I was so excited about my potential first bird for 2015. We were staying in Orange Park Florida. Florida! The possibilities for ooh-ah birds were endless.
Got up early so our boy could take us to Cracker Barrel for breakfast...which was fun by the way....I hadn't eaten there since the 70s....
I was careful in the motel parking lot not to look up. It was barely dawn, but the street lights might illuminate a European Starling or some such unwelcome creature. I wanted at least to wait for the Boat-tailed Grackles at Walmart, where we went to get some fruit to take home. (And yes, the grapefruit were fantastic.)
And then, we got to talking, I stopped paying attention and my birder habits kicked in. I accidentally glanced up and there it was....a plain old Rock Pigeon.
Dagnabbit! Later in the day we saw so many good ones and I have to accidentally spot a pigeon first. Oh, well, it was an exotic Florida pigeon at least.
Tallied up our annual farm count for 2014. We got 73 species, which although the highest yet was a disappointment. We missed so many common birds that I know were there. Never saw a Common Raven, few gulls, few ducks, lots of flycatchers though, which was cool.
73 different kinds of birds in one year, on one farm doesn't seem too shabby and I know there were ones i either didn't see or couldn't identify.
Now, over a week later than I should have, I am starting the 2015 count. Wish me luck.
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3 comments:
I think you're going to have a fine, fine 2015.
Your rich surroundings and sense of wonder . . . well . . can't fail.
(Made me really smile . . that bit about not wanting to look up in the parking lot :) !
Cathy, I was so frustrated with myself! Half an hour later it could have been a Brown Pelican, a Willet, any number of other cool birds. I could have had a darned Pigeon right here at home. In fact at home, first bird each day is usually at least a songbird. Oh, well, some things are hard to turn off, and I simply never stop looking up for birds without even thinking about it.
:)
I DO understand.
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