Martin's (MD/Wash DC) Birding Year (1 Viewer)

Happy New Year everyone,

Looking forward to another birding year and aiming to hit 250, after coming in at a cool 218 for 2015.

It's quite cold here in Maryland at the moment and have not seen too many birds yet...

1-2 January

Chevy Chase, MD, USA
1. Canada Goose
2. Black Vulture
3. Mourning Dove
4. Downy Woodpecker
5. Blue Jay
6. American Crow
7. Carolina Wren
8. American Robin
9. Northern Cardinal
10. House Sparrow

World life list: 465 (Red Crossbill, Portland, OR, USA; December 2015)
USA life list: 147 (Red Crossbill, Portland, OR, USA; December 2015)
2016 year list: 10 (House Sparrow, Chevy Chase, MD, USA; January 2016)

3 January

Great Falls National Park, VA, USA
11. Double-crested Cormorant
12. Great Blue Heron
13. Turkey Vulture
14. Red-shouldered Hawk

4 January

Fletcher's Cove, Washington, DC, USA
15. Mallard
16. Carolina Chickadee

World life list: 465 (Red Crossbill, Portland, OR, USA; December 2015)
USA life list: 147 (Red Crossbill, Portland, OR, USA; December 2015)
2016 year list: 16 (Carolina Chickadee, Fletcher's Cove, Washington, DC, USA; January 2016)

After a slow start to 2016 - and a nice weekend in Amsterdam - I've made a jump on my year list to 50 from 16. This includes the lovely Kingfisher which in Amsterdam is not a common occurrence.

5 January

Downtown, Washington, DC, USA
17. Rock Pigeon
18. European Starling
19. Song Sparrow
20. Northern Flicker

Chevy Chase, Maryland, USA
21. Chipping Sparrow
22. White-throated Sparrow

16-18 January

Diemer Park, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
23. Graylag Goose
24. Mute Swan
25. Common Shelduck
26. Gadwall
27. Common Pochard (New The Netherlands Lifer)
28. Tufted Duck
29. Great Crested Grebe
30. Great Cormorant
31. Gray Heron
32. Eurasian Moorhen
33. Eurasian Coot
34. Black-headed Gull
35. Mew Gull (New The Netherlands Lifer)
36. Herring Gull
37. Great Black-backed Gull
38. Common Wood-Pigeon
39. Eurasian Collared-Dove
40. Common Kingfisher (New The Netherlands Lifer)
41. Rose-ringed Parakeet
42. Eurasian Magpie
43. Eurasian Jackdaw
44. Carrion Crow
45. Eurasian Blue Tit
46. Great Tit
47. European Robin
48. Eurasian Blackbird
49. European Goldfinch

17 January

Frankendael, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
50. White Stork

World life list: 465 (Red Crossbill, Portland, OR, USA; December 2015)
The Netherlands life list: 67 (Common Kingfisher, Diemer Park, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; January 2016)
2016 year list: 50 (White Stork, Frankendael, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; January 2016)

A few more on Lake Zurich. Bad news from work though, my trip to Bali in February has been cancelled due to security concerns... Argh, was really looking forward to some serious birding there.

19 January

Seefeldquai, Zurich, Switzerland
51. Red-crested Pochard
52. Yellow-legged Gull
53. Eurasian Tree Sparrow

World life list: 465 (Red Crossbill, Portland, OR, USA; December 2015)
Switzerland life list: 53
2016 year list: 53 (European Tree Sparrow, Seefeldquai, Zurich, Switzerland; January 2016)

Was happy to see a little Lifer today, slightly different from the Carolina Wren.

20 February

Little Falls Park, Bethesda, MD
54. White-breasted Nuthatch
55. Winter Wren (New Lifer)
56. Northern Mockingbird

World life list: 466 (Winter Wren, Little Falls Park, Bethesda, MD, USA; February 2016)
USA life list: 148 Winter Wren, Little Falls Park, Bethesda, MD, USA; February 2016)
2016 year list: 56 (Northern Mockingbird, Little Falls Park, Bethesda, MD, USA; February 2016)

I must say it's been a rather quiet birding year for me so far. Less travel and infrequent opportunities to bird, I guess, but still try to make time when I can.

