Lindsay Chased Target Species This July for Virtual Big Year

I spent this month chasing target species and rarities. My target species consisted of the birds still missing from my Michigan checklist. Luckily, the Fantasy Birding website has a target species function to check for recent sightings of birds still missing from my list. I can use that function to decide where to spend the next day or so. I typically schedule two to four days at a time and check back in to make sure everything is still looking good. Unfortunately, some of my target species aren’t currently in Michigan. I’m hoping to pick those up during fall migration.

I got a real treat this month with the state record of the Roseate Spoonbill. Birders from near and far traveled to Saline, Mich., to see the elusive bird. Since the Roseate Spoonbill has never been seen in Michigan before now, this was an extremely rare treat. The sighting gathered media attention and that of birders of all ages around the state, including some from surrounding states. 

Bird sightings this rare usually show up for one of two reasons. They may be a captive bird that has gotten loose or been released. Alternatively, they may have somehow been pushed off track and are somewhat lost. The spoonbill falls into the latter category. 

Rarities like this can pose some ethical conundrums. When really rare birds, including state records, are reported, many birders are inspired to make a trek to see the bird. This can lead to increased stress on the bird, issues with private landowners, and safety issues with large crowds on streets or areas they aren’t generally in. One of the great things about the spoonbill sighting is that the local community embraced the rarity and set up a system for dealing with the influx of visitors.

Although I didn’t travel to the area to see the bird in person, it was inspiring to chase the bird virtually through my fantasy birding experience. I know several people who actively pursued the bird, including several members of our Michigan Young Birders Network. Their experiences ranged from seeing the bird on the first try to searching for hours with no luck. Maybe one day in the future, I’ll decide to be part of the chase and travel around the state, viewing rarities in person.

As we move into August, I’ll still plan to chase target species while also paying attention to the beginning of fall migration. I’m excited to see how fall migration picks up and how it will impact my fantasy birding experience.

Featured photo: Roseate Spoonbill by Christine Andrews