2023 is now in the books. Unlike last year, both Ron and I made it past the 300 species annual goal. I’ll get the final metrics up as soon as I can!
Quick summary of counts (not updated):
The Cumulative Species graph:
Our Daily Species graph:
Our Monthly Species graph:
Here is a recap of the various outings I’ve been on so far.
Update 12/15/2023: More den birding as I try to get through all the shots from teh January Texas trip. When we were at Laguna Vista on one of our several visits at that time trying to tin the Tropical Parula there was a female Hummingbird that showed up at I believe is the #3 blind (where the Parula was supposedly hanging out). There was a discussion between myself and another birder in the blind regarding the species. At one point we decided it was a Ruby-Throated and the next time it showed up a Black-Chinned. Back and forth on its multiple appearances. Found a shot from that day that had two Hummingbirds at the feeder. It was very distinct that one was a Ruby and the other a Chinned. Apparently they were alternating back and forth which was causing our confusion ha! Anyway, that gives me a +1 for the Black-Chinned as I wasn’t confident at the time to count it. Ups me to 338!
Update 12/09/2023: Almost at the end and we are trying to claw any +1’s we can find. I’ve been going back through all the January Texas pictures to see if there were any captured in that set we didn’t have cataloged yet. This effort has turned out to be extremely beneficial as Ron and I have been able to add a Bronzed Cowbird from the Progresso Silos, a Grey Hawk from Quinta Mazatlan, a Western Tanager from the National Butterfly Center. I was also able to add a Cactus Wren from our Palo Alto National Battlefield visit. That “den birding” has brought me up to bringing me to 336. As a complete surprise I woke up and noticed a female Purple Finch on our feeders dining on some sunflower seeds. There are a few more birds I’m after, but pretty happy with the current 337!
Update 11/22/2023: Finally getting around to reviewing all the shots from the January Texas trip – or as I like to call it, Den Birding. Got a huge Thanksgiving treat as I found two birds I didn’t know I already had in the tin. Thanks to a bad shot with just enough clarity to confirm the identity, I have now added a Golden-Crowned Kinglet to my Guadalupe State Park sightings. Also, with the help of Ron, we were able to confirm a Bell’s Vireo from the first outing of the season at Walter E. Long Park in Austin, TX. This brings me to 332. Getting difficult to move the needle this late in the season, but hoping a few more will pop out of the Texas or Alabama reviews.
Update 11/12/2023: In November now, just a little more than a month to go before this Average Year comes to a close. Not a lot of opportunities left so when word came that there were White-Winged Scoters now back at the Downs, IL ponds, it was definitely worth an attempt. We were going to going to be in Bloomington for a flea market anyway, so it wasn’t out of the way at all to drop in at Downs and have a looksee. Ron (who let us know about the White-Winged) was also able to join us. The night before, Ron alerted us to a report of a Black Scoter hanging out in the State Farm HQ South pond. That would be a lifer for me! Ron headed to State Farm first to hunt for the Black while I went to Downs to get eyes on the White-Winged. We both came up empty. There was NOTHING on the Downs pounds and Ron wasn’t able to spot any Scoters in the ducks hanging out at SF. SF was on the way to the flea market so we all decided to check that out one more time. Our first pass came up empty again, but on our last check before heading back to the car I noticed an unusual duck somewhat alone in the middle of the pond. Golden rule, always shoot the loners. After checking the back of the camera, we both confirmed it was the female Black Scoter. +1 for the year, but more importantly, number 400 for my NA life list. What a cool bird to have for marking this new level. We headed on to the flea market while Ron decided to get some lunch and give another go at Downs. Just as we were heading out of the market, Ron sends me a text, he had found the White-Winged way at the far side of the pond hanging out with two Mute Swans. That was so far away, I was shocked he was able to find it – thankfully it has a unique bill and coloring which helps to distinguish it. Got over there as fast as we could hoping it wouldn’t take off. Ron kept eyes on it until we arrived. AS luck would have it, it had floated closer, now only halfway across the pond. Still a ways away for quality shots, but definitely good enough for a confirmed ID. That puts me at #330 for this year. A good day of birding and a big thanks again to Ron for helping make that happen.
Update 10/22/2023: With all the Halloween Haunted Trail work and the 50M ultra race, October was really busy and not a lot of opportunity for birding. Linda had signed up Ruger for another FastCat event near Chicago so he could close out his beginner title. On our way home Linda noticed that two Surf Scoters had been spotted at the Downs, IL ponds just off the 74 exit. It wasn’t that far out of the way and decided to give it a go. By the time we made it there, the light was dropping fast. It took some time, but finally located a pair of ducks at the far end of the pond (quite a ways away). Put the tele on and managed to get one or two shots that showed the distinguishing bill of the Scoter. Not good enough pictures to ever post about, but a nice add for the year. I was getting close to the 330 mark!
Update 09/03/2023: There were still reports coming out of Muirhead Springs that sounded interesting. As it was on the way going up…it was also the way going back home so dropped in again to give it another go. Ron was also able to join us again. This time we were able to add the Stilt Sanpiper and as a bonus a Vesper Sparrow was hanging out in the reeds. Definitely like this place and will be putting it on our trip agenda whenever we head north. Note, Ron was the first to find/report a family (Parents with a juvi) of Whooping Cranes there in November.
Update 09/01/2023: I have to give Ron credit for finding Muirhead Springs Forest Preserve in Hampshire, IL. This is a relatively new spot, or at least one that has been getting a very nice upgrade. They have two bodies of water, a smaller pond and a much larger one that are separated by a levee. There was a number of shorebirds being reported there and it happened to be on our way to another dog show. Ron came over to meet us and we checked out the ponds. Probably more due to our unfamiliarity with all the birds that were hanging out on the flats, but we didn’t find a lot. Did manage to locate a White-Rumped Sandpiper which made the trip worthwhile and liked exploring a new location.
Update 08/29/2023: Foster Rd in the Elmwood rurals has become a hotspot for Grasshopper Sparrows. Not sure what it is, but they are always getting reported there in the summer months. Made a quick stop over there with Linda and managed to get that ticked off for the year. Linda must be the charm as I had failed in multiple previous attempts earlier in the summer.
Update 08/27/2023: Ron came down to attend the IOS Shorebird Event. That produced a lot of +1s for us last year, but with my broken elbow decided it would be too much and opted out. Ron did pretty good (don’t think it was the +15 or so we got last year, but we did much better in the earlier part of the year so the opportunities were reduced). He did find a Red Crossbill at Sand Ridge State Forest. That would be a lifer for me, so we headed back there the next day to see if they were still hanging around. After a few minutes walking the campground area we spotted a few. Since we were so close to Chautauqua NWR we dropped in there before heading back. Found a Buff-Breasted Sandpiper and a Pectoral Sandpiper on the crossdike. Have to give a big thanks to Ron for giving me a +3 for the day.
Update 08/05/2023: Linda and I headed up to the Rockford area so Ruger could run in his first FastCat competition – basically a doggy sprint for 100 yards. While we were there, decided to hop over to a place called Nygren Wetlands. A new place for us so wasn’t sure what to expect beyond reports of Phalaropes which I still needed. Didn’t find much on our initial visit (was a bit late in the day), but headed back there the next day and had a big surprise. A Limpkin had been found there that morning and the place was going crazy. I believe the first ever sighting for that place and based on the excitement, I would believe it. We headed back to see it (about 1.5-2 miles out). Enjoyed taking shots and talking to the other birders, but we had already checked that off for the year. Weird to go years without seeing one and then have three sightings in the same year. On our way back, I stopped to talk to some birders with scopes pointed at the water. Thanks to their help, located a Wilson’s Phalarope and a Baird’s Sandpiper. Did let Ron know about the Limpkin and he drove over and got that checked off his list as well – thanks to a very nice birder that came running after we had left to let us know it was still there.
