tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17782658075114968692024-03-19T02:59:37.223-07:00Pura VidaJuliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03120803938923072479noreply@blogger.comBlogger644125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1778265807511496869.post-92041327312234144692018-03-03T01:29:00.000-08:002018-03-03T01:31:33.238-08:002 Years Later...Residency was a bit rough on the free time. I'm baaaack!<br />
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Re-reading what I wrote about 8 years ago- namely running and my love of medicine, still ring true on a daily basis.<br />
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I am honored to say I'm now a practicing, Board Certified Pediatrician. I am living the dream. I take urgent calls in the middle of the night to take care of newborn infants in trouble, I hi-five kids who made it through their annual check up, I sit with teens and listen to their struggle with depression, and countless other scenarios. And I love it.<br />
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To practice medicine is to be curious all the time, constantly learning and relearning. I love having a new case and diving into the evidence base and primary literature to make sure I'm doing everything I should be for a kid. I love the mysterious unraveling of an accurate diagnosis: what are the symptoms, the physical exam findings, the time line, the age, the labs and imaging showing us? It's so satisfying to yield a diagnosis.<br />
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I also really appreciate having more senior, smart, caring colleagues with whom to discuss cases and learn from their decades of experience. Even after 5 years of medical school, 3 years of residency, I am still learning new things every day. It's shocking actually how rapidly medicine evolves and what you still don't know after 8 years of training!<br />
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Lastly, I love working with kids and their families. Kids always surprise me with how hilarious, sweet, scared, bored and openly hostile they can be within the same 15 minute appointment. The ultimate compliment is when the parent asks if they can schedule the next visit to see you. It's a heartwarming #Isaidyes moment in medicine.<br />
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Every day is surprising, I get a little smarter and wiser, and I bring all that I can to my patients and their families. What a remarkable career I have commenced! My heart is full to the brim with the joy I have being a Pediatrician. #worthit<br />
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-Doctor Peds<br />
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<br />Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03120803938923072479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1778265807511496869.post-60562852147431648332016-12-17T20:17:00.002-08:002016-12-17T20:41:17.679-08:00Running in the Winter is BlissThere is just something about a cold evening, even better if it's a cold snowy evening that makes me crave a run through Lincoln Park and along Lake Michigan. Weird? Crazy? Lost my mind? Probably all of the above.<br />
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Maybe it's the feeling of adventure? Feeling really tough and hardcore? Knowing how happy my husky will be running out in the cold? The joy of the complete silence running through the park, only hearing the snow falling. Or the awesomeness that is having the lakeshore path all to yourself. When I'm out there I feel so alive, alert, focused, my senses heightened. I'm living life! -2 with windchill won't bring me down!<br />
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Probably all of the above. Maybe the secret is coming home, drying off and showering and then snuggling up with a good book in front of the fireplace with Christmas music playing and sipping on hot apple cider tea. The epitome of koselig.<br />
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Pretty perfect if you ask me!<br />
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When it's less than 20 degrees outside I'm wearing a lot of clothing, in fact i'm toasty!<br />
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What to wear:<br />
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<ul>
<li>2 pairs of gloves</li>
<li>4 top layers (tank, long sleeve, puffer vest, shell)</li>
<li>2 bottom layers</li>
<li>Wool socks</li>
<li>Waterproof trail shoes (I have yaktrax but never use them. You don't need them for the snow and if it's that icy I don't think it's safe to run)</li>
<li>Neck gaiter</li>
<li>Headband</li>
<li>Musher's wax for your dog's paws </li>
</ul>
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Just channel the famous Norwegian saying: "There's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing".</div>
Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03120803938923072479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1778265807511496869.post-80767946897381859182016-11-06T12:41:00.003-08:002016-11-06T12:42:27.527-08:00Baked Margherita Spaghetti Squash I made this delicious <a href="http://fancy-edibles.com/dinner/gluten-free-goodness-baked-margherita-spaghetti-squash" target="_blank">recipe</a><a href="http://fancy-edibles.com/dinner/gluten-free-goodness-baked-margherita-spaghetti-squash" target="_blank"> </a>for lunch today using my spaghetti squash and tomatoes from the Farmer's Market. Best spaghetti squash I've ever made! Usually it's a bit too bland for me. I think using the olive oil, salt and pepper prior to roasting the squash made a big difference. The broiler was fun to use and made the cheese look so yummy. Very hot out of the broiler though-beware!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tastes as good as it looks!</td></tr>
