The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men Oft Go Awry

I had hoped for a dozen new Year Birds during my four days in Puerto Rico. But I’m leaving with just one new species, the Ruddy Quail-Dove. Special thanks to Alf Wilson who drove me this last week. We had some special moments. The most memorable was speeding out to sea in a two-seat jet ski to check out Brown Boobies perched on a buoy several miles off Cabo Rojo. As I rode the plane back to Orlando on the evening of Dec 3, I pondered my next move. 

My South Pacific adventure would begin on December 6 so I had an opportunity to score some more lower 48 species on December 4 and 5. I am six species away from 700 species in the lower 48 contiguous United States this year.  I considered my options.  If I could score three in these two days I might be able to get the three more at the end of the month when I return from the South Pacific.  Little Gull  was showing well in Buffalo and Cleveland. A Pink-footed Goose was sticking in New York. The Gray-collared Becard in Brownsville beckoned. Other needs in the Rio Grande Valley were Mottled Owl and Bare-throated Tiger-Heron at Santa Margarita Ranch (but access was restricted). Little Stint and Yellow-green Vireo were on winter territories in Southern California. Florida still hosted Fork-tailed Flycatcher five hours north of Orlando (driving) and now also a Yellow-headed Caracara (breaking news) somewhere in Biscayne Bay a similar distance south of Orlando. And stormy weather earlier today had grounded thousands of rosy finches in Colorado including two species I still needed. Oh boy. Decisions, decisions. 


I decided to leave the Colorado rosy-finches for chasing on Tuesday. My telescope and dirty clothes bag was checked through to Denver on Monday morning. But I could chase one or two more species if I could arrange transportation and fly to Denver Monday night. Kathy Kay offered to drive in Buffalo for Little Gull. Frontier offered the free flight (with my Go Wild Pass) to Buffalo but not from. I will research other potential chase logistics and sleep on my decision. Stay tuned. 

Comments

  1. AnonymousDecember 5, 2023 at 7:38 AM

    Cant wait to hear how this turns out. On the edge of a seat, at the San Pedro Sula airport, hoping to meet up with Nick by tonight.

    ReplyDelete

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