Tweets,

Given our unfortunate dependence on foreign (and domestic) oil and the unconscionably large size of our human footprint, I would like to propose that we redefine our 2005 Washington Big Year goal by seeing how many species we can see in the state while expending a limited amount of fossil fuels. I figure it should be possible to tally well over 300 species in the state in 2005 while driving less than 6000 miles. With ride sharing, busses, bicycles, and boots one might accomplish a 300+ year list with considerable fewer miles (dividing miles by the number of people in the car, with a hybrid bonus, with public transportation and foot powered vehicles free).

For example, with Seattle as a base, your year might look like this (# days; # miles):

January:
Seattle, King County shorelines, parks, including Renton, Kent, Auburn) (1, 100)
Stillaguamish-Skagit-Samish flats (1, 150)
Tokeland-Westport-Hoquiam-Ocean Shores (2, 300)
February:
Wenatchee-Bridgeport-Moses Lake-Vantage (2, 500)
Woodland-Vancouver Lake-Lyle-Yakima (2, 450)
Winter pelagic out of Westport (1, 300)
March:
Olympia-Longview-Ilwaco-Raymond (2, 450)
Sage Grouse at Yakima Firing Range (1, 200)
April:
South Puget Sound Prairies (1, 150)
May:
Owl Prowl-Big Day, Liberty-Vantage-Dodson Rd.-Vantage-Seattle (1, 500)
June:
Big eastern Washington loop, via Okanogan-Pend O-Reille-Blue Mtns.-Tri-Cities-Klickitat-Yakima (5, 1000)
July:
Whidbey Island (1, 150)
Paradise, Mt. Rainier (1, 150)
August:
Tiffany Mt.-Hart's Pass (2, 400)
Moses Lake-Potholes Reservoir shorebirds (1, 400)
September:
Pelagic & coastal points (2, 300)
San Juan Island (1, 150)
October:
Straits of Juan de Fuca: Fr. Flagler-Pt. Townsend-Sequim-Pt. Angeles (2, 200)
November:
Bainbridge Is. big day with owls (1, 50)
December:
Local CBCs (2, 100)

Total: species potential, ca. 340 (32, 6000)

There are many alternative possible routes, from various starting points, any of which might offer the possibility of seeing virtually all regularly occuring Washington species.

Any takers?

Gene Hunn.