scenic overlook at Smokey's on the GorgeNew River Festival couldn't have been more perfect. Well, we could have done without the week of non-stop rain. But it was a great opportunity to meet friends (old and new) and see lots and lots of birds. I added nine life birds to my list:
Northern waterthrush
Louisiana waterthrush
Swainson's thrush
Yellow throated warbler
Chestnut sided warbler (this one made me cry - so beautiful and I had looked for it for three years - a special shout out to Keith who made it his mission to get me on this bird. Thanks, Keith! You are da' man.)
Bobolink (with a song like R2-D2 - unforgettable)
Yellow throated vireo
Black throated green warbler
Ruffed grouse
We had lots of laughs - too many to post now. I will spread that out over the next few weeks.
Susan and Laura hamming it up for the camera.
I learned quite a bit thanks to our wonderful guides- Jeff Gordon, Julie Zickefoose, Keith Richardson, and Connie Toops. This was the first time I met Julie Z. in person although I have been reading her blog for a couple of years. On one field trip, she borrowed my bandana to dry the rain off her camera. I told her I would never wash it again. Yes, I am a starstruck bird groupie- Pete Dunne and Julie Zickefoose: my heroes.
9 comments:
Glad you had a good time. Sorry the weather wasn't better. Enjoy your visit with Uncle Barry and Christy. See you soon. Love, Mom
Julie is definitely hero-worship-worthy.
I'm home and trying to upload the 700! pictures I took!
Loved meeting you Beth!!!! Julie is my hero too!
Julie Zickefoose? Who's that? Oh, wait - I think I know. Doesn't she own a dog?
Beth, you are my blog post for today. Phoebe says the chicken's name is Beverly.
~Kathi, blog-surfing at lunch (Thx, Panera!)
verif word:eyedshe, as in "eyedshe a bird, didshe?"
I know just how you feel--Zick is a great hero to have!
I once grossly mis-ID'd a duck right in front of Pete Dunne while some Flockers and I were standing next to him, looking out the observation window at the Cape May Birding Org's gift shop. I STILL cringe every time I think of it.
Beth, I felt like your 'sister' as soon as we met.You are such a happy vibrant person!! enjoyed the laughs we had! I couldn't wait to see what everyone will blog about New River. Did ya see Jeff Gordon put our links on his blog? yea man! That's what I call awesome. It is way cool to meet the people whose blogs we follow, like Julie Z and YOU!! Did you get your Cerulean?
Forgot to tell you: They deliberately hold back at least one of your target birds, in order to force you to come back!
~Kathi, who missed her Life Ruffed Grouse by one day
And Timothy who missed his life Prairie Warbler every day!
Mom - thanks! I have LOTS of bird stories to bore you with!
Susan - I just got home, too and am too tired to upload pix or blog. Will do so tomorrow.
Tim - you are da' man. As well as a mean cow-bell player. Great meeting you and thanks for rescuing my camera!
Kathi - love your post on my stone chicken! LOL
Delia - I felt like such a groupie with Zick and Pete D. Glad I'm not alone! Missed you at the festival.
Jane - I LOVED meeting you, too. We clicked right away! That Jeff Gordon is the best, isn't he? And I did NOT get my Cerulean. More on that in a later post on my blog. But meeting you made up for it!
Kathi and Tim - I may have missed my cerulean, but I got 12 lifers on the trip and 91 species (which is almost half the total of my entire life list). It was an Awesome Trip.
Beth
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