This morning (Jan. 7, 2007) at 7:48, while sitting on my inverted
5-gallon bucket overlooking the South end of Jug Bay, a White Pelican
sailed into view, presumably the same one Jeff saw yesterday.  It
eventually got up on the P.G. Co. shore and preened for a great long
while (when I left at 8:49, it was still there, but not at 1 pm).
 
Yesterday, I heard a Wood Duck, so walked down to the beaver pond in our
creek, where I flushed 9 of them.  In a warm February, I normally expect
to start hearing migrants (in my experience the wintering individuals
don't call much) in the first week.  As warm as it has been, and with
yesterday's absurd temps, I suspect these may actually have been early
migrants returning.  The same location has had no sign of Wood Ducks
since late November.
 
My "bucket list" is off to a good start this year; I am at 57 species,
tied with this date in '05 and 8 ahead of last year.  My yearly total
for '06 was 173, down from my '05 total of 183.  My first year of this
insanity ('04) I only recorded 161.  Is there a known record for "most
species recorded from one spot"?  My total for all years (first started
my vigil in 1997 I think, but didn't get crazed (=annual list) about it
until '04) is around 227, give or take a few hypotheticals.
 
danny bystrak
Bristol, aa co. md