Spring Break, Part 1: Birds from a Plane

     I think I can claim bragging rights for having a busy Friday. First, I woke up at 5:30AM to go to track practice, after which I went to MLK Elementary School to perform Jack and the Beanstalk, then finally went to school for my afternoon classes (well, I guess before that I had to lug huge chunks of wood up three flights of stairs) and, once school was out, get in a car and drive straight up to Chicago. At least I didn't have to fly out that night.
     Instead, I had to fly out early the next morning. Midway airport was super-crowded (as one would expect on the first day of spring break) but not as bad as the one time where the line for check-in was long enough that they routed it through one of the parking garages (but that's another story). The plane ride was much shorter than the Pacific coast flights I'm used to, so I barely had time to take stock of all the items advertised in Skymall that I never knew I needed before the announcement was made to "prepare for our final descent into Boston Logan International Airport."
     I'll admit that I'm a connoisseur of airport approaches. Boston probably ranks in the top ten for best pre-landing scenery (I'll have you know that #1 is Portland, OR). The best part came about a minute or so before landing, when we were low enough over Boston Harbor that I could start birding before I was even on the ground.
     Actually, this is nothing new. Ever since I spied a White-faced Ibis (Plegadis chihi) during touchdown at Salt Lake City, I've tried to identify at least a few birds before I land whenever I fly off to some locale for birding. It usually only works in coastal cities. Luckily, Boston is a coastal city.
     The first bird to show up was an American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) flying below us--birds are much easier to see from a plane when they're also flying, especially if the bird has a wingspan of over 8 feet. Next I spotted a couple of gulls, thought I couldn't tell which species they were.
     Right before landing, the plane passed over a small jetty with guidance lights mounted on it--and several birds swimming next to it. Dark backs, light fronts, angular overall shape: unmistakable as Common Loons (Gavia immer). I took the fact that I had just seen three somewhat uncommon birds before setting foot in the state of Massachusetts to be a sign of impending good birding.
     Which was more or less correct.