2013 Yearlists

I have not kept count, but saw several new birds on a 'senior' trip to Cape Cod yesterday. There was a Black backed gull which is usually farther off shore than our area. John had seen them around Long Island (NY) when duck hunting as a young man. As much as I have really enjoyed Margaret's osprey photos, I had never seen one in person, but there were several on their nesting platforms. A great thrill for me. Then there were batches of 'Double crested cormorants' all lined up on the edge of a wooden platform. the person running the boat called the 'black cormorants'. Quite a chorus line.
For other birds I saw green herons for the first time in 40 years. They used to hang around our small pond in CT. fishing for sunfish. As we zipped past wetlands in our bus ('coach' Resin) there were a lot of birds standing on one leg, but could not have an ID. There was a big flock of wild turkeys, but those come into our backyard, where John herds them out as they like to disturb plants by taking dust baths.

Elphaba, that count is astonishing. I think you're a shoe-in for the diamond-studded Rolex watch this year (again).

Sounds like a good day out, Iris. Wonderful that you finally got to see ospreys. Aren't they just fantastic?

I don't feel like working so finally compared this list to ebird b/c the numbers haven't matched for a while now. Here are some birds that I missed. FYI, my wrist is just aching for a diamond-studded Rolex.

381 - Gray-cheeked Thrush (from last spring)
382 - Alder Flycatcher
383 - Common Poorwill (from Big Bend trip)

149 - Orange crowned Warbler

218 American Golden Plover

Resin

So, looks like my numbering got off here, My 149, should have been 148 and so on.

so today…
149 Red-Breasted Nuthatch. I was surprised I did not see it in the spring. Working on getting a picture, I know they like the stream.

Edited to add:
150- Yellow-throated Vireo (lifer). Pretty bird. got a pix of this and will post later.

This message was edited Sep 23, 2013 12:27 PM

Congrats Mrs. Ed. That is a pretty bird.

384 - Broad-winged Hawk

As promised, here are pictures. I'll post these in the daily thread too. Love its little blue legs.

Nice Y-t Vireo!

219 Yellow-browed Warbler - two of them, classic autumn gems all the way from the Urals or beyond.

Resin

220 Bluethroat

Resin

We had a large flock of grackles & other blackbirds over the lawn this afternoon.

Beautiful pics Resin and Mrs. Ed! Wow! My brand new big lens is broken. I'm so bummed. When I switch it back to autofocus, the camera doesn't recognize the change. It's stuck on manual which is impossible with warblers. The camera is working with other lenses, so it's the lens.

Anyway, that was part of the problem the other day when birding with my friend. We saw a warbler that we could not ID and I couldn't get a picture of it. We had a field guide with us, but it turns out that it was a western bird and we had an eastern field guide, so the bird wasn't in our book. My first thought when I saw it was Yellow-throated Warbler but the face pattern wasn't right. Then I thought it must be a Yellow Vireo, but we both decided that it wasn't a vireo. Fortunately, someone came that same day and did get a photo. It's been ID'd as a Grace's Warbler. Furthest east that it's been recorded. That's why it wasn't in our field guide!

385 - Grace's Warbler

d'oh. Well if it's brand new then probably under warranty

Nice lists... I saw a Raven and a Chicken this year... and lots of little brown, flitty things... guess I should learn to recognize them for what they really are.. but at least I have two birds on my list! I see birds in my vet practice... do those count? If so, I can add pigeon, budgie, cockatiel and various larger parrots to my list.

Elphy, that's a bummer about your lens. I hope it's under warranty and is easily sorted. BTW, I think you may lose your crown to Palmbob. He's hot on your heels.

LOL Margaret! Bring it on Palmbob! Those brown flitty things are quite the rarity!

386 - Black-billed Cuckoo
387 - Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher!

The lens probably is under warranty and if not, I'd raise such a fuss that they'd better fix it. Problem is that I moved at the same time that I bought it, so not sure where that receipt might be and haven't had time to look! Took this pic of the Sulpher-bellied with my smaller and way less expensive lens. Can't tell the difference? Yeah, that's a bit disturbing!