Update 05/28/2023: Ron camped with us overnight so we spent the day birding in and around the Chain O’ Lakes area. Plan for the day was to hit the State Park in the morning and then head over to Glacial Park Conservation Area to get a Sparrow species we needed there. Pretty obvious most of the Warblers had moved on from Chain, but there were still a few checks we were hoping for. The first was the Black Tern that we always see hunting the boat dock area and the waterways off the Goldfinch Trail. If we found it at Chain we could forego having to donate a gallon of blood to the horde of vampire mosquitoes at Goose Lake. At first we struck out – nothing much moving at all at the boat dock. As we were disappointingly heading out, Ron recommended we take one more look as we passed by…there is WAS! We both jumped out of the car, took some distant shots just in case and then headed to the water. Good thing we followed the “get something in the the tin first” golden rule as it had left by the time we covered the 50 yards or so. That was the ONLY time we spotted that species the rest of our stay there. Happy now we decided to bird the campground and the pond and nearby lake. Not much to report there, but did see some Wood Duck chicks that were uber-cute. Eventually made our way out to the entrance to see if the Black-Billed Cuckoo we found there last year had come back. As we slowly passed by the row of trees on the left I spotted it, but in the process of getting Ron to backup it dove down into the thicker shrub. We spent a long time traversing the tall grass and brush trying to locate it without luck. What we did manage to find was a Willow Flycatcher singing away on nearby tree – it even presented fairly well giving me a chance to get a number of shots. We noted the tent/bag worms were back in this tangle that the specimen we found last year was busy feeding off. At least it was back, just needed to try a little later to get it in the tin. Proceeded to bird the Goldfinch area, met a nice young lady that was in her first year of birding, Jessica if I remember correctly. For only birding a year, she was definitely up on her birding knowledge. Decided to head out to Glacial and took another pass at finding the Cuckoo. Caught a glimpse of it lower in the trees this time and struggled mightily to get The Beast to cut through the branches. Like last time, it quick took of deeper into the brush, but stopped probably the only branch I had a clean shot at. Grabbed a few clicks and we congratulated each other in getting that checked for the year. Glacial was equal parts elation and depression. Pulled up to the parking lost past the visitor center, popped out of the car and snapped a Bobolink – talk about calling your shot ha. We had already tinned that species the day before, but knowing that was still a sure thing at Glacial was good to know. From there we moved back to the visitor center parking lot to have a go at the Henslow’s Sparrow. Another shock, we walked about a tenth of a mile on the trail and heard two of them singing away. Took a minute or so, but finally located a perfect specimen sitting on a small wire fence. This is the kind of birding I like ha. There were reports of a Bell’s Vireo and a Yelow-Breasted Chat in the area. If they were, we were unable to locate either of them. Our second failure at the Bell’s in two consecutive days. +4 on top of yesterday’s large haul made for another good outing.
Update 05/27/2023: Like last year, this was the trip to try and get caught up on any missed migrating Warblers and cross of a sure thing. Yep, it was the trek up to Montrose Beach in the heart of Chicago. We usually time this with a dog show in Spring Grove which cuts down on the travel and allows us an extra birding opportunity to see what is hanging around where we camp at Chain ‘O Lakes State Park. To get an early start, Ron even camped with us. We made it there around 8:00am, paid the ridiculous price to park and headed into the thicket. The first score was the Canada Warbler. A couple of other birders were already on it and alerted us to where it was hanging out. Like most Warblers, knowing where and tinning can be two entirely different things. This one was busy flitting about the thicket and finally landed on an opening. At the same time a Chestnut-Warbler decided to visit. No struggles this time as it landed 15 feet from us. Same with the Least Flycatcher when flew in and gave us a really good look. 3 checks in quick order. Made quick work of the Bank Swallow check and then we were both stunned about seeing Imani, the offspring of the famous Monty and Rose Piping Plovers. Not only was it there, it was handing out on a dune maybe 30 feet from the barrier fence. Now that was a treat. I already had that species checked, so no gain there, but it was a fun sighting. Found a Semipalmated Sandpiper hanging out on the beach which was a new one. From there, things got harder. There was a Mourning Warbler hanging out in the brush…more like hiding in brush. We hunted for that bird for a couple of hours. An impressive birder was able to pick out the calls, but again, hearing and tinning are a lot different. Eventually we caught a glimpse and I somehow got a shot. Found a Magnolia Warbler and a Blackpoll during our many loops through the thicket. On our way back we made a stop at Rollins Savannah to have a go at the Bell’s Vireo that had been spotted there. No luck on that, but Ron did manage to find a Bobolink! That is a pull forward from the planned visit to Glacial Park where we have regularly found them. A good day adding +9 to the overall count.
Update 05/21/2023: The boys were running down near St. Louis giving me the opportunity to bird some of the local hotspots. Started out with Horseshoe Lake SP the day before which yielded zip. Rather than head back there, headed over to Alton to see what they had. Started out at Riverland Bird Sanctuary. Had a nice talk with some birders there, one from Tennessee looking for a Black-Capped Chickadee and another from a few hours away just getting into the hobby. To my absolute shock, a Common Nighthawk popped out of the trees giving me probably the best look I’ve ever had. Not much else there, so headed over to the nearby Ellis Island. Turns out there is a LOT more to that area than I was aware of. Most of the time I just walked the gravel road and back. Found a really nice trail to the left that went on for a long way – eventually cut it short and found a path back to the gravel road. Before that, Merlin detected a Bay-Breasted Warbler. Got trained to the call and battled the trees to get line of sight. Eventually it popped into a small opening in the canopy allowing me to get a pretty bad shot of it. Enough to identify it – I’ll take it!
Update 05/18/2023: The day before I met Pete Weber while I was running at Jubilee College. He mentioned he had a good day of birding on the North Side of Jubilee and had even seen a Cerulean Warbler. That bird is becoming my nemesis. Decided to check it out the next morning. I had not birded that area before and was pleasantly surprised how nice the Green Trail was. Now one of my favorite places to go in the park. As soon as I got out of the Jeep, I heard a Warbling Vireo in a nearby tree. Took a bit of work, but finally got it in the tin. Heading down the trail, Merlin picked up Philadelphia Warbler singing in the canopy. Got a shot good enough to ID, but definitely not something I’m proud of. The next check was a complete surprise to me. I was on my way down to the meadow area where the Cerulean was, when a loud quick chirp like call rang out. A quick check of Merlin confirmed it was an Acadian Flycatcher. Tracked the ongoing call to a small branch and spotted the diminutive bird. Managed to get some very nice shots of it. Unfortunately, no Cerulean. Heard it multiple times, but never got line of sight. Still happy with a +3 for the day and now have a new place to bird.
Update 05/08/2023: Linda noticed there were a number of reports of Warblers down the road at Jubilee College State Park. There was a big storm overnight and decided to make a quick trip over there to see if there was any fallout. Our first stop was the Valley View spur. Wow, there were birds everywhere! Merlin quickly triggered on the Nashville and Tennessee Warblers. Pretty sure I missed the Nashville all of last year and no Tennessee yet this year, so went to work. Was not aware there was a trail there and quickly used it to get closer to the Nashville that was calling in the area. Trail may not be an accurate description, more like a deer path as I was hopping all over the place to get a clear shot at this canopy bird. Finally got a shot of it..problem was I was essentially lost and had no idea where the path was. Started heading straight in the direction of the car (and to Linda). Took a few passes through Rose of Marry thickets, but made it. Now back to the open area, the Tennessee decided to come out. Didn’t have to navigate the forest, but it did take a bit of work to get a clean shot at it. In the midst of that effort, a Red-Breasted Nuthatch popped up on a tree in front of us. Why thank you very much ha. 3 good checks for the day!
