She Knows a Place

Lots of great music of the '60s was sung by guys, either solo or in bands. But no one can cover a full range of the decade without a female singer. All the wonderful girl groups, plenty of female soloists from America, plenty of great songs from other countries -- a great 60s band needs a great female singer. Melody Mallin, seen here singing Petula Clark's "I Know a Place," handles all the lead for the female songs and adds backing vocals to several other songs.

The New Invaders great classic rock sound is built on some great guitar licks. Next post will feature the guitar stars.

The New Invaders

'Twas a cold evening for the Taste of Glen Ellyn, a mid-May Saturday for which the weatherman was warning possible freezing temperatures. I had wanted to shoot some rock and roll and had planned the trip, but after I arrived I wondered if I had made the right decision. Waiting for the New Invaders to begin their set after 8:00 PM, with the temperature dropping enough that vocalist Dave Huizenga mentioned the weather in his opening, we needed some heat. Stubborn enough to wait, I hoped for the best.

And I got it. The New Invaders play music of the '60s, lots of British Invasion, spirited tunes with outstanding guitar licks and powerful rhythm. Huizenga, who also plays keyboards and guitar, is the primary singer and focal point of the band. Personable, great at interacting with the crowd, he got the show going early and kept it moving throughout the concert. Music of the Kinks, the Hollies, and even the Blues Magoos, the New Invaders provided the heat and no one left to get out of the cold.

The New Invaders also features lots of girl group songs. Obviously, there must be another singer in the works, which will become evident in the next post.

Woodpecker Released

After the marvel of seeing the bare breast of the woodpecker mother, the volunteer turned the bird over and checked the tops of the wings. The marking pattern is pretty impressive in the treetops, but it is awesome right in front of you. And then he turned the bird over to a girl who was interested in setting it free. A hold, a release, and the woodpecker was on the way to the treetops.

And I was on the way to a track meet, then a visit to a different forest preserve. That evening, a bit of rock and roll. We will look at some rocking musicians and dancers in the next few posts.

From the Nest to the Hand

When the volunteer turned his wrist he touched the breast of the bird and said that she was a mother who had given birth. And he showed the evidence: the coat of feathers covering her breast slips open at the touch of his finger, exposing the underlying skin, if that is the right word.

I was amazed. Just a beginner at birding, I had no idea of the complexity of the process, and if you had asked me, I would have answered that a bird on the nest used its entire body as a sort of cover or blanket to provide the warmth. I had no idea that the body changed in such a spectacular manner, allowing the much warmer core of the mother to be readily available to the babies who will be adults in weeks.

Perhaps everyone else knew all this, but I thought it was a wonderful and clear way to learn something of value. My photographer's instincts would like to thank this female woodpecker for the lesson in the beauty and power of nature.

Back to Banding

Only an hour or so from my first opportunity to see a bird, held in the hand for banding as well as identification and examination, I was back at the table as the volunteer slipped another bird out of its sack. A woodpecker, much like some of the specimens I had seen in the forest moments later. As he fanned the wings, I was proud of myself as I saw the feather spread. Do you see what I saw?

Yes, this too is a second year bird. The deeper brown of the majority of the feathers is this year's mark, while the lighter patch further up the wing is the remnant of the feathers of 2008. Noticing and remembering a lesson learned is always a good feeling. But perhaps not as good as the feeling that your education is quickly advancing to new ground. As the volunteer turned his wrist and the bird over, my education was about to advance, all right. Exponentially.

Next post will take your knowledge to a new level as well.

More Birds in 'Bushes'

Our walk was not quite over but I had a track meet to cover, so I prepared to break off from the group and return to the parking lot. Two more beauties paused in their flights to pose for me and I was of course glad to oblige. The birds were in trees, of course, not 'bushes,' but a little exaggeration among friends should be acceptable.

We had seen a lot of interesting birds, and no doubt I was about to miss out on many more. But I did make a wise choice in the matter. Rather than stay with the group until the very last moment and having to rush to the track meet, I decided to head back a little early in case anything else caught my eye.

Anything else, naturally, was the fact that my route took me back past the banding table and I hoped to see another bird and perhaps learn more about birds and banding and whatever else I could. The birds above, birds in the 'bush,' are balanced at the table by the bird 'in the hand.'

On the next post, we will see that the hope was fulfilled. Lots more to learn as you will see.

Woodpeckers: Not Woody

One of my favorite cartoons growing up, partly for personal reasons, was Woody Woodpecker. How could such a cartoon have a 'personal' reason? My paternal grandfather, Ralph Beato Sr., was a wonderful mimic of Walter Lantz, Woody's cartoonist and voice, doing his patented "ha-ha-ha-HA-ha" laugh. Since Grandpop lived in the Philadelphia area and I am a Chicagoan, we saw each other only on vacations. The sound of the laughter still echoes.

Real woodpeckers do not laugh that way. As expected. But they are interesting and beautiful, and since they tend to perch for a bit on a given tree, they almost seem to pose for us. Smile pretty, Little Woody!

More Willowbrook Wildlife birding photos in the next post.