Ever since I heard about this bird, I’d been itching to go see it.
I hadn’t chased many birds in the last few months and having just retired from my job of 31 years. I hadn’t really had much of an urge to do anything it seemed lately but try to get use to the idea that I was retired.
I put out a message on Facebook to see if anyone wanted to go with me and well lets say the responses were limited, which I can understand with Christmas just around the corner.
Also I didn’t really have any car, my Jeep was giving me problems and after having check Enterprise, Discount, Avis and Budget in Bells Corners, found that no cars were available.
Sam offered me his car and I decided to go for it Wednesday night, it would be a crazy chase. Twenty-two hours of driving, round trip in the winter in northern Quebec and New Brunswick.
Having dinner at my mother-in-laws, as we always do on Wednesday. Sam (not at all a birder) offered to go with me to keep me company and share in the driving. Man was I elated….I will never forget he did that for me, and knowing what seeing that bird meant to me.
So off we went at 9pm, camera and warm gear in hand and drove 1,020 kms arriving at 473 Manny Drive the next morning at 9:30am.
The bird had been seen earlier but was not there now, more and more people started arriving and as if on cue so did the Mistle Thrush. This is as far as I’ve heard the first record of this bird in the ABA area.
It really never came into the open, there was always a branch in front of it and after an hour of waiting, an talking with friends, I decided that it was time to head back.
We stopped at Tim’s, grabbed a coffee and hit the road. Driving home the weather didn’t make it easy, blowing snow for 200 km slowed us down a bit but we were home by 11:30pm.
2,170 km, 26 1/2 hours, great time with Sam, lovely new ABA bird.
Merry Christmas all
Paul Lgasi
BIRDQUEST2004 