Rhode Island Record for most Species seen in a year broken!

   

Carlos Pedro looking through Linda Gardrel's scope at
the Magnificent Frigatebird on Dec 28th to break the
Rhode Island Yearbird record 309! Photo courtesy of Sue Palmer

Since this is my blog, most everything I write about are experiences I've had. Whether I have a bad day birding, a great day fishing, or feel like writing one of my boring posts about a thought, most everything I write is from my perspective. There is a whole lot of "me, I, and we" in my posts.

   So it is actually refreshing to write a post about one of my friends instead. Carlos Pedro one of Rhode Island's top birders broke the record for the most species of birds seen in Rhode Island in a calendar year. Carlos ended the year with 309 species. He beat the previous record holder Jan StJean by one bird (308 in 2012).

Carlos worked his tail off to claim the record. He was out birding five or six days a week. Sunday's were reserved for spending time for his wife. Unfortunately, most of the really rare birds were found on Sundays. So Carlos, just like everyone else, stopped whatever he was doing and went for Little Stint, Terek Sandpiper, Common Cukoo, and many other rare birds on the Sabath. 

   On top of birding, Carlos also picks up a hobby each year. When birding was slow one summer he photographed dragonflies, collecting over a hundred species. He is also addicted to mushroom hunting. When he finds a delicious specimen he will show you a picture like a proud papa would show you a picture of their child. Luckily for the bird group Carlos shares those mushrooms with them. 

   This year Carlos took up walking. For the first six months of the year he was averaging 40-60 miles a week (that is not a typo!). You cover a lot of birding territory walking that much. He picked up many species of shorebirds and migrants on these long walks.

Five of the species Carlos got were on a boat trip one hundred miles from Galilee. He sets up a six pack trip every year ( It is called a six pack because it is a fairly small boat that only holds six paying customers.) I was lucky enough to be invited on that trip. I had a great time and got to take home some tuna steaks to boot!

On December 18th Carlos along with a bunch of other birders got a Varied Thrush in Glocester. This tied him for the record. Still needing Snowy Owl and Eared Grebe he constantly went to Napatree and any other place with possibility of either bird. Finally on December 28th, after ten days of wondering if he could get one more bird, a Magnificent Frigatebird showed up off the West Wall. He rushed down and with other birders and saw the Frigatebird! 309!   

With three more days till the end of the year he tried for more birds. He spent seven hours stalking a Painted Bunting but it never popped up that day. None the less, 309 is a huge reason to celebrate.  

Congratulations my friend!!!