing the Whiskered Tern! Guilty mom syndrome struck since how would I feel if I got there and there were no birds? The thought kept running through my head.

Another birder was just leaving (Eric T?), but before he could slip past I asked in Dutch if he'd seen the Witwangstern. He shook his head, said we were too late, and then he was off, presumably to the next birding spot. Feeling a bit deflated I dropped my backpack and plopped down on my 3-legged stool. A moment later an ijsvogel or kingfisher flew past, making me think it wasn't going to be such a bad day after all. I'd only seen it twice before so this sighting already lifted my spirits!

Looking out over the northern end of the marsh I saw what looked like a black tern but without a black face. When i lifted the bins, yes indeed, the white cheek flashed brightly against the contrast of the black cap and dark breast. Looked like the head of an Arctic tern plopped on a Black tern's body. There was no mistaking it - one whiskered tern was gracing my airspace! Four birds had been reported the previous day, so this was probably a new bird - how lucky was that?

Then it came closer - first it flew over the center of the marsh, close to where I was perched, and then it landed on a pole for 5 minutes directly offshore from me (and the hide). I felt fortunate to have this moment alone with this beautiful beast, so I could study it, enjoy it in peace and have it all to myself. Terns are so graceful, so delicate. Watched this one for 1.45 hours, and it seemed like no time had passed at all. Could've stayed all day -

But I also wanted to share it with someone -- this beautiful bird, this beautiful day, so I called Joey (S.African born/Belgian birder) - and vowed to take her with me the next time she was free. Having a bird friend not only makes the experience better (and safer), but it also adds confidence to your bird reports. Since wouldn't you know that another birder showed up just after I left, stayed for 1 hour, and apparently did NOT see the whiskered tern. I didn't feel challenged by this report - rather, I felt really lucky - lucky that the bird didn't sit and rest the whole time but instead gave me a spectacular show!

p.s. just read email from third birder who eventually saw the whiskered tern at Sint-Agatha Rode that evening

a golden day

Each year I go birding on Mother's Day (which happens to be on the same weekend as World Migratory Bird Day!), and this past Sunday I saw some spectacular spring migrants. The kids didn't mind too much and Stijn was just happy i did the lawn and shopping to give him a break. I did miss our breakfast in bed, which has become our way of celebrating a special day. I was up too early even to get my favorite: hot tea in bed - what a pity.

As always, I was hoping to get some new species, as well as see some old bird friends, both feathered and unfeathered. An early morning bird walk on Saturday along a small restored creek (Kleine Gete te Eliksem), gave Icterine warbler and skylark, plus 30+ other species. Very pleasant.

Grote Karekiet, or Great reed warbler, was my prize for getting up at 5:30 am on mother's day to visit Het Vinne (freshwater marsh). Following that, I helped with a bird survey near Hoegaarden (where the beer is made), where I picked up marsh warbler and the star of the day ... drums rolling ... the GOLDEN ORIOLE! And here it is, shown in WIKI files ... isn't it absolutely splendid! My first Old World Oriolidae - just 19 more species to go - does the thought give you goosebumps too?

my new motto

My favorite place to go is where I've never been.

Anonymous

Belgians like clean streets

I've had the strange feeling lately that I've been disappointing someone. Maybe it's from the mounds of thank-you's I need to write or phone calls to friends in need of support/encouragement that I need to make (or time i need to spend with the hubbie!), but for whatever reason I've had this unexplainable feeling that I've been letting someone down.

This afternoon, the answer came from a neighbor. And not just any neighbor ... a BELGIAN neighbor. This was the place I least expected it from! Especially since this neighbor has never uttered a word to me, until now ...

SHE barely let me get out of my car before she started rattling off (in Dutch at first, but then in English) her anxiety about the collection of dirt on our sidewalk/street. She prefaced her attack by saying that she was 71 and not afraid to speak her mind.

She was visibly agitated by the fact that we hadn't swept our sidewalk in the last few months, but she also let me know that we weren't the WORST on the street. Our Portuguese/Italian neighbors came in last place, as you would expect, right? They're attending to more important matters, like drinking wine and making delicious food. But that is hardly a solace ...

According to this neighbor, the police can fine you for not keeping your bit of street in order! Apparently the Tervuren officers are a bit more laid back as they don't fine you anymore (good thing for us). Maybe it's because the expat community hasn't been sold on this unwritten rule and has other priorities, like travelling and enjoying life!

Then she ragged on my Dutch husband, claiming he must understand the Belgian mentality of clean streets. I just shook my head, like "sure, why not", not knowing where this idea originated in the first place. Personally, I thought the Dutch were better known for their entreprenurial spirit and tulips (and love of travel, Yeah!) than dirt collection. But maybe I was wrong ...

