My Parents’ Retirement: 44% Ain’t Bad for Five Weeks
July 1, 2009
My parents just returned from their 5-week Alaskan odyssey.
They reported that, between the two of them, they saw 199 species of birds (they each saw 198, and each saw one that the other did not see). Apparently, there are “as many as 450 species of birds” in Alaska, which means they saw 44% of the species that inhabit the state.
I guess they’ll have to go back to finish the job.
The preliminary report of their trip did not include any data as to how many of these birds were new to their life list, but I’m sure that information will be provided in a subsequent report (or at least as a comment on this post).
Posted in Miscellaneous
July 1st, 2009 at 1:06 pm
Something tells me there’s going to be a spreadsheet and some distribution analysis if these people are in fact YOUR real parents.
July 2nd, 2009 at 11:06 am
Yup, a trip (or two) back may well be in the cards, including a paddle in far northeastern Alaska to see, among other things, the gray-headed chickadee. It’s not like we haven’t been talking about an Alaska paddle for 30+ years. :o)
Life birds? 34 for Dad, 35 for me. The one I got that he already had was also an infinitely better bird in full breeding plumage for him than the off-course, pale, non-breeding bird that he had seen here in Texas a couple of winters ago (insofar as any time period in central Texas can be called “winter”).
Dad’s ABA life list is now up to 672, mine is at 670, out of a possible 900 +/- birds. I’m hoping to close that gap by one, and possibly altogether, when we’re in Florida in November.
Spreadsheets produced by Avisys birding software…lots of analysis available if you have further questions!