Update 05/02/2023: Last year we went to Minnesota to get the Grasshopper Sparrow. Later we found out we happen to have a local spot to get that checked off the list – Foster Road Prairie. Better yet, it is only like 15 or 20 miles away compared to the amount of time it takes to get to Minnesota. The eBird reports were coming in that they had arrived, so grabbed the camera and went to get the easy check…so I thought. I did find a bird hanging out on a fence post soon after arriving and took plenty of shots before I was approached by a guy on a golf cart that came screaming up to the car demanding to know what I was doing there. “Looking for a bird” while pointing to the camera. Not that I cared as I was on a public road, but he took off. Not sure what all that was about. In all that, I forgot to ID that bird… need to go do that – especially since I came up empty on that Sparrow the rest of my time there. Did grab an Eastern Meadowlark while I was there – just eliminates the pain of distinguishing it from the Western in all my Texas encounters. At least one check..a slight chance of another once I review those shots
Update 04/14/23: Our last full day on the island. Decided it was time to mix it up a bit and try out some new places. We started with checking out the west end beaches. The last time we were here that area was closed off to non-residents as they were trying to recover from the massive flooding that had occurred in weeks leading up to our arrival. Thanks to a pretty heavy storm one of the nights we were here this year, portions of the road were underwater. Luckily no an issue for our Jeep. I was surprised about the amount of beach there was on this end. I had told several people that it wasn’t worth coming to Dauphin Island if you were not a birder. That position has officially changed now, plenty of sun and sand to spend your days with. There were reports of Snowy Plovers out there, but we were unable to locate them after walking several miles down the coastline – still nowhere close to the end. We did find a lone Black-Bellied Plover and another Sandwich Tern encounter. From there we went to Pelican Peninsula which was directly across the street from where we were staying. The last time we couldn’t get very far out on it due to the flooding. This time we had full access to the beaches – again, absolutely shocked at the amount of beaches that were now visible and accessible. Snow Plovers were reported here as well, but we were having a hard time finding anything beyond another Black-Bellied Plover hanging out with some Royal Terns and Gulls. In a last ditch effort, we walked as far as we could east and followed the dunes heading back to the boardwalk we started out on. Half way back, we spotted a pair of Snowies!! Talk about lucky. Pretty sure they had nests in the area as they were busy drawing us away from the dunes and enticing us to follow them further down to the boardwalk. They gave us incredible shots and can’t wait to see how they came out. Not wanting to stress them too much, we eventually moved on and let them return back to their nesting area. That was a lifer for all of us (Linda, Ron and I). Following that coastline to the east, we decided to check out the golf course area. When we got there, we learned that they wanted us to pay like 10 bucks a person just to use their walkway down to the beach. You have got to be kidding me – put a guy in a chair under an umbrella and fleece the people simply want to enjoy the beach. I even asked the guy if they were really charging people to simply use their walkway. It was clear he wasn’t comfortable with doing that and forced out a “Yes, that is what they are having me do”. Well, that would be a no and we returned to our cars. Paying $30 with no guarantee of bird checks is a bridge too far to so speak. Instead we headed over to airport where there were reports of the a Seaside Sparrow. While we were standing by the airport gates, we saw two Clapper Rails fly over from nearby reads. Wow, those things are loud when they want to be. Missed getting shots on our first encounter (in fact, we had to confirm with a lady leading her own birding tour that they were Rails). Later they returned giving us excellent shots. What really caught our ear was a Seaside Sparrow calling of some distance away near a currently occupied Osprey nest. Merlin assured us that was what we were hearing. Ron eventually got a very fuzzy shot of some kind of bird in the area which might have been it, but pretty hard to tell from the shot. I, unfortunately, was looking at the wrong set of reeds and missed it completely. Probably hung around there for at least an hour and a half without luck. We did get a small consolation prize thanks to a small flock of Eastern Kingbirds that were hanging out along the runways. From there we headed back to the RV for lunch and to check on the dogs. Linda was pretty tired and decided to stay behind while Ron and I made our last attempt at Shell. Believe we went to the Audubon Bird Sanctuary first, but nothing was really happening there. Upon our return, there were several birders standing in the road looking at the nearby trees. A quick ask informed us that there were several Scarlet and Summer Tanagers coming in over the tree line. Sure enough we immediately spotted 6, then 6 more, then 10 more, amazing, we had NEVER seen that many Tanagers arriving. Clearly a large flock had just made it across the gulf. A quick count had us over 30 in the just the 10 minutes we were standing there. Eastern Kingbirds were also coming through. Bummed this was our last day, as clearly the migration was kicking into high gear. A birder there told us this was the common order of the migration, first the Kingbirds come in, then the Tanagers and then the Warbler waves start coming in. We didn’t witness the large waves of Warblers, but we did see an increase in targets. Several birders alerted us to the presence of a Cerulean in the area..ugh, here we go again. Once again, showed up less than 5 minutes late in one spot and we kept getting verbal alerts from other birders that they had just seen it. Arrrrghhhhh, this is definitely my nemesis species now as we failed again. In or search we did find a Baltimore Oriole and thanks to two other birders we were able to briefly witness a Blackburnian Warbler hanging out in the canopy. My shot sucked, but luckily Ron got an IDable tin to put a cap on a good day. a +4 to close out the last day at Dauphin including a very nice lifer with the Snowy Plover.
Update 04/13/23: Now in our third day at Dauphin we were optimistic that our fortunes would turn better. We were getting a lot of good checks, just not up to our high expectations. Back to Shell Mound. Our first stop there immediately set us off on a quest that consumed a good part of the morning. When we arrived, several birders were concentrated on a large tree at the official entrance. Asked an individual there who informed us there was a Black-Whiskered Vireo hanging out in that tree. He did seem a bit skeptical when he told us. We learned about the Whiskered variety from a couple we met the year before at one of their forts (can’t remember which one at the moment). This would be a lifer for us both, so we joined in the hunt. Eventually we got some good looks and something in the tin. From our point of view it was not a Whiskered, rather the standard Red-Eyed variety. Now that we knew they were supposed to be there, we put special emphasis on every Vireo we came upon. My tin is filled with hundreds of shots of Red-Eyes. Then we noticed one in the bowl area of the preserve (note, this had been filled with water on our last visit). After some serious effort Ron and I managed to get some good looks in the tin – based on that, we were pretty sure that it was the Whiskered. This became the most sought after bird there this year and we managed to get it checked off. Must say, that took a serious chunk of the morning. Finally found our first Scarlet Tanager – last year they were EVERYWHERE, this year, just the one so far. We also met a couple that knew one of our coworkers at Cat. He had moved out to Arizona and had become biking buddies with them. We gave him our names and asked him to say hello for us. The next day we came up on them again and they had already received a response. He confirmed we were good people! Linda eventually went back to the RV to be with the Boys as we continued our hunt. We managed to find a Swainson’s Thrush and a Yellow Warbler (again, can’t believe it took us this long to get a picture of those). Things had definitely improved. Last year we spent a lot of time trying to get a shot of the Kentucky Warbler while we were at Shell. Well, technically I spent a lot of time, Ron managed to get it on the first try which put my competitiveness into overdrive. This year, we both struggled to get it decent shot of one. I think we both had a total of 10 seconds to get this bird in the tin and it took 9.99 seconds to get the job done. The Beast struggled to cut through all the leafy obstructions and the lighting was horrible. Ended up getting a blurry shot which had just enough detail in it for us to take the check. Our last check at Shell came after a tip from another birder where an Ovenbird was hanging out. It didn’t take us very long to confirm the presence, it did take us awhile to get it in the tin – these ground foragers are hard to tin in the thick vegetation at Shell. Oh, we did manage to get a Chimney Swift checked off as well. Another +7 for the day. Again, not a great number for there, but it did feel like a lot more birds had arrived after their long journey across the Gulf.
Update 04/12/23: Our goal today was to get the Painted Bunting in the tin. Additional reports had been made that confirmed it was still at The Goat Tree. Well, we learned from another birder it was actually catercorner to the Goat Tree next to a brown class A RV beside a vacant lot. When we arrived, there were already people watching a birdfeeder placed about 50 feet away on the treeline. I think we had missed a recent sighting by about 5 minutes – story of my life. Then the big wait began. Had a wonderful discussion with a lady from Mobile AL that was just getting into birding and was there just to see the Painted. Also struck up a conversation with another birder and his father. Eventually we took a quick walk down the fence line by the RV and spotted about 20 Indigo Buntings with a couple of Blue Grosbeaks thrown in. Another birder alerted us to a Painted Bunting that was was hanging out with them as well. Somewhat due to the initial shocking of actually seeing it, coupled with less that ideal settings cost me the shot. Crap, crap, crap. Even Ron missed it. We had a clue now, the Painteds (turned out to be 2 of them) were hanging with that flock of Indigos and Buntings. They returned about 15 minutes later giving me a chance to get a few shots in the tin. Another key bird in the tin. They later showed up at the feeder giving us…and everyone that was still hanging out there another great chance to tin them. Forgot to mention, before seeing the Painted, we noticed a Broad-Winged Hawk cruising overhead. Unlike our first attempt at the Painted, we both scored a nice tin. This was a lifer for me. Honestly, we were getting a bit concerned. Our honey pot for bird migrations was falling short of expectations.
Update 04/11/23: We had now made it onto Dauphin Island. There was no question where to head to first. Shell Mound was a treasure trove when were here two years ago. Unfortunately it was a bit of a letdown on this day. Our first spot was a Louisiana Waterthrush at a water drip. That covered the Waterthrushes as we already had the Northern from South Padre Island. We made a couple of trips back and forth to Shell which made the location order a bit tricky. Regardless, we managed to find an Eastern Wood-Pewee on one of the times along with a Wood Thrush. Can’t believe we didn’t already have that checked off by now. Our last check at Shell came from a bit of very brief encounter. A Thrush like bird landed on a branch not too far from where I was standing. Absolute luck my settings were already set to the low light conditions giving me a few clicks before it heading off into the forest – if I remember correctly we never saw another one the entire time we were there. Sometimes we get lucky ha. At one point in the day, we headed over to the Goat Tree. There were reports of Painted Buntings there which had gained importance as none were found at their usual spot on the feeders across the street. Goat ended up being a bust, although we did manage to tin a Yellow-Throated Vireo. While Linda prepared supper, Ron and I headed up the street to see what we could. There was a very productive Bottlebrush there last year that got us the Cape May Warbler, this year we came up empty. We did stumble on a house loaded with feeders. We later found out from local birders that this was Jenny’s House and a very popular birding location. There were Barn Swallows across the street and a Short-Billed Dowitcher flew by as we were looking for a Clapper Rail that had called out along far bank. There was even a Brown-Headed Nuthatch there which Ron still needed. It isn’t often where a +7 day is a bit of a disappointment – we had high expectations for Dauphin.