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Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03120803938923072479noreply@blogger.com0Chicago, IL, USA41.8781136 -87.62979819999998241.4995241 -88.275245199999986 42.256703099999996 -86.984351199999978tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1778265807511496869.post-43211468493707736482016-11-06T10:12:00.002-08:002016-11-06T10:14:15.718-08:00Hooded MerganserQuite a unique and amazing duck! I saw one yesterday and two today at North Pond, hanging out with the mallards. Easily identifiable to say the least.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEZSBm9ShUVaR-psxmAMhxu7wLTsClQ_MQbH2k9polbVjmXIohN1wjVM-fz9Vdfphb3ZULu9wIbUSZ6kAYYSJqqdufHAfiNnqDjZtiZtwmzKnwNwO_n5yAqbSsYsplxL97-ml3feVw29kf/s1600/Hooded+Mergasner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEZSBm9ShUVaR-psxmAMhxu7wLTsClQ_MQbH2k9polbVjmXIohN1wjVM-fz9Vdfphb3ZULu9wIbUSZ6kAYYSJqqdufHAfiNnqDjZtiZtwmzKnwNwO_n5yAqbSsYsplxL97-ml3feVw29kf/s400/Hooded+Mergasner.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eye catching. Thanks Pinterest. </td></tr>
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<br />Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03120803938923072479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1778265807511496869.post-83582330432256070892016-11-01T22:51:00.003-07:002018-03-03T01:35:31.321-08:00Quote of the Day<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<em style="color: #555555; line-height: 27px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact </span></em><em style="color: #555555; line-height: 27px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide </span></em><em style="color: #555555; line-height: 27px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">what kind of difference you want to make.”</span></em><em style="color: #555555; line-height: 27px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">-Jane Goodall</span></em></blockquote>
Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03120803938923072479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1778265807511496869.post-82166100911581536572016-10-30T21:40:00.001-07:002016-10-30T21:40:43.247-07:00Conan Birding Central ParkThis is hilarious!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pvaLKI8Lm0k" width="560"></iframe>Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03120803938923072479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1778265807511496869.post-45294733374118986162016-10-16T11:48:00.000-07:002016-10-16T11:48:43.398-07:00Butternut Squash Soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
For a gloomy Sunday, I made butternut squash soup for the first time. Butternut squash, sweet potato, onion, garlic, ginger, tumeric, nutmeg, cayenne pepper and coconut milk. Cooked in the slower cooker for 2 hours and then blended. It tasted delicious with focaccia bread!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZBPsoqIQsQgFfxGaItsXj-gsSE-WLwG8x5PwHrDgSqJZMcwKQ28Gev-REH0IBcDTaCGKUEJMoUTMkU56vg7CbI6hqis6YpvgygCvyAG7rxexZItHDuBcf0tfB-PLX-w3eVcg2t2qToq6x/s1600/IMG_1057.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZBPsoqIQsQgFfxGaItsXj-gsSE-WLwG8x5PwHrDgSqJZMcwKQ28Gev-REH0IBcDTaCGKUEJMoUTMkU56vg7CbI6hqis6YpvgygCvyAG7rxexZItHDuBcf0tfB-PLX-w3eVcg2t2qToq6x/s320/IMG_1057.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03120803938923072479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1778265807511496869.post-33330727512271491242016-10-07T21:24:00.002-07:002016-10-07T21:24:31.978-07:00Black-throated Blue WarblerSaw this beautiful creature Wednesday evening at Montrose Point, the <a href="https://www.lakecookaudubon.org/birding-sites/montrose-point-bird-sanctuary/" target="_blank">Magic Hedge</a> no less!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2FvX-wpeZQFHy1dkKKcqQ55bOQH8AVnBys6VjFhcdlqfFi2XYwYQ6Q9pdu7_yAVXxyJEcDOMHPCnxlXn0ms40IPy3691y_g6m6tYqWGDA4ok9ZHfNJdQR296VMyDrOeaQeSqiuNbhWic4/s1600/Black-throated+blue+warbler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2FvX-wpeZQFHy1dkKKcqQ55bOQH8AVnBys6VjFhcdlqfFi2XYwYQ6Q9pdu7_yAVXxyJEcDOMHPCnxlXn0ms40IPy3691y_g6m6tYqWGDA4ok9ZHfNJdQR296VMyDrOeaQeSqiuNbhWic4/s400/Black-throated+blue+warbler.jpg" width="271" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I am so gorgeous!</td></tr>
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<br />Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03120803938923072479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1778265807511496869.post-22984304012765361312016-10-04T10:12:00.003-07:002016-10-04T10:12:42.324-07:00American KestrelWhat a gorgeous bird! I sighted and properly identified a female American Kestrel this morning! Several Northern Flickers were pestering it to leave. The American Kestrel is our country's smallest falcon. Being able to identify a new bird is such a cool feeling. It's kind of like making a cool diagnosis in medicine, but even more cool because I haven't received any training in birding, everything I know is self-taught, and no sickness involved!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijwjNWcNRO6CAc5NczXSVeT2ubLXKEGomzFc5h14E9nZRt6xn-N3tKFNQJo7UTnzX34_Ga2LQ4mmRAo5oAWF12kOjY5sZRY38LVYAN6wRWbyJ7ARlQEgGgMiNhMTAQItrn9A8pA3nwMIkV/s1600/American+Kestrel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijwjNWcNRO6CAc5NczXSVeT2ubLXKEGomzFc5h14E9nZRt6xn-N3tKFNQJo7UTnzX34_Ga2LQ4mmRAo5oAWF12kOjY5sZRY38LVYAN6wRWbyJ7ARlQEgGgMiNhMTAQItrn9A8pA3nwMIkV/s400/American+Kestrel.jpg" width="347" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alluring American Kestrel -copyright Audubon</td></tr>
