2012 Yearlists

148 [Atlantic] Puffin

Resin

Awww, that would be such a good bird to see.

I have loved Puffins from since I was a kid in Canada although I've never seen one. I just remember reading about them in a book of Canadian birds when I was in grade school. That's really cool Resin.

Mrs. Ed, I have to be greedy! Winter is one of the best times to bird here. The only problem with winter birding is that you don't get to see the birds in their breeding plumage. Most birds head north before they get very pretty, but that's OK. It's great to have the opportunity to see so many birds.

Got 200 & 201. Number 200 is one of my favorite birds. Saw my first Scissor-tailed Flycatcher yesterday by the freeway. Then making a U-turn under the underpass, I got 201 -- Cliff Swallows!

Ha. okay, you can be greedy. send me some though ;) Love that swallow colony.

Well, here comes spring! I have two more… Chipping Sparrow and Song Sparrow have arrived!

Mrs. Ed, Yay! for you. We got Song Sparrows last Friday, but are still waiting for the Chippings.

We learned something this spring. The Juncos' song is similar to the Chippings'. It is a smidge different. I think this is the first year, we've heard them sing.

I discovered that a few years ago too, when I was looking all over for the chipping sparrow making that trill! Lol! Funny you wrote that because someone was just asking me about that call today. I know they start calling about the same time that the cardinals do.

I saw some illinois reports that towhees and thrashers have already arrived too,

Guess what came to our yard yesterday? Two Brown Creepers!!! I had given up for the year, because we went birding in habitat suitable for them and nothing. But they came here!! Migration is a wonderful thing.

We also gained an unusual yard bird Sunday. American White Pelicans. We count whatever we see from our yard and there was nearly a hundred flying overhead for a good ten minutes before they sighted water west of us.

The edited photo is still rather large, so here is a link.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-8Nd-RMZvAHs/T2-o3gxeHzI/AAAAAAAACTM/flLQc4_VvfU/s912/count97.jpg

This was how I counted them for Ebird. I got a shot of the group (They stayed pretty close together) and as I counted I put a dot on it. When I was in the upper 80's, I thought, "That can't be right!" and started over with a new color. I am glad I did this because I would have really underestimated. I was thinking 40-50.

Wonderful view & pictures.

That is a huge number! Congrats.

Been working on a year list also...currently at 101 with the latest being a Field Sparrow.

Some new ones at last today . . .

149 Blackcap
150 Sandwich Tern
151 Barn Swallow
152 Marsh Harrier
153 Sand Martin

Resin

Nice. I have heard that the Barn Swallows here have just showed up.

This time last year, mentioned getting my best ever pics of a Ring Ouzel . . . and now it's happened again this year! And much closer to home, too.

154 Ring Ouzel

Resin

Oh nice. Looks like he's got a nice bib for dinner.

Two more today . . .

155 Black-necked Grebe
156 Common Crane

The crane was about 500 metres away, so even despite it being a big bird, the pics were awful . . .

Resin

red-winged black birds have returned.

#41 - Hermit Thrush in the yard today having a snack on the Holly berries.

Nice Ouzel pic Resin. You're really workin' it! I had a Canada Goose that I added to my Texas list that was too far away to even try to photograph, so your crane pic is fine by me.

I've been birding too much lately. My state list is up to 215 and my year list is at 227. I'm still behind though for this area. One of my friends has 216 just in Harris County. I'm pretending not to be annoyed by that.

Most recent additions:
Golden-cheeked Warbler
Western Scrub Jay
Bewick's Wren
Northern Rough-winged Swallows
Eastern Kingbird
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Black-throated Green Warbler
Pectoral Sandpipers
Pacific Loon
Tropical Kingbird (recorded it b/c rare in Galveston and have to distinguish by call)
Eared Grebe
Marbled Godwit
American Golden Plover

Nice Elphy! You know, I never really wanted to live in Texas (too hot), but with all the cool birds and butterflies down there, I might have to consider retirement ;-)

#42 Purple Finch

Nice!

Four more today:

157 Mandarin Duck (naturalised introduced species)
158 Raven
159 Osprey
160 Northern Wheatear

Resin

I heard a house wren today but couldn't find it. Usually I don't see them until May 1.


April 6…
Okay, so saw the little squirt this morning, so that's #43

This message was edited Apr 6, 2012 7:12 AM

We're at #82, with Chipping Sparrow (YAY!), Eurasian Collared Dove (not so thrilled) and a Brown Thrasher (YAY!) being the latest in the yard. The EC dove was seen here a couple days, but thankfully has moved on. We like our Mourning Doves too much and they look to begin nesting soon.

Elphaba, my youngest (age 5) would be so jealous. Again today, he brought up wanting to see a Scrub Jay. I don't know how he even heard of one, but he talks about them all the time. I want to see the Bewick's Wren. We drove a few hours from here trying to locate one last year. Maybe some day...

161 Willow Warbler

Resin

Ferruginous Hawk..112

Oh you FOUND it Burd! That's awesome!

Nice shots, especially for those of us who have never seen one.

2 yesterday -- White-faced Ibis and Hooded Warbler
4 today -- Red-headed woodpecker, Blue-winged Warbler, Summer Tanager and Acadian Flycatcher

Only decent pic was of the tanager.

Beautiful bird, Elphaba!

84- with Barn Swallow and Swamp Sparrow. The Swamp Sparrow was the bird that started me on birding. I was always interested in what came to our feeders and would ID them, but it was when a Swamp Sparrow came by, I thought if this can come to our place, what else is out there beyond our mowed yard?

It might be a bit chilly for the Barn Swallows. It is going to get in the mid-20's again overnight.

I love Swamp Sparrows. They're so pretty and yet I don't think I have a single good picture of one.

Added 14 birds.
Went to High Island and added 12 new year birds including 2 lifers -- a Worm-eating Warbler and a Cerulean Warbler.
Then I went to Liberty to look for Swallow-tailed Kites. Didn't see any but did get Mississippi Kites and a Broad-winged Hawk.

Three new today:

162 Little Ringed Plover
163 Little Gull
164 Common Tern

Resin

Soo close to one hundred- we are at 98 now. Peregrine Falcon, Yellow-headed Blackbird, and Sandhill Crane being my favorites from today.

Number 99-Wood Duck

I am really curious what our 100th bird will be, but based on time of year, it will be a Butterbutt, or a Flycatcher, or something else all together. :)

#44 White-throated Sparrow.

Creepin' up there Mrs. Ed!

Can't wait to hear what 100 will be Chily.

Nice additions Resin. A friend of mine spotted a Little Gull in breeding plumage here in Harris County -- very rare! He was able to get photographs. He called me and I ran right out there, but the tide was coming up fast and all the gulls had been forced off the beach area. We couldn't find it again.

I went on the Yellow Rail Walk at Anahuac yesterday. It was AWESOME! One flew up and hovered in the wind right in front of my face. The men on either side of me reached for it but I just stood dumbstruck staring.

Texas list is up to 245 with lots of great birds. Those I can remember off hand are:
Gray-cheeked Thrush
Least Bittern (saw 2)
Yellow Rail
Whimbrel
Gull-billed Tern (lifer)
Solitary Sandpiper
Seaside Sparrow
Swainson's Hawk
Fulvous Whistling Duck

I have a poor pic of one of 9 Whimbrels that I saw and a couple well-doctored pics of the 2 Least Bitterns.

you sure do get them down there, don't you Elphaba.

#45 Swamp Sparrow.

Nice pic Mrs. Ed.

Tomorrow is probably going to be the best day for migrating birds at High Island this whole spring, and I have jury duty! I went in the rain this afternoon hoping to get some. Mostly what I got was thoroughly wet and cold. I did get a pair of Baltimore Orioles but that was it.

Five more today, as spring arrivals get going:

165 Redstart
166 Tree Pipit
167 Tawny Owl
168 Avocet
169 House Martin

Resin