Well haven’t I been awful at tracking my Big Year this year! It’s been a very busy year for me and I’ve not had all that much time for birding (or zoos even, really) so my list will be a bit lackluster compared to the past couple of years. I’ve still managed a few short get-aways which have yielded some very nice lifers.
First, the unusual suspects:
1. Canada Goose,
Branta canadensis
2. Mute Swan,
Cygnus olor
3. Mallard,
Anas platyrhynchos
4. American Black Duck,
Anas rubripes
5. Common Merganser,
Mergus merganser
6. Wild Turkey,
Meleagris gallopavo
7. Rock Pigeon,
Columba livia
8. Mourning Dove,
Zenaida macroura
9. Ring-Billed Gull,
Larus delawarensis
10. American Herring Gull,
Larus smithsonianus
11. Greater Black-Backed Gull,
Larus marinus
12. Great Egret,
Ardea alba
13. Great Blue Heron,
Ardea herodias
14. Double-Crested Cormorant,
Nannopterum auritus
15. American Black Vulture,
Coragyps atratus
16. Turkey Vulture,
Cathartes aura
17. Osprey,
Pandion haliaetus
18. Cooper’s Hawk,
Astur cooperii
19. Bald Eagle,
Haliaeetus leucocephalus
20. Red-Tailed Hawk,
Buteo jamaicensis
21. Belted Kingfisher,
Megaceryle alcyon
22. Red-Bellied Woodpecker,
Melanerpes carolinus
23. Downy Woodpecker,
Dryobates pubescens
24. Hairy Woodpecker,
Dryobates villosus
25. Northern Flicker,
Colaptes auratus
26. Eastern Phoebe,
Sayornis phoebe
27. Blue Jay,
Cyanocitta cristata
28. American Crow,
Corvus brachyrhynchos
29. Fish Crow,
Corvus ossifragus
30. Common Raven,
Corvus corax
31. Tufted Titmouse,
Baeolophus bicolor
32. Black-Capped Chickadee,
Poecile atricapillus
33. White-Breasted Nuthatch,
Sitta carolinensis
34. Carolina Wren,
Thryothorus ludovicianus
35. Common Starling,
Sturnus vulgarus
36. Grey Catbird,
Dumetella carolinensis
37. Northern Mockingbird,
Mimus polyglottos
38. American Robin,
Turdus migratorius
39. House Sparrow,
Passer domesticus
40. House Finch,
Haemorhous mexicanus
41. Dark-Eyed Junco,
Junco hyemalis
42. White-Throated Sparrow,
Zonotrichia albicollis
43. Song Sparrow,
Melospiza melodia
44. Common Grackle,
Quiscalus quiscula
45. Northern Cardinal,
Cardinalis cardinalis
1. Eastern Cottontail,
Sylvilagus floridanus
2. Eastern Grey Squirrel,
Neosciurus carolinensis
3. Eastern Chipmunk,
Tamias striatus
4. Groundhog,
Marmota monax
5. White-Footed Mouse,
Peromyscus leucopus
6. House Mouse,
Mus musculus
7. Northern Short-Tailed Shrew,
Blarina brevicauda
8. White-Tailed Deer,
Odocoileus virginianus
Next a nice twitch while in Rhode Island:
46. Tundra Bean Goose, Anser serrirostris
In February I spent a week in Florida. While most of this time was spent either visiting family or some zoos, I did spend some time birding. Unfortunately, I completely missed out on a vagrant Yellow-Headed Caracara that was hanging out in Miami for days while I was there. The day I went for it, it just never showed up. Was there the day before and after, though
47. Loggerhead Shrike,
Lanius ludovicianus
48. Brown Pelican,
Pelecanus occidentalis
49. Little Blue Heron,
Egretta caerulea
50. Laughing Gull,
Leucocephaeus atricilla
51. American Darter,
Anhinga anhinga
52. Roseate Spoonbill,
Platalea ajaja
53. North American Wood Duck,
Aix sponsa
54. Yellow-Rumped (Myrtle) Warbler,
Setophaga coronata
55. Sandhill Crane,
Antigone canadensis
56. Eastern Meadowlark,
Sturnella magna
57. American Kestrel,
Falco sparverius
58. Palm Warbler,
Setophaga palmarum
59. Monk Parakeet,
Myiopsitta monachus
60. Western Cattle Egret,
Ardea ibis
61. Snail Kite, Rostrhamus sociabilis
62. Red-Shouldered Hawk,
Buteo lineatus
63. Limpkin,
Aramus guarauna
64. Boat-Tailed Grackle,
Quiscalus major
65. Blue-Winged Teal,
Spatula discors
66. American Coot,
Fulica americana
67. Common Gallinule,
Gallinula galeata
68. Burrowing Owl, Athene cunicularia
69. American White Ibis,
Eudocimus albus
70. Eurasian Collared Dove,
Streptopelia decaocto
71. Egyptian Goose,
Alopochen aegyptica
72. Domestic Muscovy Duck,
Cairina moschata
73. Domestic Chicken/”Red Junglefowl”,
Gallus gallus
74. Eastern Bluebird,
Sialia sialis
75. Snowy Egret,
Egretta thula
76. Mottled Duck,
Anas fulvigula
77. Royal Tern,
Thalasseus maximus
78. White-Eyed Conure, Psittacara leucophthalmus
79. Common Ground-Dove,
Columbina passerina
80. Tricolored Heron,
Egretta tricolor
81. Wood Stork,
Mycteria americana
9. Northern Raccoon,
Procyon lotor
10. Feral Cat,
Felis catus
11. Seminole Bat, Lasiurus seminolus
12. Florida Bonneted Bat, Eumops floridanus
13. North American River Otter,
Lontra canadensis
Spring birding in CT was bizarre this year. The foliage grew in early which made finding singing passerines difficult, so a lot of my usual birds were heard-only. Additionally, a lot of birds seemed to have arrived early and passed through quicker than normal. All in all, a much quieter season for all CT birders, though I still managed three long sought-after lifers.
