Many Americans spend their days walking blissfully through parks and neighborhoods, unaware of the diabolical evil that lurks just overhead.
What is this threat? The Black-billed Cuckoo:
What is the nature of the threat, you ask? We aren't completely sure yet, but they are clearly up to no good.
For example, we recently spent two days in the Baltimore area trying to find one of these birds. We started early on Day 1, shortly after day-break East coast time, also known as "Too Damn Early".
We tromped through dew-soaked grasses, back and forth along a stream (or, in Eastern terms, a "run"), hunting for this little devil. We found a birding group that happened to be in the park and asked for advice. After lunch, we sat alongside the stream where they had been reported for several hours, patiently (too patiently?) awaiting a coo or a rustle that would indicate their presence.
Day 2, we tried again, and then tried another park, and then drove for 90 minutes to another park outside of Washington DC where they had been reported the prior day. We spent four hours there, walking nearly four miles.
All this effort got us exactly 0 (zero) Black-billed Cuckoos.
Given that we know they were present, we are convinced they were hiding from us specifically. The only conceivable reason for avoiding our scrutiny is that they must be plotting something terrible. Therefore, we have declared them to be Public Enemy #1. If you see one of these birds (which of course you won't), then say something! Alert the authorities!
So, licking the grievous wounds to our egos, we arrived in Arizona yesterday ready for some new birds. We immediately went to a local bed and breakfast where Lucifer Hummingbirds were reportedly flying into their feeders, sat on the offered lawn chairs, and within five minutes had added two Lucifers to our life list. And, we felt better.
The next few days will bring steep hikes and long periods of waiting as we attempt to pick up a few more local Arizona specialties. There are some ugly thunderstorms building, so hopefully we can stay dry!
Later,
Me
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