Update 04/10/23: Our next stop was Fort Pickens on Pensacola Beach. This was first visit to this site. There were reports of a Cerulean Warbler in the area which meant there might be other Warblers passing through. We started at the main fort area and took a birding trail just off to the right. Came upon an individual with a big glass (a sure sign of a birder) and asked him if he had seen anything. He confirmed a Cerulean at a battery located on the path – YES. He was extremely helpful and it wasn’t until much later that realized he was a volunteer for the park and their designated photographer. We managed to pick off an American Redstart along the way and even discovered a Blue Grosbeak when we made it to the recommended battery. The same volunteer met us there and was helping us locate the Cerulean and an unexpected Worm-Eating Warbler that was also in the area. Not sure we would have found that Worm-Eater without his help. There was also a Hooded Warbler there which I had already checked off, but Ron was able to add that to the year’s haul after a bit of effort trying to shoot it through the thick growth. Admittedly, that Worm was a lot harder to tin as it kept concealed as it moved around the area. My arms were aching after finally getting that Warbler in the tin. We eventually had to give up on the Cerulean, once again, not our day. After giving thanks to the volunteer, we headed across the road to the beach. Waiting for Ron to catch up, I noticed a very interesting Tern hunting the waters. A few quick shots confirmed a black bill with a yellow tip – a Sandwich Tern, a lifer for me and for Ron. I was nice and quickly pointed them out when Ron arrived. From there we went back to the fort area and scanned the waters for anything interesting. First thing we spotted was Common Loons…not one, not two, but 5 of them, close to the shore! This is probably the best looks I have had of them except for maybe the Texas Dike. Soon after that we noticed an interesting duck a ways out in the water. Took the Beast to its extent, but what came back generated quite a smile – a Long-Tailed Duck. I had seen this species the previous year, but those shots were horrendous. Much better conditions for this encounter, fingers crossed something good made it in the tin. While walking back, a small, agile Tern flashed by. At first I wasn’t sure what it was, but a few more good looks at it confirmed it was a Least Tern. Another plus one to round out the day, a +6, not too shabby.
Update 04/09/23: We picked up Ron on our run through Pensacoloa so he could join us for the migration on Dauphin Island. Our campground was near one of the places we visited the last time in the area called Tarkiln Preserve State Park. Note, up to this point we mistakenly referred to this location as Tarklin – we even were making fun of the signage at the park that had the Tarkiln spelling. We were later corrected by another birder we befriended there. One of their volunteers we saw on the way out mentioned the name was a common mistake – we think eBird has the name wrong which is why we were wrong. As a whole, the trip didn’t yield a lot of new checks. Struck out trying to get a Sedge Wren for Ron, but he did spot a Rose-Breasted Grosbeak we both needed.
Update 04/08/23: It was now time to start heading back east to pick up Ron and then hit the main destination spot, Dauphin Island, AL to catch the spring migration. We ended up in Crawfordville which put us close to Wakulla Springs State Park. There were reports of a few Warblers there and this was apparently a home for Manatees. Who doesn’t wan’t to see a Manatee !?! Well, turns out you need to take a boat ride to see the Manatees and those tickets were sold out for the day. No Manatees, but we did take one of the shorter trails (~2 miles) through the woods to look for the Warblers. First check was the Prothonotary Warbler hanging out near a bridge over a small stream. Took a bit to get a clean shot of it, but once that task was done we started the trek back. Not much farther along Merlin tagged a Hooded Warbler. The Hooded was a goal for Dauphin, but getting it checked off now would take some stress off in case we missed them coming through there. Now this turned out to be difficult. At every opportunity to finally get a clear shot, it would take off further down the path. Probably chased that Warbler a half mile before getting something in the tin. Might have stayed longer, but it turns out we were close to St. Marks and that would give me another shot at the Wilson’s Plover missed on our earlier visit – and, of course, the opportunity to visit with Pinky again. A short drive later, we paid our entrance fee and first headed down to the lighthouse to see Pinky. Unfortunately, no Pinky there, but ended up driving right by an Eastern Towhee for an easy +1 for the year. While looking for Pinky a kind birder pointed me in the direction of two Oystercatchers hanging out near where Pinky was the last time. Already had that species from Goose Island, but this was a much better look – in fact, the closest I have ever been to them. Just happened to walk across the street to checkout a number of waders in those waters. Took several snaps and then something caught my eye – a long downward bill. Took a few more snaps to zoom in and confirm – it was a Whimbrel. Can’t even count the number of times I had missed that species this year. Repaid the lady who told me about the Oystercatcher with the Whimbrel info – she was very appreciative. Next up was to go after that Wilson’s Plover. Based on someone in the birding tour from our Great Horned Owl encounter during the first visit, we knew exactly where they were supposed to be. A quick scan of the mudflats didn’t reveal any Plovers at the recommended place, so we went to a pulloff at the end of the waterway. This allowed me the opportunity to check out the flats farther out – no luck. Now concerned about a second whiff with this potential lifer we headed back to the original location. With much more scrutiny now I started checking off every bird I could see on the flats. Eventually noticed one with a smaller bill…a Plover like bill. After a few repositionings and several shots later I was convinced we finally had the elusive Wilson’s Plover. What a relief, not only a new one for the year, but a lifer as well.
Update 04/06/23: Time for the boys to have some vacation fun. There was an agility show being held at a farm in Williston, FL.. Unfortunately, we got hit with the full force of Florida heat and humidity. The course was in the sun and the dogs (and mom) were not pleased. That night I took a walk to see what kind of night birds were available. Obviously heavy use of Merlin in the darkness. I kept hearing an interesting call, but Merlin was struggling to discern it over the deafening insects. Kept walking toward the call that was coming from the tree line across an open field. Luckily, the call kept up and became loud enough for Merlin to ID – a Chuck-Will’s Widow, my first ever encounter. As it was too dark to see shapes, even the sky was pitch black so flight shots were not even a possibility if I could somehow get enough light to capture it. Restarted Merlin multiple times to make sure the ID was correct and it confirmed each time. Even went to Cornell and played their calls to match it myself. To be triple sure, had Linda come out and verify it as well. Played the Merlin recording for Ron and we both agreed there was no mistaking it and waived the picture requirement – actually, we noted the difficulty in getting these Nightjars and other night based birds and decided that should be a general rule for them – if you can hear them and Merlin confirms that should be enough for the check. A new lifer although I will continue to try and get a picture of one.
Update 04/05/23: Got up early and headed back to Sweetwater Wetlands to participate in their bird walk. Surprised there was only 6 or so people there, but it made for a more intimate and tailored experience. Due to the small numbers, they decided to take the longer outer loop. The organizers were full of information regarding the background on how the place was created – a reclamation watershed for Gainsville and were very helpful with all our bird questions. My ear was a little better and able to help them out with several IDs including the Fish Crow and the Sedge Wren, Most helpful was the information regarding the section I gave up on the first day, There were Purple Martins in the back corner and I getting those tinned meant I didn’t have to go to Weldon Springs when I got back home. Sure enough, they were right where they said they were giving my the only new check for the day. Spent well over 6 hours there with the walk and then afterwards trying to find a King Rail. Failed on that, but did see a massive three legged Gator sunning on the bank – hate to see the Gator that could do that! Found a pair of super cute Killdeer chicks (my first ever) and a Solitaire Sandpiper hanging out in a spillway area. Had both of those species already, but fun birds to watch.
Update 04/04/23: Having such a good time at Sweetwater and Payne’ Prairie the day before, I wanted to take Linda back to see these two places. This time we left the dogs back at the RV having learned the day before they were not allowed in the actual sites. We started at Sweetwater and walked all the paths with the exception of the area that I was trapped by the day before. This is the first time we have experienced Gators bellowing. Absolutely amazing to here the big guys fill up with air and release such a loud noise – at first we thought it was a fanboat in nearby waters. They also hammer the water with their tails. I showed Linda the Killdeer nest in the rocks in the middle of the path (they had it caution taped off) and even managed to find some more Purple Gallinules – now she knows what I have been searching for all these years. The only addition for the day was a Sedge Wren calling out from the reeds on the bank. Took a bit to get a clear shot, but it finally poppedo out for the check. On the way out we noticed they had bird walks every Wednesday morning. Yes, I’ll be coming back tomorrow ha. From there we went to Payne’s Prairie so I could show her the baby Limpkins and the Snail Kites. The solid black chicks were still on the recently created mound and by a quick count, all had made it through the night. Waited for the Barn Owl again, but another no show. A Great Horned did show up at dusk giving us a nice send off for the day.