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<br />Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03120803938923072479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1778265807511496869.post-15022783509357254432016-10-03T12:37:00.005-07:002016-10-03T12:46:11.323-07:005 New Lifers!Chicago during fall migration is the happiest place on earth! Unless you are the rabbit that I saw a juvenile Cooper's Hawk eating right outside the gates of Lincoln Park Zoo... I added FIVE species to my life list this morning. I know if you are an experienced birder, you are rolling your eyes at me, since most of these birds are pretty common. But to me, this is super cool!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDncSoCCKk_fyUfQ9qnftdKEJmgLXRMNkx_vSDVoSvevyNV4PCwkfk2R7WqyoBudBbiIq8adnGuQDVCBLef2D7BGr3roeiN2X1OreEbPkhETjCVAiWqnvX0ILZt7H-E9zQS4ebX13ZxP8Q/s1600/Coopers+Hawk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDncSoCCKk_fyUfQ9qnftdKEJmgLXRMNkx_vSDVoSvevyNV4PCwkfk2R7WqyoBudBbiIq8adnGuQDVCBLef2D7BGr3roeiN2X1OreEbPkhETjCVAiWqnvX0ILZt7H-E9zQS4ebX13ZxP8Q/s400/Coopers+Hawk.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Killer Cooper's Hawk</td></tr>
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Dark-eyed Junco in the shrubs on the edge of North Pond.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyesfrucYfz9nrDUw1SO3g3Ptg2ddEOqM4GC9lE3akFkl40g25ddaEV51a9hyphenhyphen5FQgFmxj2VUSKa5cD3SAvzKKnC7_reN9DFxLA2IH0pF9DpQxbTiV7cwcFTDaEWDaYcOevWc691fd9cxZ1/s1600/Dark+Eyed+Junco.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyesfrucYfz9nrDUw1SO3g3Ptg2ddEOqM4GC9lE3akFkl40g25ddaEV51a9hyphenhyphen5FQgFmxj2VUSKa5cD3SAvzKKnC7_reN9DFxLA2IH0pF9DpQxbTiV7cwcFTDaEWDaYcOevWc691fd9cxZ1/s400/Dark+Eyed+Junco.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dreamy Dark-eyed Junco</td></tr>
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About a dozen Northern Flickers, a type of woodpecker that pecks at ants on the ground near North Pond Restaurant. Absolutely beautiful colors and pattern!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnRYNeasjY2quQ7MwC-LuFA3apFzwyG7Qdy6oiG0Hayyqf_z6KHjWZzB_V6XzRnPFI250AAxkSdwZyfz70e-sdFeLG2tGwpbLvzJpDk_NTmi9ajLGxh4tNXL9EtDJyG6SqB5D0KAO-1NCt/s1600/Northern+Flicker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnRYNeasjY2quQ7MwC-LuFA3apFzwyG7Qdy6oiG0Hayyqf_z6KHjWZzB_V6XzRnPFI250AAxkSdwZyfz70e-sdFeLG2tGwpbLvzJpDk_NTmi9ajLGxh4tNXL9EtDJyG6SqB5D0KAO-1NCt/s400/Northern+Flicker.jpg" width="292" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Northern Flicker</td></tr>
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A teeny tiny Ruby-crowned Kinglet, cousin of the Golden-crowned Kinglet I saw over the weekend.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisJv5DbKA8uNOwffJd1YUJgqfXShMM8Tg8gRUJm6MJJEvJz1Y0njRNCvk16IfD-vc_92j1u1w34ahAqU3QrDDDbiVym_Z3ukxKbsDkI9FeDlbIfBomQpjFA-id6_aXFt3mrtUNUZf6GC3e/s1600/Ruby-crowned+kinglet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisJv5DbKA8uNOwffJd1YUJgqfXShMM8Tg8gRUJm6MJJEvJz1Y0njRNCvk16IfD-vc_92j1u1w34ahAqU3QrDDDbiVym_Z3ukxKbsDkI9FeDlbIfBomQpjFA-id6_aXFt3mrtUNUZf6GC3e/s400/Ruby-crowned+kinglet.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruby-crowned Kinglet</td></tr>
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A White-throated Sparrow. So many sparrows today, this little guy as well as more white-crowned sparrows and house sparrows.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCUM-2M5cbAleoRaW_KLmUQSi-FJ9FzymM7yFtk43H8tb1-i0L1isZ4ZzNiSUxkM47CZ0maDCKLvjOwG-yN6TEoHLdRGjy8VzbGJgrOpZkbyQ8vPORlQZdfg0EQhRErudiV3wWzpk2eHpT/s1600/White-throated+Sparrow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCUM-2M5cbAleoRaW_KLmUQSi-FJ9FzymM7yFtk43H8tb1-i0L1isZ4ZzNiSUxkM47CZ0maDCKLvjOwG-yN6TEoHLdRGjy8VzbGJgrOpZkbyQ8vPORlQZdfg0EQhRErudiV3wWzpk2eHpT/s400/White-throated+Sparrow.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White-throated Sparrow</td></tr>
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Thanks to pinterest and all the birding websites for these fabulous photos. My blurry pics are not worth posting... Quincy was patient during my two hour birding walk this morning. He even found a nice place to perch.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyyYjUgk_wnKyh8RBZ6T3rAHvFks640QLyOL7IfmTeT0v2ZDzH-FNpMmv3CnB9FsXprf3w_kNaaLU81868xONfVFTcZEnoFO_qVGHL3CrUaRiT4ao7hVygps6kYRdR7mi3Wdw8w-BHtgbR/s1600/FullSizeRender-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyyYjUgk_wnKyh8RBZ6T3rAHvFks640QLyOL7IfmTeT0v2ZDzH-FNpMmv3CnB9FsXprf3w_kNaaLU81868xONfVFTcZEnoFO_qVGHL3CrUaRiT4ao7hVygps6kYRdR7mi3Wdw8w-BHtgbR/s400/FullSizeRender-5.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quincy the happy Husky. :)</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 153px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 114px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span><span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 153px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 114px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span>Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03120803938923072479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1778265807511496869.post-48969683670209340532016-10-02T12:56:00.002-07:002016-10-02T13:05:23.358-07:00Golden Crowned Kinglet<span style="color: #444444;">Explored Illinois Beach State Park this morning, and saw my very first kinglet - a golden crowned kinglet. Right next to the sandy beach bluffs, within perfect view. The bold yellow crest