Cape May, Fishing, and Four False Alarms

I prepared to travel to Cape May, New Jersey, for the first time in three years. I spent a long weekend working for Swarovski Optik at the Cape May Fall Festival. I  spent a few years living in Cape May before moving to Texas, so it was really great to see old friends who live there, as well as many friends, old and new, who traveled there for the festival. 

I’m used to being the only woman field tech with any of the optics companies, so it was awesome to see four of us this year, representing Swarovski, Leica, and Zeiss! 

While I was finishing up in Cape May, a Brambling showed up at a a feeder in Montana. Keeping an eye on the reports, I looked into flying to Montana instead of returning home to Texas. I studied flight options, and since I was flying through work with Swarovski, the travel agency was able to hold a seat on a plane to Missoula for me, while still keeping my original flight home. The next day, I made my way to the airport in the late morning, still unsure of where I was going. Checking in with the homeowner, the bird hadn't been seen by noon. Then hadn't been seen by 2 pm. Finally, I checked in one more time, while at the airport, before checking in online for my flight home. Bummer. I flew home. 

After flying home, I looked into tickets to Sacramento to go for the Tundra Bean-Goose and considered booking a ticket for the following day, hesitated at the price tag, and it wasn't seen the next day, so that ended up being a good decision. 

Next was a Red-throated Pipit north of Los Angeles - I bought a ticket for a day and a half in the future...and this was yet another bird that was not seen the next day. I cancelled my flights, and went saltwater fishing instead. I caught my first redfish, my first time ever casting into salt, which I'm told is a bit of a feat! I grew up freshwater fishing, and it was a blast to be on the water again, reeling in fish after a ten year absence of fishing in my life. 

A few days ago, a Yellow Grosbeak was seen north of Phoenix, Arizona. I was awaiting another report in order to book a ticket, but it was never seen after the original 8 am sighting. 

For the last three days, there's been a Gray-tailed Tattler in the Florida Keys. It was originally reported as a Wandering Tattler, and wasn't correctly identified until day 2. A cold front was coming in the night after day two, so I waited, anticipating flying this evening if it was seen again today. It was seen, but by the time it was reported, there were no flights that would get me there before sunset today, and tonight's forecast is rain and strong winds are in the forecast for tomorrow. 

I have a client I'm bird guiding Saturday and Sunday, so I'm stuck here until Sunday evening. I bought a ticket to the Tundra Bean-Goose in Northern California for Monday - it was refound after disappearing for about a week and a half, so as long as it is seen through the weekend, that's my Monday plan! In the event that the Gray-tailed Tattler sticks around through the weekend, I'll go for the tattler first, and then fly to California. I've also been considering swinging up to Seattle for Ancient Murrelet and Slaty-backed Gull while I'm up there. 

Year List: Still 702