When Covid struck and reality came to a halt, I was recently back from touring in Ecuador. There wasn't much going on and I wasn't doing anything that motivated me to continue this blog. But, it's been on my list, so a year and half later, and ten days before I leave for Ecuador again, I'm trying to get back into some kind of regular posting groove. I'm going to start with some non-bird highlights of these post-before-times.
![Feenstra 2021 Swordfish in the Santa Cruz Basin](http://leaftosser.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Swordfish_StaCruzBasin_073121-2.jpg)
Though I barely left my neighborhood most days, I was still conducting bird surveys for Edwards Air Force Base which gave me access to the Piute Ponds when they were closed to all others. Bird-wise, it was perhaps the most rarity-free time I've ever spent there (except for a Glaucous-winged Gull and a Lucy's Warbler), but it was pretty decent for non-birds (particularly invertebrates).
Though Edwards AFB received most of my attention, I got around to a few other places, too, both local and on various places when I was stirred into movement.