on a cute little bird is unforgettable. Apparently this little guy can withstand -<span style="font-family: inherit;">40 degree F winters! We will definitely be returning to this State Park, it has a mix of habitats including <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">marsh, dune, swale, oak</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">woods, beach and Lake Michigan, which make it an ideal birding location. Plus Quincy loved it. :)</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-x-xiNjWds0-Ai6NWSfkFB2-22ABoOAdaIy_JdeOlUC_A5LvQcJpHVgA5_IolcfjJ8niSTZlQR9dHU4swVmQmR3cimbpG0a13Mkh1HfclIQNO74g6I6ODKjKzXgyxytzFEtZRGvOndsee/s1600/golden+crowned+kinglet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-x-xiNjWds0-Ai6NWSfkFB2-22ABoOAdaIy_JdeOlUC_A5LvQcJpHVgA5_IolcfjJ8niSTZlQR9dHU4swVmQmR3cimbpG0a13Mkh1HfclIQNO74g6I6ODKjKzXgyxytzFEtZRGvOndsee/s400/golden+crowned+kinglet.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at that glorious golden crown! Thanks Pinterest</td></tr>
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<br />Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03120803938923072479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1778265807511496869.post-69254390183276538282016-10-01T08:39:00.000-07:002016-10-01T08:46:33.691-07:00Winter WrenLike the chickadee, the winter wren is a CUTE bird. I found him on the ground, looking for insects most likely, near the North Pond restaurant yesterday morning.<br />
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Fun fact: <span style="font-family: inherit;">"<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 22px;">On a per-pound basis, the winter wren generates more song for its weight than any other North American songbird". It is one of the smallest birds around, the size of kinglets (I saw a few of these as well but couldn't ID the exact species). The winter wren differs from the house wren with it's stubbly upright tail. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 22px;"><br /></span></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyELnPj38sp-pJLAXOCu9DH4LbWCLxY7gtSP9kRpizhhavE9AwKUrns442TpNcubGzgaTkKDPraF6aU09MVYJZD6sINjRcJKaLA35FrhhrSU4GfBmwBgM_k6I1dQU8Dy0AaL6Bd3U8VWRN/s1600/Winter+wren.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyELnPj38sp-pJLAXOCu9DH4LbWCLxY7gtSP9kRpizhhavE9AwKUrns442TpNcubGzgaTkKDPraF6aU09MVYJZD6sINjRcJKaLA35FrhhrSU4GfBmwBgM_k6I1dQU8Dy0AaL6Bd3U8VWRN/s400/Winter+wren.jpg" width="333" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The wonderful winter wren!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 22px;"><br /></span></span>Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03120803938923072479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1778265807511496869.post-82953858917882696572016-09-30T20:13:00.000-07:002016-09-30T20:13:01.905-07:00Red-Breasted NuthatchIt's a fall-out! Stormy weather in Chicago brought so many great birds to Lincoln Park this week. If only I could identify them all. These fall migrants are tough for a newbie birder like me. The majority of them seem to be colored in variants of brown and yellow, and they are so darn quick it's been tough to definitely identify most of them. The red-breasted nuthatch stuck out though and I was able to make a positive ID. Hip hip hooray!!! :) That rusty-cinnamon belly cinched it for me!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTOW-ikxlge8_63TuLgVdt_G3FP0ePOt8IjzczAS05ruoWhGbR5Y_5-KgzORfUy2wjEMjy5sIWH43t-4-xP25qStOuYV-haYoLZHcN1uWbgS3jqYcWU751Ga4hhmtbhjmkhU-oX6nuraQs/s1600/Red-breasted+nuthatch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTOW-ikxlge8_63TuLgVdt_G3FP0ePOt8IjzczAS05ruoWhGbR5Y_5-KgzORfUy2wjEMjy5sIWH43t-4-xP25qStOuYV-haYoLZHcN1uWbgS3jqYcWU751Ga4hhmtbhjmkhU-oX6nuraQs/s400/Red-breasted+nuthatch.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Isn't he handsome? </td></tr>
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<br />Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03120803938923072479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1778265807511496869.post-12794192870354329402016-08-22T21:09:00.001-07:002016-08-22T21:23:39.977-07:00Hello KidneyJust finished my month as senior resident on the Inpatient Kidney Service. Incredibly busy with very sick children all month. Learned a lot, worried a ton. Now have several more grey hairs and probably need a new eyeglass prescription. It's worth it though, I'd do anything for these kids, they are AMAZING. And ridiculously cute.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_y3DufGLODPmo9Z_1q9WqQHx6fvdgqWlvQEpxVdbiEOGCqHCMbmFBZ3WEFDZdYOZO-8CGFYK1HvWosx5NEj7UVEfWPUrMUj3DdERyyu4ugA_sq02lpc9yOlRQj26HCnoPnn8sMtjuqLWC/s1600/Hello+kidney.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_y3DufGLODPmo9Z_1q9WqQHx6fvdgqWlvQEpxVdbiEOGCqHCMbmFBZ3WEFDZdYOZO-8CGFYK1HvWosx5NEj7UVEfWPUrMUj3DdERyyu4ugA_sq02lpc9yOlRQj26HCnoPnn8sMtjuqLWC/s320/Hello+kidney.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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In case you don't know, the kidneys are really important to every day life. A litany of potential problems, and possibly all at the same time! Hyperkalemia, Hyponatremia, Hypocalcemia, Anemia, Hypertension, Uremia, Hypertriglyceridemia, Hyperphosphatemia, Proteinuria, Hypoalbuminemia, Thrombosis, Infection, the list goes on...<br />
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Any little thing can go wrong when you have kidneys that don't work very well, especially when you are small. Many of our children with severe kidney disease live for years on dialysis until they are big enough for a kidney or until they find a matched kidney donor.<br />