Update 04/03/23: Next up Gainsville, Florida. I really was prepared for where to bird once we got here. Spent so much time figuring out all the other stops I forgot to look into places around there.Linda and I did some quick looking on eBird and decided to try out a place called Sweetwater Wetlands Park. The decision point was when we noticed they had Purple Gallinules – I’ve been hunting that bird for at least 6 years without luck. Really wasn’t sure what to expect there. Made our way to the parking lot and noticed they didn’t allow pets. At first we were a bit miffed, but soon found out why…that place is LOADED with Gators. They were everywhere. I thought Texas had a lot, well, not compared to this place. All sizes from babies up to the really big ones. Note, I think the Texas monsters were actually larger. Linda graciously agreed to stay with the dogs while I went exploring. There are several retention ponds here, some with lots of vegetation, some more open giving a good array of habitats for targets. Not sure where to really go I took the boardwalk around the first pond. Didn’t find much in the water, but did spot a Prairie Warbler hanging out in a tree just off the boardwalk. Admittedly, I didn’t know it was a Prairie until looking at the pictures later – what a surprise. Didn’t get any new looks the rest of the way around and learned the hardway if you keep going in that direction you get cut off from the rest of the ponds. Had to make a painful 20 minute or so backtrack to get to the other side. Glad I did as that other side got me the long sought after Purple Gallinule. One was traversing the reeds about two feet off the water – thanks to future sightings now realize they do that a lot, I was probably looking exclusively too low in the past. What a thrill to finally get that checked off my life list. While waiting, Linda noticed there was another popular birding place just a few miles away – Payne’s Preserve State Park. That place also had a no pet restriction..must be Gators..answer YES. There was a giant one near the end of the trail that convinced me to turn back. I am still not very comfortable around those prehistoric creatures. Not too far into the park I noticed several people taking pictures of something in a small grassy area. Curiosity got a hold of me and went for a look. Saw the biggest turtle I have ever seen in my life in the wild. Looked like it was trying to dig a hole to lay eggs in. That was amazing. Took several shots and then moved to the boardwalk. Overheard to individuals talking as I passed. Conversation centered on Limpkin chicks that had just left the nest the day before. Thought to myself how cool it would be to see those…a minute later I was staring at 6 of the cutest black chicks you cold imagine, huddled together on some kind of water vegetation straight down from the boardwalk railings. Eventually located the parents about 50-75 feet further out pulling large reeds out of the water in a circular pattern and making a giant mound in the center. Not sure if one of the parents noticed me looking at them, but it squawked noisily (as they do) and flew over to them. From there it slowly walked back to the mound with the 6 chicks following closely behind. I can’t imagine the hardship of to keep those chicks safe in those Gator infested waters. Learned the mounds provide safety from below and making the clearing allows the parents to see approaching predators easier. Another individual told me the parents will fight like hell if anything tries to harm their babies. That individual also told me Gators really don’t like eating those chicks – something about the fluffy feathers or something – call me skeptical on that. In the mist of the Limpkin viewing a hawk like bird came to rest on a tree across the way. I took a few pictures and then chimped a bit to see what it was…hmmm, could it be… just then another obvious birder walked by “IS that by any chance a Snail Kite?”. Not sure what startled me more, the Slavik accent or his confirmation. Wow, a new lifer. I proceeded to abuse the shutter at this really rare bird. I was bummed Linda couldn’t see it and made a note to come back with here so she could witness it. Decided to move further along the boardwalk coming to another overlook over a larger area of water. There were several photographers there snapping passing hawk like birds…wait, it that MORE Snail Hawks – sure enough, and these were hunting..you guessed it Snails. Pretty amazing to watch them hunt. Some very helpful birders filled me in on their background. Like Pinky they were likely displaced here thanks to a Hurricane, found plenty of food and decided to stay. They pluck the Apple Snails out of the water which apparently can float at different depths. There is some concern that the Snails were being replaced by an invasive species, but so far they seem happy with both options. I had originally thought the Snails could only crawl along the bottom and was waiting for them to do a deep dive like a Brown Pelican or Osprey. Then one glided by, hovered for a second or two, dropped to just above the water, reached down and plucked one out. Some experiences you will never forget and this was definitely one for me. Still need to go through the shots, but I hope I got some good ones. As an added bonus managed to tin an Orchard Oriole. There were reports of a Barn Owl in the area, but struck out on that. Definitely a great day of birding and now definitely two new places at the top of my favorite places to bird.
Update 04/02/23: Up next on the list of places to check out was St. Marks NWR. I had seen this on a recommendation list and it was also recommended by some birders we met while at Hagen’s Cove. By this time we had moved to a closer campsite giving us easier access to the place. Unlike Hickory Mounds, this NRW had a very nice entrance, but it did cost us $5.00 to get in. In my opinion reasonable based on the checks we got alone. There were reports of a Horned Grebe at the lighthouse at the end of the entrance road. Struck out on that bird numerous times, so we headed straight there. There was also a Flamingo reported, but we thought that was just an error. Just before we reached the lighthouse Linda noticed a pink bird in the middle of a body of water to the right. I jumped out to take a closer look – THERE IT WAS, a PINK FLAMINGO. Unbelievable. There were another couple taking pictures of the bird who ended up being from Toronto. They had come down just to see this famous bird. They informed us that it was given the name Pinky and had shown up several years back after being blown of course by a hurricane and then never left. We couldn’t believe our luck. After that I did find a Horned Grebe in the gulf waters out from the lighthouse. Finally got that checked off. Also managed to get a Glossy Ibis that was hanging out in the area – another nice pickup! We did check eBird again and noticed a Great Horned Owl was spotted there..with owlets. Tried asking around, but unable to find anyone with details. One couple we talked to ended up coming back to us to inform us exactly where it was – back up the road about a mile in a clump of tall pines. By the time we made it back there, a lady was already taking pictures of the nest. Hard to see, but there were small owlets sticking out of the nest. The next task was to locate one of the parents – didn’t expect them to be very far, but we were not having any luck until a tour group showed up. A person in that group was able to spot an adult in a nearby pine – really hard to see unless someone put you right on it. I already had that species from Goose Island SP, but still a really nice bird…and the owlets were a bonus. While there managed to get a Great Crested Flycatcher. Headed back to the visitor center and took one of the trails there. There was reportings of a Gull-Billed Tern there and sure enough, found it with a couple of Royal Terns in a backwater pond. A good +5 for the day and honestly Pinky is probably a +10 on its own. I was still bummed I missed the Wilson’s Plover that was supposed to be there.
Update 04/01/2023: Continuing with our Florida Panhandle birding, we headed back to the Big Bend WMA. This place is huge. The day before we spent time at Hagen’s Cove, today we went for the Hickory Mound area. Not sure I would include this specific location in the future. The Road into it was not maintained and sure to knock out any loose fillings. Basically a private dirt road that they let you use to get back to the area. Had it been raining there is no way we would have made that trek..even with our Jeep. After making our way all the way back there, it was pretty much a disappointment. Essentially consists of a single road along the coast and then a few cut-throughs once you make it to the other side. The main drive has a number of low points they warn is impassable if the water is high. There were people fishing everywhere and their cars half on/half off the road was annoying. The waterway was a bust, but we did catch a couple of adds on a cut-through. Battled a crap load of mosquitoes to get a Red-Eyed Vireo and a Northern Parula. Nothing that rare and likely easy pickups later in the trip, but good to get them out of the way just in case.
Update 03/31/2023: Already the end of the month, this year seems to flying by. Now in the Florida Panhandle, it was time to get down to some serious birding. We did not make it to Florida during last year’s Average Year efforts and this could be the big boost that makes it possible to crest over the 300 mark which eluded me last year. Ron and I were pretty lucky to get the Swallow-Tailed Kite checked off our list thanks to two of them getting lost and showing up 30 minutes away near Galesburg. Now we were in that beautiful birds home field and thus tops of my list of need to gets. Honestly, I thought it would take a bit more effort. We pulled into what turned out to be a surprisingly nice KOA in Perry – definitely checked the box on our personal assessment sheets indicating we would stay there again. Got everything hooked up and decided to take a quick walk to check out the facilities. On our way back I looked up and excitedly proclaimed to Linda that there was a Swallow-Tailed Kite flying right above us – actually, technically TWO. Probably at great embarrassment to Linda, I sprinted back to the RV, grabbed the camera and managed to get a few shots before they glided over the nearby trees and out of site. Wow, Florida was already “Panning” out hehehe. Think Linda took the long way back so no one would notice we were together! We still had some time left in the day and decided to check out the Big Bend Wildlife Management Area 30 or so minutes away. Not familiar with this large area, we opted for the Hagen’s Cove Unit. It was pretty evident there was recent burning in the area and signs on road warning about smoke obscuring the roads. Later learned from another visitor that they had a controlled burn just the previous day – ugh, it usually takes a few days before the wildlife comes back after these events. There were hopes of spotting a Seaside Sparrow (quickly becoming my nemesis bird), with all the burning it didn’t seem likely. We made it to the end of the entrance road and started on the right side where the boat dock was. Noticed a large number of shorebirds in the nearby waters and eagerly asked a birding couple heading back to their car if they saw anything interesting – “Yes we did!” – and then they got in their car and left. That’s it, no details at all. Linda and I had a good laugh and made jokes about it throughout the rest of the trip. There was definitely a LOT of birds there. but nothing identifiable as new – not even a Whimbrel that was reported the day before. Should point out another couple in a car stopped and asked us how it was going. At the time I was getting the Palm Warbler checked off the list for the year (little did I know those Palms are extremely abundant in the area and spotted numerous specimens in every place we stopped in the Panhandle. Unlike the previous visitors, they were very nice, gave us tips on the local hotspots and the types of birds they were seeing – including a recommendation on where to find the Seaside Sparrow on the other side. Thanked them for the information and headed back to our car. There were two Clapper Rails calling in the nearby reeds. You can never pass up a Rail, but these two managed to elude me in the tall grass. The other side was more of a picnic area. Once again, huge flocks of peeps and other shorebirds – unfortunately, nothing new. Did get some very nice pictures of Black-Bellied Plovers and probably the most accommodating peep ever! Shocking number of Marbled Godwits there.
