Glossy Ibis, Mississippi Kite, Wilson's Phalarope, Yellow-breasted Chat, Leconte's Sparrow: this list of missed species just keeps on growing!! Perhaps it was the birding gods punishing me for sleeping in this morning. A very kind birder told me that sleeping in is allowed but it did two things to my day. First, eliminated hours of birding from my day where I could have checked off a few easy warbler species. Second, it totally threw off my day when I had to park at White Pine and walk to the Visitor Center from there completely out of the loop on what was being seen throughout the park. It's kind of amazing how quickly the park fills with birders as it is a Monday and the entire Visitors Center parking lot as well as all of West Beach were full. Looks like I'll be waking up even earlier the rest of the week!
Something good came out of the day, though, and that was shadowing a hike led by Marianne in the Woodland Trail. I've agreed to do hikes next year and if all goes well (and I'm able to book of time again!) I'll be a hike-leader for the park (fingers crossed). I was very nervous about it all at first but after I shadow a few more hikes I think I'll be quite confident to do them well. There is a certain joy that comes from showing beginner birders a species that I now take for granted and see them react as if it was the most beautiful bird they've ever seen. Leading hikes is a challenge I look forward to next year.
The two species I added to my list today were Least Sandpiper and Ruddy Turnstone, two of my favourite species of shorebirds that I knew I would see eventually. I have no doubt now that I'll reach 175. If I could get over 180 or even 185 I would be content. Hopefully I'll actually see some of these rarities that are starting to show up.
Day List
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Mallard
Blue-winged Teal
Greater Scaup
Red-breasted Merganser
Ring-necked Pheasant
Wild Turkey
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Turkey Vulture
Northern Harrier
Red-tailed Hawk
Black-bellied Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
Lesser Yellowlegs
Ruddy Turnstone
Least Sandpiper
Dunlin
Short-billed Dowitcher
Bonaparte's Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Caspain Tern
Forster's Tern
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Least Flycatcher
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
White-eyed Vireo
Yellow-throated Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Horned Lark
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Bank Swallow
Barn Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Carolina Wren
House Wren
Marsh Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Swainson's Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
European Starling
Nashville Warbler
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Common Yellowthroat
Scarlet Tanager
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Orchard Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
Total Species: 91
1 comment:
Good luck in seeing some rarities! It is all about being in the right place at the right time I think.
Post a Comment