Fingers Crossed

The bottom fell out of the sky in eastern Newfoundland 25 April to 15 May 2014. One of the best, if not the very best, Icelandic Invasions in recorded time occurred.  European Golden Plovers were everywhere in flocks up to 47 individuals, there was a record 13 different Black-tailed Godwits, two Common Redshanks were together on the same beach, Northern Wheatears arrived by the dozen and there were odds and ends like Eurasian Whimbrel and Pink-footed Goose. It was all weather related. The right NE storms occurred again and again. The adrenalin ran constantly high. There was no place on earth any Avalon Peninsula birder wanted to be.

As the 2015 Icelandic Invasion season approaches eyes are turned to long range forecasts looking and longing for the right NE winds to bring more incredible birding times to Newfoundland. Most birders that is. One birder is hoping for the opposite. He is wishing and praying for an air flow from the other quadrant of the compass. Maybe some SW winds with a few Indigo Buntings and a tanager or two. Not that this birder wants to see that.   No, he wouldn't care if that was all he missed.  This birders is me.  I will be absent from the Avalon Peninsula 20 April to 5 May 2015.  Work is taking me away.  I am very very nervous about missing Icelandic Vagrants. I can't sleep at night.  I am concerned. If I'd been away during that time period in 2014 I would have been completely robbed.  I would have died on the spot.

I can not face missing birds like these from 2014 while I am away 20 April-5 May 2015. Fingers crossed that it won't happen.

There is a silver lining. Although I'll be sentenced to a ship for two weeks at a crucial time to be on the Avalon Peninsula, I will be in the ice off the coast of Labrador where I very well could see some of these. And besides I'll be closer to Iceland than the Avalon birders if there is an Icelandic Event.  Both Graylag Geese records for the province came from the offshore.  So there it is not hopeless. That is what I keep telling myself...