Update 03/28/2023: The next big stop was the Noccalula Falls in Gadsden, Alabama. This is one of my favorite places to visit as it sits within a large forest with an incredible array of biking/hiking/running trails. A great way for me to get my training miles in while we are on the road, but the hills will make you work for it. We missed the Brown-Headed Nuthatch while in Conroe, Texas this year and was eager for a second attempt here at the falls. I thought it would take a little more work though ha. We pulled into our campground site, got out and immediately heard the squeaky toy calls coming from the pine trees around us. Grabbed my camera and went to work. Hearing and getting a picture is two different things with these tiny canopy birds. Probably took me an hour before I finally got a clear shot in the tin. A nice recovery from the miss earlier in the year. Oddly enough also took care of the Brown-Headed Cowbird while we walked the falls area. Kind of shocking that asshat had not been checked off yet.
Update 03/27/2023: This marks the start of our April bird migration trip down to Dauphin Island. The first leg included a stop in the Florida Panhandle area before picking up Ron and heading back to the migration hotspot Dauphin Island. On our way down we stopped in the Kentucky Lake. I was excited as there were reports of Horned Grebes in the area which was a disappointing miss from the Vegas trip. We headed out to two spots they were reported, the Kentucky Dam Marina and the Kentucky Dam Beach Access. Both of these places were just a few minutes from the Kentucky Dam itself. The Dam was a bust, but these two other spots yielded some checks. No Horns were found, but there was a Thrasher rooting through the leaves a the Marina and the beach finally got me the Common Grackle and the Red-Headed Woodpecker. Not the most exciting birds, but glad to get those off the hunt.
Update 03/23/2023: Linda mentioned to me at breakfast there was a Rusty Blackbird being reported at the Woodford County State Conservation Area. This was located on the other side of Illinois Rive up past Spring Bay. We had been there several years earlier, but didn’t really see a lot of targets. I missed previous attempts at the Rusty this year, so we decided to give it a try. Pretty desolate when we go there – a few boat trailers near the launch and a may two other cars showed up the entire time we were there. Unfortunately, it was rather muddy from the earlier rains so the lowlands were not really passable. Opted to take a hike through the campground which had a high levee on the backside that fronted a thick tree marshy area. Merlin eventually picked up the Rusty call which started a rather frustrating hunt. So many Red-Winged Blackirds and Grackles it was hard to figure out which is which. Eventually found an isolated group of 3 that Merlin was able to confirm. A nice check for the effort.
Update 03/20/2023: Right around St. Patrick’s day is when the local birding organization (IOS) would hold their annual Timberdoodle or rather American Woodcock Walk. This was held at the Tawny Oaks Field Station maybe 20 or so minutes away. Last year I realized there was a similar setting right down the street from us at Jubilee College and sure enough, discovered the Woodcocks can be found there as well. No need to drive all the way out there and have to make sure I am free on a certain day. Headed out there today to see if I could find them in the Big Meadow again. Not much action until it the sun was just about to set and then their familiar Peent calls started ringing out. Unable to get anything flying, but did manage to find a really nice specimen foraging on the ground in the far back area. As an added bonus, a Fox Sparrow graced me with its presence – more like attacked me as I was standing there minding my own business looking for Doodles. Saw it coming at me out of the corner of my eye, kept coming, kept coming gets like 5 ft from me and then diverts up to a nearby tree. A little startling, but appreciated the bonus +1
Update 03/05/2023: Today is our last day for birding as we leave sun and sand for home tomorrow morning. Had to determine the best use of our time today. We were pretty lucky to get just about every bird we went after. Missed a few for sure, but for a week’s worth of effort, pretty happy with the results. There were some tradeoffs to consider, go somewhere new not knowing what will be there, revisit some areas that were not as productive as expected hoping the conditions change, risk the now predicted 70mph winds to go after the primary rarity that we struck out trying to find at Spring Mountain. The advantage of Spring is there were three other birds there that we missed during our first visit. Opted to risk the high winds and try to bag the Acorn – if not there, maybe one of the other three will show up in its place. Paid another $15, bundled up against the colder temps and I headed to the picnic area while Linda got her stuff together. Remembering a tip I learned from a photographer video on YouTube, took a moment to get my camera settings right for the slightly overcast conditions. What a timely tip. As soon as I entered the picnic area I heard a Woodpecker like squeaking. Triangulated the sound, looked up and there it was sitting on a branch staring at me. Wow, immediately brought The Beast on target and took a few shots before it took off for a further tree. Encounter went so fast I had to look at the tin to see what I got – yes, there it is – trophy earned 1 minute into the hunt. I had made it to the area I thought it had flew to when Linda showed up. She asked if I had seen it – seen it and snapped it! I think she was a little shocked as well. We continued searching for a few more minutes until it flew out of the clump of trees back into the picnic area. More clear shots and now Linda was able to get good shots as well. We continued to follow it for a while until it once again flew off out of the picnic area. Now time to track down the other targets. We went up to the observation trail area and didn’t find anything. Linda then opted for the warm car while I took the same out and back trail through the Ash Grove we took yesterday. Also came up empty. Left some on the table and I’m good with that as I did manage to track down proverbial needle in the haystack. It was a good week with a final count of +26 for the trip. That includes and amazing tally of 9 lifers!
Update 03/04/2023: All rested up we headed out to Red Rock Canyon. The wind was starting to pick up in the mountains bringing a definite chill. Now with proper reservations (you have to register what hour time slot you are going to enter the park with a 30 minute grace period on each end) we had no issues getting in. The worker who checked us in used to work for a Cat Dealer outside of Chicago – small world. Stopped at the visitor center and did a quick scan from the Rock Wren and the Canyon Wren – no luck. Did find a really nice Anna’s Hummingbird. This happens to be the first place I ever saw one of those beautiful hummingbirds. From there we headed out on the 13 mile auto-loop. Although busy, we had little trouble finding places to park at the various pull-offs. Contrary to that, I was having a really hard time finding any birds – it was likely the wind was keeping them scarce. Eventually came to the spot where the Spotted Towhee has been a sure thing. Knowing that we were coming here, lessened the anxiety of missing that bird while we were in Texas. Jumped out of the car expecting to see one immediately…nothing…headed up into a clump of rocks, surely one is there … nothing.., headed over to a picnic area where they usually hang out in a giant tree…nothing.. not only that, half of that tree was now missing. What the hell, panic setting in. Took the petraglyph trail, took “digital pictures of their carved pictures” and headed back towards the car. Still no Towhee – in fact, beyond a bunch of Scrub-Jays, no birds at all. I hate failure. Linda headed to the car while I took a final search. As I was on a rocky trail behind the bathrooms, I noticed a dark bird scurry between two scrub bushes. Now excited, I went on the hunt. We pretty much danced from one cover to the next as I tried to get glass on the specimen. Eventually, it went into a clearing to do some ground scratching – snap, snap – damn too dark, snap, snap, still too dark, sun breaks through clouds, snap, snap, YES. Finally got one in the tin. A hard earned +1 for the year and a claw back from a Texas miss. Continued on through the rest of loop eventually coming to a small spring that was flowing over the pavement. Thinking that would be a good place to bird, Linda pulled over and let me out to explore. Definitely the place I would want to be if I was a bird… but I’m not and clearly there were no other birds that thought that. Latter found out there was a Pacific Wren hanging out there that I apparently missed – that would have been a nice lifer. All was not wasted though as I looked up and saw a Golden Eagle soaring quite a ways above me. Only my second encounter ever with this majestic bird and a mighty fine addition to the current Average Year. A hard fought +2 for the morning. From there we headed over to Spring Mountain Ranch State Park. We had heard good things about this place and eBird was reporting a sighting of an Acorn Woodpecker. Count me in, one less required trip to California. $15 bucks to get in which is a bit steep, especially after just paying $20 to get into Red Rock Canyon (plus $2 for the reservation). The Acorn was worth a good chunk of that fee and there were at least three other potential birds being reported. Paid the fee and headed to the parking lot. There we found a very nice picnic area with a number of tall trees bordering it .. a few even had acorns which immediately felt promising. Scoured the grounds and came up empty for the woodpecker, but did find a number of Juniper Titmice, White Crowned Sparrows and more Spotted Towhees. Asked a Ranger if he knew where the Acorn Woodpecker would likely be located. He pointed back to another area called the Ash Grove. Excited, we headed off. We spent several hours searching the closest Ash Grove and even took a long out and back path to a second area – nothing! As we came back Linda says “You are not going to want to hear this”. Nothing good ever comes after that opening. “Found a rare bird listing on the web and they state that the Acorn Woodpecker is a recurring bird ….. in the picnic area.” CRAP! What a waste – although I did enjoy the walk as it passed through the desert landscape. Back at the picnic area we once again came up empty. Linda decided to head back to the car while I made once last ditch effort to find it, anything more accurately. Headed up into a new area and found a nice trail with two ponds along the way. Definitely more birds, all that I had already checked off. Wait, what are those two reddish headed finchlike birds sitting in the nearby tree. No streaks on the body, heavy red colored crown – think that is a Cassin’s Finch. A new lifer that saved the visit. A $15 bird, but at this point I’ll take it. Definitely took a lot of work, but manage to add +3 for the day.
