What means more to you?

Harlequin Ducks at Beavertail today

 A few years back when I didn't go birding nearly as much as I do now, I ran across Wayne Munns. Wayne is one of Rhode Island's best birders. He comes in the top five every year and one year saw the most birds. I really don't know him and I'm sure he doesn't even remember my name. However I remember our conversation almost word for word and it stuck with me.

   We had both been looking at the same fairly rare bird. It was still early in the day when we found it. Two other rare birds had been spotted. One was a Sandhill Crane and the other was a Vesper Sparrow. I had seen Sandhill Cranes in Yellowstone but the Vesper Sparrow would be a lifer. The problem was each bird was different sides of the state. I didn't have the time, energy, or gasoline to chase them both. What to do?

   As I was pondering this decision to Wayne, he very nonchalantly said to me "Which one means more to you?" I thought about it for a minute. The Vesper would have been a lifer but it is a sparrow. On the other hand, a Sandhill Crane is a 5 foot tall wading bird that I had never seen anywhere near home. When I responded with "Sandhill Crane" he said, there's your answer. Needless to say, I chased the crane. Those words really got me thinking and I've come to use them to live by "What means more to you?"

   Over the years I have always had this internal struggle pulling me into different directions when it comes to outdoor recreation. I always felt that if I was dedicating too much time to one pursuit I wasn't giving enough time for the others.   Before I go on, I have to remind you, that my only child is 23 years old and somewhere on the other side of the world right now. I am unmarried, so I know I have far more free time and a lot less obligations than most people. Do not chop my head off when I say there isn't enough time to do all the fun things I want...I get it. 

During the spring, specifically May, everything is good. Stripers are back, trout have been stocked and are actively feeding on insects, birds are migrating by the millions, it is the best month to catch a trophy carp, and oh by the way, largemouth and smallmouth fishing is at its peak. It is enough to make my head spin!!!

So, I would feel guilty. If I striper fished two night in a row, I'd go to the fly pond the next day. If I was at the fly pond and I caught 6-8  trout (a typical evening) and my friend Dave caught 20 stripers, I'd be sick over it. If I went down the Cape trout fishing the kettle ponds and I saw migrating warblers, I'd be so mad I wasn't birding. White people problems, I know.

Then a few years back the little motto "What means the most to you?" hit me like a ton of bricks. I started doing exactly what I wanted and put away the guilt. For example, one year I really wanted to place in the top 3 in our carp club's Big 3 tournament. I knew first place was out of the question, but I could come in second if I put in the time. So that is what I did. I gave up plenty of striper evenings to sit by the lake sometimes till 11 pm hoping for some big fish. I did end up second and had no regrets.

Lately, my two passions have been birding and striper fishing. I really haven't put in too much time catching carp or trout over the last 18 months. That is okay. Maybe next year, I'll want to sling my fly rod or try again for a 30 pound carp more often.

This year I am doing a Rhode Island Big Year. This means I'm going to see how many species of birds I can really see. I'm going to chase every rarity within reason. This will mean "sacrificing" a weekend at Plum Island during May which is something I love doing. However, I want to see how many species I can get this year. So, it is what I want to do. I also plan on doing a lot of striper fishing. Striper fishing and birding compliment each other. I can bird during the day and striper fish in the evening. Some days in the fall I will do both multiple times during the day. Maybe I will devote more time to trout or carp, but I do love catching stripers, so we will see.

On the other hand, I decided that in 2020, I am not even going to keep my list on the public site. It brings out competition. I want to see how I compare this year, but not next.  I already know for sure that I am not going to "list" next year. There are many reasons for this. Next year, I don't want to feel like I have to chase every bird. I want to bird for the sheer joy of it or just to take pictures without the pressure of "the next bird". I want to spend as much time as I can at Plum Island next year since I won't be this year. That will mean I'll see far less birds in RI next year, Also, I'd like to take a birding trip to Cape May, NJ. Lastly, my son and I are hoping to do a big hiking trip together in 2020. Add all of these things together and there is no way birding in RI will be a priority. Besides after chasing every bird for a year, I'm sure I will be burnt out.

Now that I have finished the NH 4000 footers, I will certainly be taking hikes to places I have wanted to see. These include smaller summits, waterfalls, and mountain lakes. There are seven hikes on this list so if I get to NH four times alone, I should be able to see them. This won't interfere with my RI Big Year too much. The summer is a slow time birding, and if I miss a bird because I'm sitting next to Flat Mountain Pond, then so be it. That's okay. doing what matters most is the important lesson here. I'll sacrifice a bird for a weekend hiking.

 Life is far too short to not have as much fun as possible or not to chase every goal. If you have to make a choice between two fun things or a goal... do the one that matters the most to you right now!!

Big year update

Update on my list- I saw 110 species of birds in Rhode Island in January. I also saw a Trumpeter Swan in MA. I've seen two new species in Rhode Island in February (today) giving me a grand total of 112 for RI so far. This puts me in 6th place. There have been  143 species seen.

I have seen three life birds so far- Evening Grosbeaks, Cackling Goose (today) and Barnacle Goose (yesterday)

Of the 31 species I haven't seen, abut half will be easy in other times of the year such as Red Winged Blackbird and Brown Headed Cowbird. The other half, the harder birds are the ones I have been concentrating on knowing I will eventually get the easy birds.