Ty and Ida On the Road: Starting a new year

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Starting a new year

Each year we keep a record of the number of species of birds we see and 2014 was our "Big Year" finding 566 species. We traveled from Arizona to California, Oregon, Washington north into British Columbia, Yukon and Alaska. Then down through the Canadian Rockies of Alberta and BC to Montana and Wyoming, east through South Dakota, Iowa and back "home" to Wisconsin.

Io Moth Caterpillar

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

Although now home is wherever we find ourselves since we are full time RVing. We then went around Lake Michigan and down the east side, through Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina. We followed the Atlantic Coast through South Carolina, Georgia and into Florida. Our retirement list has reached 672 birds and we are on day 1,344; traveling over 85,000 miles in that time. It will get much more difficult to add North American birds as time goes on.

N. Mockingbird

Little Blue Heron close up

Tilapia

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Now - for starting over - the first 100 birds are easy in Florida, less than 6 days. But time to travel on if we want more.

Tree Frog

Pond Lily at White City Park

Along with walking around Wood Stork Trail near our RV Park in Port St. Lucie, we also traveled out to Allapattah Flats, Ft. Pierce Jetty and Hutchinson Island beaches on the ocean, Jonathan Dickinson State Park and the Savannah State Park.

Crested Caracara

Now for his close-up

Pop-up Showers come in along the coast

Brown Pelican

Sharp-pod Beach Morning Glory

We are enjoying our time with Daryl & Vicki and we also had a chance to meet with Patti Hancock-Myers and her new husband Bud as we both drove half-way across the Florida peninsula to have lunch. It's also great to be able to watch the Packer games from where it is warm, we will be praying for Aaron's calf to heal so they can win some more.