Well, first of all let’s look at my luck so far. There was a Rufous Hummingbird only 15 minutes from my house for over 3 weeks. As luck would have it I was busy working at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary and did not have time to chase this bird. When the season was over I went home and the (almost) first thing I did was head to the house where the Rufous had been seen daily. Every 15 minutes most mornings to be exact. Well, after 2 hours I realized that I was one day too late, the hummingbird had waited to make its last appearance when I could not make it. So that is my most recent dip.
Then there is the Fork-tailed Flycatcher that was in Bucks County, Pennsylvania earlier this year. I managed, once again to go the day after the last day it was seen. I spent about 7 hours there waiting and looking before I went home. The next day there was a rumor that it had been seen again so I drove the hour once again, only this time I got to stand in the drenching rain for several hours and be interviewed about why I was crazy enough to be there. And I struck out on this one too.
Then there was the Saw-whet Owl, the Varied Thrush and Townsend’s Solitaire’s that I kept missing at Indiana Dunes State Park. The list goes on with the reported Northern Hawk Owl and Black-backed Woodpeckers in Glacier National Park, Montana. I am starting to wonder if the birds have something against me.