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Try to imagine..<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Having a little baby and needing to connect them to peritoneal dialysis every night for 12 hours a night. </li>
<li>Trying to give a toddler 10 medicines every single day, and they taste bad.</li>
<li>Your tween-age sister needing urgent dialysis for kidney failure because of a diarrheal illness a week ago</li>
<li>Every time your school-aged kiddo has a fever they needed to be hospitalized to rule out a serious bacterial infection</li>
</ul>
<br />
A few acronyms from the month:<br />
STEC, HUS, ESRD, ARPKD, CKD, HD, PD, AKI, ATN, SBP, BUN/CR, UP/C..<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLuJCqts17AKHDSZhiLQYnQa2JYt08wykCMZu5hascCFIxhApWC9cFb2fClrlBT_vCcfn_uWqNwls4h-peuoLoHMBr7ZOXW2EBLL0QSVrhD38Bg760xkdixLEyJFVAViwblMsnEFr9sdHR/s1600/Em+kidneys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLuJCqts17AKHDSZhiLQYnQa2JYt08wykCMZu5hascCFIxhApWC9cFb2fClrlBT_vCcfn_uWqNwls4h-peuoLoHMBr7ZOXW2EBLL0QSVrhD38Bg760xkdixLEyJFVAViwblMsnEFr9sdHR/s320/Em+kidneys.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Electron Microscopy of Kidney's Glomerulus. Thx WikiCommons!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
Kids with chronic kidney problems are at higher risk of infections than us regular folk -whether it be from immunosuppressive medicines to preserve their kidney transplant, extra fluid that can get infected or having a central line/catheter that puts them at risk for infection. Just in case you weren't a germ-a-phobe already, here's a list of the infections I've dealt with recently:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Adenoviremia</li>
<li>CMV colitis</li>
<li>Cryptosporidiosis</li>
<li>Clostridium difficile colitis</li>
<li>Enterococcus faecalis bacteremia</li>
<li>Infectious Mononucleosis</li>
<li>Streptococcus pneumoniae meningitis</li>
<li>Ecoli O157H7 </li>
</ul>
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Bottomline: The next time you pee, thank your kidneys. They don't get enough credit for all their hard work!</div>
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Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03120803938923072479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1778265807511496869.post-80680298767654333442016-08-14T19:00:00.000-07:002016-08-14T19:00:05.177-07:00Love & BirdsIn case you missed it, here is a sweet article from the NYTimes from Friday about how a bird feeder in the city impacted one couple: <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/14/fashion/modern-love-how-a-bird-feeder-revived-my-marriage.html?mabReward=CTM&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&region=CColumn&module=Recommendation&src=rechp&WT.nav=RecEngine" target="_blank">How a Bird Feeder Revived My Marriage</a><br />
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I've been working my 80 hour weeks at the hospital recently. 28 hour call Friday night. Hold your little ones close and give them a kiss. Too many are spending their summer hospitalized. I'm doing my best to get them better and home before the school year starts.Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03120803938923072479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1778265807511496869.post-88971848493008688132016-08-06T05:19:00.000-07:002016-08-06T05:23:09.279-07:00Black Vulture!What kind of bird did Max see? The best birder I know and amazing friend Wendy in Kansas got to the answer first: a group of black vultures!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmw_J0dCcKyLiYc6WChtOUUKS8h_LVBKDqdVLG0w7NPAcDGvr6qDRwrdEAnJ_Rs5msKu-F4bfPGAWVe8y1pLTyvpjQbl4vllTE44GxvgoGUiWe_XUSvtZYaLbBhFkYEMreVSLH2Keq2DPQ/s1600/black+vulture+flying.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmw_J0dCcKyLiYc6WChtOUUKS8h_LVBKDqdVLG0w7NPAcDGvr6qDRwrdEAnJ_Rs5msKu-F4bfPGAWVe8y1pLTyvpjQbl4vllTE44GxvgoGUiWe_XUSvtZYaLbBhFkYEMreVSLH2Keq2DPQ/s320/black+vulture+flying.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black vulture in flight! Copyright AllAboutBirds.org</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Black vultures live year round as north as Pennsylvania and as south as Patagonia. They are frequently in large groups, have a black bald head, and white wing patches that can be tough to see. They are raptors as you know, and like all vultures are usually scavenging and eating carcasses (someone's gotta do it!).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQFxGr3IfLK2DwWfSr5qGFAJsRT4E1nC6plmXHD1JQrTfOaTSegQbcYm_ihvCr9R7IU6eP-1105rj5mglM8O1mRO39YT4QoBcEXtzJtmROPbJJSXNa5opk5Au4BMAiN8yzFPrfgx5zGepr/s1600/black+vulture+group.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQFxGr3IfLK2DwWfSr5qGFAJsRT4E1nC6plmXHD1JQrTfOaTSegQbcYm_ihvCr9R7IU6eP-1105rj5mglM8O1mRO39YT4QoBcEXtzJtmROPbJJSXNa5opk5Au4BMAiN8yzFPrfgx5zGepr/s1600/black+vulture+group.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chillin. Thanks Wikipedia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Thanks for all the guesses! When I first saw the photo Max sent, my first thought was double-crested cormorant because it's the only bird I've ever seen sitting and drying their wings out, but the neck looked too short to be a cormorant. With more research I found out that anhingas and vultures also do this behavior, so then asked if the birds appeared bald. Max did some sleuthing on his own and on ebirds.org found out that someone else had seen a large group of black vultures in the same area and this confirmed our identification.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9sH57-yx1Sy11NN46EuzdkTrligtPUpFah2WHM0NtswCJd_d3Ktd8nojwlc1mNH3oYSqS7K-9ZwShqNs5jY3MmFaOA4_Dsm2QJ1U3YtHuY_LJkjCxWDJ0B_2uNpBHruVYSEJGZ827ZN2o/s1600/black+vulture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9sH57-yx1Sy11NN46EuzdkTrligtPUpFah2WHM0NtswCJd_d3Ktd8nojwlc1mNH3oYSqS7K-9ZwShqNs5jY3MmFaOA4_Dsm2QJ1U3YtHuY_LJkjCxWDJ0B_2uNpBHruVYSEJGZ827ZN2o/s1600/black+vulture.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Double-crested cormorant. Copyright AllAboutBirds</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Size and shape, color pattern, behavior, and habitat were all used to correctly identify this bird! It came down to a bald, black, large bird in a big flock fanning out its wings in Pennsylvania in the summer time. Voila!<br />