82. Ruby-Throated Hummingbird,
Archilochus colubris
83. Chimney Swift,
Chaetura pelagica
84. Killdeer,
Charadrius vociferus
85. Willet,
Tringa semipalmata
86. Great Crested Flycatcher,
Myiarchus crinitus
87. Eastern Kingbird,
Tyrannus tyrannus
88. Warbling Vireo,
Vireo gilvus
89. Red-Eyed Vireo,
Vireo olivaceus
90. Northern Rough-Winged Swallow,
Stelgidopteryx serripennis
91. Tree Swallow,
Tachycineta bicolor
92. Barn Swallow,
Hirundo rustica
93. Northern House Wren,
Troglodytes aedon
94. Wood Thrush,
Hylocichla mustelina
95. Veery,
Catharus fuscescens
96. Cedar Waxwing,
Bombycilla cedrorum
97. American Goldfinch,
Spinus tristis
98. Chipping Sparrow,
Spizella passerina
99. Swamp Sparrow,
Melospiza georgiana
100. Baltimore Oriole,
Icterus galbula
101. Orchard Oriole,
Icterus spurius
102. Red-Winged Blackbird,
Agelaius phoeniceus
103. Brown-Headed Cowbird,
Molothrus ater
104. Blue-Winged Warbler,
Vermivora cyanoptera
105. Common Yellowthroat,
Geothlypis trichas
106. Hooded Warbler,
Setophaga citrina
107. Yellow Warbler,
Setophaga petechia
108. Blackpoll Warbler,
Setophaga striata
109. Kentucky Warbler, Geothlypis formosa
110. Scarlet Tanager,
Piranga olivacea
111. Rose-Breasted Grosbeak,
Pheucticus ludovicianus
112. Indigo Bunting,
Passerina cyanea
113. Black-Billed Cuckoo, Coccyzus erythropthalmus
114. Eastern Whip-Poor-Will, Antrostomus vociferus
Over Memorial Day weekend (last weekend in May for the non-Americans), I spent a few days in Pinnacles National Park and Monterey Bay. Without a doubt this mini-trip was the best I’ve had for wildlife sightings so far this year—and that is unlikely to change. I also got to meet up with
@Coelacanth18 which was lovely
115. Brewer’s Blackbird,
Euphagus cyanocephalus
116. Yellow-Billed Magpie, Pica nuttalli
117. Western Kingbird,
Tyrannus verticalis
118. Steller’s Jay,
Cyanocitta stelleri
119. California Quail,
Callipepla californica
120. California Condor, Gymnogyps californianus
121. Golden Eagle,
Aquila chrysaetos
122. Western Bluebird,
Sialia Mexicana
123. White-Throated Swift,
Aeronautes saxatali
124. Acorn Woodpecker, Melanerpes formicivorus
125. Anna’s Hummingbird,
Calypte anna
126. Spotted Towhee,
Pipilo maculatus
127. California Scrub-Jay,
Aphelocoma californica
128. Black-Headed Grosbeak,
Pheucticus melanocephalus
129. Canyon Wren,
Catherpes mexicanus
130. Lesser Goldfinch,
Spinus psaltria
131. Lawrence’s Goldfinch, Spinus lawrencei
132. Western Screech-Owl, Megascops kennicottii
133. American Barn-Owl, Tyto furcata
134. Nuttall’s Woodpecker,
Dryobates nuttallii
135. Western Meadowlark,
Sturnella neglecta
136. Black Phoebe,
Sayornis nigricans
137. Say’s Phoebe,
Sayornis saya
138. American Bushtit,
Psaltriparus minimus
139. Western Flycatcher, Empidonax difficilis
140. Peregrine Falcon,
Falco peregrinus
141. Wrentit, Chamaea fasciata
142. White-Tailed Kite,
Elanus leucurus
143. Chestnut-Backed Chickadee, Poecile rufescens
144. Hutton’s Vireo, Vireo huttoni
145. Violet-Green Swallow,
Tachycineta thalassina
146. Western Gull,
Larus occidentalis
147. Bewick’s Wren,
Thryomanes bewickii
148. Pygmy Nuthatch,
Sitta pygmaea
149. Brandt’s Cormorant,
Urile penicillatus
150. Pigeon Guillemot, Cepphus columba
151. Pacific Loon, Gavia pacifica
152. Forster’s Tern,
Sterna forsteri
153. Black-Footed Albatross, Phoebastria nigripes
154. Pink-Footed Shearwater, Ardenna creatopus
