Subject: [Tweeters] My First Bird of 2016
Date: Jan 2 08:56:26 2016
From: Joshua Glant - josh.n.glant at gmail.com


Hello Tweets,

I arrived at Sikes Lake yesterday morning when the moon and stars were still shining brightly above. The sky was just beginning to slowly lighten over the snow-laden mountains to the east as we pulled into our parking spot beside the lake. As soon as I opened the car door, I heard my 2016 BOTY.

If only I had waited one moment more to crack open the door, I would've had my favorite duck, the wigeon (Eurasians especially, but I love Americans as well). Alas, that was not to be: the first bird I heard (and then saw) in the new year was the decrescendo laughter of a Mallard. All three of us in the car got Mallard as our first 2016 bird! Ah well, perhaps that is a good omen for my year to come - 2016 will be about fleshing out my familiarity with local hotspots and species. What better way to start that off than with our most common duck?

Good birding in this wonderfully sunny but briskly cold new year, Joshua Glant

Mercer Island, WA

Josh(dot)n(dot)glant(at)gmail(dot)com