End of the Year -- End of the Fundraiser

2007 is over as is my Photo Big Year fundraiser to help the American Bird Conservancy's Junin Grebe Project. With almost 400 photos taken, I raised almost 1200 dollars and had a really great time. Unfortunately, one thing I learned is that I am not a blogger! So this will probably be the last entry I ever make in the blogger universe. The year was amazing. My friends and myself while trying to get photos for the fundraiser found two new Maryland state records for Furtive Forktail and Duckweed Firetail, both damselflies. Rare butterflies and ten species of hairstreaks were also captured with photos. The rarest being King's Hairstreak, a butterfly that has only been found in one small area in Maryland. Mammals and herps were disapointing. I expected to do better with them. Spotted Turtles never materialized, nor did Chorus Frogs or Spotted Newts. I also missed both Muskrat and Nutria and failed to get photos of any bats. On the positive side I did get photos of Harbor Seal and my first Chipmunk on Delmarva. I think I did very well with Birds. Highlights included the hundred Marbled Godwits last winter at Willston Warf in Virginia and the Common Eider at Ocean City Inlet. I want to thank my girlfriend Colleen who gave up a lot of free time to travel around the peninsula in the heat and cold taking pictures of insects and birds. Jim Stasz, Hans Holbrook, Bill Hubick, Matt Hafner, Ed Boyd, Tom Field and many others who helped me immensly throughout the year with hotel rooms, logistics, boat rides, and friendship. Without their help I would not have done as well as I did and the year would not have been anywhere near as fun. Thanks guys.