These Barnacle Goose pictures were captured by my son, Pete, in Concord, MA on October 24, 2010. Barnacle Geese are not native to the United States, so this is a very rare sighting indeed. These birds are from Greenland and Norway, so this guy must have been blown clear across the Atlantic Ocean to end up here!
This is why I'm losing my Lifelist competition. Pete also saw Sandhill Cranes this month! Worst of all, I taught him how to use ebird and massbird to select birding locations in the first place. I don't mind losing, but I do mind losing by a mile! I'm getting destroyed in this competition, and I'm not taking it well!
Until recently, we were pretty even - mostly because we had different specialties. Pete is an expert at finding little forest birds like warblers and phoebes and flycatchers, but he has no patience with shorebirds, terns, and gulls. I can't even see the speedy little birds he likes so much, but I could spend years with shorebirds, terns, and ducks. I love ducks!
Lately, however, Pete has developed an interest in ducks, shorebirds, and everything else that exists in Massachusetts. In the past month alone he must have added 10 new species. He must have added 5 species while I was sick the past two weeks!
Isn't he a beautiful bird? He was around the concord area for over a week, and I went out to find him on Thursday. I got hopelessly lost, however, and saw nothing at all!
Glad to know you are feeling better. Good luck with your bird spotting competition.
ReplyDeleteExcellent find! I was impressed by your son when you joined us in Rhode island. By the way I owe you all the Birders who blog tweet and chirp pins..forgot to give you them.
ReplyDeleteWe should meet up again and bird!
Oh dear - I sort of wish you had not posted the Barnie. I saw it in SE Vt a few years ago, but definitely BVD (better view desired). I've got a got of fairly free weeks, so maybe a chase is about in order, now that I'm back from Cape May. Picking up on previous posts: the black tern in the lower left was a tough one, but I can see now that I know what I am looking for. And you also remind me how lucky I am having Evening Grosbeaks around nearly every month of the year. A dozen still frequent the feeders. They may have a reputation for voracious appetites, but that's mainly their size. Siskins hold their own as well.
ReplyDeleteA story about my favorite subject, ME!
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