Hoodies -- and I Don't Mean Warblers

There has been, of late, an important discussion about hoodies. This blog will add nothing to that debate. It is instead designed to soothe the wounded pride of Geoff Heeter, proud co-parent of the amazing New River Birding and Nature Festival, from which we have very recently (and may I say reluctantly) returned.

The whole sad tale started with a martini. Friday night, backyard birding, martini in hand. A saucy facebook posting, with the photo below, suggesting that we would be up for hosting a "Birding by Martini" session next year.

We'll either see nothing, or an ivory-billed woodpecker AND a great auk. Possibly copulating.

Well, says Geoff, he's on board, but "wrong hoodie."  It seems one must wear the special NRBNF 10th anniversary hoodie if one has any hope of being an "alternative" guide next year.  So, just so Geoff feels the love (and why shouldn't he?) let it be known that the right hoodie got a good trip around Toronto today.

Being Sunday, it started the day at choir:

Then it enjoyed a sushi lunch (dynamite roll):

It confronted the abyss of the Spadina subway interchange, which could use a little injection of nature:

And it zipped along deep underneath Toronto on the subway

Ending up at the Eaton Centre, where it watched some birds -- Michael Snow's sculpture Flightstop:

And finally, back home to the Upper Beach, where the yellow rumps still rumble and the Sunday bevvy is cider.

More on New River later, but in the meantime,  here's a a tribute to Heets!