Bird Board
Rarities RFI
Please let me know if there are any other rarities in Dade County I could miss in the next few days. I'm currently on a roll!
Cuban Pewee (would be year bird) - dipped
Pine Siskin (would be county bird) - dipped
Loggerhead Kingird (would be county and photo bird) - dipped
If my luck continues, I'm thinking one or more of the following will show up briefly before disappearing forever. Here are some hypothetical sightings;
Zenaida Dove, county bird, found by Robin at Bill Baggs, gone when I get there 2 hours later.
Ruddy Quail Dove, life bird, found by Dan Smyth at R. Hardy Matheson, gone 5 mins before I arrive.
Fork-tailed Flycatcher, county bird, found by Larry near his house, but scared away by Cooper's Hawk just as I'm driving up.
Trindade Petrel, life bird, seen by everyone on my boat as it flies by except me as I'm under the deck checking on my filters.
Zone-tailed Hawk, ABA bird, seen by Trey, Bill, and Rangel as it flies overhead, but I miss it as I answer my phone when my wife calls to see where I'm at.
Maybe we need to report the birds 6 hours before they are found to give others enough time to get there before they bolt!
Comments
Hmmm. Note to self. Show up before this birder does.
Poor Toe, I think I wish I had some of those problems. I guess I feel as good as possible... I mean, well, I really only just came down from Atlanta to see the Least Grebe Saturday morning. While I was looking at it the Cuban Pewee blew up, then the next morning looking again for the pewee, the Loggerhead Kingbird blew up. Missed the pewee and the kingbird, like everyone else who chased them. Amazing weekend any way you look at it. I do vote for a 24-hour in advance reports though instead of only 6.
So I got to see Toe in action (or is it inaction?) at the pewee spot and the Loggerhead Kingbird site. Toe marveled that he, like Mark, managed to miss two Code 5 birds in just under 30 hours...surely a new record. I marveled in hearing Toe belt out perhaps my favorite Toeism yet.
Beating out such greats as: "I'll bet my life that's a Trindade Petrel!", or after Noah Frade spotted a Brant off Black Point he asked for a field guide. Nico Salino handed him one and as he kept thumbing through the book he got a little animated and exclaimed "I don't see Spectacled here!" "That's cause it's an Eastern guide" Nico reminded him. Yup, always the optimist nothing beat what I heard yesterday. I don't know whether it was to someone or just to the air but shortly before giving up I heard the captain, our own Yogi Berra of birds proudly announce: "My county list is bigger than my state list!"
I'm still trying to figure that one out.
I blew that one! That would be a Common Eider that Toe...I think...really really wanted to be a Spectacled Eider. That, I'm virtually certain would have been a new county bird.
Toe,
I believe the number of species on your "Just Missed" list must be near the top on the ABA Florida leaderboard. Mine numbers four; Northern Lapwing, Kelp Gull, Variegated Flycatcher & Hammond's Flycatcher.
That's an impressive list. Hey, for all us listers, that's a new list to keep - the just missed list! We need to set a time limit for what constitutes "Just Missed". Maybe 24 hours since first sighting? Just need to figure out how to enter missed birds on eBird. We can compare our lists. "So you missed the Black-faced Grassquit, well, I got you beat. I missed the Bahama Swallow, twice! Booya!!"
"Maybe we need to report the birds 6 hours before they are found to give others enough time to get there before they bolt!"
Toe,
I'll be spotting a red-necked stint at Bill Baggs this Friday, at 8:10am. I'm giving you multiple-days warning. If I get there at the listed date and time and you're already there, and the bird is gone, I'll know it left because it knew you were coming to spot it.
Leave a Comment