Mr. McCaw's Amazing Flight

Day 255: In geocaching, a "Travel Bug" is an object bearing a numerically coded tag which travels (hopefully) from cache to cache with the assorted players who happen to retrieve it. Many TBs (as they're called in shorthand) have specific goals, places they'd like to visit, things they'd like to "see." From Mr. McCaw's page, I quote:

"Mr. McCaw is my pet crow, and I've sent him off to find bird sanctuaries across the country. You needn't worry about him eating other birds' eggs because Mr. McCaw is a strict vegetarian (well, except for those noodles...he has a particular passion for pasta. Don't you? I certainly do!) I'd ask a favor of anyone who helps Mr. McCaw during his flight. Would you please post pictures of birds to his log, especially the less common ones? Images from bird sanctuaries would also be very welcome. Mr. McCaw would appreciate layovers near Belmont NY, Seabrook NH, St. Charles IL and Grand Forks ND if possible. Thanks!" (and a bit of further description) "The Northwestern crow (Corvus caurinus) is smaller than the common crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos). Mr. McCaw is a Micro crow (Corvus caurinus-parvus)."

Mr. McCaw first took flight from my hands on June 4, 2005. It took him 14 years (plus 20 days) to complete his migratory cycle. He was able to visit both of my "sisters of the heart" (one in New York and the other in New Hampshire), but oh, where he went in between! Within the United States, he visited caches in Washington, California, Colorado, Indiana, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and Florida, but his international journey was even more amazing. He made stops in Belize, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Germany, Austria, Russia, Czechoslovakia, the Netherlands and Greece! Unfortunately, he missed North Dakota and Illinois, but he saw many wonderful bird species on his way. Now he's ready to retire to a Perch of Honor, home at last and keeping me company from the top of my hutch desk.