The weather forecast for this week's Global Big Day was plumb discouraging. Last year's event fell on a gorgeous spring day, with migration well advanced and Becky and Alan both home to help.
This year it rained, almost all day but I decided to do my best and went out at five for dawn chorus. That netted 22 species and a lovely time watching the light slowly pour across the land like thin silver.
Then a walk to the middle of the farm to see what was shaking out on the land. Bobolink numbers are terribly low this year. Dunno if it is that the season has been slow or that the grass is short and the crows are giving the Bobs hell, but there are a lot fewer than normal.
However, I heard an oriole singing as I came back down that was not a Baltimore, our commonest of that clan. I pulled out my phone to check iBird to be sure how an Orchard Oriole sings. Bingo.
And then it flew right to a treetop and sang for me to get a good look, although alas, I missed a photo.
That is when the rain started. Mappy and I dug lilacs and peonies anyhow. And rhubarb too.
Later, the boss, Becky, and I chased all over a couple other counties grabbing birds...figuratively.... We ended up with 52 species, ten up from last year. Last year I only looked on the farm though....
It poured to varying degrees most of the day. We went through a couple of changes of clothes and got very wet.
But man, was it ever fun! At the end of the day, last tick off the list of the day, one of my two favorite birds of all, Carolina Wrens, were counted in the driveway. Multiple Carolina Wrens, as the adults have already raise a brood. The driveway was scattered with tiny, fluttering, just-fledged babies, the color of cinnamon toast and cuter than kittens.
What a day..... Thanks Ralph for a really nice Mother's Day gift.
It was supposed to rain here too, but the weather passed us by to the north. We ended up having a lovely (though mostly overcast) day. Our team of six recorded 109 species! I, personally only got 92--all in one county. My Best. Day. Ever! And that's saying something as I've birded some pretty birdy spots--like Cape May in the spring.
ReplyDeleteI will say, I never put in such a hard day birding! A full ten hours--plus a few minutes on the deck at 10 PM to record a Barred Owl.
We didn't get rain, but this is the coldest May I remember here. I'm ready for some AGW.
ReplyDeleteHappy Mother's Day!
ReplyDeleteJoated, I was awed by your numbers! Wow! And great birds too. Getting new ones is like pulling teeth for me. There are some good state forests and such around that we would like to get into, but with all the rain we are afraid we won't get back out! It sure is soggy here. It was on one hand miserable to bird all day in the rain. On the other hand we really had a great time too. And we had the parks to ourselves. One park we go to is near the city of Amsterdam and we are seeing some really bad stuff there....I have never been so embarrassed in my life as I was yesterday. On a picnic table. In broad daylight. Among a dozen or so other people. OMG. Seeing drug deals every day is bad enough.
ReplyDeleteJan, cold as a frog's parlor here today with high winds. I was going to try to do a laundry marathon, but i will never keep the clothes on the line. bah humbug. lol
Thank you Linda, I did have a lovely day, hope you did too.