It’s been a quiet few days for me. I have been running errands and getting ready for a visit to the Atlantic coast. I haven’t been out birding, so I haven’t added any new species for my Big Year list.
This evening I will start driving out to the East coast of Canada. I will be joined by my youngest brother, Jackie Rae (a non-birder). It will be a long drive, so it will be nice to have someone to help with the driving, recording birds, and general conversation. I may have also bribed him with the promise of a day snowboarding! I have never gone snowboarding before, so I may end up regretting this part of the bargain…
I don’t have a set itinerary, but I am basically planning to get to St. John’s, Newfoundland as quickly as possible, and then take a more leisurely route back to Ontario. I plan to stop in Nova Scotia on the way back, probably the Halifax area, as there always seem to be some interesting birds around.
My target species for Newfoundland are: Pink-footed Goose (I hope it survived the blizzard that hit the province yesterday!), Tufted Duck and Black-headed Gull.
I’ve also spent some time thinking about my goals for my Big Year. After going through a long list of birds seen in Canada I have decided that I would really like to see 500+ species this year.
I also decided that I am not going to fly anywhere domestically for the purpose of birding. This will make it more challenging to reach my goal of 500+, but it will also allow me to see a lot more of my great country, and it will mean I will have a lot more time to spend birding. I also may regret this at times over the next year as rarities are found across the country!
Time to hit the road! Stay tuned…
Awesome!
Good luck in NL
If you have any questions about NL let me know…
Thanks Alvan, I’m looking forward to some great birding!