2012 Year List - 305

This post is a bit late but I got it up before 2014 so that's something.

Many thanks to all who made my 2012 Big Year possible. There were countless people across Ontario who either alerted me to birds I still needed for the year, encouraged me along the way, inspired me w/ their own Big Years, gave me tips and advice for where I should visit and in what month to reach my goal of 300, or simply listened to me gripe about the birds I was missing without punching me in the face. Thanks to each and every one of you.

I have to especially thank 3 people:

Mark Field, who was my traveling partner, co-conspirator, and confidant throughout the year...well, until I left Toronto and only got to 305 while he made it 311 and moved 1 place ahead of me in the eBird final standings...but who's keeping track? But seriously, the year would have sucked without you, Mark.

Matt Timpf (Mr. Canada Big Year 2013!), who helped me find many of my early year birds and continuously boosted my confidence along the way, which is actually quite a feat considering my confidence is usually somewhere between 0.01 and flatline...beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep

And Marianne, who always texted or called me to see how my year was going while I was away and eventually helped me get to 305 once I returned to Leamington even though I was ready to call it a day when I hit 300 (so happy you were there to share the experience of me reaching my goal with Red Phalarope).

Here is my final list for 2012 in Ontario, more or less in chronological order (unfortunately I did not keep track of when I saw each individual species on a specific day so the numbers do not always correspond with the exact order in which I saw each species, but rather in taxonomic order on the date I first saw them):

January 1 - family farm, Staples

1. Red-tailed Hawk
2. Ring-billed Gull

January 2 - train from Chatham to Toronto (story here)

3. Tundra Swan
4. Wild Turkey
5. Rock Pigeon
6. American Kestrel
7. American Crow
8. Horned Lark
9. European Starling
10. House Sparrow

January 10 - Concession 1 - Puslinch

11. Canada Goose
12. Mourning Dove
13. Red-bellied Woodpecker
14. Hairy Woodpecker
15. Blue Jay
16. Black-capped Chickadee
17. White-breasted Nuthatch
18. Mountain Bluebird (lifer)
19. Dark-eyed Junco
20. House Finch
21. American Goldfinch
22. American Robin

January 10 - Mounstberg Conservation Area, Hamilton

23. Rough-legged Hawk
24. Downy Woodpecker
25. American Tree Sparrow
26. Northern Cardinal
27. Pine Siskin

January 10 - Marilynn Bell Park, Toronto

28. Mute Swan
29. Gadwall
30. American Wigeon
31. American Black Duck
32. Mallard
33. Redhead
34. Bufflehead
35. Common Merganser
36. Red-breasted Merganser
37. Herring Gull

January 25 - High Park, Toronto

38. Northern Pintail
39. Cooper's Hawk
40. Red-breasted Nuthatch
41. Gray Catbird
42. Common Grackle

January 25 - Sunnyside Beach, Toronto

43. Greater Scaup
44. Long-tailed Duck
45. Common Goldeneye
46. Ruddy Duck
47. American Coot
48. Glaucous Gull
49. Great Black-backed Gull

January 31 - Point Pelee National Park

50. Northern Harrier
51. Sharp-shinned Hawk
52. Bald Eagle
53. Bonaparte's Gull
54. Eastern Screech-Owl
55. Northern Shrike

February 1 - Onion Fields, Leamington (story here)

56. Great Horned Owl
57. Snowy Owl
58. Long-eared Owl
59. Red-winged Blackbird
60. Rusty Blackbird
61. Brown-headed Cowbird

February 2 - family farm, Staples

62. Ring-necked Pheasant

February 7 - Thunder Bay

63. Common Raven
64. Brown Creeper
65. Harris's Sparrow
66. Common Redpoll
67. Pine Grosbeak (lifer)
68. Golden Eagle
69. Pileated Woodpecker
70. Red Crossbill (lifer)

February 8 - Longlac

71. Spotted Towhee
72. White-winged Crossbill
73. Evening Grosbeak (lifer)
74. Hoary Redpoll (lifer)


February 8 - Beardmore

75. Common Redpoll

February 8 - Everard Road, Thunder Bay

76. Ruffed Grouse

February 9 - Rocky Bay

77. Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch (lifer)
78. Purple Finch

