Boardwalk today

... some more pics taken before the Mimosa Warbler.

- Gunnar

Mangrove Warblers

I was going to tag this as a Mimosa Warbler, not because they were in a mimosa tree, but because they were taken from the deck at the World Birding Center on South Padre Island after drinking a couple of quite strong mimosa drinks for a fund raiser. The bird showed up unexpectedly (at least to me). A couple of the photos may have actually been taken still seated at the table - taken "in the field" so to speak. Trading drink for camera I rallied to my feet and made my wobbly way to the railing, trying my best to hold myself camera steady. "Here, hold my drink." *click*

Last year I took a couple of I.D. quality photos of an immature male Mangrove Warbler, a very rare bird by location. One of my goals this year was to get better photos of a mature male and female Mangrove Warbler. Today, day two "in the field", I took photos of a mature male and a first year female Mangrove Warbler. I guess I should just ice the camera and kick back for a couple of months. Or until tomorrow.

Mangrove Warbler first year female below, I.D.'d by WBC naturalist Javier Gonzalez.

Thank you Javi for all your help over the past years.

- Gunnar

South Padre Day 2

We met Lorna's sister Anita and John, joined by brewmeister Mark Haggenmiller, for a two hour lunch at Padre Brewing. Lorna left with Anita and John and I went on to the World Birding Center hoping for photographs of an adult male and female Mangrove Warbler - a real long shot. I have almost three months to work on that.

The tide was high, it was mid-afternoon, so not much was about and the light was really harsh. So a fellow named Bakke from Northfield, Minnesota and I mostly just talked as we strolled the boardwalk looking for a warbler or any rail. None.

I shot a few photos along the way that seemed interesting at the time.

After I returned to John and Anita's house I checked my emails. Lorna's purse containing driver's licence, check, medical and credit cards had been found in front of Padre Brewing and they were holding it for her. Things could have gone very badly; instead we owe an unnamed stranger free beer for the season. It was also nice that the owner of the pub happened to have my email address. It was lost, found and returned before we knew it was missing.

No stress here,

Gunnar

M. Bonvicini Decal Color Bombshell

(This is as much for my future memory as it is for other readers.)

Two days ago I took my M.Bonvicini frame to a remote shop south of Ames, Iowa. Mr. Jeffrey Bock has been building bicycles and doing custom painting for over 45 years. He does not have a website. People who know, find him. Here is some of his work, both frame building, racks and paint.

Mr. Bock clamped the 1948 M.Bonvicini frame in a vise stand, strapped on his jewelers headset glasses and began slowly rotating the bike around like a clock, softly mumbling colors as he gently scratched at the degraded silver decals with needle-sharp awl.

Then he removed the headset magnifiers and delivered the bombshell as he carefully made notes on a pad. (conversation condensed as recalled)

"The old decals oxidized and degraded down to that faded silver carrier. Originally the lettering was red with silver or gold edging - more likely gold, which was popular at the time. (What?! red, not silver?) The shield on the downtube was multicolored, probably matching the head badge. That dark line at the ends of the downtube panel isn't a pin-stripe at all, it is the original dark panel color which was protected from light fading by what appears to have been be a 1/8" wide World Championship Stripes (*). I think I may be able to save the seattube panel paint and closely match the downtube panel. For its age the paint is remarkable and we have to save as much of it as is absolutely possible." 

It was good to hear that coming from a man who makes a fair amount of his living refinishing vintage bicycles. I obviously have the right man. I also have the right decal maker. Both have taken ownership in this project, in this bicycle. Now I have to process all this - and to consider a second set of new decals made.

Red downtube M.BONVICINI lettering with gold edging. 

Small multi-color shield with gold trim on topside of downtube
World Stripes on ends of both tube panels

Large multi-color shield with gold trim on rear fender
Small multi-colored shield with gold trim on front fender

Red star with gold trim on seattube

*This bicycle was likely built by Francesco Galmozzi who, when he was with Gloria, built the bicycle that Libero Ferrario rode to the 1923 World Championships. Galmozzi seemed to favor World stripes after that and used them on his frames whenever possible. (Francesco's son Angelo built the 'Flandria' labeled bicycle that Rik Van Looy rode to the 1961 World Championship.)

- Gunnar

Addendum, the new decal sheet:

On Prized Possessions

Possessions are just 'stuff'; things that will likely be pawed and dickered over by the rag-pickers at some future estate sale. But I ain't dead yet. And there ain't no glory in regret.

Favorites tend to be fluid. I love my garden and my old Bulldog garden tools (Clarington Forge since 1780). I love the Native American tools and projectile points that the Old Man and I picked up walking fields when I was a kid.

One of my prized possessions is this bicycle, a 1948 M. Bonvicini. Earlier I documented the process of having replacement decals made. Link here.

Over 70 years the decals have melded into the paint, and part of the finish on the offside of the downtube panel has been scraped to bare metal. This really necessitates the panel being repainted. Also to match the existing front stub fender, the reproduction fenders require the outside to be painted the soft green of the frame, the center ridge left polished aluminum - with a very fine dark blue pinstripe at the color break. 

Pinstriping has become a dying art, but I reached out to Jeff Bock in Ames, Iowa who does really top-drawer paint work. Thursday evening I received his response.

"This is a VERY COOL bicycle! I'd be thrilled and honored to work on it for you. Although, achieving an exact match on that flamboyant teal will be a serious challenge. What color were the fenders? I'm thinking that the soft green won't be an easy match either. I looked at the decals. It appears that Mr. Salmon did an amazing job."

So now I have to find time to remove all the components - to disassemble the entire bicycle and get the frame and fenders down to Iowa City.

Obsessively yours,
Gunnar

Sax-Zim Bog

The northern Minnesota unincorporated community of Sax has 20 people scattered in the general area. Six miles down the road is Zim, population 10. The bog in between is nationally, even internationally, famous for its assorted boreal bird species, particularly owl species, which have migrated down from the sub-arctic. It is an obligatory a stop for any birder doing a 'big year', or filling out a serious 'life list'.

In mid February there is a Sax-Zim Birding Festival in nearby Meadowlands, pop 135. Last year the low temp during the festival was -59F. The coldest I have ever been was near -40F, and as I recall, that was damned cold.  -59F? Seriously? Last winter almost 3,000 birders visited Sax-Zim.

Birding down in Texas I was wore a Duluth Hawk Ridge baseball cap. Some birders asked if I go to Sax-Zim.              No, it is damned cold up there, I go to the Lower Rio Grande Valley.

Link:

http://www.startribune.com/dnr-wants-birding-and-wildlife-trail-through-sax-zim-bog/475348893/

- Gunnar

Last Birdie Day At Sheepshead

Sheepshead Lots and SPI Birding Center (again today)

Laguna Atascosa NWR

Beep! Beep! - Gunnar

Estero Llano Grande

An hour drive up river to visit with friends, Brian and Jutta. Between Tacos Pirata at Nana's and drinks at the Blue Onion, we birded a little - really damned little. Mostly we walked, sat and talked. There were a lot of birds, but most of them were Black-bellied Whistling Ducks. If you have seen one Black-bellied Whistling duck....

Vermilion Flycatcher - female

A lot of ducks, too much food, a little beer and lot of talk. After returning home we stopped over to Nancy and Mike's for another round of talk. And one last beer.

Life is hard. Sometimes there are things more important than seeing birds.  - Gunnar