Yesterday, Sunday, May 6th, after visiting Peter's Canyon with a hundred other people, we decided to change horses in mid-stream and drove down to a spot in San Diego County where our daughter is surveying the Gray Vireo. After a couple of hours of me listening to all those chaparral birds sing, one GRVI finally came down to us so that John could see it sing for him. And a Costa's Hummingbird posed so that it's lovely gorget flashed color in his camera shot.
John leaves tomorrow, this morning was his last chance for some of the SOCAL birds. Instead of packing, we went out and got, with considerable luck and lots of patience on my part, Hutton's Vireo, and Bell's Vireo at San Joaquin Marsh in Irvine CA. Wood Duck and Olive-Sided Flycatcher were a bonus. Tried for the California Gnatcatcher in the Back Bay and got a Wrentit to get visible in response to pishing. No CAGN, our daughter will have to help him with that in July.
John is up to 451 birds.
Tomorrow, May 8th, he flies to Anchorage, in a few days flies to Adak, then a boat trip to Attu, with bikes on board so that they can get around when they land each day. That's with Ztours. Then Gambell and Nome with Wings. Then fly to Chicago June 8th, son and daughter-in-law's house overnight (laundry), then fly to Norfolk VA the 9th, go on Brian Petteson's pelagic the 10th, fly to Portland, Maine the 12th, go out to Machias Island with Bold Coast the 14th, fly to Detroit the 17th, and try for the Kirtland's Warbler the 18th. I still have a few motels and rental cars to book. It will be easier to do once I have him on the plane.
After Detroit, well, a day-to-day itinerary hasn't been set up, but there are sparrows and warblers to be found in the northern Midwest. How well is he is going to do without being able to hear them? Stay tuned.
John has booked a Five-Striped Sparrow trip into California Gulch in southern Arizona with Melody Kehl the 29th of June. Then he will bring himself and his laundry home for a few days.
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