February 9 - Wishart Conservation Area, Thunder Bay

79. American Three-toed Woodpecker (lifer)

February 14 - Whitby Harbour

80. Trumpeter Swan
81. Hooded Merganser
82. Northern Mockingbird

February 15 - Adam Beck, Niagara

83. Thayer's Gull
84. Iceland Gull

February 15 - Fort Erie

85. Canvasback
86. White-winged Scoter
87. Fish Crow (Ontario lifer)
88. American Pipit

February 15 - Niagara Falls - upper falls

89. Lesser Black-backed Gull

February 15 - Queenston Heights overlook, Niagara

90. Double-crested Cormorant
91. Black Vulture
92. Turkey Vulture
93. Little Gull
94. Tufted Titmouse

February 15 - LaSalle Marina, Burlington

95. Lesser Scaup
96. King Eider

February 16 - Whitby Harbour

97. Greater White-fronted Goose (story here)

February 16 - Oshawa Second Marsh

98. Northern Saw-whet Owl

February 16 - Professor's Lake, Brampton

99. Wood Duck
100. Merlin

February 17 - Toronto

101. Peregrine Falcon

February 23 - Spencer Smith Park, Burlington

102. Surf Scoter

February 23 - 10th Road East, Stoney Creek

103. Short-eared Owl

February 28 - Elgin County

104. Eastern Bluebird

February 28 - Port Burwell

105. Rose-breasted Grosbeak
106. Field Sparrow
107. Song Sparrow

February 28 - Norfolk County

108. Northern Flicker

February 28 - Long Point area

109. Ring-necked Duck
110. Sandhill Crane
111. Swamp Sparrow
112. Great Blue Heron
113. Belted Kingfisher

March 7 - Leamington

114. Eastern Meadowlark
115. Killdeer

March 10 - Point Pelee National Park

116. Northern Shoveler
117. Green-winged Teal
118. Eastern Phoebe
119. Hermit Thrush
120. Yellow-rumped Warbler
121. Eastern Towhee
122. Fox Sparrow

March 10 - Onion Fields, Leamington

123. Ross's Goose (lifer)

March 17 - Long Point area

124. Horned Grebe
125. Golden-crowned Kinglet
126. Tree Swallow
127. Pied-billed Grebe
128. American Woodcock

March 18 - Long Point area

129. Winter Wren
130. White-throated Sparrow

March 18 - Townsend Sewage Lagoons

131. Snow Goose

March 22 - Colonel Samuel Smith Park, Toronto

132. Red-necked Grebe

March 22 - Rattray March, Mississauga

133. Carolina Wren

March 22 - High Park, Toronto

134. Virginia Rail

March 26 - Prince Edward Park

135. Bohemian Waxwing (lifer)
136. Cedar Waxwing

March 26 - Russel Road, Bourget

137. Cackling Goose

March 26 - Ottawa area

138. Wilson's Snipe

March 27 - Algonquin Provincial Park

139. Spruce Grouse (lifer)
140. Black-backed Woodpecker (lifer)
141. Boreal Chickadee

March 27 - Carden Alvar

142. Loggerhead Shrike

March 27 - Townsend Sewage Lagoon

143. Eurasian Wigeon
144. Greater Yellowlegs

March 31 - High Park, Toronto

145. Black-crowned Night-Heron
146. Chipping Sparrow

April 6 - Leslie Street Spit, Toronto

147. Great Egret
148. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
149. Barn Swallow
150. Pine Warbler

April 7 - Norfolk County

151. Common Loon
152. Vesper Sparrow
153. Savannah Sparrow
154. Lesser Yellowlegs

April 7 - Long Point area

155. Purple Martin
156. Ruby-crowned Kinglet
157. Forster's Tern

April 7 - Cootes Paradise, Hamilton

158. Caspian Tern

April 7 - Peterborough

159. Osprey

April 14 - Gairloch Gardens, Oakville

160. Harlequin Duck

April 16 - Colonel Samuel Smith Park, Toronto

161. Blue-winged Teal
162. Northern Rough-winged Swallow

April 17 - Everard Road, Thunder Bay

163. Sharp-tailed Grouse (lifer)

April 17 - Hurkett Cove Conservation Area, Thunder Bay

164. American White Pelican

April 17 - Thunder Bay

165. Lapland Longspur

April 22 - Rondeau Provincial Park

166. Chimney Swift
167. White-eyed Vireo
168. House Wren
169. Brown Thrasher
170. Blackburnian Warbler
171. Yellow-throated Warbler

April 22 - Blenheim Sewage Lagoons

172. Sora
173. Pectoral Sandpiper
174. Dunlin

April 27 - High Park, Toronto

175. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
176. Nashville Warbler
177. Palm Warbler