But finally the REAL reason for her anxiety reared it's ugly head ..... NIMBY! For those unawares, NIMBY stands for "it's okay as long as it's NOT IN MY BACKYARD!"

She explained how our street acts like a wind tunnel, carrying all our dirt and filth right in front of her house, and how she has beautiful clean, white tiles in her garage that get dirty if their cars have to drive through our filth. Oh, the story goes on and on .... you really don't want to hear all the details. I was gagging as it was -

I bit my lip. I smiled. I listened. I tried to understand. But I also wanted to say, "hey, do you realize i have 3 kids, a husband that travels circumpolar, and that this is a NON-priority to me at this point in my life?" Maybe when I'm 71 I'll begin to fret about insignificant things. But today I saw black terns, hobbies, marsh harriers, and garganeys at a beautiful nature reserve, and that's WAY more important than any breath you've wasted in the last 5 minutes!

And I felt like saying, "have you heard the beautiful song of the greenfinch, bullfinch, great tit, blue tit, marsh tit, great spotted woodpecker, nuthatch, hedge sparrow, blackbird"? And do you know where they got their last meal and drink? It was most likely at my well-stocked birdfeeder and my fishpond, which i place the highest priority on maintaining - thank you. And did you know that my girls correctly identified the 2 Goudvink (bullfinch) that fed at my feeder this week?

Let's get our priorities straight, shall we!

thoughts from the other side (of the ocean)

Alex came home from school on Wednesday (17 April) talking about the shootings that occurred at VA Tech 2 days ago. Judging from the details she relayed to me, it seems her teacher did her research. She knew the exact number of students that were killed, when/where/how it occurred, but also she was informed of -- the lack of gun control laws in the US.

Every time a school shooting incident happens in the U.S., the students here are quick to learn about it and hear their teacher's thoughts. Alex knows that it takes something close to a miracle to possess a gun here in Europe. You have to "answer a thousand questions and take a lot of tests", as she puts it. There's a slim to zero chance that anyone without a REALLY good excuse could even legally own a gun here.

But even w gun control in place here, it doesn't stop people from fearing the possibility of school shootings, and that related forms of violence may become more widespread. The fear may also be related to concerns about losing an innocence and quality of life that is taken for granted in Europe. Children ride their bikes or the city train/bus to school by themselves at a young age and think nothing of it. Once I heard of a 7 year old taking the train from Brussels to Antwerp for ballet lessons because her mom said if she really wanted to dance at that school she had to show how much she wanted it. Would be a shame for kids to lose this kind of freedom.

All that said, but more importantly, our hearts go out to the families and friends of the victims as well as to all those at VA Tech whose lives have been affected. I can only imagine what they are going through right now.

grandma PHOEBE is 101!

We spoke with grandma yesterday, and she sounded better than ever. Wanted to wish her a happy 101st birthday before the masses hit her doorstep. Actually caught her during a nap, but May said she wouldn't want to miss our call so she woke her up and we had a wonderful chat.

She was so happy to hear our voices and was especially happy to hear little Phoebe's voice. She said when I'm her age I'll understand how nice it is to hear the sweet voices of great grandchildren. I think I already know what she means.

I suspect she had loads of visitors today, stopping in to see how she's doing and wanting to wish her well. I wonder how many birthday cards, flower arrangements, boxes of chocolate, visits by family/friends, phone calls, etc. she'll get. I wonder what will be her greatest gift.

Can you imagine celebrating 101 birthdays?!

down and out

this is not me - it's a picture i made of Muriel - but it's how i feel right now. Exhausted, deflated, but also rejuvenated. Adventures in Spain and visits w good friends will have this effect on a soul.

i suppose i'll be back on my feet in a while ... but for a moment I'll relish the feeling of being whammied.

BTW, i like your boots Muriel - where'd you get them?

the gods must be angry

The day started well. Managed to get the kids to school on time, even early since Phoebe had to arrive by 8:50 for a school trip to Antwerp zoo. I was feeling confident that everything would go smoothly and Stijn would be picking the kids up at a quarter to 4 so I could enjoy a "day out" with my art class. I was joining a bus trip to museums in Belgium and Holland and I wasn't due back til after 5 pm.

Fatal flaw #1 - when a mother's overly confident that she can "get away" and have some time for herself, the gods do not look happily on this. At least they didn't in my case. The second they realized I was beginning to feel footloose and fancy free they began plotting revenge.

First stop, Hasselt, about an hour east of Brussels (aside: that's what I entered in my diary, and that's as far as I got!). After walking through town we found the establishment that housed the art exhibit, "The suspended moment", that we would tour. Still don't know what the place was called, but it looked sorta like an Abbey or churchgrounds, but there were no names anywhere. "Deadheaded" was the first bit of art. As you see here, it consists of a vase w living greens and dead flower heads spread on the ground below. Didn't really "get it", but enjoyed looking at the dead flowers and listening to the Dutch tour guide.

