B95 aka Moonbird Seen in Tierra del Fuego 03/15
“I just found out from Patricia Gonzales that the red knot known as B95—The Moonbird that I wrote a book about—has been sighted recently in Tierra del Fuego! He’s at least 22 years of age now. The next oldest record I found in literature for a Red knot of the Rufa subspecies was 16 yrs 8 mos. His lifetime frequent flyer activity is now greater than the distance between the earth to the moon AND BACK…Maybe he has won a free trip to Saturn.
Last year he managed to shed the black band around his right ankle that he had been carrying since the very first shorebird banding effort in Argentina, back in 1995. Moreover the laser inscription’s wearing off the big orange band on his left thigh. Now you can just see the top of the B95.
Think about this: This great survivor may outlast our ability to recognize him. There’s something about that I love.” —Phillip Hoose
Years ago my book group read The Race To Save the Lord God Bird, and it has remained one of my favorite books ever because it enlightened and inspired me. This weekend another book group is sharing Moonbird, and I looked to the website for updates on B95. How very happy I am to know he flies high still. Thank you for sharing this post.
Thank you for being a lover of books and birds, Joan!
Joan, are you perhaps ‘our’ Joan Black? Who read Moonbird with our Adults Read Youth Books book group? If you are, we miss you”
We read Phillip’s newest book, The Boys Who Challenged Hitler, in book group last year and loved it!
I have followed the travels of the Moonbird ever since I read your book. Please let me know when he is seen at Delaware Bay this year(as I know he will). Some friends and I recently spotted a Red Knot tagged in Argentina during our monthly shorebird survey on Cayo Costa Island off Florida’s west coast. This bird was L6V and was tagged in 2009. He has been seen every year in New Jersey since then. I like to think he is related to the Moonbird, maybe his son. I call him Moonbird Junior.
Another generation is reading MOONBIRD and I live in Cape may county….was B95 seen this season in Cape May? Margaret
I loved the audio book.