2013: The year of Jon!

Okay maybe I'm getting a little ahead of myself, but it's always difficult to keep perspective as a new year rolls around.  My mind is busy creating lists of all the cool birds I might see.  Here is a list of likely life/state birds I might get in 2013:
Mottled Duck-A life bird that shall elude me no longer!  I guess this really depends on the water levels at CB and Q.  If they are good, this is a distinct possibility.
Scoter-Any of the three would be a state bird.  They will be mine; oh yes, they will be mine!
Lesser Prairie-Chicken-This is my promise to you, dear reader: I will get Lesser Prairie-Chicken this coming year!
Scaled Quail-The "cottontop" will bite the dust if I make a trip down to SW Kansas.
Clark's Grebe-A new scope will do wonders of my chances of identifying one of these.  A new scope huh....
Red-shouldered Hawk-One trip out East with a little birding involved should nab this state bird for me. Now, if only I can figure out how to make that trip....
Black/King Rails-These little buggers cannot avoid me much longer!  Please, Quivira, have good water levels this year!
Mountain Plover-How did this bird ever get its name?  Did someone see one in a mountain at one time?  Not likely!  This lifer is a real possibility if I make the long-awaited trip to SW Kansas.
Long-billed Curlew-Does its bill really need to be that long?  Really?  Another SW Kansas specialty that could appear in my area as well.  State bird.
Sabine's Gull-Not many this year.  Next year?  A lifer t'would be.
Caspian Tern-Oh, Prince Caspian, will I ever find you in this state?  Me thinks t' answer would be "yes."
Inca Dove-Why is it called an Inca Dove?  Hum, I wonder?  Where could I find this little guy?  SW Kansas; that's where.  Well, I think I'm starting to see a pattern here....
Long-eared Owl-One of those tree branches will turn out to be a Long-eared Owl one of these days!  My life is not complete without it.
Short-eared Owl-One of those harriers will turn out to be a Short-eared owl one of these days!  My Kansas list is not complete without it.
To be continued....

Catchings Up

You would think that a life bird that is rare in the state would merit a post.  And I had very good intentions.  Had the bird not been in the middle of the lake and a decent photograph been possible, I swear there would have been a more recent post.  But alas, all my good intentions are worth about as much as Monopoly money.  You see, I saw a Pacific Loon on November 29.  It is now December 9th and I am just now posting about it.  Sad, so sad.
I had mad my usual run around Webster and was about to head back when two birds caught my eye.  I first thought, "loon!" but when I think that, the bird often turns out to be a cormorant.  These two passed further inspection, though, and were clearly not cormorants.  The aspect that struck me, though, was that they were clearly not the same type of loon.  One was a bit larger with a much larger bill.  This  left me two realistic possibilities for the smaller: Red-throated and Pacific.  I guess Arctic is also a possibility, but c'mon...let's be serious here.  Although the bird was distant, I could tell that the demarcation of dark and white was too distinct to be Red-throated.  The bird also never held its bill up as Red-throateds are wont to do.
So there I had it, a new life bird.  Pacific are more expected in Kansas in stark contrast to the arrangement in Michigan.  But they are still not "expected" at any time.  I was thrilled needless to say.
With time winding down and commitments keeping me from birding much the rest of the way out, it is likely that I have seen my last new species in Kansas for the year.  Not a bad year: 251 Kansas birds!