April 28 - Wasaga Beach Provincial Park

178. Piping Plover

April 28 - Bruce Peninsula

179. Western Tanager (lifer)
180. Brewer's Blackbird (lifer)

April 30 - Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto

181. Cerulean Warbler

May 5 - Toronto Islands

182. Spotted Sandpiper
183. Common Tern
184. Great Crested Flycatcher
185. Eastern Kingbird
186. Blue-headed Vireo
187. Warbling Vireo
188. Bank Swallow
189. Cliff Swallow
190. Northern Waterthrush
191. Black-and-white Warbler
192. Cape May Warbler
193. Northern Parula
194. Magnolia Warbler
195. Yellow Warbler
196. Chestnut-sided Warbler
197. Black-throated Blue Warbler
198. Black-throated Green Warbler
199. White-crowned Sparrow
200. Orchard Oriole
201. Baltimore Oriole

May 7 - Rattray March, Mississauga

202. Least Flycatcher

May 7 - Townsed Sewage Lagoon

203. Semipalmated Plover
204. Least Sandpiper

May 7 - Aylmer Sewage Lagoons

205. Bobolink

May 7 - Hillman Marsh, Leamington

206. Black-bellied Plover
207. American Avocet
208. Short-billed Dowitcher
209. Common Yellowthroat

May 8 - Point Pelee National Park

210. Eastern Whip-poor-will
211. Ruby-throated Hummingbird
212. Red-headed Woodpecker
213. Eastern Wood-Pewee
214. Yellow-throated Vireo
215. Red-eyed Vireo
216. Sedge Wren
217. Veery
218. Swainson's Thrush
219. Wood Thrush
220. Ovenbird
221. Golden-winged Warbler
222. Tennessee Warbler
223. American Redstart
224. Bay-breasted Warbler
225. Wilson's Warbler
226. Lincoln's Sparrow
227. Scarlet Tanager
228. Indigo Bunting

May 9 - Point Pelee National Park

229. Black Tern
230. Yellow-billed Cuckoo
231. Marsh Wren
232. Prothonotary Warbler
233. Canada Warbler

May 10 - Point Pelee National Park

234. Broad-winged Hawk
235. Black-billed Cuckoo

May  10 - Hillman Marsh, Leamington

236. Cattle Egret
237. Marbled Godwit
238. Ruddy Turnstone

May 10 - St. Clair National Wildlife Refuge

239. Common Gallinule

May 11 - Point Pelee National Park

240. Gray-cheeked Thrush
241. Worm-eating Warbler
242. Blackpoll Warbler

May 11 - St. Clair National Wildlife Refuge

243. American Bittern
244. Least Bittern
245. Green Heron
246. White-faced Ibis
247. Yellow-headed Blackbird

May 12 - Point Pelee National Park

248. Black Scoter

May 12 - Hillman Marsh, Leamington

249. American Golden-Plover
250. Willow Flycatcher

May 13 - Point Pelee National Park

251. Red-throated Loon (lifer)

May 14 - Rondeau Provincial Park

252. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

May 14 - Blenheim Sewage Lagoons

253. Stilt Sandpiper

May 15 - Point Pelee National Park

254. Hooded Warbler

May 15 - Hillman Marsh, Leamington

255. Semipalmated Sanpdiper

May 16 - Point Pelee National Park

256. Mourning Warbler

May 16 - Hillman Marsh, Leamington

257. Clay-colored Sparrow

May 16 - Wheatley Provincial Park

258. Solitary Sandpiper

May 17 - Point Pelee National Park

259. Olive-sided Flycatcher
260. Philadelphia Vireo
261. Blue-winged Warbler
262. Orange-crowned Warbler
263. Connecticut Warbler

May 18 - Pelee Island

264. Yellow-breasted Chat

May 19 - Point Pelee National Park

265. California Gull (lifer)

May 19 - Hillman Marsh, Leamington

266. Red-necked Phalarope

May 20 - Hillman Marsh, Leamington

267. White-rumped Sandpiper

May 21 - Backus Wood Conservation Area, Long Point area

268. Acadian Flycatcher
269. Louisiana Waterthrush

May 21 - East Quarter Line, Norfolk

270. Grasshopper Sparrow

May 21 - St. Williams Forest, Long Point area

271. Northern Goshawk

May 21 -Haldimand County

272. Snowy Egret
273. Laughing Gull

May 22 - Carden Alvar

274. Upland Sandpiper
275. Common Nighthawk

May 24 - Colonel Samuel Smith Park, Toronto

276. Whimbrel

May 26 - Carden Alvar

277. Alder Flycatcher

May 31 - Presqu'ile Provincial Park

278. Brant
279. Barred Owl

June 4 - Westover Tract, Flamborough

280. Prairie Warbler

June 6 - Parry Sound

281. Red-shoulder Hawk

June 8 - Rainy River District (story here and here)

