The Red-necked Phalarope adventure, it's number 366!

When I was in Alaska, I went to a pond that was apparently to be full of Red-necked Phalaropes.  Despite my several tries, none.  A couple of days ago, here in Virginia where they're way off course one was reported about an hour from where I live, I went to look and no phalarope.  Did they just like to avoid me? I didn't know.  So today, the third good chance, a phalarope was reported just 30 minutes from my house.  Would I finally get it this time?  We went and looked in high hopes.  As I pulled up, among the Wood Ducks, with my naked eye, I spotted my long-eluded target, the phalarope!  The jury was still out on it's ID when I got there but it was thought to be a Red-necked.  It didn't really matter to me though as Red-necked, Red, or Wilson's would all 3 be lifers for me.  We stayed a while, several other birders were there including some of my friends.  After I left with good photos and a life bird in hand, I headed to Shenandoah National Park where I saw a Black Bear.  When I got home the email came out from one of the area's best birders, the case had been solved, it was a Red-necked Phalarope.  Lifer for me and year bird 366!

They're coming like crazy, Summer T. new on list!

This morning I attended a bird walk at Ivy Creek Natural Area with the local Monticello Bird Club which I'm part of.  Ivy Creek is on the other side of the Blue Ridge Mountains than what I live on in the city of Charlottesville.  For some reason, although still uncommon Summer Tanagers are present on the Charlottesville side of the mountain but occur only extremely rarely on my side of the mountain.  Because of this I do not have it yet this year.

I really was hoping for a Summer Tanager on the Ivy Creek walk today and soon into the walk I asked leader Peter Brask what the chances were for one today.  He said basically almost no chance as he's never seen one there.  Oh well I thought.  About half way through the walk someone called out a female tanager. Obviously, I assumed a Scarlet Tanager as it's the only common tanager there.  But to my delight, Stauffer Miller one of the if not the most experienced birder on the walk said that it didn't have black wings and he heard it's call and that it was a Summer Tanager!  The female Sum.T gave several nice looks at it perched near the tops of small trees.  Lifer for me and year bird 365!

As I've said before, I'm completely happy with any number between 375 and above for total number of birds at year's end and I'm nearly 100 PERCENT that I'll get over 375 but I'd really love to get 400.  In order to get that, things have to click.  Yes, I'm going to Arizona and if all goes as planned that should be over 25  new birds.  That gets me within arm's reach of 400.  We're going to Chincoteague Virginia and area, that should bag me about 3-5 new birds.  The numbers are inching up. In addition to these 2 trips, unexpected birds are crucial.  Unless everything goes perfect with Arizona and Chincoteague (30+ new birds in Arizona, 5+ in Chincoteague) which is unlikely, I can't reach 400 on these 2 trips alone.  This is where unexpected or hard-to-get birds come into role.  I'm doing amazing with unexpected birds right now. Just since I've been back from Alaska 2 weeks ago I've added 6 new birds(which is totally unbelieveble, thus the title "they're coming like crazy!", 4 of which were unexpected (Mississippi and Swallow-tailed Kites, Baird's and White-rumped Sandpipers), 1 a 50/50 chance I thought I'd get it this year (Summer Tanager), and 1 an important but near-sure bird (Pectoral Sandpiper).    If this trend continues, 400 is a piece of cake.  If few more of these birds come, I'll end up somewhere in the upper 380s or 390s which is TOTALLY AWESOME.

Until 366 or more news.

KestrelSwan

Pectoral364!

One of the last birds that I thought that I could fairly easily pick up in my home area this year was the Pectoral Sandpiper.  Yesterday evening, on my way to Harrisonburg, a city about 30 minutes away from here I stopped at Leonard's Pond, a great birding location to look for shorebirds.  I scanned the pond.  Killdeer, Killdeer, Killdeer, Killdeer, Killdeer, Killdeer, Killdeer, Killdeer!  I counted 25.  Then I noticed another bird, a largish sandpiper.  I got my scope on it.  Oh ye baby, that's a Pectoral!  I saw the brown or whatever you call it extending way down the underside.  No question!  I was 100 percent sure but since I have trouble IDing shorebirds I was just a bit like "no other birder saw it, can I be sure?" but I was.  And later I found out that an amazing experienced birder Allen Larner stopped by that pond last evening as well and saw a Pectoral in addition to a few Least Sandpipers which I thought I also saw..so I did get my shorebirds ID'd correctly.

