Complete US Bird List as of 1/1/10-

After reviewing my notes from the trip, notes from home, and my in progress year list from CT, here is what I've gotten so far (you can tell which were here in CT in winter before I left, and those not. I got to see many of our winter guys up in breeding territory... really neat):

(L)- indicates a lifer

1. Red-throated Loon
2. Common Loon
3. RN Grebe
4. Horned Grebe
5. Eared Grebe (L)
6. PB Grebe
7. Western Grebe
8. Clark's Grebe (L)
9. Am. White Pelican
10. DC Cormorant
11. AM. Bittern
12. Least Bittern
13. GB Heron
14. Great Egret
15. Snowy Egret
16. Little Blue Heron
17. Cattle Egret (L)
18. Green Heron
19. BC Night-Heron
20. YC Night-Heron
21. White-faced Ibis
22. Glossy Ibis
23. Mute Swan
24. Trumpeter Swan
25. Tundra Swan
26. Canada Goose
27. Cackling Goose (many in the middle fly-way)
28. Brant
29. GWF Goose (same as Cacklers... many migrants)
30. Ross's Goose
31. Snow Goose (blue and white)
32. Wood Duck
33. Mallard
34. Am. Black Duck
35. Gadwall
36. No. Pintail
37. Am. Wigeon
38. Eurasian Wigeon (Stratford)
39. No. Shoveler
40. Cinnamon Teal (L)
41. BW Teal
42. GW Teal
43. Canvasback
44. Redhead
45. RN Duck
46. Greater Scaup
47. Lesser Scaup
48. Long-tailed Duck
49. Surf Scoter
50. WW Scoter
51. Common Goldeneye
52. Barrow's Goldeneye (one female I found off Penfield late winter)
53. Bufflehead
54. Hooded Merganser
55. Co. Merganser
56. RB Merganser
57. Ruddy Duck
58. Turkey Vulture
59. Black Vulture
60. No. Harrier (LOTS of grey ghosts in the prairies)
61. SS Hawk
62. Cooper's Hawk
63. No. Goshawk (NJ)
64. RS Hawk
65. BW Hawk
66. Swainson's Hawks (many morphs)
67. RT Hawk (5 sbsps, including Kriders, and a possible 6th... maybe Harlan's... VERY dark, looked like those I've seen in AK)
68. Ferruginous Hawk (L)
69. Rough-legged Hawk
70. Golden Eagle (low-ball count around 15)
71. Bald Eagle
72. Osprey
73. Merlin
74. Am. Kestrel
75. Prairie Falcon (L)
76. Peregrine Falcon
77. California Quail (L)
78. Mountain Quail (L)
79. Chukar (L)
80. Gray Partridge
81. RN Pheasant
82. Blue Grouse (L)
83. Ruffed Grouse
84. Greater Prairie-Chicken (L)... and honor to see a bird on it's way out
85. Greater Sage-Grouse (L)
86. Wild Turkey
87. Common Moorhen (L)
88. Am. Coot
89. Clapper Rail
90. Virginia Rail
91. Sora (L)
92. Yellow Rail (L).. MAN that was hard to see!!
93. Sandhill Cranes... everywhere
94. BB Plover
95. AM. Golden Plover
96. Piping Plover
97. Semipal Plover
98. Snowy Plover (L) (Lake Taho region)
99. Killdeer
100. Am. Oystercatcher
101. Am. Avocet (L)
102. Black-necked Slilt (L)
103. Gr. Yellowlegs
104. L. Yellowlegs
105. Solitary Sandpiper
106. Willet
107. Spotted Sandpiper
108. Upland Sandpiper (abundant through some areas in the Dakotas and prairie land through IL/IN)
109. Long-billed Curlew (L)
110. Ruddy Turnstone
111. Purple Sandpiper
112. Red Knot
113. Sanderling
114. Dunlin
115. Pectoral Sandpiper
116. White-rumped Sandpiper
117. Baird's Sandpiper (L)
118. Western Sandpiper
119. Semipal Sandpiper
120. Least Sandpiper
121. Stilt Sandpiper
122. LB Dowitcher
123. SB Dowitcher
124. Buff-breasted Sandpiper
125. Am. Woodcock
126. Snipe
127. Wilson's Phalarope (L)
128. Boneparte's Gull
129. Franklin's Gull
130. RB Gull
131. California Gull (L)
132. Herring Gull
133. Iceland Gull
134. Glaucous Gull
135. Lesser BB Gull
136. GBB Gull
137. Caspian Tern
138. Co. Tern
139. Forster's Tern
140. Roseate Tern
141. Least Tern
142. Black Tern
143. Black Skimmer
144. Mourning Dove
145. WW Dove (L)
146. Rock Dove
147. Band-tailed Pigeon (L)
148. Monk Parakeet
149. YB Cuckoo
150. BB Cuckoo
151. Greater Roadrunner (L)... awesome bird
152. Long-eared Owl
153. Short-eared Owl
154. GH Owl
155. Snowy Owl
156. Barred Owl
157. No. Saw-whet Owl
158. Burrowing Owl (L)
159. W. Screech Owl
160. E. Screech Owl
161. Co. Poorwill (L)
162. Whip-poor-will
163. Co. Nighthawk
164. Lesser Nighthawk (L)
165. Vaux's Swift (L)
166. Chimney Swift
167. Black Swift (L)
168. White-throated Swift (L)
169. Black-chinned Hummingbird (L)
170. Ruby-throated Hummingbird
171. Calliope Hummingbird
172. Broad-tailed Hummingbird (L)
173. Rufous Hummingbird (L)
174. Belted Kingfisher
175. Red-headed Woodpecker
176. Lewis's Woodpecker (L)
177. Red-bellied Woodpecker
178. Red-naped Sapsucker (L)
179. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
180. Downy Woodpecker
181. Hairy Woodpecker
182. Three-toed Woodpecker
183. No. Flicker ('yellow' and 'red' shafted)
184. Pileated Woodpecker
185. Olive-sided Flycatcher
186. W. Wood-Pewee (L)
187. E. Wood-Pewee
188. Cordilleran Flycatcher (L)
189. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
190. Willow Flycatcher
191. Alder Flycatcher
192. Least Flycatcher
193. Dusky Flycatcher (L)
194. E. Phoebe
195. Say's Phoebe (L)
196. Vermillion Flycatcher (L)
197. Ash-throated Flycatcher (L)
198. Great-crested Flycatcher
199. E. Kingbird
200. W. Kingbird (L)
201. Loggerhead Shrike (L)
202. Red-eyed Vireo
203. Warbling Vireo
204. Bell's Vireo (L)
205. White-eyed Vireo
206. Yellow-throated Vireo
207. Blue-headed Vireo
208. Steller's Jay
209. Blue Jay
210. W. Scrub-Jay (L)
211. Gray Jay
212. Pinyon Jay (L)...maybe my fav of the trip
213. Black-billed Magpie
214. Co. Raven
215. Am. Crow
216. Fish Crow
217. Horned Lark
218. Purple Martin
219. NRW Swallow
220. Bank Swallow
221. Violet-green Swallow (L)
222. Tree Swallow
223. Cliff Swallow
224. Barn Swallow
225. Juniper Titmouse (L)
226. Tufted Titmouse
227. BC Chickadee
228. Mountain Chickadee (L)..really cool little birds
229. Bushtit (L)
230. RB Nuthatch
231. WB Nuthatch
232. Brown Creeper
233. Carolina Wren
234. Bewick's Wren (L)
235. House Wren
236. Winter Wren
237. Sedge Wren
238. Marsh Wren
239. Rock Wren (L)
240. Canyon Wren (L)
241. GC Kinglet
242. RC Kinglet
243. BG Gnatcatcher
244. Mountain Bluebird (L)
245. W. Bluebird (L)
246. E. Bluebird
247. Am. Robin
248. Wood Thrush
249. Veery
250. Swainson's Thrush
251. Hermit Thrush
252. Gray Catbird
253. No. Mockingbird
254. Brown Thrasher
255. Sage Thrasher (L)
256. Euro. Starling
257. Sprague's Pipit
258. Am. Pipit
259. Cedar Waxwing
260. No. Parula
261. Orange-crowned Warbler
262. Tennessee Warbler
263. Blue-winged Warbler
264. Virginia's Warbler (L)
265. Nashville Warbler
266. Yellow Warbler
267. Chestnut-sided Warbler
268. Magnolia Warbler
269. Cape May Warbler
270. Black-throated Blue Warbler
271. Cerulean Warbler
272. Blackburnian Warbler
273. Yellow-rumped Warbler ('Myrtle' and 'Audubon's... latter a lifer)
274. Black-throated Gray Warbler (L)
275. Townsend's Warbler (L).... wow, gorgeous
276. Black-throated Green Warbler
277. Prairie Warbler
278. Palm Warbler ('yellow' and 'brown')
279. Pine Warbler
280. Bay-breasted Warbler
281. Blackpoll Warbler
282. Yellow-throated Warbler
283. Grace's Warbler (L)... thought YTWA until I realized I was in NV
284. Worm-eating Warbler
285. Prothonotary Warbler...still one of my fav warbs
286. Black-and-white Warbler
287. Am. Redstart
288. Ovenbird
289. No. Waterthrush
290. Mourning Warbler
291. MacGillivray's Warbler (L)
292. Co. Yellowthroat
293. Wilson's Warbler
294. Canada Warbler... dripping off the trees in Ann Arbor, MI
295. Hooded Warbler
296. Yellow-breasted Chat (L)...been waiting a while for that one
297. W. Tanager (L)
298. Scarlet Tanager
299. No. Cardinal
300. Black-headed Grosbeak (L)
301. Rose-breasted Grosbeak
302. Blue Grosbeak (L)... seen while getting a speeding ticket
303. Lazuli Bunting (L)... been waiting since I got my first field guide
304. Indigo Bunting
305. Dickcissel
306. Spotted Towhee (L)
307. E. Towhee
308. Green-tailed Towhee (L)
309. Sage Sparrow (L)
310. Black-throated Sparrow (L)
311. Am. Tree Sparrow
312. Field Sparrow
313. Brewer's Sparrow (L)
314. Clay-colored Sparrow
315. Chipping Sparrow
316. Baird's Sparrow
317. Grasshopper Sparrow
318. Henslow's Sparrow (L)
319. Nelson's Sparrow... weird to see in ND
320. Savannah Sparrow
321. Vesper Sparrow
322. Lark Bunting (L)
323. Lark Sparrow (L)
324. White-throated Sparrow
325. White-crowned Sparrow
326. Fox Sparrow (2 subspecies)
327. Song Sparrow
328. Lincoln's Sparrow
329. Swamp Sparrow
330. Dark-eyed Junco ('pink-sided', 'oregon'. and 'slate')
331. McCown's Longspur (L)
332. Chestnut-collared Longspur (L)
333. Smith's Longspur (L)
334. Lapland Longspur
335. Snow Bunting
336. W. Meadowlark (L)
337. E. Meadowlark
338. Bobolink
339. Brown-headed Cowbird
340. Yellow-headed Blackbird
341. Red-winged Blackbird
342. Brewer's Blackbird (L)
343. Co. Grackle
344. Boat-tailed Grackle
345. Great-tailed Grackle (L)... seen from airplane in Dallas
346. Bullock's Oriole (L)
347. Baltimore Oriole
348. Orchard Oriole
349. Scott's Oriole (L)
350. Purple Finch
351. Cassin's Finch (L)
352. House Finch
353. Red Crossbill
354. Pine Siskin... neat to see in the dessert
355. Lesser Goldfinch (L)
356. Am. Goldfinch
357. House Sparrow