This early morning I was happy to have a few hours in Los Angeles, before what will be a very hot day, and saw 10 birds this morning including two lifers. I will definitely make time to do some birding during my upcoming holidays.

Here are the birds from the last few months:

28 February to 8 May

Maryland area (Montgomery County)
57. Tufted Titmouse
58. Red-bellied Woodpecker
59. House Finch
60. Belted Kingfisher
61. Brown-headed Cowbird
62. Scarlet Tanager

16 May

Basel, City Centre, Switzerland
63. Great Egret

22 May

Banco Santander HQ, Madrid, Spain
64. Common Swift
65. Common House-Martin
66. White Wagtail

20 June

Yosemite Recreation Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
67. Allen's Hummingbird (Lifer)
68. Nuttall's Woodpecker
69. Western Wood-Pewee (Lifer)
70. Black Phoebe
71. Lesser Goldfinch

World life list: 468 (Western Wood-Pewee, Yosemite Recreation Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA; June 2016)
USA life list: 150 (Western Wood-Pewee, Yosemite Recreation Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA; June 2016)
CA life list: 70 (House sparrow, Yosemite Recreation Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA; June 2016)
2016 year list: 71 (Lesser Goldfinch, Yosemite Recreation Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA; June 2016)

I've been lucky the last two months to have a few more opportunities to go birding. Happy to see a lifer in San Francisco!

22 June

Heron's Head Park (San Francisco, CA)
72. Surf Scoter (New Lifer)
73. Snowy Egret
74. Black-bellied Plover
75. Killdeer
76. Western Gull
77. California Gull
78. White-crowned Sparrow

23 June

Chevy Chase, MD
79. Field Sparrow

24 June

C&O Canal, Fletcher's Cove, Washington DC
80. Black-crowned Night-Heron
81. Osprey C&O Canal--Fletcher's Cove (Fletcher's Boathouse) US-DC 24 Jun 2016
82. Gray Catbird C&O Canal--Fletcher's Cove (Fletcher's Boathouse) US-DC 24 Jun 2016
83. American Goldfinch C&O Canal--Fletcher's Cove (Fletcher's Boathouse) US-DC 24 Jun 2016

4 July

Chevy Chase, MD
84. Baltimore Oriole

World life list: 469 (Surf Scoter; Heron's Head Park, San Francisco, CA, USA; June 2016)
USA life list: 151 (Surf Scoter; Heron's Head Park, San Francisco, CA, USA; June 2016)
CA life list: 74 (Brown-headed Cowbird; Heron's Head Park, San Francisco, CA, USA; June 2016))
2016 year list: 84 (Baltimore Oriole, Chevy Chase, MD, USA; July 2016)

I've had a few nice opportunities this summer to go birding during my travels, including in Oregon, lifting my year list to 100, and a new country tick with the Semipalpated Plover.

17 July

Del Rey Beach, OR, USA
85. Semipalmated Plover (New USA Lifer)
86. Caspian Tern
87. Anna's Hummingbird
88. Common Raven
89. Common Yellowthroat
90. Dark-eyed Junco
91. Savannah Sparrow

18 July

Necanicum River Estuary, OR, USA
92. Green Heron
93. Violet-green Swallow
94. Barn Swallow

19 July-22 July - Portland, OR area - various

Short Sand Beach
95. Cedar Waxwing

Rhododendron Garden
96. Wood Duck
97. Pied-billed Grebe

Oregon Zoo
98. Tree Swallow
99. Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Reed Lake, Reed College:
100. Steller's Jay

World life list: 469 (Surf Scoter; Heron's Head Park, San Francisco, CA, USA; July 2016)
USA life list: 152 (Semipalpated Plover, Del Ray Beach, OR USA; July 2016)
OR life list: 37 (House Sparrow, Oregon Zoo, OR, USA; July 2016))
2016 year list: 100 (Steller's Jay, Reed Lake, Reed College, OR, USA; July 2016)

This summer we took the family to Key Biscayne and Miami in Florida with a day trip out to the Bahamas, boosting the life list by 10 great new finds to 479 - and my Year List to 121.

