When I saw my 196th Carbon County year bird, a Dusky Grouse just off the road in Price Canyon Recreation Area, I pessimistically thought that it would be the last of 2025.
Congrats on reaching your goal and sharing your stories and encounters. Fun to see how you are so excited to see Surf Scoters and Hooded Mergansers, something so common in my neck of the PNW. It's good to be reminded that what we sometimes take for granted is rare and exciting elsewhere and that we should also remember to be more attentive to "our" "local" birds. Keep on sharing. Happy new year.
What a wonderful way to end the year! I love hearing birders share about their county goals and sightings (as opposed to a nationwide or worldwide Big Year) because it reminds me how many amazing things we can see close to home if we just take the time to pay attention. I look forward to future essays about how you got to 203!
Do you keep an overall count of every bird you’ve seen in the county? I assume your total count is higher than the 203 this year since you said there were about 10 maybes you didn’t see this year.
Great photos Carl, and congratulations on the record for the year. Herring Gull, Hooded Merganser, and Surf Scoter are all favorites of mine so it was great to read that they were key to your success. I look forward to reading your “more on that later” about seeing more species.
Congrats on reaching your goal and sharing your stories and encounters. Fun to see how you are so excited to see Surf Scoters and Hooded Mergansers, something so common in my neck of the PNW. It's good to be reminded that what we sometimes take for granted is rare and exciting elsewhere and that we should also remember to be more attentive to "our" "local" birds. Keep on sharing. Happy new year.
Happy New Year to you too! One of these days I’ll do some birding up your way.
What a wonderful way to end the year! I love hearing birders share about their county goals and sightings (as opposed to a nationwide or worldwide Big Year) because it reminds me how many amazing things we can see close to home if we just take the time to pay attention. I look forward to future essays about how you got to 203!
Thanks! I’ve always wanted to know what I could see within walking distance of my home, or something along those lines.
Do you keep an overall count of every bird you’ve seen in the county? I assume your total count is higher than the 203 this year since you said there were about 10 maybes you didn’t see this year.
I do! Or, rather, eBird keeps it for me. I have 221 species in the county.
Some incredible sightings! Congrats on 200!
Thank you, Kelly!
Congratulations!
Thanks!
Your eyesight is excellent! Thank you for sharing your many friends.
Thank you for sharing in the joy with me.
Great photos Carl, and congratulations on the record for the year. Herring Gull, Hooded Merganser, and Surf Scoter are all favorites of mine so it was great to read that they were key to your success. I look forward to reading your “more on that later” about seeing more species.
I keep meaning to read your rom com and then I ignore my devices for weeks at a time, but I’m looking forward to it.
A bit different than my usual bird stuff but thank you for reading it
Thanks, James. I’m always fascinated by what commonalities and differences are present across thousands of miles.
It always makes me happy to read about a Surf Scoter somewhere different than the ocean.