[CT Birds] Challenge

[TomdB2 at aol.com]

My best combination was probably getting all four species of irruptive  
northern owl--Great Grey, Hawk, Boreal, and Snowy, in one day in and around  
Duluth, MN, but lots of people who live anywhere near Duluth have had that  
experience.  I also had all seven species of irruptive winter finch on one  day (both 
Redpolls, Evening and Pine Grosbeaks, both crossbills, and Pine  Siskin) that 
same winter (1978), but again, I bet there are more than a few  CT birders who 
have had that experience, if not in CT, then in northern New  England.  
 
North-south, east-west combos have been harder for me because  usually 
vagrancy is unidirectional.  I guess my best north-south was  probably seeing a 
Gyrfalcon and a Green-tailed Towhee on the same day in  northern Wisconsin (saw 
Bohemian Waxwings that day, too).  Or maybe  Groove-billed Ani and Red Crossbill 
(also in Wisconsin).  Or Sage Thrasher  and Common Redpoll (also in WI).  How 
about a West-South combo like  Brown-chested Martin, Cave Swallow, 
MacGillivray's Warbler, and Ash-throated  Flycatcher all on one day in Cape May, NJ?  
Since it was early-mid  November, I'm sure there were northern birds that I 
could add to that combo (but  none come to mind--people who went the next day, as 
I almost did again, saw all  of the above plus a male King Eider on the ferry 
out from Delaware).  What  qualifies as "east" when you are already on the 
Atlantic coast, and thinking  about a N-S-E-W combination--something from Europe? 
 A pelagic bird blown  inward?  In that case, my best east-west might be 
Garganey and Dicksissel  (in NJ and VA), or Wilson's Petrel and Pacific Loon (in 
VA and DC,  respectively).
 
Tom de Boor
Branford, CT



**************************************See AOL's top rated recipes 
(http://food.aol.com/top-rated-recipes?NCID=aoltop00030000000004)