So the week or two Minnesota gets two new state birds to add to the list (brown pelican and white-winged dove) I travel to two states where both birds are quite common. This morning I opened the curtains to see my first Arizona bird and what do I see? A starling (harumph), the second is a female cardinal (getting better), the third a mockingbird (nice, but I saw lots of those in Virginia last week), then popped up a thrasher it was either a Bendire's or a curve-billed (either would be a lifer. Alas, they are almost impossible to tell apart. And then to sooth my birding frustration were two very accomodating white-winged doves. At least one lifer before breakfast. Not bad.

I'm kind of geeking out right now. I'm in the Double Tree lobby taking advantage of their free wireless and Paul Lehman is a few seats away and is on his cell phone editing some publication. He is completely unaware that I am stalking. He's talking sooty terns and now something about a glossy ibis he found some place unusual. I see so many names of birders in print or via email in a way it's like I'm birding them. Fun.