Yesterday was Jan 1. It marked the start of my big year. My goal this year is to find at least 600 species or more. As many as I can find. The year is starting out well. I saw all the possible winter woodpeckers without even stepping outside. A quick walk around the neighborhood pushed the numbers up to 18 for the day. Then I convinced mom to run down to Sauk City to look for some rare gulls. That trip added 9 species to my list including the highlight of the day. A lone Lesser-black-backed Gull. That brought my year list to 27 species. I could find no other rare gulls among the Ring-bills and Herrings. I'm hoping to get back over there sometime soon. The 3 rare gulls reported there would be lifers. Glaucous, Glaucous-winged and Thayer's. I saw one gull that could have been a Thayer's but it didn't show the underwing clearly enough to be certain. That gull has eluded me again and again. I'll catch up with it someday. until then, keep studying that gull book.
Happy Birding!
4 comments:
Wow, 27 birds already? It sounds like you're off to a great start.
Good luck on your Big Year!
-Andrea
Yes I am! I added a couple more today too. including a N Goshawk!!
Thanks Andrea!
Happy Birding! --Chris
Thayer's is a Nightmare! I found none last winter in Michigan despite quite a few (credible!) records by others, but I did find some of the Herring Gulls that show a wing tip pattern similar to Thayer's. Good lesson, but still no lifer...
Good luck!!
Hehe, yea, Thayer's is one of my nemisis birds. I've been chasing them for years. One of these days I'll catch up with one.
Happy Birding! --Chris
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