Nice bird, Elphy. The serial number may do. Alternatively the store where you purchased it should be able to provide you with a duplicate receipt.

Edited with note to self not to post upon waking.

This message was edited Oct 1, 2013 5:13 AM

I noticed that captive birds do not count... but do captive birds that now live free and are reproducing count? We have many species of Conure and parrot now living in Los Angeles, but they are not supposed to be here. I saw feral chickens in Hawaii... do those count? How about a wild bird that is injured and brought to our clinic, do those count?

Well I suppose it depends on how serious you are about your list. I personally sort of have my own set of rules for my list. I have to truly see/photograph it. I don't go by calls. I also included all my Hawaii birds except the feral jungle fowl. Last I knew, ABA did not allow Hawaii birds anyway because of so many introduced species.

Here are the ABA rules: Species are on checklists.
http://listing.aba.org/aba-recording-rules/

Wow... what a specific (but somewhat muddy) set of rules... all for people who 'claim' to have seen a particular species (sure is a tightly regulated system that depends solely on the honor system). Guess there is little reason to lie, though, as I doubt any one gets anything monetary out of having such lists, right?

Wonder if these naturalized populations of parrots in Los Angeles will ever meet ABA standards for being counted. Many, if not most, of these species are half a world away from where they should be, but there are also many generations of some of these birds here and they are certainly naturalized.

I can only say that for my list, I DID count the Patagonian Conures in Hawaii, and if I saw the Monk parakeets in Chicago, then I'd count them too. But you know, I'm not doing this for anyone but myself.

For eBird lists, if you claim you've seen a rarity, they make you prove it with a photo.

Some parrots are allowed. I didn't read the rules, but from what I understand, if they've been reproducing successfully for 25 years or more, they're added to the ABA list. The Red-crowned Parrots in Brownsville are allowed but I also saw Red-lored, White-faced and Yellow-headed which are not.

A friend is doing "A Bird A Day." I think she's one of only 4 people left and the only one in Texas. You post a different bird species everyday for a year - no duplicates - and you have to have seen that bird on that day. Everything is allowed but a chicken!

Oh man... I just put chicken on my bird list.. and no eraser around! oh well

LOL! I want to say something about don't count your chickens but can't quite get it to work.

388 - Black-throated Gray - lifer
389 - Black-throated Green

151 - Eastern Wood Pewee

I think all the peewees here have left for warmer climates. they didn't know it would be in the 70s in Oct.

221 Firecrest

Cr@p photo!

Resin

222 Subalpine Warbler (pic)
223 Hen Harrier (awful pic!)

Resin

I like your awful pics Resin! I wish my awful pic of this bird were as good as yours!

390 - Eastern Whip-poor-will

391 - Painted Redstart

We tried for three rarities that had been seen near Edinburg, and got this one. We had great views of it, but my pics are horrible. Now, I've learned that there were three more rarities in the area that we didn't even try for. We'll have to go back!

You people are an inspiration. I will have to try harder next year. In 1992 I did a list of "Birds I Saw from My Mother's Kitchen Window" and got up to 63. So far, I think that was my record year. 450 possible in one town? Amazing.

Been forgetting to update again . . .

224 Storm Petrel 10 Oct
225 Mealy Redpoll 15 Oct (a.k.a. Common Redpoll; pic 1)
226 Siberian Stonechat 22 Oct (pic 2)

Resin


This message was edited Oct 26, 2013 6:24 PM

Nice pics Resin.

392 - Barn Owl
393 - Golden-crowned Warbler (lifer)

oh boy, here comes 400!!!

227 Bonaparte's Gull - another transatlantic vagrant across here

Resin

394 - Amazon Kingfisher - only 2nd time one has been seen in US and it was perched below a Belted Kingfisher which was interesting to view. Also saw Green and Ringed, so a 4 Kingfisher weekend!

395 - Audubon's Oriole

152-Pileated Woodpecker!

I really envy the piliated woodpecker.

Amazing you saw the Bonaparte's Gull, Resin! We finally saw our first of the year at the end of October. It is a sweet, little gull when standing along side the larger Ring-billed.