This past week, the Presque Isle Audubon Society canceled their annual Festival of Birds, scheduled for May 8-10. Today, the other shoe dropped, with the Black Swamp Bird Observatory canceling the Biggest Week in American Birding, scheduled for May 8-17. This all follows my last post (here) about other cancellations, and all in all it’s shaping up to be a forgettable year, for birding at least.

As I have stated in the past, this year was to be my very first in celebrating the Biggest Week; now I’ll have to wait for next year to experience that, but I will be seeing warblers for certain this spring. I have alternate plans for my spring birding, to be enjoyed with various comrades-in-arms, and I still look forward to ticking Golden-winged, Blue-winged and perhaps a Kirtland’s Warbler. Speaking of Kirtland’s, as of right now, Michigan Audubon advises that their nesting site tours are still a go for start on May 23rd. I am hopeful to attend this, likely in early June.

As of now, I am also scuttling my June trip to Maine; I have no idea how things will arc over the next several weeks, and I don’t want to get caught up in COVID casualties. I am now seriously considering a trip to Ecuador in 2021 with a private touring group.

I’ve managed to tick three first-of-year birds thus far this week: Common Loon, Bonaparte’s Gull, and Osprey. Hoping to possibly add an Eastern Phoebe and maybe some sandpipers later in the week. That’s about it for now, as I hunker down in place. Bird on!