Spring is here! March birding recap coming soon.
Big Year updates:
Wow. I still can't believe that I'm currently in the 4th month of my Big Year. As of the morning of April 16 (today), I'm at 131 species. My most recent addition was a Vesper Sparrow at Techny North. I've gotten some awesome rarities in the month of April, such as Eared Grebe (!!!) and Yellow-crowned Night-heron, but I did have a pretty big miss with a Brewer's Blackbird. However, only 2 people got to see it anyway so I didn't think it'll affect my Big Year.
The birds:
Migration really has started, we're getting thrushes and thrashers and all that. Even some of the early warblers are starting to come through in Southern Cook County! Pretty soon they'll be dripping from the trees. I've adopted a new strategy for my Big Year which is essentially this: Get the rare and uncommon birds, and everything else will be a breeze. For example, yesterday I thought of going down to Burnham Prairie for Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs and Pectoral Sandpipers. Then I thought, I'll just get those at Techny in the tens in a week or so, so why bother? Even if I fall a little behind, so long as I have the rare and uncommon birds, I'm not worried. I sorta feel silly already for going specifically down south to try for Caspian Terns earlier. I'm gonna see them all the time!
Update about the recap:
I have to finish writing my journal for March, but as soon as I'm done I'll post it.
-Owen
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Your April 9, 2022 shot of the yellow rumped warbler is truly great, showing the bird looking so much ike a bud on the tree it's perched on.
Good luck with your endeavor and enjoy the migration!
yours, Steve Doctor
Look forward to reading it!
@owenbirder13 as of today here is where I am at, 64 total
January:
American Goldfinch
Downy Woodpecker
House Sparrow
White-Breasted Nuthatch
Red-Breasted Nuthatch
Black-Capped Chickadee
Dark-Eyed Junco
Red-Tailed Hawk
Common Redpoll
American Crow
Bald Eagle
Canada Goose
Northern Cardinal
Blue Jay
Tufted Titmouse
Red-Bellied Woodpecker
House Finch
Hairy Woodpecker
Ring-Necked Pheasant
Pileated Woodpecker
February:
Wild Turkey
Brown Creeper
Eurasian Collared-Dove
American Robin
European Starling
Rough-Legged Hawk (Lifer!)
March:
Mourning Dove
Purple Finch
Trumpeter Swan (Lifer!)
Mallard
Hooded Merganser (Lifer!)
Cedar Waxwing
Rock/Feral Pigeon
Red-Winged Blackbird
Greater White-fronted Goose (Lifer!)
Common Merganser
Gadwall (Lifer!)
Common Grackle
Pine Siskin (Lifer!)
American Tree Sparrow (Lifer!)
Northern Harrier (Lifer!)
April:
Merlin (Lifer!)
Wood Duck
Killdeer
Greylag X Swan Goose (Lifer!)
Greylag Goose (Lifer!)
American White Pelican
Great-Blue Heron
Ring-Billed Gull
Sandhill Crane
Turkey Vulture
Cooper’s Hawk (Lifer!)
Lesser Scaup (Lifer!)
Northern Flicker
Song Sparrow
Fox Sparrow (Lifer!)
Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker
Northern Shoveler (Lifer!)
Killdeer
Chipping Sparrow
American Coot (Lifer!)
Brown-Headed Cowbird
Great Egret
Tree Swallow
Wow! That’s awesome! I am so sorry I have been ridiculously behind on inaturalist observations and journal posts. Quick little update we’ve had a couple huge rarities and I hit 205 species yesterday with a male Scarlet Tanager (the record is 288). Spring migration in full swing and I’ll get the updates on here this weekend if possible.
Best birds in the past month:
Snowy Plover
King Rail
Smith’s Longspur
American Avocet
Summer Tanager
I am at 90 with the addition of 9 to my life list this weekend.
Palm Warbler (Lifer!)
Baltimore Oriole
Ovenbird (Lifer!)
Savannah Sparrow (Lifer!)
Blackburnian Warbler (Lifer!)
Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher (Lifer!)
Great-Crested Flycatcher (Lifer!)
Adler Flycatcher (Lifer!)
House Wren (Lifer!)
Orchard Oriole (Lifer!)
Wow that’s awesome! I love Blackburnians, they’re beautiful. I actually still don’t have Alder for the year list, I’ve had a bunch of candidates but I need to get one calling to confirm an ID and I haven’t been able to do that yet.
Wish you luck, I am over 100!
I just hit 232 with semipalmated sandpiper and short billed dowitcher over the past few days! I’m really excited for summer because I can just relax and focus on breeding birds instead of migrants.
Yes it will be amazing! (Today was my last day of school!)
@owenbirder13 I just found out you were using this to keep track of your big year lol. Can't wait to read more.
Oh yeah lol forgot to tell you 😂
😂
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