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| Laughing Gulls on the Outer Banks |
Sometime in the middle of last night, eBird statistics reset. All those amazing birds we found over the past 365 days were relegated to last year's old news and it's time to start again.
It is still dark so first bird of the day, year, and decade has yet to be counted.
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| Winter Wren |
What will it be, what will it be? In Florida a few years back I was so excited for the opportunity for first bird to be something incredible and wonderful. Maybe an ibis or a Boat-tailed Grackle. We set out before dawn for the beaches and bays, eager for manatees and magical new birds....
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| Merliln |
Only I wasn't paying enough attention to not looking and got a starling in the pink lights of the predawn parking lot. Last year it was a Canada Goose flyover. This year, who knows? The sun isn't really up yet and there were no owls calling at dog walking time...although I surely was hoping.
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| Sandhill Crane at Montezuma |
2019 saw us traveling to the Outer Banks for the first, but hopefully not the last time. A couple of runs out to Montezuma, where we lucked out and got the White Pelican, which showed up as a life bird for me, although I have seen them many times on trips to the South. Real honest-to-gosh first time life birds included Lapland Longspurs, an Olive-sided Flycatcher, Winter Wren, and Short-ear Owls....man, did we ever work hard to get the latter!
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| Common Yellowthroat |
Yesterday for the first time in ages the boss and I actually got out and drove around some of our favorite spots and had a high time. Lots of nice raptors!
Anyhow, I am eager for another year of pursuing birds in the county, state and country. Hope we are healthy and wealthy enough to keep playing the game. Wish us luck...and thanks for being patient with our adventures.
***Update: As I was typing this, waiting for the washing machine to jingle the little tune that tells me that it is done, I heard my first bird of the '20s. What are the odds that just as the sun came up on the first day of the new year my favorite bird would begin to shout to all the neighbors that he was up and hitting the ground running or the air flying as the case may be when you are a bird? I do love me those Carolina Wrens.
I don't understand it but I love your passion for birds
ReplyDeleteJan: She got it from her father, who was always bird watching. I never could see well enough to identify anything He used to feed the birds outside our window and I always enjoyed watching them. My siblings and I learned to identify them from the "Little Bird Cards" Arm and Hammer put out when we were kids. I think they came in cereal boxes, or maybe we sent away for them from the "Jack Armstrong" radio show. We are both pleased that she and her brothers all enjoy so many things nature displays around us. It so obvious that happiness cannot be bought from the store. Happy New Year daughter and family. We hope it is a joyous and prosperous and healthy one for you and your family. Know always that we love you. Mom
ReplyDeleteJan, it is fun! It is treasure hunting without the digging. lol
ReplyDeleteMom, you can't imagine how grateful I am that you and dad fostered and fed those interests. Ralph and I have a lot of fun in our adventures! Love you!
Oh, I do share your anticipation for the year ahead. You just never know what rarities will enter your world, and I share your joy when you tell us in such vivid words about your finds. And show us in your great photos, too! The natural world has so many treasures to share, and I do love that you share what you find with us. Here's to a whole new year of being amazed and delighted!
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