Fatal flaw #2 - oh no, I was actually beginning to enjoy myself and have a little fun, and this was really getting the gods pissed off. A mom having fun and not knowing where she is - how irresponsible is that? It wouldn't be long now until their plan unfolded, but I never could've guessed how low they'd stoop!

A series of huge photos taken through rainy car windows in the U.K. was probably my favorite part of the tour. Simple idea, magnificent photos - I absolutely loved them. Maybe it's because as a kid between the ages of 4 and 7, I used to spend a lot of time watching the rain dance on windows (car windows, house windows, school windows) and daydreaming - of course that was the best part. It rained a lot in England (yes, that's when we lived in England) so I had ample opportunity to bond with the rain drops and dream about whatever.

Fatal flaw #3 - mom is beginning to lose it - she's losing control, reconnecting with her past, starting to dream again. "We can't have this" scream the gods. "Time to intervene, and QUICK!"

Bbbbbbrrrrrrriiiiiinnnnnnngggggggggggg goes the cell phone. "Sh--" goes mom, thinking this can't be good - nobody ever calls me on my cell phone, so it must be serious. Of course, I can't manage to dig it out of my bag until after the message kicks in, and what a shock it was to hear the news. It was Jacques from school calling to tell me that they think Alex may have broken her arm. At first I thought he said, "vermoord", which if you know Dutch means "dead", but he really said "vermoed". I about keeled over. But then I heard him say "arm gebroken", which brought a big sigh of relief, followed by anxiety when it occurred to me that i had no way to get home. Luckily Stijn answered on the first ring and whisked Alex away for x-rays and a cast. And I was able to catch a ride back with the one mom who drove separately.

And the gods could be happy again with mom back in control of the house. Now let's just hope they don't freak out when I leave for Gibraltar for a WEEK! BTW, as you can tell from this photo, Alex is doing absolutely fine. She's already decorated her sling with jewels and pins and can't wait to get her flourescent yellow cast!

on the rock

When I saw this photo of the rock of Gibraltar (go to Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society and click on Gibraltar, Nature's Mountain, the cover photo for a book on diversity), it made me think of a poem written by my late friend L. Alexander. I can't remember all the words, and I know I'm missing a line or two, but it goes something like this ...

You know I've heard about people like me
But never made the connection
They walk one way to set them free
But find they've gone the wrong direction
There's no need for turning back
All roads lead to where we stand
And I'm convinced we'll walk them all
No matter what we may have planned

by Laurence Alexander

slow birding in Switzerland

For krokusvakantie (winter break), we stayed at oma & opa's house near Zurich, Switzerland and soaked up sun and beautiful views of mountains and lake Zurich. There was little snow for skiing or sledding, which meant more time for birdwatching, and mommy was too thrilled. First new bird was spotted in downtown Zurich by the train station, and what a great bird it was - a RED KITE (Milvus milvus)(all fotos Wikipedia)! The long forked tail and white underwing patches (confirmed by Stijn + Alex) were dead giveaways. Could hardly keep my eyes on the twisty, windy roads - yes, of course mommy was behind the wheel.

Day 2 we took kids to a lakeside park in Richterswil and got new bird #2 - the RED-CRESTED POCHARD (Netta rufina). Stijn parked the car and came back asking if I'd seen red-headed ducks by the train station. Figured he was talking about the feral mandarin ducks and didn't think anything of it. But when we walked back to the car and we saw 2 pairs and 2 males of RCP, I was shocked. Memory will be only lukewarm though, as they were practically begging for food, alongside mallards and coots. Probably just escapees of a captive popn, but they were pretty to look at and will still go on my Euro list!

Day 3 topped em all with 3 new species! Alex and I were taking a lovely stroll in a wooded ravine by oma & opa's house w moss covered boulders and gushing stream when the white throat patch of this WHITE-THROATED DIPPER (Cinclus cinclus) flashed before our eyes. What a pleasant surprise! We spent minutes watching the 2 dippers fly back and forth along the watercourse. A Swiss gentleman came by w his dog and we had a conversation in my very broken German about the dippers and also about some raptors he'd seen, or at least that's what it sounded/looked like with all his hand gesturing/pointing up at the trees. Alex is now motivated to learn German so her mom won't embarrass her again.
Bird #4 was the ALPINE CHOUGH (Pyrrhocorax graculus). We found it by the cafe Holzegg near the Grosse Mythen (steep cliff) in Brunni. In our attempt to find enough snow to make at least 1 snowball we took the gondola up to the top of the BrunniAlp ski resort. Immediately heard unfamiliar bird calls, and perched atop the cafe were 2 black birds (pair?) with red legs and yellow beaks, which flew off as soon as they noticed I was dying to know what they were! While we ate lunch I convinced the kids to put french fries on the picnic tables outside, hoping we'd lure the birds back for another view, but unfortunately we weren't so lucky. Kids beginning to realize they have a strange bird for a mom.
The COMMON RAVEN (Corvus corax) was also hanging around Holzegg. Were 50-100 flying around the peak of the Grosse Mythen, and that was something to see. Have seen ravens in N.A., but this was first encounter in Europe and so will go on my Euro list. Kids enjoyed listening to their loud, clanging sounds.