7 August

The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne, Miami, FL, OR, USA
101. Brown Pelican
102. White Ibis
103. Laughing Gull
104. Monk Parakeet
105. Gray Kingbird
106. Fish Crow
107. Black-and-white Warbler
108. Common Grackle
109. Boat-tailed Grackle

8 August

Bill Baggs Park, Cape Florida, FL, OR, USA
101. Magnificent Frigatebird - and what a truly amazing bird!
111. Least Sandpiper
112. Royal Tern
113. Common Ground-Dove

Nearby:
114. Sandhill Crane at Crandon Park

13 August

Balmoral Island, The Bahamas
115. White-cheeked Pintail
116. Ruddy Turnstone
117. La Sagra's Flycatcher

15 August

Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, FL, USA
118. Orange-winged Parrot

September-October, Local sightings in Maryland, USA

119. Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Billy Goat Trail in Great Falls National Park)
120. Red-breasted Nuthatch (My garden)
121. Bald Eagle (Sharp's at Waterford)

World life list: 479 (Orange-winged Parrot, Lincoln Road, Miami, FL, USA; August 2016)
USA life list: 162 (Orange-winged Parrot, Lincoln Road, Miami, FL, USA; August 2016)
2016 year list: 121 (Bald Eagle, Sharp's, Waterfront, MD, USA; October 2016)

This week I had the pleasure of spending a few days for work in Asunción, Paraguay (home to at least 719 species) and was able to get in some real quality birding in my downtime. Although it’s a relatively underbirded part of South America, and from what I understand also the poorest country, I found it to be safe, friendly and a very pleasant experience.

I went birding for one day with Dutch ornithologist and local birding guide Arne Jent Lesterhuis, who showed me a great variety of the landscape and wildlife, including finding 91 birds together, all but 10 of which are lifers as it was my first time birding in South America. Highly-recommended for anyone in the area, also for longer trips as the infrastructure is quite underdeveloped.

I'm now at 206 for the year, almost matching last year's 218 and closing in on my target of 250.

8 November

Tocumen International Airport, Panama
122. Fork-tailed Flycatcher

9 November

Asunción Jardin Botanico, Asunción, Paraguay
123. Southern Screamer
124. Rufescent Tiger-Heron
125. Pale-vented Pigeon
126. White Woodpecker
127. Campo Flicker
128. Yellow-chevroned Parakeet
129. Blue-winged Parrotlet
130. Large Elaenia
131. Boat-billed Flycatcher
132. Social Flycatcher
133. Plush-crested Jay
134. House Wren
135. Thrush-like Wren
136. Masked Gnatcatcher
137. Pale-breasted Thrush
138. Rufous-bellied Thrush
139. Creamy-bellied Thrush
140. Chestnut-vented Conebill
141. Rufous-collared Sparrow
142. Red-rumped Cacique
143. Purple-throated Euphonia

