Facebook tells me today is the 10yr anniversary of an incident that has become a folk legend in some circles of the birding world.
It's known as Swallowgate & involves the forensic analysis of a fraudulent rare bird report made by a well-known (at the time) young naturalist 🧵
I was in the middle of it. And 10 years on I feel like the statute of limitations has passed such that I can tell the story freely, with the name of the perpetrator still redacted. He's still an active naturalist, though not really a birder.
Dec 25, 2020 • 8 tweets • 3 min read
Yes, the year was not great, but 2020 also brings you the greatest Christmas (Bird Count) story ever told.
Gather round friends and let me tell you the story of the Miracle at McClellansville! or It's a Wonderful Lifer! or The Stint-a Clause! (still working on the name) (1/8)
The date is Dec 19. The place is the McClellansville CBC in coastal South Carolina.
Birder Nate Dias discovers an unusual shorebird while counting his area that he identifies as a Little Stint!
This is a South Carolina 1st record and big deal! But wait... (2/8)