<span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 216px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 0.85; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 878px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span><span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 216px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 0.85; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 878px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 216px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 0.85; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 878px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span><span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 216px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 0.85; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 878px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span>Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03120803938923072479noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1778265807511496869.post-51273112559283130172016-08-03T18:18:00.000-07:002016-08-03T18:18:37.693-07:00What Kind of Bird is This?From my friend Max, on a bike trip in Pennsylvania:<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Do you know what kind of bird this is? <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">A whole bunch of them were sitting on the fence and doing this weird thing where they sat with both wings outstretched. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">There were so many of them, and they were so large and totally unperturbed by humans. I was quite curious."</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDV8x-FI3-bPUhZl6J7CDRiUtrZFHpYng96W1w7Ynloc89cc5qY1xDGRyLuk0yiuCu_WswEN36ezzmXnbsghzouGHjZV3Mqwcn5MBWIdA4Q8Yu3NydfJZ1z2FjWoAn3FBCMydZnGMJ1NEc/s1600/IMG_3034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDV8x-FI3-bPUhZl6J7CDRiUtrZFHpYng96W1w7Ynloc89cc5qY1xDGRyLuk0yiuCu_WswEN36ezzmXnbsghzouGHjZV3Mqwcn5MBWIdA4Q8Yu3NydfJZ1z2FjWoAn3FBCMydZnGMJ1NEc/s640/IMG_3034.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hmmm... </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">What do you think? </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">I'll post our amateur bird detective conclusions tomorrow! </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03120803938923072479noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1778265807511496869.post-63364357131544154762016-08-02T19:00:00.002-07:002016-08-02T19:00:59.185-07:00Birding in Action!An "action shot" of me birding! This was an early morning along the Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay oceanfront trail. A few minutes before this pic this great blue heron ate a mouse. A WHOLE LIVING MOUSE. That was insane. I watched the entire thing through my binoculars and I still get the heebie-jeebies thinking about it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuG-NLGleRfL9JQfce_mJshNcvHhJnHoMuCk-d3jYG4kj0MuhWADuQhnVoFvAOSq1rARjhif71X0rvpXrcNobKeg0EjXLLDqSFxa9XanYZ3w2LdiTQYo-1SW3tiiFrMB5MkCPEF3sxZ3Mw/s1600/photo-18.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuG-NLGleRfL9JQfce_mJshNcvHhJnHoMuCk-d3jYG4kj0MuhWADuQhnVoFvAOSq1rARjhif71X0rvpXrcNobKeg0EjXLLDqSFxa9XanYZ3w2LdiTQYo-1SW3tiiFrMB5MkCPEF3sxZ3Mw/s400/photo-18.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Copyright Mark Pederson :)</td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: #bd081c; background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 153px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 0.85; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 132px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: #bd081c; background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 153px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 0.85; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 132px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span>Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03120803938923072479noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1778265807511496869.post-2153042936844463182016-07-29T21:30:00.001-07:002016-08-02T19:24:10.825-07:00FirefliesThe brief, sporadic sightings of blinking lights on a warm summer night is something I absolutely love about Chicago. They are my favorite insect by far. I've learned there are over 2000 species of fireflies (who knew?) and they are also called "lightening bugs". Bioluminescence is so cool!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheuuOV5Jb87RqieOMJpuYaYQgF3WTZ9wcInkaPA0gfkSbd9E4byAZxCx7_0Ts5QWO3c5A_NuzXONBs2hneUD3OV7gUaspM_NW0djZbunmPn5n6AfCMp1DQqRCqEc97Mpg4Y4mfpQszt2zi/s1600/firefly_48361.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheuuOV5Jb87RqieOMJpuYaYQgF3WTZ9wcInkaPA0gfkSbd9E4byAZxCx7_0Ts5QWO3c5A_NuzXONBs2hneUD3OV7gUaspM_NW0djZbunmPn5n6AfCMp1DQqRCqEc97Mpg4Y4mfpQszt2zi/s400/firefly_48361.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Simply magical! Thanks Google Images.</td></tr>
