My Midwest Birding Symposium Goal Attained

eBird now tells me:

Fellow birding blogger friends Donald the Birder and Kelly Riccetti guided me at East Harbor State Park where within minutes I was fortunate to spot a Chestnut-sided Warbler.  At first I saw that plain white belly and thought it might be "just another" Tufted Titmouse, but then I saw those chestnut flanks and I knew that I had found my new life bird and achieved my personal goal at MBS2011.  Moments later we had better views at that olive head and back on gray and the chestnut flanks.  What a gorgeous fall warbler and I am honored that it allowed me to see it and that Kelly and Donald were with me at the time.  I was also using Kathleen Cameron's Swarovski binoculars that she loaned me for the special occasion of seeing my 400th life bird.  She is my Idaho birding friend that organizes tours to Costa Rica as shown in the video in my side-bar.  

I sent out a tweet about it and word spread fast.  I returned to Lakeside and it was really cool to get congratulations from several birders.  I even bumped into Kenn Kaufman and he was very nice.  He says Kim will be delighted that this milestone bird for me was a Chestnut-sided Warbler as that is her favorite fall plumage warbler.  So anyway, special thanks to Rob Ripma, Alvaro Jaramillo, Greg Miller, Paul Baicich, Clay Taylor and those previously mentioned for helping me find so many new life birds at this wonderful birding event.

Earlier today Bill Thompson III announced to the entire symposium that I would do my life bird dance on stage if I attained my goal.  Now I had mentioned to him and Julie that I would do a life bird dance a la Napoleon Dynamite and John Travolta, but I hadn't intended to do it publicly...but I suppose I'm on the hook now to make a fool of myself...and I won't even be drunk...well drunk on good birds is exciting enough.