ABA Rarity in My Backyard

While the Barnacle Goose is no longer my nemesis, hearing that one was in my backyard made me excited to add this rarity to my CT list.  The challenges of going on a wild goose chase are great.  You have to be prepared to sort through hundreds and hundreds of Canada Goose to find 1 or 2 odd balls out.  This particular challenge has to be one of bird's equivalents to finding a needle in a haystack.

Nonetheless, the possibility of adding a Barnacle Goose to my CT list not only makes the task doable, it makes it exciting!  Although getting a Cackling, Snow, Greater-White Fronted, Pink Footed Geese also fall into this category, I guess it doesn't take much to get me to look at a group of Canada Geese.  Back to the story.  I drove to the site where this flock of 450~500 Canadas had been hanging out and I hunkered myself down for a long search.  I scanned, scanned, and scanned... then I scanned, scanned, and scanned some more...

Then I realized the Barnacle Goose was no more than 75ft in front of me...  There's nothing like seeing an ABA rarity fairly close.  After locating the bird several other birders popped by and were able to enjoy it before it was scared off by a manure truck.  Of course, without the manure truck, the field wouldn't attract these birds.  Its also worth noting that also without the truck, the field would be a new development!

I was able to snap some photos before dipping on another bird that showed up in CT, a Short-Eared Owl.  While I never like dipping, it does give a much better appreciation when do get to see rare bird.  Until the next outing, enjoy some great shouts of a Barnacle Goose!

The Rare Barnacle Goose

Profile Shot of the Barnacle Goose

The Rarity is Flying Away!

The Role of Failure

Dipping must be my middle name.  This weekend's theme is failure.  I've been trying for some time now to see a Northern Saw-Whet Owl.  I keep track of the emails and ebird postings (which are often hard to find to protect this bird and rightfully so) and I even read up on the biology, habits and tendencies of this bird.  Still nothing.  I've been whacked by so many cedar branches and fallen pine cones, that I ask my self what I am doing looking for one little owl when there are plenty of other birds to see, behold, and enjoy.

This brings me to next topic.  Failure.  What role does failure play in birding?  How does the "dip" as they call it push us to move on or stifle our efforts?  How can we, as birders, naturalists, whatever you want to call it, ensure that we have the ability, capacity and tenacity to continue birding failure after failure?  Well, there are couple of things to keep in mind.  The first that without failure, there would be no success.  The joys of finding the bird you are looking come from, in part, the effort you put in to find it.  Failure isn't an end but rather, a step to being successful.  While I have yet to see a Northern Saw-Whet Owl, I do know what a cedar, pine and hemlock tree look like without a Saw-Whet Owl in them.  Along the way, I've seen Barred Owls, Juvenile Sharpies, Merlins, and all sorts of birds and raptors.  While I've enjoyed the pursuits, I do have a goal to find the Saw-whet and I have to keep that in mind.

Here's my future Target and I will keep trying!

Northern Saw-Whet Owl (c) brendan.lally of flickr
original link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/11585318@N03/2256534488

2012 Life List:
248 (Eurasian Wigeon)

More Wild Goose Chases

Some stores follow the idea that someone goes looking for X and instead finds Y and Y turns out to be the best thing ever.  When X is a Barnacle Goose, whatever Y is just doesn't cut it.  I've seen all sorts of Geese and Warblers during my search for the goose.  But in some ways, I still wish I could find that darn goose.  I've gotten lucky and seen a Audubon's Warbler and Prairie Warbler along with 4 different kinds of Geese, but I can't stop thinking about that Barnacle Goose.  Here's an picture of my Winter Target and I'll let you know how it goes....

The Barnacle Goose

2012 Life List:

247

Recently Added:

Snow Goose, Greater White-Fronted Goose, Prairie Warbler