So How Is Your 2005 List Going (1 Viewer)

[buckskin hawk]

Now up to 239. Only 11 to go. I added with a trip to my local nature center after a cold front last week the following

Sedge wren
Long billed Dowitcher
Hermit Thrush
Common Loon

Another cold front has moved through and I hope a few more have been pushed down here. I will probably get to go out again on either Wednesday or Thursday. I would like to add some Gadwalls, widgeons, merganzers and any gull other than a ringed bill.

 

[crispycreme]

Most of our wintering birds have arrived. Got a few over the weekend:

172. Northern Pintail
173. Green-winged Teal
174. American Pipit

Tried for three super rarities, Fulvous Whistling-duck, Groove-billed Ani, and Streak-backed Oriole, but dipped on all three. Will try again this weekend! (Ani and Oriole are still being reported at the same locale. I think the duck has moved on.)

 

[lassa8]

Gthang - check out this link for how to get to Ferd's Bog. http://www.borg.com/~svcselem/kirkland/sites/ferdsbog.htm

 

[gthang]

Thanks Lassa8, I did a google search and came up with that page. Have you ever been to Lake Sacandaga? Hopefully, I can find a good place to put a feeder that's away from the smoke from our fireplace. Gray Jays, Boreal Chickadees, Three-Toed WP, Black-Backed WP are all in the area, I just have to find them... Here's hoping!

 

[Jacamar]

A bit of playback helped me locate my first Coraya Wren yesterday.

202. Coraya Wren (Lifer)

It gave two very short glimpses, but the black malar and nearly black face were quite distinct. It's call is something else too!

 

[jada dulo]

Another major rarity today ....

232 - UPLAND SANDPIPER !!!

What an awesome bird, just 40-50ft away, watched it for over an hour and it never failed to look astounding .... even with frozen scapulars!!!

 

[vsjr]

home list

I started a list in late April for the new property I moved to this year. It's two mostly wooded acres. I'm to 44, but there have been plenty of sparrows that I haven't positively identified and I didn't really get into the bird watching until after most of our winter migrants were gone. Hopefully I will be able to add quite a few more before the end of the year. I've gotten a lot more into birding now that I have such a great habitat myself, and I'm probably going to start more actively birding at different locations locally, and keeping a broader list, especially with all the waterfowl migrants we get on the reservoirs here.

 

[jtibbetts]

A good one today:

315: UPLAND SANDPIPER (L)

Gave really close views and was a nice day to boot!

 

[Reader]

Got the Thrush at my 2nd attempt.

278. Grey-cheeked Thrush
279. White-headed Duck

 

[devon.birder]

Got the Thrush at my 2nd attempt.

278. Grey-cheeked Thrush
279. White-headed Duck

Reader, that missed WHD would have been number 300 (UK400Club Rules). Still should see Bittern next week as there are a couple of reliable birds locally. Roger

 

[Larry Lade]

vsjr, you should be getting to 100 before you know it. There should be a lot of waterfowl passing though your area now!

 

[Dave B Smith]

A long day in the foothills and mountains yielded just 20 birds. At least one was a year tick!
Snow Bunting ABA 307 and World 601
Other good birds were Bald Eagles, Bohemian Waxwings, Steller's Jay, and American Three-toed Woodpecker.

 

[prairiemerlin]

I had a good day of birding yesterday a few other young birders around Port Huron. Lake Huron was quite productive; I had 4 Surf Scoters very close in, 1 WW Scoter, many RB Mergansers, 7 Common Loons, 2 Horned Grebes, many Snow Buntings and many more. However, the highlight from Port Huron came when I spotted a huge raptor terrorizing the pigeons. I got my scope on it, and it was an adult Northern Goshawk!!! Only the second one I've ever seen.
333. Northern Goshawk (I was really worried I'd miss this one this year)

Then, in the late afternoon, we drove over to my top secret Short-eared Owl spot. Basically, it's a big prairie in the middle of farmland. We walked out in the field and waited, but nothing. We drove around some more, but still nothing. Then just as we were leaving, I spotted a Short-eared Owl flying over a field next to the car. Year tick!

334. Short-eared Owl

 

[lassa8]

Yesterday I left Ithaca, NY around 4am to be at Niagra Falls around sunrise. By 10am I had seen an adult winter Black-headed Gull, three adult and one first-winter Little Gulls, a female Black Scoter and a Franklin's Gull (all lifers). Later in the day we found an Iceland Gull, which was also a lifer for me.

297 ABA
488 World (USA + Costa Rica + Canada)

 

[Larry Lade]

Yesterday I left Ithaca, NY around 4am to be at Niagra Falls around sunrise. By 10am I had seen an adult winter Black-headed Gull, three adult and one first-winter Little Gulls, a female Black Scoter and a Franklin's Gull (all lifers). Later in the day we found an Iceland Gull, which was also a lifer for me.

297 ABA
488 World (USA + Costa Rica + Canada)

Good Going, Ryan,

Those are some "good birds" you saw. I still need the Black-headed and Little Gulls for my "lower 48" list. Maybe I can get over to the Saint Louis area in January and pick up some of the various gulls that they get over there.

Looks like you are going to hit 300 for the ABA before long! Way to go!

 

[Larry Lade]

Dave, send some of the Bohemian Waxwings down our way, will you! This has been one of my nemesis birds. I could not even find it the couple of times I sojourned up to the Duluth, Minnesota area!!

 

[jada dulo]

Jtibbets - Glad you got it, I saw access was eventually allowed Saturday, although thats not what the pagers were saying. Anyway, well done, and you're right, it is a cracking bird!!!

Grey-cheeked Thrush next for me .... I hope!?

 

[Andrew]

Grey-cheeked Thrush!

Smashing bird. Gotta be one of the birds of 2005 for me.

Thanks to Reader for the lift from the station. Met Darrenom and got a lift back too! Cushty.

Shame to have missed you Simon.

 

[Dave B Smith]

Larry,
We've got lots of Bohemian Waxwings in town right now. Next group I see I'll scare off in your direction.

 

[dbradnum]

278: UPLAND SANDPIPER (L)

I think that'll probably be the end of an amazing run of rarities for me - I've twitched further than usual, but the birds have been awesome!