A Day of Firsts

Yesterday was an awesome day!! In the morning I received an email forwarded from a new friend/birder I met during my first week here in Indiana. We met at a prairie burn that we both helped with and them met again at the South Bend/Elkhart Audubon Society meeting. Anyway, the email informed me of two rare birds in Michigan. One was a Black-bellied Whistling-Duck... a very cool bird, and definitely a good bird for the area but 1, it wouldn't be a life bird, 2, it wouldn't be a new year or even new month bird, and 3, even though I don't have the bird in the United States, I am not all that concerned with my Michigan list. (If it would have been in Ohio I would have considered going for it!) The second bird though, would be a life bird for me, so I decided to chase that one!!

Here's the thing... I may be 25, but several circumstances have kept me from getting my driver's license up until this past Tuesday morning, and until yesterday, I haven't driven in a car alone. I originally set up a plan to meet part way and carpool but then I was reminded that I had a class to attend that evening in Michigan and I had to drive to that already and the bird was only ~30 minutes from where I needed to end up. So I was somewhat thrown into making the full drive alone.

I quickly gathered my binoculars, scope, shorebird guide, and notebook, I made sure I had the right location and that I figured out how to use the GPS on my new phone before I got into the car and I gathered my notes for my class and set off on my first adventure with my new license.

I'm sure it is no surprise to anyone who knows me even slightly that my first drive alone would be an hour away to chase a rare bird! I was off to see a Snowy Plover on the beach of Lake Michigan! Excitedly, I drove up, easily found the beach, grabbed my binoculars and hopped out of the car to see the bird. I had just talked to my friend who I was meeting there, and the bird had been on the beach, easy to see. I was hopeful. When I found my friend, he wasn't looking at the bird... he was walking towards me and informed me that the bird along with the Sanderling it had been hanging out with had just flown further down the beach.

Luckily, it wasn't long before a little shorebird flew in near us. We got on it and sure enough... Snowy Plover!! a male in full breeding plumage!!! It was fantastic! I was so excited, I could hardly stand still. I just drove alone for the first time, visiting Lake Michigan for the first time, to see a LIFE BIRD, Snowy Plover!!!

Unfortunately, in my excitement and nervousness leaving, I totally forgot to pack my camera into the car! It wasn't until I was standing on the beach in Michigan that I realized I was missing it. I was only slightly disappointed, because I know I'll never forget this bird, even without a photo. I was able to get this shot of the location with my phone though! You'll just have to take my word that there is in fact a rare Snowy Plover standing on the beach!

2013 Review (Part 1)

Hello All! I haven't updated my blog since right after I returned from Alaska back in July. You may notice that my blog now has a new name! It is no longer dedicated only to my Alaska trip, but now to my adventures in general! So much has happened in 2013! I will be writing a 3-part post about my year and my goal is to somewhat regularly update my blog throughout 2014 so keep checking back :)

In 2013, I spent over 132 nights away from home on various adventures. From sleeping in a fluffy bed in an extremely fancy hotel in Houston, Texas to in a car parked in the parking lot of a closed gas station (in I don't even know what state!), I've been somewhere other than Lexington, Ohio every month this year! I have visited or driven though 3 countries, 14 states, and 6 provinces! and I birded in almost all of those places too!

January
At the beginning of the year, I set a birding goal of getting 100 species in January, in Ohio! I set out on January 1st to find as many species as I could in my yard and around the Clearfork Reservoir. Luckily the reservoir wasn't frozen solid, so I was able to pickup some waterfowl species! I ended the first day with 39 species, and had 68 by the end of the first week! On January 9th, (my birthday) my friends Gary and Jason took me out for a day of birding around Mohican State Park and nearby areas. I was treated to seeing the amazing flock of Evening Grosbeaks that overwintered at Mohican last winter, along with a Black Vulture (one of my favorite birds!) and a life bird... Common Redpoll! We later discovered that we had in fact also seen a Hoary Redpoll that day, which would have also been a life bird! I ended that day with 75 species for the month/new year. Later in the month, I spent ten days in Bowling Green, Ohio staying with two of my close friends, Todd and Kelley. It was great visiting with them, and a had a few opportunities to bird around the town and to go up to Lake Erie with Josh and Mark, my birding friends from BG.

Josh, Mark and me at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge on January 17, 2013

I picked up some easy birds like the Peregrine Falcons that nest on the courthouse clock tower and Great-horned Owls that nest in the park but I was also able to get some new life birds! Specifically, Long-eared Owl in Northern Wood County, and Northern Saw-whet Owl at Wintergarden Park in Bowling Green! Both birds were a ton of fun to find and see!! It took me until January 29th to see my 100th bird, which was a Snow Bunting. By that time, I didn't allow myself to bird or go outside for the rest of the month because I had gotten so far behind on homework, but I had at least reached my goal of 100 species in January!! That was also the first and last semester that I will ever take online classes. It was far to easy to be out birding rather than doing assignments online!

February
In February, I took my first trip North to bird in the middle of winter along the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Gary, Margaret, and I left Ohio to meet my good friend Ethan up in Michigan. We spent three days birding areas that Ethan was scouting out for a trip he was guiding the following several days. In all, it was a crazy and fun trip! I saw several new life birds and at times, I felt lucky that I made it back home alive ;) We braved a morning of -22 degrees while watching Pine Grosbeaks at a feeder and traveled through several blizzards to reach our destinations! Hoary and Common Redpolls, Northern Hawk Owls, Snowy Owls, Boreal Chickadees, Snow Buntings, Sharp-tailed and Ruffed Grouse, Bohemian Waxwings, Northern Shrikes, Common Ravens, a Black-backed Woodpecker, beautiful Glaucous gulls and a Long-tailed Duck were among the awesome selection of northern winter birds that we were rewarded with!!

Feb 4, 2013 Gary, me, Margaret and Ethan (-22 degrees) in Chippewa County, Michigan

a trail we hiked off of the Peshekee Grade near Marquette, Michigan

A Bohemian Waxwing eats a berry in Marquette, Michigan on February 5th

We were greeted by a very cooperative Northern Hawk Owl in Rudyard, Michigan

One of several Snowy Owls outside of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan!

Pine Grosbeaks foraging for seeds under feeders

Snow Buntings gathered on a wire

Later in February, I attended the Ohio Ornithological Society's Owl Symposium which was held at the Mochian Lodge. It was a lot of fun to be out searching for owls and learning from experts including Denver Holt from the Owl Research Institute. One of my field trips, led by Greg Miller was very productive... we saw blue and white phase Snow Geese, Ross's Geese, and a Barn Owl!!

Feb 16, 2013 Snow Geese and Ross's Geese flying over Funk Bottoms Wildlife Area during the OOS Owl Symposium

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas with your families, no matter how/why you celebrate the holiday! My next 2013 review post will include my trip to Guatemala and the time I spent volunteering in Ontario, Canada at a migratory bird banding station on the Lake!