And a promise kept by yours truly.
1/500, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
Four days ago in a blog post featuring a Chukar Calling In The Snow I lamented the fact that Chukars seem to have all but disappeared from Antelope Island. The following comment on that post inspired today’s edition of Feathered Photography.
- “Diane Bricmont
March 2, 2020 at 5:35 am (Edit)
Beautiful series, Ron! There’s a humorous t-shirt I’ve seen with a female Chukar standing next to a nest wth the caption “Mother Chukar!” Sad to hear that they are disappearing from the island.”
Suffice it to say I was intrigued by that t-shirt. I’m a huge Chukar fan and I admittedly have what some might call a juvenile sense of humor so this was my response to Diane’s comment – “I’d buy that t-shirt in a hummingbird’s heartbeat! In fact I’m going to look for it.”
But in the end I didn’t order one.
Instead I ordered two, one gray and one green, and here they are in all their glory.
Within minutes of sitting down at my computer last night and beginning to work up today’s blog post I received a text message saying that my t-shirts had been delivered to my doorstep. Needless to say at that point my plans for today’s post changed instantly.
I’m always looking for appropriate (for me) t-shirts for the summer months and these two tickle my fancy. I didn’t order black because that would be too hot in the summer but I can wear the gray when it’s hot and the green in spring and fall.
I realize that some viewers probably won’t appreciate my new apparel or my sophomoric sense of humor but that’s OK, it’s mine and it serves me well enough. I’ll use my almost 3 1/2 decades in the classroom with boisterous and irreverent teenagers as an excuse for my sense of humor – it is what it is.
Thanks to Diane Bricmont and to countless students over the years for the inspiration.
Ron
Notes:
- Another thing I like about my new t-shirts – they’re high enough in the neck that they hide my new “neck zipper” from recent thyroid removal surgery.
- I guess it’s too much to ask that a t-shirt apparently intended for mass consumption be accurate enough to depict the young Chukars in more realistic juvenile plumage rather than as miniature adults.
Ron – I think your desire to purchase & have not one but two Chukar T-shirts makes total sense to me!! I have a T-shirt that I totally love & wear it whenever I’m out birding. It has some of my favorite birds on it & across the bottom it has ORNITHOLOGEEK!! I’m very proud to wear it too!!
“I guess it’s too much to ask that a t-shirt apparently intended for mass consumption be accurate enough to depict the young Chukars in more realistic juvenile plumage rather than as miniature adults.” Picky picky. 😉
I have tons of “just shy of wholly inappropriate” science/nature/math t-shirts that I wore every Friday — to teach! 😀
Love the warm light on the Chukar!
I’ll wear my t-shirts too, Marty – despite the sloppy and unnecessary inaccuracy. But I’ll admit that kind of thing aggravates me a little, just like the pervasive Red-tailed Hawk calls they use in movies and on TV for every raptor species on the planet that in reality sounds not a bit like a red-tail.
Why not at least TRY to get it right…
And thanks for noticing the warm light. That photo was taken only minutes after sunrise.
Love the picture, and the T-shirts. Especially the green. One of my favorite colors.
Thanks, Jean. The Chukars definitely show up better on the darker green.
I fractured my collarbone Wednesday and have found little to laugh about since. Your blog post, shirts and Lyle’s comments have brought much unexpected levity this morning! 😂 So thank you!
Ouch. Sorry to hear that, Chris. I hope it heals quickly with as little discomfort and pain as possible.
Yup, levity can be a salve of sorts.
I am smiling. Rather a lot.
A sense of humour has kept me from drowning more than once. I love that yours is still with you and, as you know, I have a weakness for the Beagle Boys (and Girls).
Thanks, EC. I’ve lost a lot of things as I’ve aged but my sense of humor, for what it’s worth, isn’t one of them.
I too looked up the shirt from the last blog, it was tempting but since I am job hunting I thought maybe I would wait a while. People do look at our social media accounts now when you are apply for jobs.
“People do look at our social media accounts now when you are apply for jobs.”
Yeah, but as far as I know they can’t look up what you order on Amazon. And you don’t have to wear it to work. Just sayin…
In the spirit of your new t-shirts, I just found out about https://www.effinbirds.com/collections/new-mens-shirts-beta
While I want several of them, I’m not sure I’m bold enough to wear them. I say it often enough, that my husband has suggested I buy the “I hate people” one.
Lots of possibilities at that site, Catherine. Some of them are a bit much even for me but others….
I LOVE the shirts. 😀 And the chukar in the photo.
Thanks on both counts, Arwen.
I thought you’d enjoy those t-shirts Ron! I live in the flyover zone (except during election years when it’s considered “The Heartland”) and I’m sure that shirt ruffles a few feathers here, too. Thanks again for another look at a beautiful Chukar.
Diane, in my opinion those feathers deserve to be ruffled. Repeatedly.
I may think of you every time I wear one of those shirts…
Great play on words and a beautiful bird. Can’t wait till the summer season to see your reports on the comments you get while out photographing in those shirts.
Thanks, Everett.
Remember, I live in extremely conservative Utah. Some reactions are very likely to be less than positive but I can live with it. In fact knowing me I’ll probably revel in it.
“… it’s mine and it serves me well enough.”
I think I’ll be borrowing this line now and again, if you don’t mind.
Love that beautiful shot and your new wardrobe additions.
You are one lucky mother chukar!
Help yourself, Dave.
Now you’re competing with Lyle for greatest comment endings. I’ll probably be laughing about that one all day!
Your photo of a Chukar is outstanding!
As for the t-shirts, they’re funny. I have a juvenile sense of humor too. Speaking of juveniles, I’d have preferred they represent the young in juvenile plumage instead of as miniature adults. But maybe I’m just being too picky about the little chukars.
Thanks, David.
You make a good point about the young chukars – I noticed it too. In fact I’m going to make a note of it in my text.
The expression on the Chukar’s face is one of exasperation and resignation as in “Ron, are you ever going to grow up?”
More importantly though, I wonder if you had to remove your 1.4 extender to get both t-shirts in the frame without clipping any sleeves.
And last but not least, If I hear any good fart jokes I know where to send them.
Lyle, you’re pretty damned good at ending your comments with something that makes me laugh.
Nope, no extender involved – cell phone shot while standing on my bed.
My daughter Haley, when younger, would gauge a boys maturity by either saying “fart” and watching for the snickers or “sex”. By high school age, sex usually got more snickers.
I have one on the way also……. 😉 They had a color issue that was quickly solved…. 🙂 VERY strange incident yesterday. Going to Highwood yesterday at lunch time I had to come to a screeching stop as there was a rooster pheasant in the road appearing to try and pull his deceased companion to the edge of the road! Never seen anything like it! He did finally move – good thing as there was a Fed Ex truck behind me – we both missed both roosters.
“I have one on the way also”
Maybe it’s a Montana thing… 🙂
Interesting pheasant behavior. I’m curious, Judy – could you tell if the deceased was a male or a female?
Edit: Never mind, I see you said that both were roosters.
Excellent photo…just love everything about it. Neat t-shirts! Something I would definitely wear.
“Something I would definitely wear”
Well, that makes at least two of us, Kathy… 🙂
Love them!!
Good. Me too.