85 lifers, added to my standing 306 gives me 391. My trip goal was to reach 400.... if only I got to the 2nd half! Perhaps I can pull 400 for the US in 2010....

-Brian-

So heres the story....

I made it to California, about 6200mi of wandering our amazing country in such places like Pitsburg, NYC, Columbus and Cleveland (OH), camped in Ann Arbor (MI), saw the Sox get slammed by the Tigers in Comerica Park in Detroit (!!!! GO YANKS!!), has amazing looks at downtown Chicago from my motel window, including the Sears tower, Fargo (ND, Lewis & Clark SP (Williston, ND), Deadwood (SD), Mt. Rushmore, explored the black hills and picked up boreal species such as Mountain Chickadee and Gray Jay... as well as my first 'Audubon's butter-butt.

From Rapid City (after exploring AMAZING crystal caverns) I chugged south down the entire WY east side into Colorado... a rainbow awaited me. I stayed in a motel in Boulder (by far my favorite spot, with the Ann Arbor camping, and overall town a close second... L&P was hard to beat too!) I took a drive to Denver to see if the Rockies were playing, they weren't, though thats one more major city I visited for the first time.

During this western drive I saw hundreds of Pronghorns, wild Buffalo (not a ranch), Bighorn Sheep, several Golden Eagles, Prarie dogs, coyotes, ground squirrels, some sort of weasel, bull snakes, a prarie rattler (stayed my distance!!). For those of you who know me, and know Boulder.... I could see myself living there forever. Hopefully my job interview for the CO Dep. NFS will pan out.

After dreading leaving a town that, juxtaposed to CT.... fails with a F---. Prices, people, healthy aspect, freindly... as I plan to relocate sooner than late, Boulder sits a top, again with Ann Arbor right there. So... got off track... I chugged to Las Vegas...

..,.THE MOST OVER-RATED PLACE IN OUR COUNTRY! I put $200 aside to gamble, made $15 on Star Wars slots... then realized I might as well just hand the floor guys $500 bux then ask for a dollar change. So, I got a tattoo instead. One what would cost upwards of $300 here in CT.... $140 plus tip.

One great thing about vegas... other than the drunks, hobos, crime and dispair.... I got to see George Clinton w. P-Funk for the 6th time in my life. The show lasted until late-late night, so I didn't sleep and got out around 5:00a(pst) to head for Frisco.**

** Now here is where GPS fails... about 75% of the passes through Yosemete NP were closed due to a 12" snow blast the night before. So, I navigated using my atlas, compass, and locals to find a away around. I made it to the Caliornia (Walker, to be exact...border od CA/NE in the Sierra Nevadas), still on icey roads, and I swerve for a Jack Rabbit, 4x4 off, turned to the driver side and my baby (my green Colorado) flipped 6 times and wound up in a 6' ditch in the mountainous dessert.

Would list... broken left arm in 2 spots, 2 broken ribs, cartlidge torn between 4-5 ribs, one of the ribs pokes my lung (no better time to quit smoking, huh??, lol), a grade 2 concussion, 5 staples in the skull, and various raspberrys and deep cuts. Thank whoever is to thank that I had my seatbelt on.

I lost about 2 days due to brain trauma, only remembering someone asking if this driven over laptop was mine, off-duty parameds telling to lay down because of my head bleeding, someone asking if a globe of pure (100%, not .999%) Silver flakes taken from the Black Hills... next memory is getting stabbed in the skull 5-6 times with novacaine, and feeling every bit of each staple being inserted.

Unfortunately, my photos end at Mt. Rushmore (until I figure out how to get some from the droid), and I have many yet to upload from the Sierra Nevadas/Reno/Vegas.etc...


Let me say this right now, to anyone who reads this.... WEAR YOUR SAFETY BELT!! Mine, 100% saved my life. And I had a friend who sits in a hospice going on 4 years as a veggie.... due to lack of seat-belts. PLEASE wear them.


I will do a bit of a break down in a day or so, as it kinda hurts to type with a broken arm and stupid cast!!! Someone, whoever it may be in whoever's eyes, thought I had more time on this planet.

More soon,

-MoJo-

Back in CT... tentative bird list from 3 weeks of pure America....

I tallied dozens of lifers, and I didn't even make it down the south of California.... I made it there, but the Sierra Nevada mountains, and a stupid Jack-rabbit now has my baby (Colorado) as a pile of scrap metal, never to bee seen again.

I made this list on the plane ride home, I just need to positively ID a few.... this is about it though. 3-5 more at best.

