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People, Places, Birds

Week Two – The Land of Enchantment

Albuquerque     Following the beyond-exciting kick-off my year in southeast Arizona, I was admittedly left a tad spoiled. Not every state will the century mark be easily attained as it was in Arizona, let alone a total tally as high as 173 with 50 Lifers – that said, New Mexico remains, in

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People, Places, Birds

Week One – Off to the Races!

The Big Day     After 18 months of preparation, the time for my 2025 adventure has finally arrived – and in typical “me” fashion kicked it off with a “Big Day”.     I met Timothy Burkhardt at his house on the morning of the first to join him for his traditional Pima county

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People, Places, Birds

Kickoff

So It Begins     As I write this before settling in for the night on New Year’s Eve, I am confronted by the exciting reality that the trip I have spent the last year and a half looking forward to is finally here. Tomorrow morning when I wake before dawn and head

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Michigan

July 2022 – Shorebird Season

Return To Form     July would prove to be a unique month, only bringing in four year birds: all four were Lifers, all four were shorebirds, and two were exceptionally rare birds.     The first actually came in late June, though some documentation has it having arrived in Michigan in May

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Michigan

June 2022 – The Dead Month

Recovery     While June would prove to be a month of recovery, I wouldn’t have guessed as much on June 1st when a Black-bellied Whistling-Duck was found at Gallup Park in Washtenaw county. I made the drive for the bird, which was not a Lifer but did bring me to 304 for

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Michigan

May 2022 – The Biggest Month in Michigan Birding History

Right Out The Gate     If April was the month when my Big Year truly became ‘big’, then May was the month where it became silly. Make no mistake, through April I was having an incredible year. I ended April at 235 species for the year, though that 235 was largely a

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Michigan

April 2022 – “Are you doing a Big Year?”

The Question     Reflecting on my 2022 Big Year, it really wasn’t until April that the year became big. Of course, as with the first three months, I still adamantly maintained that I wasn’t doing a big year, but by this point I definitely had myself set on the goal of breaking

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People, Places, Birds

Three Days

   Hello Everyone! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all. As this post comes out on Christmas Day I will likely be spending time with my Grandma at her house in Saginaw, and she will undoubtedly be asking me a million questions about my plans for next year, worried beyond measure. To be

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Michigan

March 2022 – Madness

A Slow Start     As with January and February, March began with some local birding at Orion Oaks County Park, Kensington Metropark, and a few other local spots. March 7th saw a short trip into St. Clair county and I spent a good deal of time birding around Lapeer county, but overall

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People, Places, Birds

People, Places, Birds.

What is “People, Places Birds”?     Beginning January 1st, 2025 I am going to be embarking on, well, a bit of an insane endeavor; put simply a year-long, cross-country birding road trip. The purpose of this trip though isn’t just to go birding and it’s not a “Big Year”, but rather an

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