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Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03120803938923072479noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1778265807511496869.post-47838664389583342692016-07-27T18:26:00.002-07:002016-07-27T18:29:39.365-07:00Black-capped Chickadee<span style="font-family: inherit;">This is a CUTE bird. It's size, shape, color, tweets. I first saw one about a month ago around South Pond. Just a few days ago I saw another 3 around North Pond. I love their song, very recognizable and how I first came across the bird. According to AllAboutBirds.org, one of their calls is a three syllable, "<em style="color: #333333; line-height: 19.600000381469727px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">hey, sweetie". </em><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 19.600000381469727px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The other typical call you can hear is their warning call, "</span><em style="color: #333333; line-height: 19.600000381469727px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">chickadee-dee-dee", </em><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 19.600000381469727px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The more "dee's" in the call, the more urgent the warning! </span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 19.600000381469727px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span>I love everything about the black-capped chickadee!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFQ2EKynnUce4qLmFCrb_QP2Qpe2pSMiGB3ZbH8dxTiIHBxF5jp-WHM6ixKWOypcSS8Q2fhp8UZc81mlNDckp9p_ZEK3x08n-ljCuzHFSRhmRPzy8SBpXj6TTtXyeQJ7MGl9XVi-m_Ggb5/s1600/black+capped+chickadee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFQ2EKynnUce4qLmFCrb_QP2Qpe2pSMiGB3ZbH8dxTiIHBxF5jp-WHM6ixKWOypcSS8Q2fhp8UZc81mlNDckp9p_ZEK3x08n-ljCuzHFSRhmRPzy8SBpXj6TTtXyeQJ7MGl9XVi-m_Ggb5/s400/black+capped+chickadee.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adorable!!! Courtesy of Flickr</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span>Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03120803938923072479noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1778265807511496869.post-6481102786208344592016-07-26T18:09:00.002-07:002016-07-26T18:09:35.972-07:00My Garden: Sunny Knock Out RosesThis year I decided to plant a rose bush, mostly for the sweet fragrance. After a big storm this weekend I was watering and to my surprise my rose bush had blossomed! 2 beautiful white roses! Beautiful smelling. With over a dozen yellow buds to boot! After planting the rose bush over a month ago, my hopes for buds this year were low, so this was an awesome surprise!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXybKXk8Keg-Yfj1K7ICP5AegGdhShiu6FAXDvo7AUGK5vN3n-ZFf3mUyO3L0W26f9zgKIYpoiYno2vpIFDZ6Omv6oOLRW_rpPKNdpcwQjYOV9CAq5QU5QAEiGEVV4hzoUUcaNI5GA6axt/s1600/FullSizeRender-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXybKXk8Keg-Yfj1K7ICP5AegGdhShiu6FAXDvo7AUGK5vN3n-ZFf3mUyO3L0W26f9zgKIYpoiYno2vpIFDZ6Omv6oOLRW_rpPKNdpcwQjYOV9CAq5QU5QAEiGEVV4hzoUUcaNI5GA6axt/s320/FullSizeRender-4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My petite rose bush! Look at those 2 roses!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCS26V8YblcwDT1JOVdrkUIYOXBzYhsC8WJ0AuRMBVYhqSYJb5VejdeyVEYF8_Qy8XV9d7chpBzD836_refQgjLDzqx96BQeZxtpGZTsJd8MreXynfufqPL1uAzwsxcEqTtRs-_hV6a6Kn/s1600/FullSizeRender-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCS26V8YblcwDT1JOVdrkUIYOXBzYhsC8WJ0AuRMBVYhqSYJb5VejdeyVEYF8_Qy8XV9d7chpBzD836_refQgjLDzqx96BQeZxtpGZTsJd8MreXynfufqPL1uAzwsxcEqTtRs-_hV6a6Kn/s320/FullSizeRender-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sooo fragrant!</td></tr>
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<br />Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03120803938923072479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1778265807511496869.post-68794266930187164862016-07-25T20:04:00.003-07:002016-07-25T20:04:42.770-07:00Daily Bird Count: 21 Species!1. Rock dove<br />
2. American robin<br />
3. Mallard<br />
4. Wood duck<br />
5. Chickadee<br />
6. Domestic goose<br />
7. Canadian goose<br />
8. Great blue heron<br />
9. Ring-billed gull<br />
10. Green heron<br />
11. Black-crowned night heron<br />
12. Redwing blackbird<br />
13. American goldfinch<br />
14. Northern cardinal<br />
15. Cedar waxwing<br />
16. Barn swallow<br />
17. European starling<br />
19. House sparrow<br />
20. Crow<br />
21. Greylag domestic goose<br />
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<br />Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03120803938923072479noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1778265807511496869.post-16291837180110904412016-07-21T09:36:00.002-07:002016-07-26T18:18:46.252-07:00City Living: Front Porch One of my favorite things about where we live is our front porch. We're on a tree-lined street that is nice and shady, and we have four large planters that I take care of. This summer I was so happy because several of the flowers planted last year returned. I added petunias this year-as annuals they won't return next year, but they are so colorful and pretty I couldn't resist! Even though it's hitting 90+ degrees this week with absurd amounts of humidity, the flowers are thriving with daily watering. Although our front porch is compact, I like working on the front porch, while I'm watering/sweeping/weed pulling/checking the mail, I meet and chat with neighbors, local business owners, the mail woman, fed ex man (who calls Jon "Mr. Pederson" because I order all our packages!), construction workers, dog walkers, maintenance men. Taking care of my front porch is one easy way to make my neighborhood more beautiful, friendly and loved!