155. Sooty Shearwater, Ardenna grisea
156. Common Murre, Uria aalge
157. Lazuli Bunting, Passerina amoena
158. Cassin’s Kingbird,
Tyrannus vociferans
159. Purple Finch,
Haemorhous purpureus
14. California Ground Squirrel,
Otospermophilus beecheyi
15. Fox Squirrel,
Parasciurus niger
16. Merriam’s Chipmunk, Neotamias merriami
17. Mule Deer,
Odocoileus hemionus
18. Canyon Bat, Parastrellus hesperus
19. Mexican Free-Tailed Bat, Tadarida brasiliensis
20. Yuma Myotis, Myotis yumanensis
21. Piñon Mouse, Peromyscus truei
22. Dusky-Footed Woodrat, Neotoma fuscipes
23. North American Hoary Bat, Aeorestes cinereus
24. Big Brown Bat,
Eptesicus fuscus
25. California Myotis, Myotis californicus
26. Western Small-Footed Bat, Myotis ciliolabrum
27. Long-Eared Myotis, Myotis evotis
28. Western Mastiff Bat, Eumops perotis
29. Heermann’s Kangaroo-Rat, Dipodomys heermanni
30. Striped Skunk,
Mephitis mephitis
31. California Vole, Microtus californicus
32. Pallid Bat, Antrozous pallidus
33. Cougar, Puma concolor
34. Grey Fox, Urocyon cinereoargenteus
35. Narrow-Faced Kangaroo-Rat, Dipodomys venustus
36. California Pocket-Mouse, Chaetodipus californicus
37. Bryant’s Woodrat, Neotoma bryanti
38. American Badger,
Taxidea taxus
39. California Sea Lion,
Zalophus californianus
40. Sea Otter, Enhydra lutris
41. Harbor Seal,
Phoca vitulina
42. Humpback Whale,
Megaptera novaeangliae
43. Western Grey Squirrel, Hesperosciurus griseus
44. Risso’s Dolphin,
Grampus griseus
45. Pacific White-Sided Dolphin, Aethalodelphis obliquidens
46. Northern Right-Whale Dolphin, Lissodelphis borealis
Most recently I spent a week in Maine with my fiancé’s family. While this was not a wildlife-watching trip, I did spend a couple days out birding. One of the days, I visited the small mountain town of Rangeley, which is supposed to be a very excellent spot for a lot of boreal birds such as Ruffed Grouse, Grey Jay, and Black-Backed Woodpecker with decent odds of Bicknell’s Thrush if you go high enough, and small odds of Spruce Grouse. It’s also one of the most popular towns to go moose-watching. Unfortunately, the weather turned out pretty miserable and I missed out on pretty much every single one of my target birds after 7.5 hours of birding starting at 5am (and I had woken up at 2:45am to make the drive up there…). The best I got was a brief and unsatisfying flyover of one lifer on Saddleback Mountain. On the bright side, the mammal watching was pretty good. My next Maine birding day was a puffin cruise to Eastern Egg Rock, the site of America’s first seabird reintroduction. That day turned out to be more fruitful.
160. American Redstart,
Setophaga ruticilla
161. Common Loon,
Gavia immer
162. Northern Waterthrush,
Parkesia noveboracensis
163. Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker,
Sphyrapicus varius
164. Hermit Thrush,
Catharus guttatus
165. Boreal Chickadee, Poecile hudsonicus
166. Golden-Crowned Kinglet,
Regulus satrapa
167. Wilson’s Storm-Petrel,
Oceanites oceanicus
168. Black Guillemot, Cepphus grille
169. Atlantic Puffin, Fratercula arctica
170. Common Tern,
Sterna Hirundo
171. Common Eider,
Somateria mollissima
47. American Red Squirrel,
Tamiasciurus hudsonicus
48. Snowshoe Hare,
Lepus americanus
49. American Mink,
Neogale vison
50. Eastern Meadow Vole, Microtus pennsylvanicus
51. American Moose,
Alces (alces) americanus
52. Harbor Porpoise,
Phocoena phocoena
~Thylo
