Not much time to bird today due to multiple doctor-type appointments and music rehearsals and shopping to do and lots of worries and plan reconsiderations on whether I should go to Barrow as planned or to Sitka or to parts unknown where a Gray-headed Chickadee might still be. I did not go anywhere to bird but I did look out in my yard periodically but mostly there was nothing there, just every now and then a few Steller’s Jays and a few Black-billed Magpies.
One of the Steller’s Jays fed from my hand as usual.
The Steller’s Jay with the damaged beak (“Beaky”) seems to have difficulty sometimes getting peanuts from the jar so I put some on the porch railing to see if that would be better, and then I took pictures from a couple of feet away as he tried to pick up a peanut and did succeed.
Bottom line on my plans: I’m still going to Barrow even though the ice is not there as probably needed for Ivory Gulls. We shall see if that is a wise idea. After that, who knows whether there will be any birds to chase or not.
302 species so far
Lynn Barber's Birding Blog 
Lynn, do you have a goal for this Alaska Big Year? What is your previous year record for Alaska? And what is the record?
Thanks,
Jean
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I have passed my goal. This is only my second year in AK and last year I had 227 species (not a big year but I birded a lot). The record apparently set years ago is 287.
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