Jack Bowling
>I sure
>wish I had the time to go back to doing Elderhostels again. Some of the best
>times I have ever had.

I'll second that, after teaching Portland Audubon's spring version at
Malheur for several years. The groups are great, if any of you ever
have the opportunity to teach one, go for it.

I particularly remember one Virginia Rail foraging at roadside on
the refuge. We stopped our big yellow schoolbus, and all 35 or
so students got out. We formed a semicircle around the rail,
which continued meandering at the ditch at our feet. Finally,
it looked up, saw everyone looking at it, and RAN right through
the group (literally between feet) to the other side of the road.

And then there was the time a male lazuli bunting, male northern
oriole, and a singing yellow-breasted chat all were perched within
inches of each other, viewed by a dozen scopes near enough to get
frame-filling looks of all at once.

These things don't happen to me when I'm by myself, Elderhostelers
bring good birding karma.

- Don Baccus, Portland OR <donb at rational.com>
Nature photos, on-line guides, at http://www.xxxpdx.com/~dhogaza