Larry and Molly's Big Year

Just back from Alaska Molly at the end of June the weather in Northern California was fine, and chicks were popping out of their nests. It was time to fire up the Bird Van and bird the great Pacific Northwest.  Our route would take us to: 1. Northern California 2. Oregon 3. Washington 4. Montana 5. Idaho  and 6. Nevada in that order.   State #1.   Northern California :  Lassen National Park .   On June 21st we drove into Lassen National Park. It was the first day of our longer sweep of the lower 48 Pacific Northwest for unidentified ABA birds. (As opposed to our just completed Northwest Alaskan adventure)  Our Lassen target was the Black-backed woodpecker in the recovering Dixie fire Zone within the park. We struck out but enjoyed the views of the June fledglings all around us, including the Black-capped Chickadee (right) and the lovely baby American Coot (above). And we did pick up  a Cassin's Finch and a Hermit Warbler (right/above) for the Big ...

 Is it snow watch or sea watch Gambell, Ak.?  Larry nearest/Molly in back (photo by Aaron-I think)                                  Spring in Alaska Part 1. Gambell .   Outside of our home state, Molly and I have identified more species in Texas than any other state. (Yes Arizona is second: Texas 335, Arizona 267.). But now we were going to Alaska, a state that is two times the size of Texas.  Basically, a necessity to get a really big ABA big year number.  But where to go in our forty-ninth state? The most well known hotspot for birding in Alaska is no longer birded.  The island of Attu in Bering Sea, much closer to Siberia than the mainland of North America, has been abandoned since the Coast Guard moved out in 2010.        So now two Islands, not quite as close as Attu, but still attractive to  rare Siberian  songbirds and the pelagic b...