*(Starting from where the Merritt turns into the Hutch)
*(L)-indicates lifer

1. RT Loon
2. Common Loon
3. RN Grebe
4. Horned Grebe
5. Eared Grebe (L)
6. PB Grebe
7. Western Grebe
8. Clark's Grebe (L)
9. Am. White Pelican
10. DC Cormorant
11. Am. Bittern
12. Least Bittern
13. GB Heron
14. Great Egret
15. Snowy Egret
16. Cattle Egret (L)
17. Green Heron
18. BC Night-heron
19. White-faced Ibis
20. Mute Swan
21. Tundra Swan
22. Canada Goose (including several 'cacklers')
23. Great-white Fronted Goose
24. Snow Goose
25. Wood Duck
26. Mallard
27. Am. Black Duck
28. Gadwall
29. No. Pintail
30. Am. Wigeon
31. No. Shovelor
32. Cinnamon Teal (L)
33. BW Teal
34. GW Teal
35. Canvasback
36. Redhead
37. RN Duck
38. L. Scaup
39. Co. Goldeneye
40. H. Merganser
41. Co. Merganser
42. Ruddy Duck
43. T. Vulture
44. B. Vulture
45. No. Harrier
46. SS Hawk
47. Cooper's Hawk
48. No. Goshawk (NJ)
49. RS Hawk
50. BW Hawk
51. Swainson's Hawk
52. RT Hawk (5+ sbs/morphs, including 'Krider's')
53. Ferruginous Hawk (L)
54. Golden Eagle
55. Bald Eagle
56. Osprey
57. Merlin
58. Am. Kestrel
59. Prairie Falcon (L)
60. Peregrine Falcon
61. California Quail (L)
62. Chukar (L)
63. Gray Partridge
64. RN Pheasant
65. Blue Grouse (L)
66. Ruffed Grouse
67. Sharp-tailed Grouse
68. Wild Turkey
69. Co. Moorhen (L)
70. Am. Coot
71. Virginia Rail
72. Sora (L)
73. Sandhill Crane
74. Am. Golden Plover
75. Semipal Plover
76. Killdeer
77. Am. Avocet (L)
78. Black-necked Stilt (L)
79. G. Yellowlegs
80. L. Yellowlegs
81. Solitary Sandpiper
82. Willet
83. Spotted Sandpiper
84. Upland Sandpiper (tons!)
85. Long-billed Curlew (L.... needed Sibley's for that one... amazing bird)
86. Dunlin
87. Pectoral Sandpiper
88. White-rumped Sandpiper
89. Semipal Sandpiper
90. Least Sandpiper
91. Stilt Sandpiper (L)
92. LB Dowitcher
93. Baird's Sandpiper (L)
94. Buff-breasted Sandpiper
95. Am. Woodcock
96. Snipe
97. Wilson's Phalarope (L)
98. Boneparte's Gull
99. Franklin's Gull
100. RB Gull
101. California Gull (L)
102. Herring Gull
103. GBB Gull
104. Caspian Tern
105. Common Tern
106. Forster's Tern
107. Black Tern
108. Mourning Dove
109. White-winged Dove (L)
110. Rock Dove
111. YB Cuckoo
112. BB Cuckoo
113. Short-eared Owl (strange to see them over prairies and not marshes)
114. Long-eared Owl
115. GH Owl
116. Barred Owl
117. No. Saw-whet Owl
118. Burrowing Owl (L!!... was sitting dead center in a country road north of Vegas enjoying small mammal.... on of my target birds!)
119. E. Screech Owl
120. W. Screech Owl (L)
121. Co. Poorwill (L)
122. Whip-poor-will
123. Co. Nighthawk
124. Lesser Nighthawk (swarms around billboard lights in the dessert) (L)
125. Chimney Swift
126. White-throated Swift (L)
127. Black-chinned Hummer (L)
128. Ruby-throated Hummer
129. Calliope Hummer
130. Broad-tailed Hummer (L)
131. Rufous Hummer (L)
132. Belted Kingfisher
133. Red-headed Woodpecker (numerous is some spots)
134. Lewis's Woodpecker (L....amazing bird...looks like water-colors)
135. RB Woodpecker
136. Red-naped Sapsucker (L)
137. YB Sapsucker
138. Downy WP
139. Hairy WP
140. 3-toed Woodpecker (L)
141. No. Flicker (both 'yellow' and red'-shafted')
142. Pileated Woodpecker
143. Olive-sided Flycatcher
144. W. Wood-pewee (L)
145. E. Wood-pewee
146. Cordillion Fly (L)
147. YB Fly
148. Willow Fly
149. Alder Fly
150. Least Fly
151. Dusky Fly (L)
152. E. Phoebe
153. Say's Phoebe (L)
154. Vermillion Fly (L)
155. Ash-throated Fly (L)
156. GC Fly
157. E. Kingbird
158. W. Kingbird (L)
159. Loggerhead Shrike (L)
160. RE Vireo
161. Warb Vireo
162. White-eyed Vireo
163. YT Vireo
164. BH Vireo
165. Steller's Jay
166. Blue Jay
167. W. Scrub Jay (L)
168. Gray Jay
169. Pinion Jay (L)
170. Black-billed Magpie
171. Co. Raven
172. A. Crow
173. F. Crow
174. H. Lark
175. P. Martin
176. NRW Swallow
177. Bank Swallow
178. Violet-green Swallow (L)
179. Tree Swallow
180. Cliff Swallow
181. Barn Swallow
182. Juniper Titmouse (L)
183. Tufted Titmouse
184. BC Chickadee
185. Mountain Chickadee (L)
186. Bushtit (L)
187. RB Nut
188. WB Nut
189. Brown Creeper
190. Carolina Wren
191. Bewick's Wren (L)
192. House Wren
193. Winter Wren
194. Sedge Wren
195. Marsh Wren
196. Rock Wren (L)
197. Canyon Wren (L)
198. RC Kinglet
199. GC Kinglet
200. BG Gnatcatcher
201. Mountain Bluebird (L)
202. Western Bluebird (L)
203. Eastern Bluebird
204. Am. Robin
205. Wood Thrush
206. Veery
207. Swaison's Thrush
208. Hermit Thrush
209. Gray Catbird
210. No. Mockingbird
211. Brown Thrasher
212. Sage Thrasher (L)
213. Sprague's Pipt
214. Am. Pipit
215. Cedar Waxwing
216. No. Parula
217. Orange-crowned Warbler
218. Tennessee Warbler
219. BW Warbler
220. Virginia's Warbler (L)
221. Nashville Warbler
222. Yellow Warbler
223. Chestnut-sided Warbler
224. Magnolia Warbler
225. Cape May Warbler
226. BTB Warbler
227. Cerulean Warbler
228. Blackburnian Warbler
229. Yellow-rumped Warbler (both 'myrtle' and 'audubon')
230. Black-thated Grey Warbler (L.... another on checked from the wish list)
231. Townsend's Warbler (L... striking)
232. BTGreen Warbler
233. Prairie Warbler
234. Palm Warbler (both 'yellow' & 'western')
235. Pine Warbler
236. Bay-breasted Warbler
237. Blackpoll Warbler
238. Yellow-throated Warbler
239. Grace's Warbler (L)
240. Worm-eating Warbler
241. Prothonotary Warbler
242. B&W Warbler
243. Am. Redstart
244. Ovenbird
245. No. Waterthrush
246. Mourning Warbler
247. MacGillivray's Warbler (L)
248. Common Yellowthroat
249. Wilson's Warbler
250. Canada Warbler
251. Hooded Warbler
252. YB Chat (L... finally!)
253. Euro. Starling (most numerous bird seen, 2nd to TVs)
254. Western Tanager (L)
255. Scarlet Tanager
256. No. Cardinal
257. Black-headed Grosbeak (L)
258. Rose-breasted Grosbeak
259. Blue Grosbeak (L)
260. Lazuli Bunting (L... another on the 'hitlist')
261. Indigo Bunting
262. Dickcissel
263. Spotted Towhee (L... 'great plains')
264. E, Towhee
265. Green-tailed Towhee (L)
266. Sage Sparrow (L)
267. Black-throated Sparrow (L)
268. Field Sparrow
269. Brewer's Sparrow (L)
270. Clay-colored Sparrow
271. Chipping Sparrow
272. Baird's Sparrow (L)
273. Grasshopper Sparrow
274. Henslow's Sparrow (L)
275. Nelson's (sharp-tailed) Sparrow
276. Savannah Sparrow
277. Vesper Sparrow
278. Lark Bunting (L)
279. Lark Sparrow (L)
280. White-throated Sparrow
281. White-crowned Sparrow
282. Fox Sparrow ('interior west')
283. Song Sparrow
284. Lincoln's Sparrow
285. Swamp Sparrow
286. Dark-eyed Junco ('pink-sided', 'slate', & 'Oregon sbs.)
287. McCown's Longspur (L)
288. Chestnut-naped Longspur (L)
289. Smith's Longspur (L)
290. W. Meadowlark (L)
291. E. Meadowlark
292. Bobolink
293. BH Cowbird
294. Yellow-headed Blackbirds (tons!)
295. RW Blackbird
296. Brewer's Blackbird (L... once I IDed one, they seemed everywhere)
297. Co. Grackle
298. Great-tailed Grackle (L... seen from my airplane window in Dallas/Ft. Worth)
299. Bullock's Oriole (L)
300. Baltimore Oriole
301. Orchard Oriole
302. Scott's Oriole (L... very, very neat bird)
303. Purple Finch
304. Cassin's Finch (L)
305. House Finch
306. Red Crossbill (I love the Black Hills... winter birds don't winter there, they stay!)
307. Pine Siskin ('yellow adult, in the end of May, in Nevada... cool stuff)
308. Lesser Goldfinch (L)
309. Am. Goldfinch
310. House Sparrow

By my tally, that is 78 lifers, jumping my life total to 387. Sucks to be home, but with staples in the brain, sprained wrist, and 2 busted ribs.... it feels great to relax.

-Brian-

Time to get a trip bird list....

After camping and driving, A LOT (3900+ miles so far), plus poor weather here near Mt. Rushmore, I have time to get a updated trip list up. To put it very bluntly, these past 2 weeks have been stupid hectic, so actually resting on a bed and typing is relaxing.

Here is what I've gotten so far (again, going by Sibley's taxonomy):

