I had a little trouble getting into this morning's survey. I'm not sure of the reason; maybe it is my familiarity with the route. I first volunteered for the Wilson route when I was conducting biological studies on a proposed power plant site during the late 1970s for WEPCo, as We Energies was known then. This site southwest of Escanaba never went anywhere, but I'm still doing the Wilson BBS each June.
A friend who conducted 2 BBSs for a number of years recently told me that he found the 4-5 hr spent on a BBS to be the most mentally grueling exercise he'd ever done. Concentration is definitely important, and it is easy for your mind to start wandering. We hear performers talk about needing to be "up" for a good show. Those conducting a BBS need to be "up" for 50, 3-minute performances!
The day's tally was 72 species, which is in the range that I normally find. I did add a new species for the route - an adult Bald Eagle that called to me from its perch in a tree at the edge of an open field. Another field where I often find Upland Sandpipers had been cultivated this spring - darn. Other species that I usually find but escaped notice this year included Killdeer, Barn Swallow, Veery, and Whip-poor-will (at stop 1).
