Undercover Big Year

Once April and May passed, I knew I was over the rush.  The rest of the year would be a slog.  Slow moving, filled with chases, and a lot of questions about will I be able to do enough to reach 356.  356 being the number I would have to get to for a new record.  Despite the fact I knew it would be slow, nothing could have prepared me for how devastating slow the first 3 weeks of June were.  In those 3 weeks I didn't tally a single new bird--and not for lack of trying... Although I might have put some effort into other creatures as well...

When April came to an end, it was just the beginning of the biggest month of birding in Utah history.  I say this for two reasons.  The first is that it legitimately was a huge month for birds in Utah.  Lots of species and lots of rarities.  The second is that in May I set a new Utah Big Month record with a whopping 257 species.  I passed the previous record by 7 species which had been held by Mark Stackhouse for 15 years.  I bested my own previous Utah Big Month of 235 by 22 species.  It was a huge month.  And a huge month means long post with lots of pictures and stories.  If you don't want to hang on for the ride, I suggest closing your browser window now!