So including the birds that we saw on the car ride home, my total after January 3rd is now........
COUNTY YEARLIST- 52
JANUARY 4-
I awake to my dad asking me if I want to come to Bluff Plantation (a private area of swamp and fields galore down in south Richmond Co.) with him and do a little birding while he hunts with our dog. I gladly accept.
I get there at a feeding time and see 5-6 FOX SPARROWS, 2 WILSON'S SNIPE, a WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH, a WINTER WREN, and some other goodies, racking up a total of 34 species, 15 of which being year-birds. I get 2 more year-birds at different times during the day.
COUNTY YEARLIST- 69
JANUARY 5-
I get 3 more year-birds in the yard, one on the highway, and then head out with a friend to Phinizy Swamp Nature Park, my favorite place to bird! I end up with 15 year-birds at the Park, including notables; AMERICAN BLACK DUCK, NORTHERN PINTAIL, LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE, SEDGE WREN, and MARSH WREN. A successful day!
COUNTY YEARLIST- 88
JANUARY 11-
On the way out to Hephzibah to try for some C0MM0N-GR0UND D0VES, JP calls me up and asks if I would rather see a RUF0US HUMMINGBIRD. Turns out that a lady who lives a few blocks away who had hosted a CALLI0PE back in 01 and a RUFOUS last year, had seen another one on her feeder. I raced over and eventually saw it. Problem is, we have to ensure it is a RUFOUS and not just an extremely rare ALL3N'S, so I'll have to wait for the bander to confirm it when he comes to catch it soon. (Hopefully.)
After the hummer, we only had a little bit of daylight left, so we hurried to the spot. But couldn't find any Ground-dove. But just before we got to the car....PEENT............................PEENT........
AMERICAN WOODCOCK! What a great way to end the day!
COUNTY YEARLIST- 89
JANUARY 12-
This is the present date. I went birding at Phinizy Swamp again, hoping to nab at least 2 of the Phinizy specialties that I missed last time. I succeeded, getting 2 more year-birds, VIRGINIA RAIL and AMERICAN WIGEON. Once again, I was not able to get the King Rails or Soras to call, so I will have to try for them again. But today, I experienced one of my Top 10 Best Moments of My Life.
I got my lifer VIRGINIA RAIL back on November, and have heard them at least 3 different times since. Today, I heard 4 different VIRAs!!! But that's not the best part. The best part is when I went to the special viewing platform where you can call for KING RAILS, and started to clap. Instead of the normal KING RAIL response, I heard a VIRGINIA RAIL about 15 feet to my right. I thought that maybe I would get to see one this time because I had the height advantage, with me being on a platform and all, but I quickly regained my sanity, realizing I was never going to see a VIRA or even KIRA, since they were so shy. As I started to walk away, I noticed a slight twitch of cattails and thought that it came from the direction of the VIRA call. I put my binocs on the spot, and BINGO. I was looking into the eye of a VIRA!. He was peeking out at me through the cattails...."thin as a rail".....I could see his beautiful plumage and bluish face. I thought that this might be the best look I would ever get. But no, it gets better!
The rail then called again, and started to move around, in random directions. Eventually, he started moving in my direction; closer and closer........until before I knew it, he was standing still in the one patch of cattail-free dirt in the area, less than 10 feet away, totally out in the open, cocking its head at me, almost as if, he was amazed by.....Me...... He stood there for about 30 seconds, and I would have taken a picture if my camera hadn't been broken, but I really don't care. It was amazing seeing this beautiful creature in person for the first time, and realizing that they actually do exist! He eventually wandered off.....to who knows where. I felt almost lonesome when he left. But I know that someday.....we will cross paths...again.
COUNTY YEARLIST- 91
Awesome on the Rail.
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