1. Common Loon
2. Red-necked Grebe
3. Horned Grebe
4. Eared Grebe (lifer)
5. Pied-billed Grebe
6. Western Grebe
7. Am. White Pelican
8. DC Cormorant
9. Am. Bittern
10. Least Bittern
11. GB Heron
12. Great Egret (seen near CT/NY border... still counts!)
13. Green Heron
14. BC Night-heron
15. Tundra Swan
16. Canada Goose
17. Cackling Goose
18. GWF Goose
19. Snow Goose
20. Wood Duck
21. Mallard
22. Am. Black Duck
23. Gadwal
24. No. Pintail
25. Am. Wigeon
26. No. Shoveler
27. BW Teal
28. GW Teal
29. Canvasback
30. Redhead
31. RN Duck
32. Lesser Scaup (it is SO neat to see 'our' winter waterfowl up here in breeding plumage)
33. Co. Goldeneye
34. Bufflehead
35. Hooded Merganser
36. Co. Merganser
37. Ruddy Duck
38. Turkey Vulture
39. Black Vulture
40. No. Harrier
41. Sharp-shinned Hawk
42. Cooper's Hawk
43. No. Goshawk
44. Red-shouldered Hawk
45. Broad-winged Hawk
46. Swainson's Hawk
47. Red-tailed Hawk
48. Ferruginous Hawk (lifer)
49. Golden Eagle (3 so far)
50. Bald Eagle
51. Osprey
52. Merlin
53. Am. Kestrel
54. Peregrine Falcon
55. Gray Partridge
56. RN Pheasant
57. Ruffed Grouse
58. Sharp-tailed Grouse
59. Wild Turkey
60. Common Moorhen (lifer)
61. American Coot
62. Virginia Rail
63. Sora
64. Sandhill Crane
65. Am. Golden Plover
66. Semipal Plover
67. Killdeer
68. Am. Avocet (lifer)
69. Gr. Yellowlegs
70. Lesser Yellowlegs
71. Solitary Sandpiper
72. Spotted Sandpiper
73. Upland Sandpiper
74. Dunlin
75. Pectoral Sandpiper
76. White-rumped Sandpiper
77. Semipal Sandpiper
78. Least Sandpiper
79. Buff-breasted Sandpiper
80. Am. Woodcock
81. Wilson's Snipe
82. Wilson's Phlarope (lifer)
83. Boneparte's Gull
84. Franklin's Gull
85. Ring-billed Gull
86. California Gull
87. Herring Gull
88. GB-backed Gull (again, still counts as I was on the road)
89. Caspian Tern
90. Common Tern
91. Forster's Tern
92. Black Tern
93. Mourning Dove
94. Rock Dove
95. Yellow-billed Cuckoo
96. Black-billed Cuckoo
97. Short-eared Owl
98. GH Owl
99. Barred Owl
100. E. Screech Owl
101. Whip-poor-will
102. Co. Nighthawk
103. Chimney Swift
104. RT Hummingbird
105. Belted Kingfisher
106. RH Woodpecker
107. RB Woodpecker
108. YB Sapsucker
109. Downy Woodpecker
110. Hairy Woodpecker
111. No. Flicker (red and yellow)
112. Pileated Woodpecker
113. Olive-sided Flycatcher
114. E. Wood-Pewee
115. YB Flycatcher
116. Willow Flycatcher
117. Least Flycatcher
118. E. Phoebe
119. Say's Phoebe (lifer)
120. GC Flycatcher
121. E. Kingbird
122. W. Kingbird (lifer)
123. Loggerhead Shrike (lifer)
124. Red-eyed Vireo
125. Warbling Vireo
126. White-eyed Vireo
127. YT Vireo
128. Blue-headed Vireo
129. Blue Jay
130. Black-billed Magpie
131. Co. Raven
132. Am. Crow
133. Fish Crow
134. Horned Lark
135. Purple Martin
136. NRW Swallow
137. Bank Swallow
138. Tree Swallow
139. Cliff Swallow
140. Barn Swallow
141. Tufted Titmouse
142. BC Chickadee
143. RB Nuthatch
144. WB Nuthatch
145. Brown Creeper
146. Carolina Wren
147. House Wren
148. Winter Wren
149. Sedge Wren
150. Marsh Wren
151. RC Kinglet
152. BG Gnatcatcher
153. Mountain Bluebird (lifer)
154. E. Bluebird
155. Am. Robin
156. Wood Thrush
157. Veery
158. Swainson's Thrush
159. Hermit Thrush
160. Gray Catbird
161. No. Mockingbird
162. Brown Thrasher
163. Euro. Starling
164. Sprague's Pipit
165. Am. Pipit
166. Cedar Waxwing
167. No. Parula
168. OC Warbler
169. Tennessee Warbler
170. Blue-winged Warbler
171. Nashville Warbler
172. Yellow Warbler
173. Chestnut-sided Warbler
174. Magnolia Warbler
175. Cape May Warbler
176. BTB Warbler
177. Cerulean Warbler
178. Blackburnian Warbler
179. YR Warbler
180. BTG Warbler
181. Palm Warbler (brown and yellow)
182. Pine Warbler
183. Bay-breasted Warbler
184. Blackpoll Warbler
185. Yellow-throated Warbler
186. Worm-eating Warbler
187. Prothonotary Warbler
188. B&W Warbler
189. Am. Redstart
190. Ovenbird
191. No. Waterthrush
192. Mourning Warbler
193. Co. Yellowthroat
194. Wilson's Warbler
195. Canada Warbler
196. Hooded Warbler
197. Yellow-breasted Chat (lifer)
198. Scarlet Tanager
199. No. Cardinal
200. RB Grosbeak
201. Lazuli Bunting (lifer)
202. Dickcissel
203. Spotted Towhee (lifer... 'great plains')
204. E. Towhee
205. Field Sparrow
206. Clay-colored Sparrow
207. Chipping Sparrow
208. Baird's Sparrow (lifer)
209. Grasshopper Sparrow
210. Henslow's Sparrow (lifer)
211. Savannah Sparrow
212. Vesper Sparrow
213. Lark Bunting (lifer)
214. Lark Sparrow (lifer)
215. WT Sparrow
216. WC Sparrow
217. Fox Sparrow
218. Song Sparrow
219. Lincoln's Sparrow
220. Swamp Sparrow
221. Chestnut-collared Longspur (lifer)
222. W. Meadowlark (lifer)
223. E. Meadowlark
224. Bobolink
225. BH Cowbird
226. YH Blackbird
227. RW Blackbird
228. Brewer's Blackbird (lifer)
229. Co. Grackle
230. Bullock's Oriole (lifer)
231. Baltimore Oriole
232. Orchard Oriole
233. House Finch
234. Am. Goldfinch
235. House Sparrow

-MoJo-

Howdy from Rapid City, SD

I packed up my truck Sunday morning (5/23) at Lewis & Clark S.P. after some amazing sight-seeing, camping, birding, and learning. Some new life birds I added were Mountain Bluebird, Lazuli Bunting, Spotted Towhee, Say's Phoebe, Loggerhead Shrike, Baird's Sparrow (for real this time), Lark Bunting and Lark Sparrow, California Gull, Chestnut-collared Longspur, Bullock's Oriole (f), and Ferruginous Hawk.

I made pals with a really nice ranger who gave me a free 'pop', as they call them out here, for making a tally of the birds I saw while there. My list got to 149 species. My drive from Fargo to the park yielded my 3rd Golden eagle of the trip. The wind whipped off of the lake that laid right behind my tent. It reminded me of Long Island Sound... one morning it was glass, and I was able to scope several Western Grebes.... the next it was white-capped.

I can honestly say they only down side is driving 30 miles to get one bar of cell phone service to the closest town, Williston. Even that was alright because it drove me past a Prairie dog town.


Each night, and Elk 're-marked' his territory, right where I was during the night! Sharp-tailed Grouse and RN Pheasants called at dusk and dawn, coyotes sang out from the canyons, and my closest neighbors for the 3 nights/days were a Brown Thrasher, Orange-crowned/Yellow and Magnolia warblers, Clay-colored Sparrows, Western Kingbirds, a Screech owl, and Mr. Elk.... along with some passer-bys.




After saying my goodbyes and taking a few photos of the rising sun over the lake, I headed south to where I am now... Motel 6 in Rapid City, SD. About a half hour from Mt. Rushmore, Deadwood, and the Black Hills Nat'l Forest. I drove through Sturgis to get here, which was FILLED with Harley bars, dealers, shops and the like. Before I got that far, I stopped half-way at an really neat bar called 'The No.3 Saloon' in Buffalo, SD. Coincidentally, two identical twins came in, which is interesting to me because my good friend feeding my pets my mother won't even look at is a twin. I was outside talking on my cell phone to a different friend back home, and as they left, one of them tossed me a 65,000 year old turtle shell fossil as a souvenir for my trip. It went in the cup with interesting rocks and petrified wood I found on my own.

Unfortunately the ratio of living mammals (not live-stock) to road-killed mammals is around 300:1.... Dead:Alive. I did pass a few Pronghorn Antelope on the drive, and saw a few free-roaming Bison as well. The grassland and badland roads are all lined with wired fence to keep our burgers and lamb from getting out, and birds perched on what seemed like ever 100 feet of them. So again, unfortunately, I saw many road-killed birds too. One of which was a hawk of some sort.

I've now seen 3 sub-species of Red-tailed hawks on the trip, and the drive here gave me great looks at different morphs of Swainson's and Ferruginous hawks. I have another night here, and will probably do a bird tally tonight.... or today, as it will be heavily raining and storming, with winds up to 50mph. Tomorrow will be sunny and 65, though. There are caves to see, and gold to find, and Deadwood to enjoy while I am here. A lot of the stories and characters from the HBO show 'Deadwood' are based on real people/events, and I can't wait to see Wild Bill Hickock's grave... as he was killed in Deadwood. Not sure if Calamity Jane is buried in the same cemetery. I do know I will walk where they did, as well as Wyatt Earp.


The weather for Yellowstone N.P. is NOT what I had expected.... snow and sleet for the next several days, so camping there is out. I will do a drive through and tour, take some photos, then haul to Boulder, CO... where it will be 70-80 and sunny until Friday.


It is now 7:47am (now in Mountain time.... it follows the Missouri I believe.... zig-zags like crazy) in Rapid City.

Signing off for now,

-MoJo-

The freedom of the road....

It is 8:46a(central) in Fargo, and I am going to head to Lewis & Clark State Park in North Dakota for some camping/birding/hiking/photography(finally!) until Sunday morning (5/22).

The campground sits close to great walleye fishing, amazing birding (duh), and is close(relatively... CT is SMALL!) near/on the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers, and the northern section of Theodore Roosevelt Nat'l Forest.

On April 17th, 1805, the park's namesakes camped very nearby as they explored then unknown. To me, very cool.


Next WiFi probably in Salt Lake City, maybe a week or so away. Still awaiting my first Ferriginous....


From Fargo,

-MoJo-

PS:

I can't find Brainard! I want to photograph the Paul Bunyan Statue from the movie. They changed the names, due to the true events, so perhaps the town as well. I'll ask a local. =)

Off to the Dakotas...

I'm in Fargo, ND now, getting ready to camp out for 3-4-5 days in Little Mizzou Nat'l Grassland (far west end, mountain time).

My drive to Fargo added a Lesser Scaup, Common Goldeneye, an intermediate morph Red-tail, and my first Swainson's of the trip. I pulled off to check a pothole which was drying up, and filling with shorebirds... Least, Semipal Plover, and a single Pectoral Sandpiper.

I also spied two Tundra swans in a pothole with a few waterfowl.

I love the potholes.... a Pelican here, Snow goose there, waterfowl anywhere, migration shorbirds... gooood stuff.' Through Minnesota I saw several Cackling geese on their own.

Sandhill cranes fly-over and show up quite often now.


I am adding that sparrow as Henslow's, due to a lot of guide checking and note reviewing. The bird did not have the white lores of a LeConte's, a white eye ring, rusty(er) upper wings, and a big... almost seed eating bill.


Current trip count: 185 (186 if you want to count the Cacklers)

I lost, and bought a new SD card for my camera, so now I can actually take some photos of the birds from here on out!

No WiFi for a while after now...

Next stop, SW South Dakota and the Black Hills...

-MoJo-

...too add from a drive to Dunkin...

(1) Olive-sided Fly perched in the only tree in the field (Madison, WI)
(2) Cackling (Richardson's) goose in field w/other Candada geese.


Sooo... that is now (178) species, and one subspecies since I left Stratford, CT.


-MoJo-

What a week....

(LOTS of birds at this stop in middle Indiana)

CT to NJ, NJ to Cleveland, Cleveland to Chicago, Chicago to Columbus, Columbus to Ann Arbor... the Detroit, now typing from Madison, WI.

I camped out in an truly beautiful area about 20 minutes from the University of Michigan Campus, in a place called Pinkney Rec Area, at 'Crooked Lake' camp ground. My early morning buddies for the two days were singing Worm-eating and Magnolia warblers, Chipping and Clay-colored sparrows, YT Vireo, Common Loons, red squirrels, and dozens of catbirds.

I was in Ann Arbor, because I got to see the SOX LOSE against the Tigers @ Comerica Park in Detroit, which was about an hour away in traffic. Another hour trying to find where I parked (a frequent occurrence so far in the big cities... downtown Cleveland, Chicago, and then Detroit). Birding was done when possible (of course I'll squeeze that in!), but timing and driving length to places had me running all over. My first chance to really bird was in Ann Arbor. I set-up camp around 7:15 (est), done by 8:30p, by 1:00 I heard the loons, CanGos never shutting up all night, Barred and GH Owls, Tree frogs, bull frogs, peepers, and the sounds of calling coyotes that, to me, never gets old. The next morning I had some time to walk the area (huge, many lakes,, several many mile long trails through THICK, mature broadleaf woods, some mixed woods, HEAVILY wooded swamps, powerline cut, and the thickets along the lakes and between campsites.

I left out of Ann Arbor around 3-4p (eastern), and arrived at my Motel 6 (my new best friend when I need a good 8 hours and a shower.... $40 bux for a smoking room w/WiFi. Which bring me to now....

It is 6:15a (central time) here in Madison, and I have one day to just chillaxinate, then be outski tomorrow late morn to the Dakotas. A troop from here.... I think about 14-15 hours. My next )planned) destination is Cedar River Nat'l Grassland on the southern ND border. SD is all rain for the next few days, ND is 65-70s and sunny/partly cloudy for the next few+ days. So... easy decision when you are camping.

To the birds...

I have (not even close to joking) have seen at least 6-700 vultures driving these roads. Only Blacks were in NJ when I left out from my buddies house in Nanuet, NJ.

So far, here is my complete (relatively, I have one to nail down to an ID) trip list:

(1) Common Loon

(2) Horned Grebe

(3) Pied-billed Grebe (almost to the Western and Clark's!)

(4) Am. White Pelican (4 fly-overs)

(5) DC Cormorant

(6) Am. Bittern

(7) Least Bittern

(8) GB Heron

(9) Green Heron

(10) BC Night-heron

(11) Canada Goose (close to real ones in MI!)

(12) Snow Goose (a few fly-overs, one of about 200, and 3 loners in a restoration pool in WI)

(13) Wood Duck

(14) Mallard

(15) Northern Pintail

(16) BW Teal

(17) Ring-necked Duck (interesting sounds from these guys)

(18) Hooded Merganser

(19) Turkey Vulture

(20) Black Vulture (NJ)

(21) Northern Harrier (6 Gray ghosts in the middle of nowhere Illinois/Indiana)

(22) Sharp-shinned Hawk

(23) Cooper's hawk

(24) Northern Goshawk (through Pocono Mnts, PA)

(25) RS Hawk

(26) Broad-winged Hawk (several small kettles the whole way so far... one amazing dark adult)

(27) RT Hawk (many)

(28) Golden Eagle (2 so far)

(29) Bald Eagle

(30) Osprey

(31) Merlin

(32) Am. Kestrel (tons in the grasslands, like the harriers)

(33) Peregrine Falcon

(34) RN Pheasant

(35) Ruffed Grouse.... jamming out on the drums... but I can never track one down!

(36) Wild Turkey

(37) Am. Coot

(38) Sandhill Crane (3 separate times, one in a field, 2 fly-over groups)

(39) Killdeer

(40) Gr. Yellowlegs

(41) Solitary Sandpiper

(42) Spotted Sandpiper

(43) Dunlin (same spot as Solitary and spotted, small restoration pool in bumblescum, IN)

(44) Least Sandpiper (same as above)

(45) Am. Woodcock

(46) Wilson's Snipe

(47) Boneparte's Gull

(48) Frankin's Gull (more since the first)

(49) RB Gull

(50) Herring Gull (CT/NJ... none since.. gone north, right?)

(51) Caspian Tern (lifer)

(52) Common Tern

(53) Forster's Tern (all terns on large lakes or in CHI)

(54) Black Tern (bigger of the lakes in Ann Arbor)

(55) Mourning Dove

(56) Rock Dove

(57) Black-billed Cuckoo (TONS on tent caterpillars in my campground)

(58) GH Owl (juv. response is so neat)

(59) Barred Owl

(60) E. Screech Owl

(61) Whip-poor-will (still haven't actually seen one, heard 3 times in life... Ann Arbor)

(62) Common Nighthawk

(64) Chimney Swift

(65) RT Hummingbird

(66) Belted Kingfisher (one saved in CT very recently from Silver Sands, released next day)

(67) Red-headed Woodpecker (almost numerous in the woods of my campground)

(68) Red-bellied Woodpecker

(69) YB Sapsucker

(70) Downy Wp

(71) Hairy WP

(73) N. Flicker

(74) Pileated WP

(75) E. Wood-Peewee

(76) Yellow-bellied Fly

(77) Willow Fly

(78) Least Fly

(79) E. Phoebe

(80) GC Fly (calling all day in Ann Arbor... well, technically Pinkeny, MI)

(81) E. Kingbird

(82) RE Vireo

(83) Warbling Vireo

(84) White-eyed Vireo (2 places)

(85) YT Vireo (another morning singer at campground)

(86) Blue Jay

(87) Common Raven (leaving NJ)

(88) A. Crow

(89) Fish Crow (drive from Stratford to NJ...actually in BPT)

(90) Horned Lark

(91) Purple Martin

(92) NRW Swallow

(93) Bank Swallow

(94) Tree Swallow

(95) Cliff Swallow

(96) Barn Swallow

(97) Tufted Titmouse

(98) BC Chickadee

(99) WB Nuthatch

(100) Brown Creeper

(101) Carolina Wren

(102) House Wren

(103) Winter Wren (campground trails)

(104) Sedge Wren

(105) Marsh Wren

(106) RC Kinglet

(107) BG Gnatcatcher

(108) E. Bluebird

(109) Am. Robin

(110) Wood Thrush

(111) Veery

(112) Swainson's Thrush

(113) Hermit Thrush

(114) Gray Catbird (I had to tell them to shut up... about 5 around my site)

(115) N. Mockingbird

(116) Brown Thrasher

(117) Euro. Starling

(118) Cedar Waxwing

(119) N. Parula

(120) Orange-crowned Warbler (never heard one sing until this one)

(121) Tennessee Warbler (FOY)

(122) Blue-winged Warbler

(123) Nashville Warbler

(124) Yellow Warbler (tons, everywhere)

(125) Chestnut-sided Warbler

(126) Magnolia Warbler (morning singer at campground, both days)

(127) Cape may Warbler (Lake Shore Blvd in d/t Chicago.... excellent migrant spot)

(128) Cerulean Warbler

(129) Blackburnian Warbler

(130) Yellow-rumped Warbler

(131) BTG Warbler

(132) Palm Warbler ('brown/western')

(133) Pine Warbler

(134) Bay-breasted Warbler (same spot in Chicago)

(135) YT Warbler

(136) Worm-eating Warbler

(137) Prothonotary Warbler

(138) B&W Warbler

(139) Am. Redstart

(140) Ovenbird

(141) No. Waterthrush

(142) Mourning Warbler (Ann Arbor rec area powerline cut)

(143) Common Yelowthroat

(144) Wilson's Warbler (female)

(145) Canada Warbler

(146) Hooded Warbler

(147) Yellow-breasted Chat (lifer.. finally!!)

(148) Scarlet Tanager

(149) N. Cardinal

(150) RB Grosbeak

(151) Indigo Bunting (FOY, somehow)

(152) Dickcissel

(153) E. Towhee

(154) Field Sparrow

(155) Clay-colored Sparrow (with chippers, had to ID by song)

(156) Chipping Sparrow

(157) Grasshopper Sparrow

(158) Henslow's Sparrow ** (not Baird's, not that far west yet, my mistake)

(159) Savannah Sparrow

(160) Vesper Sparrow

(161) Lark Sparrow (lifer)

(162) WT Sparrow

(163) WC Sparrow

(164) Song Sparrow

(165) Swamp Sparrow

(166) E. Meadowlark (I was on the line... white malar)

(167) Bobolink

(168) BH Cowbird

(169) Yellow-headed Blackbird

(170) RW Blackbird

(171) Brewer's Blackbird (lifer)

(172) Common Grackle

(173) Baltimore Oriole

(174) Orchard Oriole

(175) House Finch

(176) Am. Goldfinch

(177) House Sparrow

I need to ID (think I did), but have an good idea already, was either Henslow's or LeConte's Sparrow. I am leaning towards Henslow's due to a smaller bill, rustier wings, no white/gray lores, white eye-ring, and a pretty thick bill. I'm on the fence to add it... either would be a lifer, but one thing that stood out was the lack of white tertials on the bird. So I say Henslow's.... but hey, that's birding.