Pectoral Sandpiper is year bird 364!

Baird's, White-rumped!

With Hurricane Irene around several good birds including Sooty Terns, Bridled Terns, and most excitingly a BROWN-CHESTED MARTIN have been seen by good birders, especially on the Eastern Shore (5 hours from me) so I couldn't see them, but I had a great day today.  A good birder about 45 minutes away reported a Baird's Sandpiper, a rare bird here and a lifer I needed, so my dad and I went to the site.  We arrived on site but Pete (the guy who found it) was there and it turned out he had a misidentification and it was a common Least Sandpiper.  Oh well.  We went to Shenandoah National Park for a quick hike on the way home and then something happened just before we got home.  Let's back this all up a bit.  Earlier this morning I made a quick run through my neighborhood to look for birds.  I found 5 sandpipers at a local pond but I'm not good with identifying shorebirds and they remained "unknown" to me but I posted photos of them asking for ID help to a local birding listserv.  So, when on the way back from the failed search for Baird's Sandpiper I came across Allen Larner, one of the best local birders.  He gave me the exciting news that 2 of my sandpipers were lifers for me and fairly rare for the area.  One was a White-rumped Sandpiper and the other was a BAIRD'S Sandpiper, the species that was mistakenly reported by Pete that I was on my way back from looking for!  The other shorebirds at the pond of the Baird's and White-rumped were Leasts.  Allen taught me all the distinguishing features of Baird's.  Thanks so much Allen!

What a great day.

KestrelSwan

Hurricane Irene

Hurricane Irene is tracking it's way up the east coast, I hope all people, animals and birds are safe.  What's exciting though is the chance of storm-blown birds.  Sooty Tern and Brown Noddy have both been reported in South Carolina from this storm and an Arctic Tern is at Cape Charles Virginia.  I'd love to chase the noddy and sooty but a bit out of reach from Virginia..

I'm keeping my eyes on the listservs to see if anything good shows up closer to home...I'm also regularly checking a local pond for unusual birds.

Kite, kite, kite, kite, kite!

What a day.

2 Swallow-tailed Kites and 1 Mississippi Kite have been reported for over a week (Swallow-taileds) and a few days (Miss.) in Campbell County, 2 hours from where I live in Virginia.  They're both life birds I still need.

My dad and I went down today and arrived on site where other birders were including someone I know Brenda Tekin.  They told me exciting news, 2 Mississippi and 2 Swallow-tailed Kites were there.  I immediately saw the swallow-taileds - what a gorgeous bird!  It took a minute for me to find them but I soon saw the distant Mississippis.  After a little while, Broad-winged and Red-tailed Hawks were seen, and a THIRD Mississippi Kite joined the group of already-4 kites.  At one time I had 5 kites, 3 Mississippis and 2 Swallow-tails in the same binocular view!  A WOW moment!

Possible hurricane coming into the area next week.  Storm-blown vagrants??  Hopefully!

Until later

KestrelSwan

In the best shape possible

Here's an update on how I'm doing on my Junior Big Year:

P E R F E C T!  Before Alaska I would have said pretty good but not great.  I had got a few less year birds than hoped on the Ontario trip, and if Alaska and Arizona also were not great for year bird count I may not reach my goal of 375 at year's end but I thought I would.  In Alaska I got 38 year birds and my goal was 20-30 and my guess was 25.  Now I'm at 359 bird species for the year and 375 is going to be as easy as pie!  400 I would not say is my new "goal" (because if I don't get that I'm PERFECTLY HAPPY with just what I have now 359 given my original goal was 350) but it is a number that is my highest vision and that I'd work towards.  Anything between 375 and 400 is totally great with me though.

Tomorrow I make a 4 hour round trip to try and find a Swallow-tailed Kite that's been hanging around south of Lynchburg Virginia.  That would be a life raptor, super exciting bird number 360 for the year and raptors are undoubtly my favorite birds.

KestrelSwan