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Showing posts from May, 2017

Washington, late April

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I found myself in Seattle for a conference about five weeks ago and worked in some birding around the lecture schedule. Time in the field was brief but productive! Here are some photos in no particular order. Golden-crowned Sparrow Leach's Storm-Petrel Laysan Albatross Laysan Albatross Laysan Albatross Pink-footed Shearwater four tubenose species here Black-footed Albatross Northern Fulmar Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel chum slick Pink-footed Shearwater migrant shorebirds migrant shorebirds Western Sandpiper Western Sandpiper Western Sandpiper migrant shorebirds migrant shorebirds Western Sandpiper Western Sandpiper Western Sandpiper Marbled Godwits Marble

May 18, 2017 - CT Big Day - 191 species

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The Raven Lunatics were back at it this year for another dedicated Big Day run in Connecticut. Patrick Dugan could not join us this year thanks to a poorly-timed illness that knocked him on his butt for several days, so Dave Provencher filled in to join Frank Gallo, Dave Tripp, Fran Zygmont and myself. Our scouting coverage this year was better than most, if not our best year ever as far as hours in the field are concerned. We felt well-prepared as we awaited the arrival of the later breeders, a few of which were undoubtedly being held up by a prolonged period of unsettled weather and northerly winds. The weather seemed prime to break for the 17th. With no Eastern Wood-Pewees or Alder Flycatchers recorded on our route as of the 16th (and very few Willow Flys in yet), we reluctantly decided to wait until we confirmed the arrival of these birds before making our run at a new record. Unfortunately, this ended up being the wrong decision, at least as far as migrant passerines go. It turn