3, maybe 4 lifers and few FOYs. I'd love input on my notes on the Henslow's/LeConte's

The beach along Lake Shore Blvd in Chicago must be a resting point for northern breeders, it was a GREAT stop!

Birding was done by hiking, driving, song IDs, and random pull overs in bumblescum. Waking up in my tent I IDed about 20-25 birds before I even sat up.

I am in Madison until tomorrow morning, so I think I'll look for a nice spot to bird for the day.... after I take a swim in the indoor pool (!) and shower.

So long for now,





-MoJo-

Day 3 (ish... again)... Cleveland to Chicago w/spots between....

Right now it is 6:00am (central). Yet to sleep... 5+ from Cleveland to Chicago. Though before I left for downtown, I spent like 1 1/2hrs in Cleveland, mostly downtown, but was able to stay below the storm and bird Cuyahoga Falls Nat'l Forest (going back tomorrow after Indiana Dunes Nat'l Lakeshore). The normal migrants, plus a few we don't get at home. Gotta grab the notebook to get the list. Best was an amazingly striking female YT warb, with some brown on the back... normal??

I headed out of Cleveland towards Chi-Town to get my lost licence.... and I did quick stops at random 'birdy-looking spots' (like the one in PA), and had 17 Sandhill Cranes migrating north, YH Blackbirds all over like the grackles at home, about 200 Snow geese in splendid formation, my FOY Tennessee warb, several Blackburnians, Blackpolls abound (early this year, right??), a few Ceruleans (FOY), 4 bay-breasted warbs (FOY), and my favorite of the quick 2m walk through the Falls..... a migrating adult Golden Eagle (also 2 Baldies seen in the area.) A male Wilson's warb let me pish him in too.... another (FOY).


The big thing was the amount of Bonie's acting like RBGUs. Dumpster diving, picking fries from BK in the lot.

Cliff swallows nesting in MANY buildings in D/T Cleveland. Tomorrow I'll grab my licence, then head back to Cuyahoga. Also there were many RB Gros, various vireos, YB Fly, Wood-pewee, Clay-colored sparrow in with Chippers, migrating Peregrine (lots of pigeons!), S. Tanagers up the ying-yang, White-eyed vireo (FOY) in with the norms, another kettle of BWHA (6 this time) over I-80.... one the darkest of the dark morphs I've seen. Daylight Barred owl, 10+ warb species, Wood ducks... not a bad outing. It was actually sunny for a bit.


In D.T Cleveland, two Rastas (Studio Upstairs) were jammin outside, taking requests.... extreeeeeely good vibrations. They played Handsome Johnny (Richie Havens), and the best version of 'Knockin' on Heaven's Door' I ever heard.... they changed the key, and slowed it up. Wow. I wish my SD card hasn't been screwing up or I'd have amazing vids of them jamming out.


I skipped the R&R Hall of Fame, because I got free tickets (all free) to watch the Cavs BLOW IT on the megatron screen at Quicken Loans Arena.... game started at 8, by the time I got out of great pub clled the Rascal House, walked around taking photos, the museum would hve been closed..... me, and my music enlightenment need much more than 1-2hrs for a place like that.

The Cliff swallows (if I remember right) were also a (FOY). I also added A. Bittern and Green Heron to the trip list.

Total trip tlly has jumped to over 70 so far... day 3, didn't even make it to the Dakota's yet! Then the great beyond.

I'm checking out the CTBirds list.... good stuff going on! Especially after the storms roll through!


Best from Chicago,

-MoJo-

Tornados, 1" hail.... I'll take a detour!

I am just about out the door in Cleveland to go see the R&R Hall of Fame Museum in D/T Cleveland. Afterwards, I'll swing south (away from these storms) to Cuyahoga Falls Nat'l Forest for a bit of birding, then to Chicago.


I dropped my damn licence at Bank of America in Jersey by my buddy's house, and the gracious manager sent it to Chicago for me... for free! Dope.

So after the rain starts (I'm on the bottom edge of the hard stuff... check the weather!), I'm off to Chicago for a night or two.... unless the rain clears, then I'll camp at CFNF for a couple days. Just gotta be in Detroit for the 1:05p start time of the ball game.



Right now (10:14 am, est) Chipping sparrows are singing, a Yellow warbler is singing, a female Orchard Oriole is looking slendid... even under the grey skies that have been over me since Jersey!! And another lifer..... a pair of blackbirds who required Sibley's.... Shiny Cowbirds. Their iridescence is almost MORE than a C. grackle from home. Chimney swifts, 2 male RT Hummers loving the Lilacs and some other flower I don't know. Last night a flock of maybe 2-300 C. Nighthawks made a pass north. Cliff swallows in D/T Cleveland yesterday, Bonie's flew over this morning.

I guess my Franklin's was a good find.... juuuuuuuust on the edge of their range. Size and call discerned the two.

Hopefully Indiana Dunes Nat'l Lakeshore isn't a monsoon.....


...until next time...


-MoJo-

Quick Change of Plans...

I'm heading up north to see Detroit take on Boston at Comerica, Sunday @ 1:05pm. I selected visitor seats in the home run area.... plan to wear my Jeter shirt, show off my Yanks tat, Hartford Whalers hat.....

.....and cheers my balls off for Damon. I met him after a game (not taller than me!), and he was the coolest dude going.


Until next time.....



-Brian-

(AKA -MoJo-)

Day 1-2 (kinda)

Day 1-2(ish):


I decided, instead of dealing with stupid NYC/NJ/CT traffic in the morn of Tuesday (check engine light went on Sunday night!!!... just a gas cap contact, whew!), I drove to Nanuet, NJ to see a good buddy Kenny who I go to festivals w/and hang out with from time to time. Arrived there (about 75min in traffic... yea, skip traffic.....) about 10:30 and we took in some jams, took in some DBs, and I crashed there.

I set out around noon, after going to the bank an buying a fireproof safe (marked as $40, night crew marked it $18... score!). And just like The Merritt and Hutch.... tree/construction/one lane shit.... so I stayed in Cleveland instead of Chicago. Especially since I would have gotten there by like 5am today (5/12). Motel 6, 5 mi from the Rock and Rock Hall of Fame and downtown Cleveland. I check out tomorrow (5/13) at noon..... on to North Dakota, with a stop at Indiana Dunes Nat'l Lakeshore in Indiana.

I was only about 3 hours in before some (some.... haha) storms rolled in (get ready CT!), so I pulled off I-80 in a place called The Village of Lighthouse. I made sure nothing would get wet, grabbed a snack, wrote in my journal/book, then heard the mojo....

This place was Cabella's, Bradely, Strong Rd, and Griswold all rolled into one. Bobolinks, Baird's Sparrow (lifer), RB Grosbeak, Field Sparrow, Yellow warbler, Catbirds abound.... but the best was a stunning..... stunning, female Prothonotary warbler who came to my pishing. She picked up my MoJo and refused not to chip and show off that blazing white undertail coverts. This was about an hour stop.

(Awesome little town......)

(Where the grassland and migrant birds were in PA)

I got back on the road, as soon as I jump back on I-80...more construction. Now in Ohio at this point, but I did see several Brewer's Blackbirds crossing the highway from grassland spot to grassland spot. A lifer for me! I noticed the smaller size of the grackles coming from the same areas. One nice point in traffic is when I watched an adult Red-tail devouring prey a top a lamp post.... going 1 mph, I got good looks!

40 Species so far... best being female Protho and HUGE 1st year Goshawk coming into a tree on the side of I-80 in the in the Poconos, PA.

Here for one more night.... off to see Cleveland!

-Brian-

Wow that came up faster than the last 4 months!!

I am off and about by 5:00a Monday morning. I just hope I stay awake for Breaking Bad!!


These last few days have been chaotic/hectic/exciting/anxious, etc..... from packing, gather, yada yada.

At least my Blue-wings came home before I left! Still no Indigo Bunting!!!!


This will be my last post until stopover #1.... somewhere near Chicago.


3 days........ then 3 months of anything I want. I am going to leave a tape recorder at various spots over night to pick up historical Americans.... where Kennedy was shot, the Alamo, Gettysburg, etc.... not for me so much, my buddy is big into the ghost mojo.


See you out west!!!!

-Brian-

Oil......

Unbelievable. You'd think after Alaska they would get there shit together. They can spend billions on nonsensical technology (iPad, for one....), yet not find a way to safely transport oil?

How many googles of times have ships navigated everywhere? To me, this really angers me for 3 reasons...

1) The most obvious, the wildlife of the Gulf

2) Obama thinks it's a good idea to do MORE drilling

3) My first encounter of the Gulf Coast in TX and LA will surely not be as expected.



I was in Alaska 2 years ago, and drove to Valdez. I honestly wanted to cry due to the way the locals described the disaster.


People ask me why I want to live in a cabin in the middle of an undeveloped million acre forest.... my answer is always.... 'You, and people'.