Ruta 12 (“Bajo Chaco”), outside Asunción, Paraguay
144. Red-winged Tinamou
145. White-faced Whistling-Duck
146. Chaco Chachalaca
147. Maguari Stork
148. Neotropic Cormorant
149. Striated Heron
150. Whistling Heron
151. Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture
152. Savanna Hawk
153. Roadside Hawk
154. Giant Wood-Rail
155. Limpkin
156. Southern Lapwing
157. Wattled Jacana
158. Picazuro Pigeon
159. Ruddy Ground-Dove
160. Picui Ground-Dove
161. White-tipped Dove
162. Guira Cuckoo
163. Smooth-billed Ani
164. Striped Cuckoo
165. Glittering-bellied Emerald
166. Ringed Kingfisher
167. Amazon Kingfisher
168. Golden-green Woodpecker
169. Green-barred Woodpecker
170. Southern Caracara
171. Great Antshrike
172. Narrow-billed Woodcreeper
173. Rufous Hornero
174. Greater Thornbird
175. Firewood-gatherer
176. Stripe-crowned Spinetail
177. Chotoy Spinetail
178. Southern Beardless-Tyrannulet
179. Pearly-vented Tody-Tyrant
180. White Monjita
181. Black-backed Water-Tyrant
182. Cattle Tyrant
183. Brown-crested Flycatcher
184. Great Kiskadee
185. Streaked Flycatcher
186. Crowned Slaty Flycatcher
187. Tropical Kingbird
188. Rufous-browed Peppershrike
189. Red-eyed Vireo
190. Brown-chested Martin
191. White-rumped Swallow
192. Chalk-browed Mockingbird
193. Red-crested Cardinal
194. Yellow-billed Cardinal
195. Sayaca Tanager
196. Saffron Finch
197. Great Pampa-Finch
198. Double-collared Seedeater
199. Grayish Saltator
200. White-browed Meadowlark
201. Chestnut-capped Blackbird
202. Grayish Baywing
203. Shiny Cowbird
204. Variable Oriole
205. Solitary Black Cacique
206. Golden-winged Cacique

11 November

Shopping del Sol, Asunción, Paraguay
207. Gray-breasted Martin

World life list: 561 (Gray-breasted Martin, Shopping del Sol, Asunción, Paraguay; November 2016)
2016 year list: 207 (Gray-breasted Martin, Shopping del Sol, Asunción, Paraguay; November 2016)

It's been a hectic week with meetings in Dubai, Kuwait, Doha and Abu Dhabi, but I did get some nice birding in here and there.

A nice boost to the year list and great to have 7 new lifers.

3 December

Jumeirah Beach Club, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
208. Cattle Egret
209. Laughing Dove
210. Pallid Swift
211. House Crow
212. Red-vented Bulbul
213. White-eared Bulbul
214. Common Myna

4 December

Sheraton, Kuwait City, Kuwait
215. Lesser Black-backed Gull
216. Spanish Sparrow

5 December

Sheraton Grand Doha, Doha, Qatar
217. Little Egret
218. Western Reef-Heron
219. Glossy Ibis
220. Common Sandpiper
221. Southern Gray Shrike
222. Eurasian Blackcap

7 December

Corniche Beach, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
223. Gull-billed Tern
224. Rock Martin
225. Indian Silverbill

8 December

Heritage Village, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
226. Caspian Gull

8 December

Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
227. Gray Francolin

World life list: 568 (Gray Francolin, Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; December 2016)
2016 year list: 227 (Gray Francolin, Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; December 2016)

Happy holidays to all.

The year is drawing to a close and with the winter months it is becoming harder to add to the list.. We're in Park City, UT for a week of skiing and to celebrate the holidays. I was happy to add two more birds to the year list - one of which is a lifer.

25-30 December

Park City Ski Resort, Park City, UT, USA

228. Hairy Woodpecker
229. Black-billed Magpie
230. Black-capped Chickadee


World life list: 569 (Black-billed Magpie, Park City Ski Resort, Park City, UT, USA; December 2016)
2016 year list: 230 (Black-capped Chickadee, Park City Ski Resort, Park City, UT, USA; December 2016)

That's a wrap on another great birding year. I didn't hit my 250 target, but I got a personal record 230 birds, 104 of which were lifers. Raising my life total to 569 since starting in 2003. I was lucky to travel quite a bit and see easier, local birds.

In 2017, my goal will be to see more local birds (Montgomery County, Maryland) and to continue to try and find time for birding in my busy life. It is very relaxing and a great way to be outdoors among nature. I even ordered some new bins, as mine are 10+ years old now.

Anyhow, I wish everyone a Happy New Year, and great birding in 2017 !!

Best wishes,

Martin

Me thinks you did pretty darn well with your list Martin :t: