We ended our 2005 Big Sit species count right where it was when I last posted: 60 species. Our last bird was a chimney swift that Steve McCarthy (pictured emerging from the birding tower hatch) spotted overhead. "Hey! It's a flying cigar! No, wait! It's a chimney swift!"Chet Baker (Boston terrier to end all Boston terriers) was with us for much of the Sit, taking his customary perch on a stool meant for humans. From this vantage point he can scan the yard below for bunnies, chipmunks, and deer. He's pictured, sitting between Jen and Julie, watching the action at the Bird Spa.
We did set an all-time record for human participants in the Big Sit at 28. It got a bit crowded in the tower at times. At one point someone suggested we needed "to vote someone off the island" in order to make more room. When the beer and wine began flowing at about 5 pm, all such concerns evaporated. Of course it also meant that we did not see any more species.
The Wicked Witches of the Web (Laura Kammermeier and Katherine Koch) appeared in our driveway in the afternoon and joined us for the remainder of the Sit. They, along with Doug and Ethel-Marie Levasseur, helped me finish off the squash soup and chili after the Sit, making this the first-ever Big Sit without massive food leftovers. Of course we did contribute mightily to global warming as a result.
Visit the link above to see Big Sit results from other circles around the world. Next year, host your OWN Big Sit!
Bye for now,
BT3
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