Going For Broke - Allout Birding

With just a few day remaining it this year I will be making a desperate effort to find and photograph new & year birds with the hope of reaching my goals of 100 species for 2017 and my photographic big year.  At this point I have tallied 97 species for the year and captured 94 images.  I will be focusing mainly on wood warblers but there are a few other birds on my radar none of which are easy finds.

This is probably the second best time of the year for wintering warblers.  Warblers such as the Northern Parula, American Redstart, Prothonotary Warbler and Ovenbird have been recorded multiple times in late December early January.

Another bird on my radar is a reported sighting, well reported only by one person - a white Ibis in the St. Andrew area.  I am not sure if it is an American White Ibis or a sub -adult Scarlet Ibis or even an Egret with a red dyed bill but it’s worth a look.  I was searching for this bird for most of the month and it led to the discovery of the Eurasian Spoonbill which I thought was the elusive “white ibis” until I received a call reporting both birds together, so that is on my list. 

Other birds of interest that were reported in the last week or so includes an elusive Purple Gallinule, a Yellow-crowned Night Heron at Graeme Hall and a recording sent to me by a friend of a bird in his backyard which sounds like a Pearly-eyed Thrasher.

I am now in birding desperation mode, no body of water, not even in pot holes, will escape my birding eye. I am Going For Broke - 2017 goals will be met!!