Best part of birding was watching birds together as a family and also without binoculars, which always seemed to get left behind. This is what I call "slow birding" because it's not so much about how many birds you see but WHO you see them with and HOW LONG it takes you to get there. Now that sounds like another brilliant idea that will get me nowhere.

alex blogs

check out a new blog by exela (stage name for Alex)

signs of spring

Some photos (although not mine) to cheer my snowbound friends in North America who are probably huddling by the fire and doing anything they can just to stay warm. My grandma in Virginia said it was supposed to dip to 16 F while here it hit 16 C! Signs of spring are everywhere as a group of 15 redwings visited our garden a few weeks back, as well as one lone male bullfinch. I wondered if it was the same male that visited our bird table last spring!


The blue tits have been actively checking out my nest boxes for weeks now. It seems that no sooner do i lay down to catch a rest that one of the little guys starts pecking away at the entrance to the nest box. We have 2 boxes - one on our patio and one in a huge conifer. Last year they fledged 5 from the conifer box.


Goldfinches have already made an appearance, although i haven't seen one in the field yet. I don't get them at my feeder like i did the American Goldfinch - what a shame.



The vlinders (butterflies) are already emerging. I think i saw this species yesterday. Seems early but it's been so warm here that it comes as no surprise.

Carnaval

If this shot doesn't break the winter blues, I don't know what will. Here you see Thijs and Phoebe all dressed up for a Carnaval celebration (kick-off party before start of passover) at school. This is a BIG deal here, and the kids/schools invest lots of time and energy into organizing events. Grades 1-6 spent Friday afternoon dressing up and putting on a toneel (theatre performances) in front of the whole school, and Alex seemed to enjoy this very much along with eating 2 times frites!

a fly on the wall

what i would give to be a FLY ON THE WALL

to hear secrets WHISPERED

to see MASKS come down

i think it would be great

to be so SMALL

hats off to PJ

This one's for PJ, otherwise known as Paul, or man of Laura, who learned today that his research paper on something to do with calcium channels somewhere in the brain, was accepted by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. This is no little beans, and so we're taking every measure to properly acknowledge its significance, but not as in p value, get it? And while I'm documenting this historic moment, my man Stijn is perfecting the art of pannekoeken maken! Onze kinderen hebben carnaval feest morgen, en wij moeten koeken in de keuken! Got it?

Welterusten

tot volgende keer!

my obit.

Let's keep this short and sweet, shall we? This is how i'd like my obit. to read although hopefully not for SOME time. However, the last part will take more work if we're going to make that happen - that's where my dreams come into play. Here goes. Don't blink or you'll miss it!

She married a dutchman who loved to travel, loved birds more than anything, and died by a salt marsh.

Yes, that's all folks!

Is that simple or what?

Well, actually, the last part runs deeper than it reads. There are lots of ways to "die", so to speak.

The literal translation might have been the first thought that came to mind. And it's not a bad thought since i'd love to live and die by an estuary and have my ashes cast off as the seabirds fly overhead and sing my eulogy. You'd just have to listen to them and drink a toast.

Then there are figurative translations, like "dying in a pose", which means to achieve peace with yourself like when in a yoga pose. When i first heard the expression, "dying in a pose", it struck a chord so deep i couldn't get past it for weeks. I think this is what i was feeling when this phrase came out. I'm getting closer to feeling that inner peace, but we're not there yet. I'm always looking though. Just like the man, i'm always looking ...

There it is.

daydreaming

One of my goals is to capture my children's dreams in artwork so they'll always have something special to remind them of what they used to love. This is Alex trying on pointe shoes and daydreaming about what it would be like to be a real dancer someday. It was my first effort, and although it's not great I like it because you can actually tell it's ALEX!

Sometimes watching our kids chase their dreams awakens a part of us that's lying dormant. That's how i feel, at least. Being so busy w work and family in my former life, there was no time for thinking about anything else. Now thinking about "anything else" has become my preoccupation, and I consider it a real privilege to be able to dream 24/7. Who knows what will come of this, but I'm loving pondering all the options ... like running a birding bed-n-breakfast in the Algarve, for instance. How fun would that be!