-Brian-

Lots of packing and thinking....

I got a few new tats yesterday, rainy out, no plans, so I sat down and opened an excel file and just thought of everything I would need. From tent to chapstick, from plastic forks to my cell phone, from my water shoes to my lens cleaner.

In about 15 minutes, I had 228 items listed. The good thing, though, is that I already have 92% of all that.... I just have to think about where it is and find it all!! My buddy said, 'What, they don't have Walmart in bumblescum??'. Of course they do.... but being prepared is a no brainer when compared to a possibility.



It is now 10:11am (est), on April 27th, 2010. By this time on May 10th, 2010 I will be probably in Ohio. Not exactly safe.... but I made it home to Stratford from a hotel on the Illinois/Indiana border (called the Blue Heron!) in 12 hours. I am leaving at 4:00am, so 6 hours in I will be nearing Ohio most likely. People really think it takes longer to get to places than they actually do. Yea, it does take 14 hours to drive to Savannah, GE.... but from my house in Stratford it takes me 13 minutes, going the speed of traffic, to Main St. in downtown West Haven.

I can't wait for that first sunrise to enlighten my first birding spot... and myself.

T-Minus: 49min, 18hrs, 13 days......


-Brian-

Two weeks.... music

Only two weeks until what will (hopefully not!!) be the trip of my lifetime. (I still need to get to Mexico again, Costa Rica, Galopagos..!!!).


One enourmous part of my life is music. I play music (guitar, keyboard, drums, harmonica, flute), I hear music (huge difference between listening and hearing!), I have musical vibes in my blood stream. I already rambled off a few bands to be heard on the trip, but because I am bored, I will list what I got on the iPod now. I listen to any and everything, so the list is quite eclectic and probably most artists are unknown to several.*

Suggestions are greatly appreciated.... how else do you find new music??* If anyone knows of a band listed, and knows of something I may like, I WILL put it in the iPOD... and give it a chance. most turn off things too qick to even know if they dig it or not.


(in no order of favorites....just what comes out of my mind......)

Bright Eyes, Conor Oberst (Conor IS Bright Eyes), Jack Johnson, Cage, Incubus, Citizen Cope, Miles Davis, Led Zepplin, The Doors, Atreyu, Air Supply (yea, I said Air Supply), Portishead, Kings of Leon, Plain White T's, Nas, Les Claypool and his many bands (Primus, Frog Brigade, etc...), Pink Floyd, Boston, Peter Tosh, Bob Marley, The Wailers, 311, The Agony Scene, Alice in Chains, Arlo Guthrie, a little bit of Janis...can only take so much of her, Poison The Well, A Jealousy Issue, New Found Glory (not a bad show the other night at CCSU... too much new stuff), Marshall Tucker Band, Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Dave Matthews Band, Hatebreed (eh), Galactic, Ryan Montbleu Band, moe. (gotta be in my top 10 bands.... way too many to do a top 3, forget one), Tool, A Perfect Circle, Dashboard Confessinal, The Dillinger Escape Plan (coolest band name ever), Tupac, Biggie, OLD Mobb Deep, Blood for Blood, Jane's Addiction, Every Time I Die, The Grateful Dead, Ratdog (oh, Bobby, why...), Phish, Phil Lesh and Friends, Keller Williams, The String Cheese Incident, Nirvana, Widespread Panic, Muse, The Reckoning, Bob Dylan (Conor Oberst is the next BD), Eighteen Visions, Gin Blossoms, God Forbird, Radiohead, Full Blown Chaos, Hopesfall, Green Day (Dookie and prior), Metalllica (pre-Load... again, d-bag sellouts), Interpol, Damien Marley (Bob's son), Simon & Garfunkel, George Clinton and P-Funk, Deep Banana Blackout, Remembering Never, Crosby-Stills-Nash, Jethro Tull, Soundgarden, Sublime, Santana, Butthole Surfers, The Meat Puppets, Buddy Guy, a little bit of the old Ludwig Van (Beethoven... from Clockwork Orange... book better), Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Paganini (5th caprice.... wow.... link to video of best shredder EVER playing the 5th on electric guitar), Straylight Run, Lotus, The Black Crowes, A Life Once Lost, Bud and Budd- The Kind Buds, The Mars Volta, Michael Frantiw/Spearhead, Spearhead alone, Killswitch Engage, Seemless (Killswitch's original singer's new band), Pearl Jam, Temple of the Dog, Mother Love Bone, RAQ, Senses Fail, Stome Temple Pilots, maybe some Coheed, John Gilmore solo stuff (Floyd lead guitarist), Better Than Ezra, Spin Doctors, Beach Boys, John Denver, The Bled, Johnny Cash, Candiria, Black Sabbath, Aerosmith, Drowning Pool (pre lead singer's death), Pantera, Superjoint Ritual, Foo Fighters, Tenecious D, From Autumn to Ashes, Fuel, Into Another, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, Oasis, MxPx, NoFX (I hate the Misfits!), Live, REM, Kottonmouth Kings, Lords of Acid, The Chemical Brothers, Red Hot Chili Peppers, OutKast, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jefferson Airplane, G. Love and Special Sauce, Perpetual Groove, Jeff Beck, Patsie Cline (my father loved her... know the songs by heart), The Bloodhound Gang, CKY, Cypress Hill, Flyleaf, System of a Down, Depeche Mode, Bootsy Collins, Cat Stevens, Edgar Winter Group, Mgmt, Trivium, Beck, Slightly Stoopid, The Roots, Silverchair, Candlebox (best band to learn on guitar), The Used, AFI (eeehhh), Eminem (I guess... I think he sucks besides his flow skills.... generic, corny and lame lyrics... Ill take Cage over him any day), The Pretenders, Blink 182 (2004 and prior), Anthrax, Iron Maiden, Slipknot, Portishead (needs to be mentioned twice!), The Mamas and the Papas, Roy Orbison, Ben Harper, Bens Fold Five, Matchbox 20......


....that is where my Brian brain train ended. I encourage all to check out any bands listed. how does one learn with closed eyes and ears??


-Brian-

Phone/GPS and some Sherwood photos

Well I got a new phone, and I love it. I don't know how it compares to others, but I got the newest Motorola Droid w/Google. It is the one with the slide down keyboard (was a must... still working on getting better at that!).

But it indeed save me money.... I needed a new phone like crazy, and wanted/needed a GPS for my trip. The Droids maps and car navigation is amazing. Within seconds, it found where I was, I typed in San Fransisco, and had step by step directions.

Most probably know all these neat features, but this is my first 'real' phone... and I dig the hell out of it!



Anyhow... early on Friday morning (4/23), I met Tina Green at the entrance of Sherwood Island SP in Westport, CT for a look around. I had only been there once, and it was only as far in as to the conifers so see some really awesome birds (thanks go to Tina for that, also!!), so Tina was gracious enough to trot me around the park and point out the finer birding sections.

We tallied 43 species, highlights being 7 Snipe, 7-8 Willet, 4 Thrashers, and a single Yellow warbler (at most, 5 minutes after Tina left for work.. bummer!). That was our ONLY warbler of the walk. The Mill pond and LIS were quite dead.

Nonetheless, it was a gorgeous day (a bit breezy) to be out in nature. And I agree with Tina when she says that Sherwood could, and maybe more importantly should, be the Hammo of Fairfield county. Maybe not as big, but the habitats are all the same... just not maintained as much as they should be.

Below are a few photos I snagged of the few I snagged in total.

-One of many Willet who have returned to Sherwood Island and the CT coast-

-A crap photo of one of the 4 Thrashers we found-

-My favorite.... as I was leaving the point on the shore to head out and home, this amazing little guy landed and was very photogenic. I raised Black Swallowtails before, and I think they are just amazing. This was my first encounter this year with any swallowtail, though the next day I saw two Tiger Swallowtails.-

After today only 2 weeks!!!

(I can't say that Alex's FL birdlist didn't get me a bit jealous that I am not out now!! I'll be down there around July 1st... if AZ doesn't hold me down!)


-Brian-

We're getting there!!

Less than three weeks to go!! (anxious scream). Just got my truck totally done up for my trip (after 2 dyas without.... but I have an amazing mechanic and a ton of stuff only ran me $600!)

Luke, Nick, Alex... I lost my phone (using an even crappier back up now), so Saturday I am going to Verizon to pick up a Droid, or the newest Droid. Whichever has REAL buttons. But either has GPS, and the latter has a GPS tracker. Two birds in one stone, hopefully!!



A few new birds have been ever so slowly coming into CT. I had my first BWWA (2) and Wood thrush yesterday.

There has got to be warblers around, weather was perfect for birds to be found yesterday. Frank Mantlik pulled the first Parula of CT yesterday, a willet was at Stratford Point, Cattle egrets were upstate, and an Am. Golden Plover.

Kepp those eyes peeled nd your necks strained to the tree tops! Yellow has been seen in CT as of 4/17.



-Brian-

The dump....

One reason I LOVE birds is that they are everywhere. Whether stupid (in my opinion) Starlings or House sparrows, or just backyarders, or good stuff... anything can be anywhere, anytime.


I have been working a bunch to get stuff done and make as much cash as possible for my American Adventure, which brought me to the dump in Stratford. This dump (refuse/recycling place as the like to call it) is only a couple blocks down from the ever-popular Stratford unit of McKinney Refuge, mostly 'Great Meadows'. All the same habitat is near, but warehouses and whatnot make the 1/2m drive down the road seem less impressive (the winter 'western' Willet didn't think to seem so!!).

