Tweeters;
Well, I enjoyed my last day here in style, hiking up the Burroughs Mt.
trail at Sunrise for a ways. No luck with Ptarmigan- I got up a little late
and the trails were a bit busy- but I did see two more GC Rosy-Finches, both
on rocky slopes at very close range- so much for this being a tough bird!
Also, got my best looks ever at American Pipit and Mountain Bluebird. And
the hike alone was worth it!
I leave early tomorrow for NY, so I believe my birding is complete. I
end the trip with a total of 179 species, especially good considering I was
going for specific birds, not a high count, and that I missed a few I thought
would be relatively easy (e.g. Bewick's Wren, Townsend's Solitaire,
MacGillivray's and Townsend's Warblers). This is easily a personal record-
not surprising, since I planned well and got lots of help (not to mention
that every trip out makes one a better birder). Big misses- Parasitic Jaeger
(of course, one came in to my favorite shorebirding location in NYC while I
was here!), a couple of shorebirds, and most of the phaesianidae- California
Quail was my only lifer. But these can be hit and miss, and next time I'll
try a different time of year. I got 45 lifers, plus one (Black Swift) U.S.
bird, so in general I'm thrilled, if a little beat after putting 2500 miles
on my rental truck, and God knows how many on my feet. Thanks to everybody
who offered their kind words and assistance, especially Jamie Acker, Bill
Shelmerdine, Rachel Lawson, and numerous others. I owe a debt of gratitude
to the birders of Washington, and I hope that anyone who comes to visit my
neck of the woods will use me as a resource- I'm far from a ranking birder in
my state, but I know how to reach the right people for the right birds, and
would be happy to forward any RFIs to our listserve. Thanks again for a
marvelous time, Washington, and continued happy birding! I'll be back!
Regards,
Ken Allaire
NYC birder
kallaire at cs.com