Shorebirds!
That is genuine enthusiasm. Not excited? Here’s an adorable Semipalmated Plover to ease some of the discomfort. Fall migration is happening and I am facing it head on. Because I went to Smith and Bybee Lakes and totally failed at identifying birds. I forgot how hard it is. There’s hundreds of shorebirds there, and I had…
Eider to Gyrfalcon in a Day
Last week Jen invited me on a mid-week coast trip to chase rarities. I was thrilled to skip work for a day-trip with the potential for an Eider-Brambling-Costa’s-Thrasher combo. We left at 4am, but that was fine because we took naps in the car while Ralph did most of the driving. Good boy, Ralph. Along…
Eastward to Walla Walla
Last year, every bird was a life bird. By mid-February 2015 I had seen 77 new-to-me bird species. 77 lifers! I didn’t even know what a “lifer” was then. Over my first year birding, I saw 253 life birds. Not that I’m counting. But, yeah, I’m counting. So far this year I’ve seen 98 species (year birds), but only…