Best bird/experience of 2004!

[Tim Avery <tanager at timaverybirding dot com>]

I know we do this in Wisconsin every year,so I figured bringing it over to Utah
couldn't hurt.

My best bird of the year would have to have been my 450th lifer, a RUDDY
TURNSTONE seen at Bandon, Oregon.  I have spent the last 4 years chasing this
bird, missing it on Lake Michigan several times, not been in Utah when it
showed up on the Causeway on several occasions, and spent 2 summers along the
Norht Atlantic Coast in New Hampshire, trying to find one.  But to no avail, I
ended up happening upon one with a large flock of Black Turnstones.  Fitting
that #450 was such a hard to get bird for me.

As for an experience, I have to say the whole year pretty much was my best
experience.  I treaversed 15 states, saw 60 new lifers ( a number I still cant
comprehend), put 10,000 miles on my Jeep, got 2 flat tires, had all my birding
gear stolen from my car, and saw 329 species of birds,  Not a huge year, but
one to remember.  For the 10 years I have been birding, this one takes the cake
as the best, and in the coming 10, I cant imagine another like this.

Good Birding

Tim

Salt Lake City, UT or Beloit, WI
http://www.timaverybirding.com

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