Mommy can we go to Attu?

In birding a "Big Year" is when you start on January 1 and see how many different species of birds you can count by December 31st.  It is usually a very expensive and time-consuming hobby because you are traveling all over the country in search of the most birds.  Hoping on planes, driving, hiking, staying in remote locations.

Well at least this is what we learned from watching the movie, The Big Year, with Steve Martin, Jack Black, and Owen Wilson.  These men were some serious birders.  They spent some serious time and money to see the most elusive birds in the country.  Hoping on a plane when some serious fall-out happened during migratory time.  Yup.  Did you understand that sentence?

Now Brendan's goal this year is to see more birds than they saw in the movie.  The record was 755.  He wants to see 800.  Sure Brendan.  That is going to happen in Southeast Michigan.  He asked if we could go to Alaska to see the birds like they did in the movie.  They went to an island and stayed in a bunker that was shared with a rat.

Attu: http://www.tsuru-bird.net/attu/

So we started "Brendan's Big Year" list on April 1st.  Two days in and he is at 16 species.  His favorites are the blue jay and American robin.  Too bad he can't count them everyday.  He'd hit is number in no time at all!

He is equipped with a notebook, bird book, binoculars, and my old digital camera.  He is recognizing some bird calls (blue jay, crow, chickadee, starlings) and will run to the window to find them.  He has a surprisingly sharp eye and can find them in trees where I have trouble locating them.

Wish us look on our "big year" journey and if you'd like to fund his trip to Attu let me know:)