Tweeters,

Four years ago my brother gave me a book that has been our guide for a
number of enjoyable birding adventures. "Birdfinder-A birders guide to
planning North American Trips" is its title. It's written by Jerry Cooper
and available through the American Birding Association.

The text presents 19 self guided tours, beginning early January in
California and ending at Niagara Falls in December. Cooper claims that if
you do all 19 trips in a year you should come in contact with 650 different
North American bird species.

We've been doing a couple of the trips each year, and though the text is
becoming dated, it's often been an intriguing feathered treasure hunt.
What doesn't work out as well as you would hope is taking the trip at a
different time of the year than is recommended. For example this morning
we got back from Chapter 14's four day journey to the Davis Mountains and
Big Bend National park in West Texas. There was significant snow at both,
and we came away without Lucifer Hummingbird and Colima Warbler, in spit of
making the long hike to Boot Springs twice. Never heard a cheep. It seems
it's just too early and the book recommends you do it in July.

There is an active Black Hawk nest in the park and it's a wild and
beautiful out of the way place.

Good birding,

Larry Schwitters-Issaquah