7 year birds, 4 bears, and loads of fun ahead of the last post

Hey everyone,

it's been a little while since I've posted..I've been very busy as I think every nature-enthusiast has been because this is a busy time!  Here's why: for one, it's MIGRATION.  I've posted about this before..warblers, vireos, tanagers, grosbeaks, and all the other neotropical migrant birds are returning..passing through and arriving to breed.  And also it's EMERGING time..well, a little past emerging time...Black Bears, my favorite animal are coming out of their winter sleeps and the new cubs are enjoying the world for their first times.

Since May swung around 5 days ago I've ticked 7 new birds for my 2012 year list: Chuck-will's-widow, Canada Warbler, Bank Swallow, Double-crested Cormorant, Least Sandpiper, Warbling Vireo, and Blackpoll Warbler.  The first 6 were added on May 1st when I spent all day birding around my local county in Virginia: Augusta with my good friend Vic Laubach.  That day we found 106 species in the county alone!  The Chuck-will's-widow was a life bird for Vic.

The 7th year bird of may, Blackpoll Warbler was one that I ticked this morning.  The Augusta Bird Club had it's annual birding and brunch picnic and I attended, and there we found 57 species including my FOY Blackpoll, which is my favorite warbler.  The first warbler I ever saw was a Blackpoll Warbler (at least 3 years ago) and then it was the first bird that I ever held, at the Kiptopeke Songbird Banding Station.  With these 2 things, it makes since Blackpoll is my favorite warbler and one of my favorite birds...

Tomorrow the Augusta Bird Club is having it's annual Big Spring Day and many teams will be out around the whole county.  My mom and I have a lot of territory and I can't wait.  I will post an update.

Moving away from the birds topic, I've also seen 4 special bears in May so far.  The first 2 were both young (1-4 year old bears) that I saw while birding on May 1st with Vic.  The third and fourth were a mom with a yearling, while looking for bears in Shenandoah yesterday.  There's a long story to go along with that that I will post sometime but not right now.

Happy wild times,

Gabriel