The last 2 times I have been to this dump, I had a gorgeous White-crowned sparrow working the large brush pile the town has residents pile into (4/10). This early afternoon, I was waiting in a looooong line to clean out the many (MANY) bags of trash from cleaning an apt and I was lucky to sore another First Of Year bird (FOY) in the form of 3 active Barn Swallows.


I guess the moral of this short story.... KEEP BINOCULARS IN YOUR CAR AT ALL TIMES!!

Enjoy birds, and get out there!! The migrants are slowly dripping in. White-eyed Vireos have been seen in the SW corner, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers are around in small numbers, Palms are back, I had an early Baltimore Oriole a few weeks ago, and a Blue-headed Vireo on 4/06.

Vermont has already reported RB Grosbeaks and Wood thrush. Not my real deal here... but it seems once the weather breaks we should have some migrant songbirds. If they are up there... they have to be around here somewhere!!! Luke pulling a YTWA gives a good feeling. =) (Great spot Luke and the group!).

-Brian-

The Home Stretch...

My original departure date was May 1st, but I've pushed it back to May 10th to be home for Mother's Day. At this time on May 10th I will be somewhere in PA, on my way to the Dakotas. I've taken a few road trips, some short, some ridiculously long.... common element for me... leave before daybreak. After sleep, of course (if possible that night). Driving west with the rising sun in the rear-view is an experience hard to duplicate. It gets even better as the sun and my eyes paint over landscapes unseen in front of me.

I don't like making stretches longer than 12 hours, if only because I can't stand driving for 12 minutes. People....

One of my favorite things to do on a long trip is to find a secluded rest-stop or park, grab a pillow and sheet, and nap in the sun for about an hour or two. On a trip to AK, I did just that on the WI/MN border. When I woke up, the sun was setting and a snake was stretching and squirming it's way south in the form of thousands upon thousands of Common Nighthawks. It went on forever... I stood still, just watching, for about 15 minutes before something else caught my eye, this time much bigger. A flock of 15 Sandhill Cranes managed to move their massive bodies silently over the rocks and hills to warmer climes. Once the cranes were out of sight, the Nighthawks were still going strong. I finally convinced myself I needed to get going, jumped in the truck, and was then presented with a stunning view of a feeding American Bittern in a small pool just past the rest-stop. It's colors felt so warm in the fading sunlight. All 3 of the species were life birds. All in about 30 minutes, by accident, after a nap.


25 days. 25 days and I am on my way. To wherever I want to go. Anywhere. And I plan to do just that. I cannot even begin to describe the feeling one gets with an entire country in front of them, pulling and tugging in every direction to see America's beauty. The cities, the towns with 1 stoplight, the 6 hour drives of nothing but sunflowers, antelope in the fields, Golden eagles patrolling the plains, the locals, the bars, the history.... I want it all.

Main cities that will be at least driven through (if not visited):

NYC, Cleveland, Chicago, Madison, the Twin Cities, Rapid City (SD), Fargo, Great Falls and Helena (WY), Idaho Falls, Salt Lake City, Boulder and Denver, Vegas, Reno, San Francisco (back tracking a bit by here... can't pass up a chance to cruise south along the Pacific in Cali), Monteray, LA, San Diego, (still on the fence about Baja... to keep it in the US or not, hmm....) Phoenix, Tuscon, Santa Fe, Roswell (and small towns from Natural Born Killers), Carlsbad, El Paso, San Antonio, Houston, Corpus Christi, Galveston, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Mobile, Tallahassee, Daytona, Orlando, Miami, Ft. Laudy, The Keys, Atlanta, Augusta, Savannah (that is going to be amazing....), Charleston, Cape Hatteras, Richmond, DC, Annapolis, Philly, Trenton.... argg... Stratford.


I have from May 10th until July 27th to go wherever. I know going in that there is a distinct possibility I miss some planned destinations. Whether it be because the funds are dry, I can't leave one place, weather... it happens. I only have to be home for the Gathering of the Vibes at Seaside Park in BPT, CT. This will be, I believe, my 6th straight, since it was in upstate NY in Mariahville. Those that have seen me know I fit into the 'hippy' category, though I don't really subscribe to that label. Musically, absolutely. Music will be an integral and intense part of this whole trip. There is a song for every moment, place, person, thing, feeling and state of mind. My 2 iPods are already filled. Some bands that are absolutely needed:

Tool, Plain White T's, Jack Johnson, Citizen Cope, moe (the song Big Country fits so well), The Doors, Simon & Garfunkel, Keller Williams, Radiohead, The String Cheese Incident, Gin Blossoms, Floyd, Zep, The Grateful Dead, Phil Lesh & Friends (I'll take them over Phish anyday.... too bad Bobby can't get it right with Ratdog), Peter Tosh/Marley/The Wailers, Remembering Never, Hopesfall, Cage, Jethro Tull, Widespread Panic (Space Wrangler... man), Pearl Jam, DMB, Senses Fail, Dashboard, the Blow soundtrack, 311, Santana, Alice 'n Chains, Metallica (STRICTLY pre-Load... sellout jerk tools... they are horrible now), Ryan Montbleu Band, Poison the Well..... off the top of my head.


I want to thank any and everyone who helped/is helping me with my trip. Everything helps. From spare jumper cables to feeding my reptiles.

The countdown continues......

FOYs continue.....

I made a trip down to Milford Point today to say hey to a few people (used to volunteer there). and to check on the Piping Plover situation.

I found two separate pairs of Piping Plovers (no Bermuda leg bands.... yet!!!), and 7 American Oystercatchers. Birds were pretty plentiful today there. A decent sized flock of about 100(+) Dunlin along the LIS sound, 3 Opsreys hanging about.... 2 residents and one intruder, good sized numbers of gulls plankton feeder... one of which was a probable Lesser Black-backed gull... too far and too bright to be sure, but I could make out the nape streaking of the adult bird, 2 Tree swallows, a Red-necked Grebe close to breeding best, 3 Horned grebes in breeding best, and the usual suspects. There were also several Killdeer, a half dozen Black-bellied plovers, several Greater yellowlegs, and a single (probable) Lesser yellowlegs. Not good enough lighting or visibliliy of field marks to make it a FOY yet. I'd like to think I'll get one before I leave!!


My next stop was just down the road (and beach) to Silver Sands SP, also in Milford. I stopping quickly to say 'HEY!' to a good friend who is an ACO at the Milford Animal Control center building there, and he actually pointed out a few birds he had been seeing. One of which he told me about yesterday and I IDed for him in the form of 2 Glossy Isis, and some fast flying green-ness, as so described. They were a few Tree swallows.

We walked out to then end of the board walk so I can show how far my new scope can go, and there were perfect subjects about (not the females... wow, they flock on the first nice weekend!!). There were 3 Snowy egrets and a single Great egret in the trees of nearby Charles Island. Other notable birds were 3 Osprey and a single Peregrine falcon. More gull plankot feeding here as well.


FOYS for today:

• Piping Plovers
• American Oystercatchers
• Snowy Egret
• Glossy Ibis (reported, didn't see until today)
• Red-necked Grebe (didn't see Larry's on the boat in early March)
• Black-bellied Plovers (didn't do too much winter shorebirding, obviously!)

Nice two day total for me in the FOY category. 11 in 2 days. I also had a FOY Palm warbler this morning.

-Brian-

Finally... the sun!

When I left my house yesterday morning, I was a little peeved to see it was still cloudy. But by 9:00a I was going blind! I hadn't seen the sun in like 4 days, and my bedroom is in the basement. When the sun came out I started sneezing, eyes watering and closing... but it felt great!

I had just gotten home when Tina Green called me to say she had found a Eurasian Wigeon in the 'warehouse pool' at the Great Meadows unit of the McKinney refuge in Stratford. I didn't see any last year, so I jumped on this one... also since I didn't go see one that was in Stratford this winter. Tina also let me know that the Northern Shoveler were still present as well.

I got down there, first day in a t-shirt and shorts, and was excited to score 4 first-of-year birds. In addition, birds were singing and Spring was showing itself. A phoebe worked the edge of the pond, Tree swallows flew by in pairs a couple times (Tina also had a NRW swallow), Swamp sparrows were looking nice and rusty, the Boat-tails were singing as loud as possible, Mute swans on their nest and bonding, Yellowlegs calling as it flew overhead, Killdeer calling from somewhere....

My 4 FOYs were Greater yellowlegs, Northern Shovelor, Eurasian Wigeon, and Great egret. Tina was awaiting Sara Zagorski's arrival when I got there, then Charlie Barnard came too. The 4 of us walked the railroad trail in hopes of Blue-winged teals (which were the other way!!), enjoyed the wigeon, and took in some sun.


It was a very nice day to be out, and nice to see my first EUWI since '08. Thanks, Tina! The Trumpeter swans took advantage of the great weather and took to the wing yesterday. I was thinking that may happen. All in all, it has been a sweet way to end the monsoon season and bring in April.

Lapwing, anyone??? ;)

Trumpeter Swans in Stratford...

Finally, I found birds worth looking at! Hopefully, these will hold up and not be escapees.

I was driving to pick up a pizza, which took me past a small pond on the Stratford/Shelton line (actually in Stratford), when I noticed two non-Mute swans. I figured they were Tundras, based only on location. I quickly called a few people, and we agreed that these two swans were indeed Trumpeter swans.

No tags or bands were seen to indicate they are escapees, but like I said on CTbirds... that is not my field.

Frank Mantlik has some better shots, but here are two out of the bunch I took. We noted the red gape, long and straight bill, black legs, and overall huge-ness.

(click on photos for larger version)

-Brian-