It's been dry, here, just north of Chicago, these last two weeks - relative to the very wet and cold month we had in June, at any rate. A long dry spell after a long wet spell creates exposed mudflats and that is the magnet that draws
shorebirds during migration. My goal for the rest of the week, then, is to get serious about adding some shorebirds to my '09 list. To that end, I plan to take my
spotting scope or, at the very least, my
birding binocular with me no matter where I go. Of course, very few people will know why I am wearing a
Leica binocular around my neck while I shop for groceries or sit outside a coffee shop, sipping a latte, but I am used to the odd looks, now and then. There is a method to my madness, however. I have actually seem migrating shorebirds, not to mention hawks and other birds from the vantage point of a grocery parking lot or a patio outside a coffee shop.
