98 species of birds? Couldn't the world get by with like 2?

Andrew,
living vicariously through your travels, as I am glued to a microscope all day. Will send you a longer note a little later, but suggest your flower is 'blue flag' (Iris versicolor). If so, the three downward curving structures are actaully sepals; the petals are smaller and upward curving. Their rhizomes are poisonous, but can be used (in low doses) as a diuretic, cathartic, or to treat topcal bruises/sores.
T.Rat

Drew! Love the site... I check it all the time to see what's new in the life of you. Sounds like your travels have been fruitful thus far and I am sure many more experiences are to come. I am in So. NJ studying with Rutgers currently, doing fish stuff, I see lots of terns here and think of you! Safe travels my man!

what up hermano--just checkin' in from sunny paramaribo, suriname. just got back from a little foray to the coast and to french guinana, which is in south america but is actually still part of france. as in, there are patisseries on all the corners and all the cars are tiny peugots. on the coast we got to see a leatherback turtle come ashore, dig its hole in the sand and lay its eggs. it was a 700 kilo turtle. no joke. 700 kilos. our fearless polish leader kristof also used a wine bottle to capture a fer de lance that was chilling on the beach, and he crashed through a mangrove stand to grab an emerald tree boa steve irwin style. now the trip begins in earnest, as we head to south suriname, where we have to be indocrinated (read: drink lots of manioc beer) by an Amerindian tribe called the Trio before they let us collect birds. anyway, this is the last you'll here from in some time, so stay strong. your faithful hermano, edward

You just can't leave those Eider chicks alone, can you?

Wonderful pictures in Churchill; it's exciting that you got out to explore the rocket silos and Miss Piggy! Good to see there is some pack ice left.

And on to Newfoundland...Gordon Bok wrote a beautiful song about the old fishermen lamenting the end of the cod fishery, called "Oh, no more;" it describes almost word for word what you are seeing.

Your Merlins were calling from the roof of Turner House today.

Drew, our friends across the pond just reported that a "prominent ornithologist" spotted the thought-to-be extinct Manipur Bush-Quail in India. Another research project?

Hi Andrew! Thanks for including us on your year of adventure. We are enjoying the pictures and messages and hope your days are exciting and fulfilling. We are now in Millinocket enjoying our summer. Jerry was at Baxter Park with a group from the ABA convention which met in Bangor this year. He had a great time. We'll keep watching!!!

Your photos are wonderful--I can't wait to take that train trip across the tundra, in person! And proof that you saw a Willow Ptarmigan, too--though yours has lots of brown splotches, and mine was all white with a rosy cast.
Just wanted to let you know that your Merlins are still in residence in the pine, still calling--but i haven't seen any hawklets yet.

Drew, Sam is right: leave gaps for the next guy. I would rather the riddle of the mighty Tern persist for generations and vex us with its lore than for the mystery to be forever lost. Also, think of the next up and coming Drew Stowe, a kid dumpster diving, Scotch in Hand, hat upon head, Robin Hooding it at a Yacht Club. Then one day he sees a seagull and thinks "Birds! Of course!" and goes to apply for a great big grant but finds out that birds have been totally solved. You can't do that to him, Drew.

We miss you very much, and would have loved to have you at Bonnaroo: whatever BJ, John or Sparky wind up telling you, I did the vast majority of the driving and stayed awake for the entire drive home after establishing a beach head that was fundamental to our success. I think my time at 'Roo solved my career problems: I'm going to sell trinkets on the road to hippies, and I'm going to be great at it.

I love the entry, keep them coming. Don't let the mosquitos drive you mad.

Great pictures. Thanks for sharing your web journal. I bet Tim is really green with envy that he couldn't go with you! Mardie told us all about how you had to learn how to shoot to protect yourself from those pesky polar bears.

best of luck, have fun

"consistent Canadian camaraderie".
Drew Stowe is my hero.

Drew, am boilingly jealous right now. Very very excited to hear more from you, though I'm sure you don't want to be spending too much time in front of a computer screen given the more spectacular and grand sights to be had in your environmental environs. Bring back a polar bear pelt. Or pet, but it'll cost more to ship.
-John