Long Week of Winter Bird Clean Up

This contest is like having a second job. It is now March and it is time to clean up lingering birds that I need to see before they fly the coup!  First of all, there have been Crested Caracaras all over the place in New Jersey this winter which I have not been able to see. Then, as if sent from heaven - another one showed up in Delaware on Friday.  Patty and I decided to make a run for Delaware to see it. I left the house at 4:30 AM and met Patty in Delaware at 6 AM.  We wanted to get to the bird before it took off looking for roadkill which would make it harder to find.  We were in Bethany Beach by 7:15 and had the bird by 7:30.

Take THAT Jersey birds.

Crested Caracara

We did really well on Saturday wracking up 5 new birds before 10:30 AM including the elusive Snow Buntings, Black-necked Stilt, Horned Lark and American Avocet - shown below.

American Avocet

Oh, did I mention that I needed to be back in Philly by noon in order to coach a hockey game?  Yep. I left Patty at Bombay Hook and made it back to coach the team to victory.  I was back on the road by 2:30 - this time with Diane driving.  We were in Atlantic City watching Marbled Godwits, Oystercatchers and Willets before 4 PM. In the Villas by 5 PM.  On the beach with a beer  to walk the dogs and watch a beautiful sunset by 5:30. And out to dinner at Jake's by 6:30.  What a day!

Unfortunately, Sunday was kind of a bust for the Big Year although still exhausting.  We didn't get anything new.  Patty went out to Tuckahoe and got Eurasian Wigeon and Golden Eagle while Diane and I spent an hour searching for Yellow-headed Blackbirds which we couldn't find before heading back to Philly to play another hockey game and then off to our niece Meaghan's 21st birthday party in West Chester.

Are you exhausted from reading this? Wait til the next post.