Update 03/03/2023: Was a light day today. We were moving to the strip for the final days of the trip. We had left the Red Rock Canyon Conservation Area visit for this part of the trip as we would be staying closer to that spot. As we were making the trek to the visitor center, we noticed a temporary road sign stating that entry to Red Rocks was restricted to reservations only. That was news to us – it also didn’t help we couldn’t get cell reception up there. With that news and the fact Linda was feeling a bit off from all the exhausting birding and late nights on the casino floor we decided to skip the park that day and just hit the pullout not too far from the exit of the Canyon. Pretty much guaranteed to see a Scrub-Jay there and I could finally take the official check for that. Sure enough, there were a number of specimens there, a few of them came right up close giving me fantastic poses. They obviously know the visitors bring a high degree of snack potential ha. Headed back to New York, New York Casino/Hotel and took a well deserved rest.
Update 03/02/2023: Missing the Crissal Thrasher for two days straight was annoying me. This was the last day staying in Henderson – it had to happen today or not at all. Asked a very helpful volunteer if she knew the best place to find that Thrasher. She pointed out the side of pond 9 and 6 is a good spot and the inner trails near pond 2 and 7. She also warned us to start out at the first location as the bus loads of children would be arriving soon. We encountered them the day before – noisiest bunch of kids I’ve ever experience. Apparently these days you have to scream at the top of your lungs as you are picking up trash. The Center’s volunteers didn’t seem that excited to be hosting them. On a mission Linda headed out to the first location. It probably took us only 15 minutes before we heard the Thrasher’s call..well, the calls the Thrasher was cycling through. Linda was running the Merlin app and it was coughing up false bird after false bird thanks to this efficient mocker. Luckily, it decided to fly into the Center’s grounds giving us a good view from a nearby tree. Primary mission accomplished. Headed over to pond 4 at a final chance at the California Gull. There we met a very nice birder named Steve Dougill. He informed us the Gull had been there earlier, did a quick scan and said it must have flown off. Did tell us it was not in mature plumage, but clearly larger than the other Ring-Billed in the area. I wasn’t looking at the 1st/2nd year olds and now need to go check my previous pictures again. He also provided us a number of other popular places to bird including Corn Creek and Spring Mountain Ranch SP. Linda was familiar with both so we decided to start at Corn Creek/Desert NWR. Desert NWR is absolutely massive and I believe the largest desert sanctuary in the US. We spent most of our time taking the trails closer to the visitor center. Definitely added to my top birding locations list! Quickly checked off a lifer with a Western Bluebird (only recently learning that was a different species from the Eastern) and added a Western Bluebird which I had only seen once before in Yellowstone. Took an easy +1 with the Common Raven and saw a Western Scrub-Jay just as it ducked into the underbrush – would wait until I got a better look before counting that one. Came to a rather plain colored, but odd looking bird sitting on a tree by the side of the trail. Got several good shots and began to wonder if it was a Townsend’s Solitaire. Never seen one before, so there was definitely some uncertainty. Had Linda bring up Cornell’s site and we compared features. Big eyering, check, predominantly grey coloring, check, buffy patches on the, check – sure enough, a new lifer for me (and a catch up from Brad who had already provided a guest post on one he found in Colorado). A very fine +5 for this second spot of the day. From there, Linda drove to a place called Rainbow Park. A completely urban setting no bigger than say a standard lot (here, more like two or three in Las Vegas) that they have set aside as a sanctuary for Burrowing Owls. There is a fenced off area that contains a number of artificial burrow. A quick scan found an Owl standing outside one of these holes. My first full body viewing of a Burrowing Owl. Up to that point I’ve only been able to see from the neck up in the few encounters we’ve had. Now that was pretty cool. To close out the day we headed over to the nearby Floyd Lamb Park. This was a new place for us and at first hesitant to pay the $6 entry fee not knowing what to really expect. Went ahead and did it based on the eBird reports showing some potential +1s. Good choice as this place is really nice. Lots of tree, a very nice pond and well maintained trails. Our first sighting was of some wild Peacocks (Indian Peafowls) roaming the grounds along with a number of domestic Greylags and Pekin Ducks. Linda decided to hang out at the car while I took a stroll around. Found my first ever Juniper Titmouse a few minutes into the walk and then found myself in a quite area towards the back of the park absolutely bustling with bird activity. Juncos, Starlings, Doves, Robins along with a mixture of other standard birds. All of a sudden I heard a different call – like a Cat being squeezed – Sapsucker perhaps? Searched through the trees tacking the call when I found the specimen – sure enough, a Sapsucker, a Red-Naped Sapsucker to be exact. I had seen one many years ago in Colorado and had forgotten about – I’ll just take this sighting as my first encounter ever. Two lifers, worth the price of admission. As the park was getting ready to close down, I heard a Nuthatch calling from the trees near the pond. Pulled out Merlin and it confirmed it was a Red-Breasted variety – one I needed. No luck finding it before the park worker started telling everyone the park was closing with his bullhorn. Gave up the chase. Another great day with +8 across the three locations we visited.
Update 03/01/2023: We are not into March. This year’s Average Year was getting off to a good start with two very good birding months already in the books. Hoping this good luck would carry into this new month. Decided to hit Henderson Bird Viewing Center again in hopes of getting a confirmation shot of the California Gull and the elusive Crissal Thrasher. Our best efforts came up empty on that mighty curve billed Thrasher the day before. Once again took pictures off all the Gulls located on pond 4 in hopes of getting that checked off once I was back home with the reference books. We were getting pretty good at locating the Abert’s Towhee, but again no luck on the Crissal. I did manage to see one scurrying along the side of the trail which managed to duck into the brush as soon as was able to bring The Beast on target. Blanked again, we headed over to a new place called Sunset Park. Quite an interesting place. Our first exposure was a set of homeless tents constructed a short distance from a police building located inside the park – hmmmm, that had us second guessing our choice as we pushed further into the park. Came to a set of ball diamonds and Linda pulled over to get our bearings right. Took a few pictures of a Snow Goose hanging out with a flock of Canada Geese in the infield (was hoping it was a Ross’ Goose). On way back to the car noticed a black bird with a yellow eye. Definitely smaller than the Grackles, so headed across the parking lot to get a better look. Sure enough, a Brewer’s Blackbird for an easy +1. From there drove to a small pond absolutely loaded with ducks and allies. Didn’t take long to see why, lots of people feeding them from the shore. Not a whole lot new there, but managed to finally get some good pictures of a Canvasback Duck – they are usually a long way out. There were also a number of domestic Greylags and White-Fronted hanging about. I felt sorry for the flock of domestic ducks that were being harassed by a small child – public spanking needs to be brought back in vogue…on the parents of ill-behaved children. From there we continued to what I think is the southern end of the park. A stark contrast from the more standard park setting at the beginning, this back consisted of a paved trail through desert scrub. Linda hung back at the car (we had been going nonstop since we arrived in Vegas and was in need of a well deserved break). That walk was extremely enjoyable and highly recommend it if you get a chance. It didn’t yield a lot of new birds, but very relaxing. Decided to call it a day and head back to the car. Before I got there, noticed a large number of Gambel’s Quail hanging out in scrub. Usually those Quail run for their lives whenever they see me coming – not this flock. They let me get extremely close allowing for some of my best shots ever. Can’t wait to process those. Only +1 for the day’s effort. On way back stopped off at Pittman’s Wash. Quite an interesting place and need to explore that again when I get a chance.