282. Black-billed Magpie (lifer)
283. Le Conte's Sparrow

June 9 - Rainy River Sewage Lagoon

284. Wilson's Phalarope

June 9 - Rainy River District

285. Western Meadowlark

June 9 - Lake of the Woods - Windy Point, Rainy River District

286. Franklin's Gull (lifer)

June 11 - Rainy River District

287. Dickcissel

June 13 - Wawa Sewage Lagoons

288. Eared Grebe

July 3 - Rondeau Provincial Park area

289. Magnificent Frigatebird (lifer)

July 25 - Rock Point Provincial Park

290. Sanderling
291. Baird's Sandpiper

July 25 - Holiday Beach Conservation Area, Amherstburg

292. Little Blue Heron

July 26 - Walpole Island

293. King Rail

August 12 - Blenheim Sewage Lagoons

294. Long-billed Dowitcher (story here)

August 25 - Onion Fields, Leamington

295. Buff-breasted Sandpiper

August 29 - Presqu'ile Provincial Park

296. Thick-billed Kingbird (lifer)

August 31 - Little Piskwamish Point, James Bay (story here)

297. Red Knot

September 1 - Little Piskwamish Point, James Bay

298. Hudsonian Godwit

September 2 - Little Piskwamish Point, James Bay

299. Nelson's Sparrow

September 23 - Point Pelee National Park

300. Red Phalarope (story here)

October 30 - Point Edward Lighthouse, Sarnia (story here)

301. Black-legged Kittiwake
302. Sabine's Gull (lifer)

November 1 - Pelee Days Inn / Sturgeon Creek, Leamington

303. Snow Bunting (story here)

November 24 - Point Pelee National Park

304. Cave Swallow (lifer) (story here)

December 31 - Point Pelee National Park

305. Purple Sandpiper (story here)

My 300 (full breakdown will come at the end of 2012)

