On Friday, I fell twice crossing Triangle Island. The first time the bank gave away and I fell into a sandpit. The second time as I jumped across a small creek onto what I thought was terra firma ended up being a grimpen mire. As I fell my tripod knocked me in the ear and I landed on my camera. Neither was hurt, thankfully. Then, when I got out to the flats, I realized my phone had fallen out. I decided to make a quick circuit of the flats anyway, and to my horror, there were only three Western Sandpipers and four Semipalmated Plovers.
I backtracked looking for my phone and found it where it had fallen out in the sandpit. I then went back to the flats and managed to track down five Marbled Godwits.
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| Marbled Godwit- Year Bird #240 |
The next day I paddled against the tide both to and from the flats. Shorebirding at high tide was a nice change-up, and I managed to get a picture of a Red Knot.
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| Red Knot |
I had seen a couple the week before, but I was frustrated that I hadn't gotten a picture. This was a target big-year bird, and the two previous ones I had seen were very distant. I also have almost no experience with this bird, and I was worried about the identification being a result of "wishful thinking."
I also observed some fun gull behavior. Take a look at what actually inspired the 1983 movie "Flashdance."
Later that day I walked the six mile trek from the Sparrow Park Road beach to Tahkenitch Estuary. I had a nice smattering of common shorebirds, and some looks at a strung-out raft of Surf Scoter and White-Winged Scoter, but no new year birds. Also, I came back with the aforementioned blisters.
I decided to pack it in. Between a limp and a damaged boat, I had to catch up on some schoolwork at home. On the way back, I made a double-take when I saw this white bird in a flock of Canada Geese at Dean Creek.
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| Albinistic? Canada Goose |
I was really excited, I thought I had found an Emperor Goose or something. But when I stopped the car and got a decent look it was obvious it was just a strangely pigmented Canada. I call it albinistic because it had pink legs. Maybe someone more knowledgeable can take a stab at it's true nomenclature.
A final stop at Ford's Pond netted me a Pectoral Sandpiper and a Red-Necked Phalarope. Only one year bird this weekend, but fantastic weather.
My Big Year is starting to wrap up. I have missed some birds I thought I should find, and found some that I didn't think of finding. My goal for the year was 245, which is easily within reach, and the county record is 265, which looks like it is just out of reach. That being said, here is my remaining count-up. I think it's foolish to do, but it helps me stay organized.
The Dreaded Count-Up:
Legend:
Bold: If I work at it I should be able to find one
Italics: Maybe I can find one
Swans, Ducks, Geese:
Eurasian Wigeon
Greater Scaup
Long-Tailed Duck
Tubenoses:
Laysan Albatross
Black-Footed Albatross
Northern Fulmar
Pink-Footed Shearwater
Buller's Shearwater
Sooty Shearwater
Storm-Petrel sp.
Vultures, Diurnal Raptors:
Rough-Legged Hawk
Prairie Falcon
Rails, Cranes:
Sandhill Crane
Shorebirds:
Golden-Plover sp.
Black Oystercatcher
Whimbrel
Surfbird
Red Phalarope
Gulls, Terns, Jaegers:
Thayer's Gull
Common Tern
Arctic Tern
South Polar Skua
Pomarine Jaeger
Long-Tailed Jaeger
Parasitic Jaeger
Alcids:
Ancient Murrelet
Cassin's Auklet
Owls:
Barn Owl
Great-Gray Owl
Short-Eared Owl
Woodpeckers:
Red-Naped Sapsucker
White-Headed Woodpecker
Flycatchers:
Say's Phoebe
Tropical Kingbird
Chickadees, etc:
Pipits:
American Pipit
Warblers:
Palm Warbler
Sparrows:
Longspurs:
Lapland Longspur
Blackbirds:
Finches:
Gray-Crowned Rosy-Finch
So you got your Caliope Hummingbird?
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