Update 02/28/2023: Last December, Linda and I had to cancel our Arizona trip thanks to coming down with Covid. That trip would have easily put us over the 300 threshold for that year – unfortunately, not to be. Linda was able to get that trip rescheduled to Vegas (long story, but essentially their trip guarantee policy sucks so we had to pick a different destination to come under the price we already paid for the Arizona trip. Vegas always works out for us as we usually get our rooms free at the Casino hotels. Kudos to Linda for getting everything back in order. One of the first places I wanted to visit was the Bird Viewing Center in Henderson, NV. Their 9 nine large ponds are a magnet for birds and the fact they are in the flight path for Vegas means the birds are rather conditioned to loud noises. As usual, it didn’t disappoint! Chalk up +9 on that first day of birding including two lifers, the Black-Tailed Gnatcatcher (actually photographed previously, but was never positive that was what it was) and the Sharp-Shinned Hawk. It is likely I also tinned a California Gull while I was there – will need to verify it with the reference books. From there we took the short drive over to the Clark County Wetlands. This is a really nice place with plenty of paved and packed rock trails to take. It didn’t take long to cover the surprising miss at Henderson – the Gambel’s Quail. They were running all over the place from shrub to shrub. Thanks to a stupid move of staring at an Abert’s Towhee while walking instead of watching where I was going, I took a hard tumble. Foot fell off into the 7-8″ inch drop off. Tweaked the ankle (fortunately, my stronger one) and slammed down on my left knee. All the way down I was trying my best to keep the camera from hitting the ground. No luck, once my knee hit I lost control and the camera flew out of my hands hitting the pavement rather hard. My heart nearly stopped, the first day of the trip and I might have broken my camera. Linda was busy asking me if I was okay while I was busy fretting about the camera. I’ll heal, losing The Beast would be awful. Checked the glass connection, looked for dents and then took a few shots – all looked well, what a relief. Congrats to Nikon for making a durable rig. Managed to get a nice shot of a Cooper’s Hawk and came upon several Bushtits that were busy hunting a tall set of reeds. The tits were a lifer for me, but struggled to get decent shots as they are quite hyper. Decided to make one last ditch effort to get the Phainopepla while Linda headed to the car. This is where I had found one a few years back and was hopeful I could get it checked again for this year. Thought I heard it down a trail and immediately headed that way. Sure enough, there it was hanging out in a tree by the trail – clarify – the VERY MUDDY trail. Of course, I was focused on the bird and not the thick patch of red mud that covered most of that a area. Deal with that later, kept focus on the bird. Feeling sorry for me, she popped up nicely into a tree giving me decent shots. Took the entire trip back to the car to get the mud off – worth it! Another +4 at Clark’s bringing the daily total to +13.
Update 02/20/2023-02/26/2023: Now back from Texas, it was time to try to pick off some locals. With the feeders now being regularly filled, our “feathered guests” were once again hanging out on our lot. Linda was running the Merlin App from our porch on the 20th and caught a Harry Woodpecker. Grabbed the camera and started scanning for a large-bodied Downy Woodpecker. Sure enough, once was making return trips back to the feeder. Without having the direct size comparison to the Downy to distinguish the Harry, had to assess the bill length compared to the body and validate with spots on the tail feathers. Sure enough the bill was significantly bigger in relationship to the head compared to the Downy giving me another check for the month. A few days later (23rd), I looked out at the feeders and noticed an Eurasian Tree Sparrow chowing on the seed. We are lucky enough to get visits from this very restricted region bird from time to time. If we do not see him at the lot, we can always go to Havana, IL and tin one at their rural substation. Lastly, we were getting ready for our Vegas trip at the end of February. Needed a few supplies so headed up to the Dollar General. On the way, I looked up and saw a Barred Owl sitting on a telephone wire. Gave Linda our code word for “stop the car” while I fished around for my phone for a chance to get a shot. By the time Linda found a safe place to pull off we were a ways from the sighting and had to turn back – sure enough it was still sitting there. Managed to get a few shots on the cell phone before it took out across the field. With the Barred, that was three more checks for the week.
Update 02/17/2023: Last year, one of the big misses was the Snowy Owl. Not for lack of trying as we went for it several times, not to be. The reported sightings were very thin for 2023 and getting worried that it would be another unchecked box for this year. Linda had been keeping an eye on one south of Champaign, IL at a place we had not heard of before called The Magic Stump. Needless to same I was intrigued by the name alone. That was a lengthy trip, but we decided to take a chance. The best part was there was an additional lifer bird hanging around in that area that would be a cherry on the top. Two checks for around 4 hours of driving tipped the scales. Linda drove us to the recorded GPS coordinates. As per the other locations we have spotted them, we ended up in rural fields – even had wind farms nearby which strangely has become a common structure where they like to hang out. Checked every fence post, telephone pole and scanned the fields for a large white creature. Not too far down from the initial coordinates, we passed a farmhouse which a rather large barn on the side all surrounded by plowed fields. A white pole caught my eyes and immediately drew them to the ground where, sure enough, a large white object was sitting nearby. Took a bit of work to dial in a camera setting that actually confirmed it was indeed the sought after Snowy Owl (heat foils were confusing the auto-focus). Yes, we had our Snowy Owl for the year. Now it was time to track down the lifer – the Prairie Falcon that was hanging out there as well. Took a right at the next intersection to head to the Magic Stump location. Immediately noticed a hawk/falcon of some sort flying parallel to the car. Getting shots through the car was futile and simply encouraged Linda to keep up with it. It eventually made its was to the field opposite the next intersection and took up a hunting posture on a large tangle in the middle of the field. Same difficulties with the heat foils, but eventually it lifted off and started “kiting” a short distance away. Made some snaps and confirmed it was the Prairie Falcon! Wish it would have been closer so I could get better shots of this first timer. Later find the Magic Stump the other way on the road – actually a grass road between two fields. There was nothing hanging out there. Took a few snaps just to mark the location. Met a guy down from Chicago who was hunting those same two birds. Pointed to the field where the Falcon was and Linda gave him instructions on how to get to the farmhouse where the Snowy was hanging out. Per his ebird report, he also managed to see both of those birds. A good +2 for the day’s work.
Update 02/12/2023: Ron alerted me to an eBird post documenting a mass gathering of Snow Geese forming at Emiquon and Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge – latter having and estimate of 500,000. Already had the Snow Goose from our time in Texas, but that report also indicated a large amount of Greater White-Fronted Geese, Trumpeter Swans and a few Tundra Swans. Oh, and a Crested Caracara which has all the Illinois birders losing their shit being that it was the first ever reported sighting in Illinois. Again, not that exciting for us Winter Texans. Still, the others gave me a chance at a +3 and if I could get the Tundra, a miss from last year, that would be really nice. On my way to Emiquon I was pulling off at various fields around Canton to photograph the stopover Snow Geese/Greater WFs/Canada Geese. Little did I know I’d be watching thousands pass overhead once I got to the refuge. Pulled into the South Globe parking area and immediately found the Trumpeters and Merlin was detecting Tundra’s in the mix. A little far away for me to tell for sure where the Tundra’s were, so made sure I took a picture of everyone there. Met a nice lady from Chicago while I was there. She was a retired writer/editor that was down to see the Caracara. Moved over to the Emiquon visitor center – what a mud slosh. Jeep looks like it went through a mud bath (can’t wait for Linda to notice that when I get home ugh). Definitely not worth having to now take the Jeep to a car wash, but lemonade out of le”mud”s – got a really nice picture of a Greater White-Fronted Geese passing over. Decided to head over to Banner Marsh and see if they had any Tundras – if nothing else, an easy get of the Mute Swans that hang out there year round. Sure enough, lots and lots of Mute Swans that were getting along surprisingly well being so territorial and all. There were also a bunch of other Swans there, but Merlin tagged most of those at Trumpeters (much better shots than at the Globe though). Like at the previous spot, took shots of all that I could find – will sort out in the digital darkroom and see if I got lucky. At least a +3 for the day, so smiles all the way. Now at 206
Update 02/11/2023: Linda and I decided to go after a Snowy Owl that had been recently reported in the Bloomington area. Last year we made multiple attempts to get this checked off the list and every time we came up empty. That was a big miss for the year and was hoping to get that out of the way earlier for this year’s Average Year. It probably didn’t bode well for us that we are going through a bit of a warming spell here in February – think it made it to the mid-40s today. Whether that was the reason or not, we were unable to locate it – drats. I did manage to tin a few Horned Larks that were hanging out by the road as we traversed the area. On the way back, we dropped in at Bloomington Lake as someone reported a Canvasback and Cackling Goose there. Did get the Canvasback, but there were soooo many Geese, it was impossible to pick out the one Cackling that was probably in the midst so threw the towel in on that one. To top off the day, we made a quick stop at Detweiller Riverside to see if I could get the American Tree Sparrows I had missed on an attempt a few days back. Lady Luck was on my side this time. A few Dark-Eyed Juncos lead me right to a group of the needed Sparrow – click, click time to slosh through the mud back to the car. Was hoping a Hairy Woodpecker would reveal itself, but I’ll have to get that on a future trip. A good day, came back with a +3 putting me at 203!
Wildlife Intrigued 