2013 Yearlists

I'm so glad you said "never too late to update" Resin 'cause I'm way behind too. BTW, very cool Collared Flycatcher and Black Kite! Congrats.

Way to start racking them up Mrs. Ed.

Patti, gorgeous pics!

OK, moved -- horrible - please remind me never to move again. Also, moved during migration - what was I thinking? Then immediately went to west Texas for a week. Here's what I've added since my last post -- thank goodness for ebird! Well, I wrote that and then I looked up my list by date and it has American Bittern as 278 when I listed it here as 275. Must have 3 uncountable birds. Not going to figure it out now. I'll just do 276!

276 - Monk Parkeet
277 - Common Nighthawk
278 - Blackburnian Warbler
279 - Scarlet Tanager
280 - Baltimore Oriole
281 - Redstart
282 - Rose-breasted Grosbeak
283 - Painted Bunting
284 - Western Kingbird
285 - Cliff Swallow
286 - Black-capped Vireo
287 - Canyon Wren
288 - Black-throated Sparrow
289 - Scott's Oriole
290 - Baird's Sandpiper
291 - Wilson's Phalarope
292 - Bell's Vireo
293 - Yellow-headed Blackbirds
294 - Clark's Grebe
295 - Ash-throated Flycatcher
296 - Elf Owl - heard it and just put my flashlight up in the tree and there he was! When I turned the flashlight off, he buzzed right over my head.
297 - Cassin's Kingbird
298 - Canyon Towhee
299 - Acorn Woodpecker
300 - Say's Phoebe
301 - Bushtit
302 - Wild Turkey
303 - Plumbeous Vireo
304 - Western Bluebird
305 - Hepatic Tanager
306 - Black-headed Grosbeak
307 - Scaled Quail
308 - Zone-tailed Hawk - I'd looked at so many Turkey Vultures over the last year hoping for a Zone-tailed that when I checked this one and saw the bands on the tail, I couldn't even speak. There was a group around us. I just started pointing and snapping my fingers and finally managed the word "UP!" The leader of that group looked up and shouted "Zone-tailed!" and everyone got to see it.
309 - Phainopepla
310 - Brewer's Sparrow
311 - Western Wood Pewee
312 - Blue Grosbeak
313 - Verdin
314 - Cactus Wren
315 - Mexican Jay
316 - Lesser Nighthawk
317 - Blue-throated Hummingbird
318 - Black-tailed Gnatcatcher
319 - Colima Warbler
320 - Black-chinned Sparrow
321 - White-throated Swift
322 - Violet-green Swallow
323 - Black Phoebe
324 - Clay-colored Sparrow
325 - Dickcissel
325 - Hutton's Vireo
326 - Crissal Thrasher
327 - MacGillivray's Warbler
328 - Varied Bunting
329 - Common Black Hawk
330 - Pyrrhuloxia
331 - Western Screech Owl - this one also buzzed my head and darn near hit me.
332 - Yellow Warbler
333 - Rock Wren
334 - Burrowing Owl
335 - Chihuahuan Raven
336 - Chuck-wills-widow
337 - Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
338 - Willow Flycatcher
339 - Least Flycatcher
340 - Philadelphia Vireo
341 - Magnolia Warbler
342 - Veery
343 - Swainson's Thrush
344 - Chestnut-sided Warbler
345 - Canada Warbler
346 - Eastern Wood Pewee
347 - Least Bittern
348 - Black Tern
349 - Yellow-green Vireo
350 - Purple Gallinule
351 - Magnificent Frigatebird
352 - Eurasian Whimbrel
353 - Stilt Sandpipers
354 - Groove-billed Ani

Shoot, I should have two more. I messed up somewhere. Good enough for now. West Texas trip was awesome! Added over 50 year birds and 21 lifers! Pictured: Clark's Grebe, Crissal Thrasher, Mexican Jay, Varied Bunting, Western Bluebird.

This message was edited May 21, 2013 4:05 PM

holy moly Elphalba!

Okay, new rules. All of us combined vs. Elphalba. hahahah.


Congrats on the birds and the move.

188 Great Reed Warbler (heard only)
189 Spotted Flycatcher
190 Little Ringed Plover

Heehee. Mrs. Ed, I'm afraid that's the only way we can even come close.

Fantastic birds everyone! And those rarities!!! Mrs. Ed's Ruff and Resin's Collared Flycatcher AND that Black Kite! Wow.

Elphaba, I love the light on the Bluebird! - That is a beautiful photo of a gorgeous bird.

Elphaba, WOW! I burst out laughing when I saw your tally (and then added my single new bird)

57. White-browed Scrubwren.

Y'all crack me up! -- and make me feel like a power birder! Bring it on!

I was telling a friend that I wanted to buy this book. I couldn't remember the name of it and the name escapes me right now but Ron Weeks and Mel Cooksey are the authors and it tells you when and where each species can be found on the Texas coast. I was unpacking, and there it was! I am so losing my mind. Thank goodness I didn't buy it again. Anyway, I was just reading the section on the town where I now live, and 450 species have been recorded here! I knew it was a great birding town, but wow, I can get 400 year birds and not even leave town!

Patti, you were asking about keeping lists as you bird. I have one of those pocket recorders. It's the best. I just make a quick note of what I am seeing as I see it. When I get home, I do the list in ebird from memory and then check it with my recording. Usually, I remember a bird that I forgot to record and I record a bird that I forgot to enter - that's right, my mind fails both ways -- did I mention there's this book I want to buy? Right now, my recorder is packed in a box somewhere. I've been entering horrible lists in ebird b/c I just can't remember and I take terrible notes.

Here's a pic of the last year bird that I saw -- Groove-billed Ani.

