A few years ago, I started collecting photos of birding license plates after One of our Canadian friends mentioned that had started a collection. So their plate, shown here, was my first one.
We are in prime vanity plate territory so this week I’ve gathered a few more including this one (with a bonus Red Sox frame) from our next door neighbors, Ray and Linda. Ray is a former Vermonter from Wilmington.
The owner of this plate was a former Vietnam era chopper pilot so besides birding, we had some things in common.
I saw this last one at the county park yesterday afternoon, telling the owner that she had to be a hardcore birder with a plate like that. Empids are flycatchers that look alike and are virtually impossible to identify if they are not singing. They drive most birders a little nuts when it’s not breeding season.
As I wrote this, I realized that I don’t have the iconic Vermont plate, the one that everyone down here mentions when they see my green tags. It is Fred and Chris Pratt’s "Pipit" which I see on the backroads of Vermont and just a day ago here. In Vermont the plate is often muddy from their outings but I need to track it down before we leave for my license plate life list.
Have you got one? Send an image to me by email and I’ll add to the collection.
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I found your blog quite by accident a couple of months before you left for Texas. I have been thoroughly enjoying your adventures. As a fellow birder, I’ve always wanted to take a trip to the Rio Grande, but have never had the opportunity. Turns out that you and a dear friend of mine, (AJ as she’s known), made the trip there at the same time this year. When you posted photos of certain birds, darned if she didn’t, too! It was as if you were on the same trip!! Well, the icing on the cake came in the form of your license plate blog today. As I was looking through them, what did I see?? EMPID from IOWA! I almost fell off my chair! That was without a doubt my friend’s license plate. I subsequently sent her off a quick message to which she replied: “Bingo! Yesterday afternoon I was at Anzalduas County Park and there was a car from Vermont parked there. Pretty soon this man comes up and asks if he can take a photo of my license plate. Love it!” So, Dick, here I am in northern NY and you, a VT birder that I’ve never met who is visiting in TX, inadvertently brought me together with my IA friend. Small world, eh? Like I said to her, you never know who’s watching you 🙂 . Thank you for a fun coincidence! Safe travels to you, your wife and pup.
Ginny & I share a license plate in common but I actually have two – NY GAVIA is hers, while I have it on an NJ plate and also on a Montana plate which is currently parked just outside Bensten Rio Grande state park
A perfectly wonderfull story! Hope all of you are having great fun and seeing birds I can only see in memory.
However, I did have a Sharpie around for lunch today. He ate a house Finch.
I saw VT PIPIT at Estero Llano Grande in early January and Chris walking to catch up with Fred. Of course a records committee member would enjoy having EMPID. Both WI and MO have a CURLEW (a mom & son). MO also has TROGON in Columbia. HAWK OWL is in Springfield, MO