[CT Birds] Fish Crow at Uconn Depot Campus, Storrs

[David Provencher]

OK so here's an example of taking things for granted in the birding world.
When I was looking for the Bohemian Waxwing at UCONN on Sunday, I heard a
Fish Crow. I remember thinking "sheez, they're everywhere now." Little did I
know. Years ago on a trip to Panama Sam Fried put together, another birder
and I were walking along ahead of the group when we saw a Yellow-rumped
Warbler feeding on the ground. I remember we commented about not realizing
that some made it that far south in winter but not thinking much about.
Until a few minutes later our Panamanian bird guide came bouncing along
pleased as punch because he had just gotten a new life bird, a rare event
for him. Yup, the Yellow-rumped Warbler. He'd never seen one in Panama
before. On another trip years before that, in Trinidad and Tobago, we found
a Short-eared Owl on a runway at night. We puzzled over the id for a minute
running through all the South American owls when Frank Gallo suddenly said
"Short-eared Owl!" We all said "Of course!" All except our guide, a local
bird guide with a legendary reputation. He said "No we don't get them here."
To which Frank replied, "You do now!" On yet another trip, in Richmond Park
near London, an English friend of Julian Hough was showing me about. I was
searching for a Hobby when I spotted a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and
casually mentioned it to Julian's friend. He spun around and said "What?!"
He look where I pointed and when he'd seen it too he looked at me with big
eyes and said, "I can't believe it, gripped off by a Yank on my own patch!"
He'd never seen one there before. So some times you take the familiar for
granted where you shouldn't. I did it again on Sunday, at UCONN, where my
oldest daughter is a student!

 

Dave