Day 75 - 1/5th of the Way There

Beware! Beware! A little dramatic flair--today's image has nothing to do with the birding, just the date.  Technically we are past the 1/5th point but it has been a less than stellar week of birding since my two good days last week, and I failed to get this post up 2 days ago.  But that's okay.  With the Ides of March passing it is one step closer to April and things really picking up.  April is when things change in a  grand fashion across the lower 48, and Narnia is no exception.  I will see more species in the month of March than I saw in the first 3 combined.  May will be even better.

With 16 days left in March there is still a big chunk of time to get through.  And I might be able to punch out a big chunk of those 17 year birds I want before the end of the month this weekend.  Pending the weather, I am going to slip out of town and see if I can track down one of the last over wintering species I missed this year.  It hasn't been reported in over a month, but the fact is a lot of birders aren't looking for it.  Besides this songbird (subtle clue) there are a handful of spring arrivals that I should be able to add.  AS of right now there are 15 species I know I can get.  That just means I need a little Irish luck and perhaps I can pick up 2 unexpected birds and hit my target.

Even if I don't grab 17 with my weekend birding, I plan to get 4-5 more birds closer to home before the end of the month.  Which means 175-180 should be right where I end up by April 1.  

As the year winds on, I think I've narrowed my competition down to two birders who are basically openly doing big years based on their birding habits.  One is a serious contender, while the other will likely fizzle out by summer.  I say this base don past experiences watching big years unfold in Narnia.  There is at least one other birder who I am almost sure is doing a big year as well, but seems to definitely be keeping it on the wraps.  I've ran into them on several occasions this year at chase birds, begging the obvious question--do they think I am doing a big year as well?  They have kept a low profile on eBird but I think its just for show.

I've narrowed my list from previously as I watch the watchers.  At the end of the day though this is a futile thing to do in big years.  The only thing it can make me do is make sure I chase everything, and try to do so without being seen each time. They'll see what they see, and I will see what I do.  And when the clock strikes midnight at the end of December, all I can hope is that my effort was enough to stay ahead of these other souls!

New birds today: 0
Year List: 158

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