Thanks, Elphaba. I bought a little recorder and will likely do the same. I am also looking at software programs and apps that will transcribe my voice recordings into text. I hate the thought of listening to my voice droning on about something I saw. So far nothing I've tried works very well, but Dragon is okay.

I thought I would hate listening to my voice too, but it goes by pretty quickly.

Strong northerly winds meant an excellent seawatching day down at the coast, with a rare four-skua day:

191 Great Skua (15 counted in 7 hours)
192 Arctic Skua (15)
193 Pomarine Skua (2)
194 Long-tailed Skua (2)

First time I've had all four skuas in one day in spring (only done it 2 or 3 times before, always in autumn), and first time I've ever had all four new for the year in one day.

Also nearly 400 Manx Shearwaters, 5 Great Northern Divers, 2 Little Gulls, 2 Little Terns, a Long-tailed Duck, hundreds of Fulmars, and thousands of assorted auks (none of them new for the year, though).

Resin

congratulations

Never seen a Skua let alone 4 in one day! -- never seen an Auk that you so casually dismissed! Very cool birds and amazing numbers Resin.

Way to Go Resin.

Thanks! ;-)

The benefits of living close to subarctic waters . . . the downside was the bitterly cold (9°C), gale force winds to be endured! Felt more like February than late May.

Resin

Yah, that's what we're experiencing here today! So instead of summer cookout, we had hot soup!


141 - American Golden Plover
142 - Red-necked Phalarope (terrible and small pic to follow but glad to have it for documentation)

Nope, never seen them under any name! I'm thinking about doing a pelagic in the next year. Looks like there are two jaegers I could get in the winter.

Mrs. Ed, I love that pic. They're so beautiful. Two nice birds to get.

Here's one of the American Golden Plovers. I was pretty sure I saw a huge flock migrating last week, but didn't feel confident enough to tick them, so glad to see two of them yesterday. There were six (three pair) of the Phalaropes. Seems they are coming through Illinois right now because there are a number of sightings.

Funny Resin, I had to look up your Skuas and discovered the alternate name. I like Skua better.

HA! "Einstein" the Spoonbill.

My hair doing the same thing. Partners?

Yesterday a catbird plopped into a batch of ferns near me as I was weeding. Good cover. I was able to watched it search for food about 15 minutes which was fun. I had not seen one for a couple years & it was good to know they are around.

Cool about the catbird Iris.

Bad hair day? That's the windswept look that's all the rage! At least that's what I've been telling people when they look at me funny.

Went to Laredo with a birder who lived there for 30 years and knew all the great spots to go. It was awesome! Lots of great birds. I added 4 year birds one of which was a lifer:

355 - White-collared Seedeater -- lifer
356 - Green Kingfisher
357 - Ringed Kingfisher
358 - Brown-crested Flycatcher

Didn't get any good pics although I should post some of the seedeater. I think that's the only spot in the US where you can see them. I don't have my external drive with all my photos plugged in. Maybe later! Oh and forgot a shorebird from the other day.

359 - White-rumped Sandpiper

360 - Wood Storks

58 Whistling Kite (being pursued by two Pink and Grey Galahs)
59 Western Gerygone

Elphaba, you are over 300 birds in front of me!

What's 300 birds between friends! My friend here is ahead of me in the Texas standings. She's leaving for 2 months. She told me that if I pass her in the standings, we won't be friends anymore! Pretty sure she was joking!

Hauled my last load from Houston on Wednesday and went up to WG Jones State Park and got the Red-cockaded Woodpecker. I went twice before I moved and didn't see them. This time, it was all roped off but you could still see them. I was told that they weren't breeding this year because of all the housing construction behind the park in addition to all the people who come to see them. When they roped off their favorite area, they started nesting. That's why I was unsuccessful during my first few attempts. It's amazing that the bird adapted so well to protecting its nest cavity from snakes, but it can't seem to adapt to human encroachment. In fact, it's its weird nesting requirements that are going to drive it into extinction.

361 - Red-cockaded Woodpecker

It would be so sad.

60. Swamp Harrier

362- Seaside Sparrow

143-Bobolink
144-Dicksissel
145-Some sort of fly catcher, ID TBD from this pix, resin?

Okay, well I won't count any others I see. lol.

1)Robin
2)blue jay
3)Cardinal
4)Golden Finch
5)House Finch
6)crow
7)Red winged Black bird
8) Northern Mockingbird
9) Horned Owl
10) Red Bellied wood pecker
11) cooper hawk
12)Baltimore Oriole
13)Brown Headed Cow Bird
14)song Sparrow
15) Black capped Chickadee
16)Tufted Titmouse
17)Tree Swallow
18)House Sparrow
19)Wild Turkey
20)Great Blue Heron

Welcome Joey!!

So glad somebody is getting year birds! Nice start Joey.

Too bad about the empid Mrs. Ed. A friend tells me that he has a book that shows all the empid bills from below and that you can differentiate them that way, but you have to get a picture of the underside of the bill. I haven't sent him any pics yet although I should! I have some unknown empids from this spring.

I have to laugh at that Elphy, because of all the pictures I take of birds from below and I HATE that angle. And this time it would have worked. Well I was SUPER far away from this bird anyway, so just glad to have a pict.

Thank you I have a few more to add to the list but I am having a hard time identifying the Sea Gulls.I keep for getting to take pictures when we are at the beach. Yesterday would have been perfect as they where so bold they were landing on the tables and wouldn't move until you got right up on them, one even managed to steal Mom's hamburger off her plate. I was so busy chasing them away it never dawned on me to pick up the camera. One crow kept coming in and fighting with the gulls it was funny to watch and so loud.

Gulls are fun, for sure, to watch. I would think you're for sure seeing Herring Gulls and Ring-Billed gulls out there.

Morning Doves
Carolina Wern