Sunday, January 1, 2017

A whole new year, with a clean slate.

We finished 2016 with Lise at 331 bird species and me at
329. Helped in no small way by the 128 species we had between us in Costa Rica.
With no exotic trips planned for 2017 we will need to ramp up our lower 48
birding to get anywhere close to these numbers.

We started this year by doing the Prime Hook National
Wildlife Refuge Christmas Bird Count. As part of the count, I joined 15 other
birders on a little boat that was something of a cross between the S.S. Minnow
and the African Queen. We went around the breakwaters and ice breaks at Cape
Henlopen for a couple hour tour. Unlike the Minnow, our trip didn’t last for 98
episodes. We had good close views of some bird species that are
typically far away. We also had harbor seals. I’ve been coming to this area for
over 30 years and didn’t know there were seals here. I think they are only in the winter, and far out on the breakwaters. Now our pinniped species list stands at one for the year. Can’t wait to see how Lake Lansing will increase that list.

Returning safely. Sixteen of us, all packed into the aft part of the boat.

Great looks at a glaucous gull (the white one). Usually we are looking at a flying bird, at a long distance, in freezing weather.

Couple of harbor seals.

Once the boat trip was over, Lise and I hit a couple other
places to build up our 2017 list. We saw the caracara again, this time at a
little close range. In a good start to the year I finished the day with 55 bird
species and Lise has 51. No dragonflies yet.

Crested caracara. Trash bird in Costa Rica, pretty rare in Delaware.