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmhNYg8iq_uPCzgYNfUGy-xTyJinuI5zNIHH-ZyZAsrrIW_HS2OL1x-fP-hNFkC7hiHACATZXA6_nY4fW5QP0zOYtjEh9tUdL4bZe7DZW5vHan0iD64kgbuFRQ0Mwbxv6e71Ui3sqh8fwb/s1600/IMG_0390.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmhNYg8iq_uPCzgYNfUGy-xTyJinuI5zNIHH-ZyZAsrrIW_HS2OL1x-fP-hNFkC7hiHACATZXA6_nY4fW5QP0zOYtjEh9tUdL4bZe7DZW5vHan0iD64kgbuFRQ0Mwbxv6e71Ui3sqh8fwb/s320/IMG_0390.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our front porch</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4tAf0VRTuS0P0uXjdDWVtJKHlDSTOrKpFcPyWq530PAxxoIbkO8_APb_QGV-JWYXjRD0HCcqLT1aP4qRu-gcdlj2NFF4NdAnkB-1orTQHNrjfwblGezTZrIc84KT9NIjjCiVbQzkw8wvy/s1600/IMG_0392.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4tAf0VRTuS0P0uXjdDWVtJKHlDSTOrKpFcPyWq530PAxxoIbkO8_APb_QGV-JWYXjRD0HCcqLT1aP4qRu-gcdlj2NFF4NdAnkB-1orTQHNrjfwblGezTZrIc84KT9NIjjCiVbQzkw8wvy/s320/IMG_0392.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A close up of one of the planters</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbW24YvPgG8K2LTrtuB0Bvpx3ssdoixio2wbkHzMPLTg-thmf0jEGWVH9PTDf_m5qlizvqwQBT_4z7MaqWQWbzwc0XjQDjuDD_fIh_udXutRyR7W_uWwS6lFA_PtrYhSQm-32eLibgpexX/s1600/IMG_0394.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbW24YvPgG8K2LTrtuB0Bvpx3ssdoixio2wbkHzMPLTg-thmf0jEGWVH9PTDf_m5qlizvqwQBT_4z7MaqWQWbzwc0XjQDjuDD_fIh_udXutRyR7W_uWwS6lFA_PtrYhSQm-32eLibgpexX/s320/IMG_0394.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quincy hanging out</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 233px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 0.85; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 447px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span><span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 233px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 0.85; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 447px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span>Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03120803938923072479noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1778265807511496869.post-64728204464778752212016-07-19T08:49:00.004-07:002016-07-19T09:12:03.682-07:00Semipalmated PloverMy first plover in Chicago! This little fellow was feeding along the shore of the small island in the middle of South Pond. A plover is a tiny shorebird, this particular type has yellow legs and white underbelly. In my identification attempt, of course I jumped to the conclusion that I saw a piping plover, but given its endangered and rare bird status in Chicago I continued to search and was able to correctly ID it as a juvenile Semipalmated Plover. Common things are common...<br />
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Identifying specific bird species is tricky. For the most part, knowing heron vs. duck vs. goose vs. swallow vs. plover vs. wren isn't very difficult. I imagine it's like a regular person knowing colors compared to an artist knowing colors. Different shades, tints and hues. Sure we know blue, but do we know azure, periwinkle, indigo, cobalt, cyan?<br />
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For this particular bird I was happy that I could immediately identify it as a plover, but then when you have to identify what type of plover it is, the specific markings, colors, and habitats become very important. Without binoculars it's almost impossible. I saw another new species today but it was too high up in the trees with the sun behind it and it was very difficult for me to clearly distinguish it's markings so I couldn't properly identify it once I got back home.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzUE-JDKc1A8PzqQC1TN_toCQZ5QTneZ-BRug1CUGYoav1nLtPm7RU8pRHMjbia96nl7BphUqLSZTZeQaqHtx44c1W50DYSJv6XxhE_6FGwIc61k3Xm6h6jwAnnb0s4ZidsJMc5a7SIdOx/s1600/Semipalmated_Plover_b57-4-216_l_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzUE-JDKc1A8PzqQC1TN_toCQZ5QTneZ-BRug1CUGYoav1nLtPm7RU8pRHMjbia96nl7BphUqLSZTZeQaqHtx44c1W50DYSJv6XxhE_6FGwIc61k3Xm6h6jwAnnb0s4ZidsJMc5a7SIdOx/s320/Semipalmated_Plover_b57-4-216_l_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was too far away to get a photo. Up close courtesy of AllAboutBirds.org</td></tr>
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Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03120803938923072479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1778265807511496869.post-86982394774703890642016-07-18T19:17:00.000-07:002016-07-18T19:18:37.146-07:0018+ Species Today!<br />
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Mostly spotted around North Pond. To put this in perspective, on ebird, the single day high for North Pond this year is 77 species. To give myself some credit that was in early May during peak migration season. I'm pretty happy with the 18+ I saw today. I really wish I could have successfully identified the last bird!</div>
<ol>
<li>American Robin</li>
<li>Northern Cardinal (by call)</li>
<li>Red-winged Blackbird</li>
<li>Cliff Swallow</li>
<li>Common Sparrow</li>
<li>Downy Woodpecker</li>
<li>Green Heron</li>
<li>Black-crowned Night Heron</li>
<li>Great Blue Heron</li>
<li>Mallard</li>
<li>Wood Duck</li>
<li>Canadian Goose</li>
<li>American Crow</li>
<li>Common Grackle</li>
<li>Ring-billed Gull</li>
<li>American Goldfinch</li>
<li>Mourning Dove</li>
<li>Domestic Goose</li>
<li>I think it was a Brandt but I can't positively say, will scope out again tomorrow hopefully. </li>
</ol>
Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03120803938923072479noreply@blogger.com4