goodbye Texas

I am late in writing this final entry to the 2009 season because my last week was very hectic trying to wrap up everything. I was out in the field every day until 7 or 8 at night. Friday, May 8 (my last day in Texas) I was in Bastrop where my dad and brother were picking up my vehicle before the big drive. I ended up missing a lunch and meeting in Austin I planned on going to, but I got my ride fixed!

I got one final morning of banding in on Thurs and banded 2 more bringing our grand total to 100!

Century bird was nicknamed stoplight (guess why):

We had a great turn-out to our mini-open house and everyone seemed to enjoy the show!

The final results for the season: 104 GCWAs banded (4 banded after I left), ~95 by me

32 nests found (as of when I left), 22 found by me (my best result since I was usually doing banding or point counts and I finished May 7)

2 rounds of point counts

I was presented this special cake at the May staff meeting:

I had a fabulous, exhilerating, and exhausting field season.

I headed north on I-35 Friday afternoon, spent the night in Ardmore, OK and arrived in KC the following afternoon. Randy and I enjoyed his birthday (our 1st together since I am always in field season mode).

Sunday I picked up a field assistant at the airport and thus began field season #2.

I miss my GCWAs already. Until next year...

wrapping up

Time is of the essence. I have been fighting time since I got here and I am now resigning myself to the fact that the end of this season (for me) is rapidly approaching. I have only 1 week! Today Lisa and I banded the remaining 3 GCWAs on Forest Ridge that we wanted to get so that plot is officially completed! Now if only the other plots were that complete. That makes 98 banded!

I found my 20th nest (on the road along Emma Long!) while I was walking between point counts. Things have been pretty slow since Monday when I found 2. We have bad weather all week, so I had to postpone point counts Tues and Wed, but yesterday and today were OK and now I am done with 2 of 5. I'm on track to complete those by early next week.