This is my most recent blog post from our latest trip to Jubail with Jem and Nicole.  We only caught about 50% of the birds we would usually capture because it was very cold.  The birds were staying in the reeds because they were trying to conserve their energy.

Nicole and I coming back from the water

One difference about this trip was that I could finally go into the water with Nicole to see her take the birds out of the mist nets because I had waders that let me walk in the water.  I got them from my mom and dad for Christmas.  My mom and dad could not follow me because they do not have waders.

We ringed a few of the same species that we have in the past and we also caught some individuals that were ringed on previous trips.  We even caught a Graceful Prinia twice in the same day.  We also ringed several species for the first time, including a Daurian Shrike, Water Pipet, and White Eared Bulbol.  When we were driving down the twisting, bumpy road, my mom spotted 50 or more Greater Flamingos in the distance.  When my dad pulled over, I got the camera and snapped some shots.  I hope you enjoyed my blog post, and I can't wait for my next birding adventure.

A Blue Throat about to fly away

Great look at the orange upper tail coverts of the Blue Throat in flight

We spent two weeks in Washington State over the Christmas holiday. We did a lot of backyard birding at both of my grandpas' houses where I took lots of pictures of mostly Stellar's Jays. We also visited nearby Wiley Slough and Padilla Bay in Skagit County, where we saw a rare Black Phoebe, as well as a Red Naped Sap Sucker and a Northern Shrike!

It was freezing much of the time but I was tempted to stay outside to get many great photos of hungry Steller's Jays.  I can't wait to see them again.