My Cape May wish list

Gosh, so much to blog about, and so little time! Here’s the first post of many I need to get done today.

I mentioned in my sidebar last time I updated my blog template that my lifebird goal for the Cape May Autumn Weekend is twenty lifers. Why twenty? Several reasons. First, at the last (and first) festival I attended, I got 23 lifers on one birdwalk with the great Julie Zickefoose, so I figure 20 is a realistic goal – when you’ve seen as few birds as I have, the lifers come pretty fast. (My lifelist is at 131.)

Second, I went through my NE list of possible birds and I picked twenty that I’d really like to see. Actually, if I only saw all the warblers on this list, I’d be thrilled! But you know me—always setting ridiculously high expectations. Here’s my list, and don’t laugh at some of the common “gimme” birds on here:

Canvasback
Ruddy duck
Northern pintail
Blue-winged teal
Purple finch
Common goldeneye
Gull (any besides ring-billed)
Plover (any)
Sandpiper (any besides Solitary)
Scoter (any)
Pine siskin
Common snipe
Tern (any)
Warbler, Blackpoll
Warbler, Cape May
Warbler, Connecticut*
Warbler, Hooded
Warbler, Nashville
Warbler, Prothonotary
Warbler, Yellow-rumped

Just this morning, a local bigtime birder I know went to Scotia Barrens and saw 75+ butter-butts, along with four other species that would’ve been lifers for me. Gees! I’ve been meaning to get out to the Barrens since late August, but it seems like my weekend mornings are always being filled with sleeping or birding somewhere else or housekeeping or just chillin’ with the bun and the kitties while reading Harry Potter or something. Sigh.

Of course, I’m leaving off these other lifers I’m hoping to see:
Sharon the Birdchick
Lynne at Hasty Brook
Laura at Somewhere In NJ
Susan at Lake Life
Amy at Wild Bird on the Fly
Patrick at The Hawk Owl's Nest
John at The Born Again Bird Watcher

I’ll be sure to get photos to confirm my IDs.