1	Here they are (in taxanomical order): All 300. Greater White-fronted Goose
2	Snow Goose
3	Ross's Goose
4	Brant
5	Cackling Goose
6	Canada Goose
7	Mute Swan
8	Trumpeter Swan
9	Tundra Swan
10	Wood Duck
11	Gadwall
12	Eurasian Wigeon
13	American Wigeon
14	American Black Duck
15	Mallard
16	Blue-winged Teal
17	Northern Shoveler
18	Northern Pintail
19	Green-winged Teal
20	Canvasback
21	Redhead
22	Ring-necked Duck
23	Greater Scaup
24	Lesser Scaup
25	King Eider
26	Harlequin Duck
27	Surf Scoter
28	White-winged Scoter
29	Black Scoter
30	Long-tailed Duck
31	Bufflehead
32	Common Goldeneye
33	Hooded Merganser
34	Common Merganser
35	Red-breasted Merganser
36	Ruddy Duck
37	Ring-necked Pheasant
38	Ruffed Grouse
39	Spruce Grouse
40	Sharp-tailed Grouse
41	Wild Turkey
42	Red-throated Loon
43	Common Loon
44	Pied-billed Grebe
45	Horned Grebe
46	Red-necked Grebe
47	Eared Grebe
48	Magnificent Frigatebird
49	Double-crested Cormorant
50	American White Pelican
51	American Bittern
52	Least Bittern
53	Great Blue Heron
54	Great Egret
55	Snowy Egret
56	Little Blue Heron
57	Cattle Egret
58	Green Heron
59	Black-crowned Night-Heron
60	White-faced Ibis
61	Black Vulture
62	Turkey Vulture
63	Osprey
64	Golden Eagle
65	Northern Harrier
66	Sharp-shinned Hawk
67	Cooper's Hawk
68	Northern Goshawk
69	Bald Eagle
70	Red-shouldered Hawk
71	Broad-winged Hawk
72	Red-tailed Hawk
73	Rough-legged Hawk
74	King Rail
75	Virginia Rail
76	Sora
77	Common Gallinule
78	American Coot
79	Sandhill Crane
80	Black-bellied Plover
81	American Golden-Plover
82	Semipalmated Plover
83	Piping Plover
84	Killdeer
85	American Avocet
86	Spotted Sandpiper
87	Solitary Sandpiper
88	Greater Yellowlegs
89	Lesser Yellowlegs
90	Upland Sandpiper
91	Whimbrel
92	Hudsonian Godwit
93	Marbled Godwit
94	Ruddy Turnstone
95	Red Knot
96	Sanderling
97	Semipalmated Sandpiper
98	Least Sandpiper
99	White-rumped Sandpiper
100	Baird's Sandpiper
101	Pectoral Sandpiper
102	Dunlin
103	Stilt Sandpiper
104	Buff-breasted Sandpiper
105	Short-billed Dowitcher
106	Long-billed Dowitcher
107	Wilson's Snipe
108	American Woodcock
109	Wilson's Phalarope
110	Red-necked Phalarope
111	Red Phalarope
112	Bonaparte's Gull
113	Little Gull
114	Laughing Gull
115	Franklin's Gull
116	Ring-billed Gull
117	California Gull
118	Herring Gull
119	Thayer's Gull
120	Iceland Gull
121	Lesser Black-backed Gull
122	Glaucous Gull
123	Great Black-backed Gull
124	Caspian Tern
125	Black Tern
126	Common Tern
127	Forster's Tern
128	Rock Pigeon
129	Mourning Dove
130	Yellow-billed Cuckoo
131	Black-billed Cuckoo
132	Eastern Screech-Owl
133	Great Horned Owl
134	Snowy Owl
135	Barred Owl
136	Long-eared Owl
137	Short-eared Owl
138	Northern Saw-whet Owl
139	Common Nighthawk
140	Eastern Whip-poor-will
141	Chimney Swift
142	Ruby-throated Hummingbird
143	Belted Kingfisher
144	Red-headed Woodpecker
145	Red-bellied Woodpecker
146	Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
147	Downy Woodpecker
148	Hairy Woodpecker
149	American Three-toed Woodpecker
150	Black-backed Woodpecker
151	Northern Flicker
152	Pileated Woodpecker
153	American Kestrel
154	Merlin
155	Peregrine Falcon
156	Olive-sided Flycatcher
157	Eastern Wood-Pewee
158	Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
159	Acadian Flycatcher
160	Alder Flycatcher
161	Willow Flycatcher
162	Least Flycatcher
163	Eastern Phoebe
164	Great Crested Flycatcher
165	Thick-billed Kingbird
166	Eastern Kingbird
167	Loggerhead Shrike
168	Northern Shrike
169	White-eyed Vireo
170	Yellow-throated Vireo
171	Blue-headed Vireo
172	Warbling Vireo
173	Philadelphia Vireo
174	Red-eyed Vireo
175	Gray Jay
176	Blue Jay
177	Black-billed Magpie
178	American Crow
179	Fish Crow
180	Common Raven
181	Horned Lark
182	Northern Rough-winged Swallow
183	Purple Martin
184	Tree Swallow
185	Bank Swallow
186	Barn Swallow
187	Cliff Swallow
188	Black-capped Chickadee
189	Boreal Chickadee
190	Tufted Titmouse
191	Red-breasted Nuthatch
192	White-breasted Nuthatch
193	Brown Creeper
194	House Wren
195	Winter Wren
196	Sedge Wren
197	Marsh Wren
198	Carolina Wren
199	Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
200	Golden-crowned Kinglet
201	Ruby-crowned Kinglet
202	Eastern Bluebird
203	Mountain Bluebird
204	Veery
205	Gray-cheeked Thrush
206	Swainson's Thrush
207	Hermit Thrush
208	Wood Thrush
209	American Robin
210	Gray Catbird
211	Northern Mockingbird
212	Brown Thrasher
213	European Starling
214	American Pipit
215	Bohemian Waxwing
216	Cedar Waxwing
217	Lapland Longspur
218	Ovenbird
219	Worm-eating Warbler
220	Louisiana Waterthrush
221	Northern Waterthrush
222	Blue-winged Warbler
223	Golden-winged Warbler
224	Black-and-white Warbler
225	Prothonotary Warbler
226	Tennessee Warbler
227	Orange-crowned Warbler
228	Nashville Warbler
229	Connecticut Warbler
230	Mourning Warbler
231	Common Yellowthroat
232	Hooded Warbler
233	American Redstart
234	Cape May Warbler
235	Cerulean Warbler
236	Northern Parula
237	Magnolia Warbler
238	Bay-breasted Warbler
239	Blackburnian Warbler
240	Yellow Warbler
241	Chestnut-sided Warbler
242	Blackpoll Warbler
243	Black-throated Blue Warbler
244	Palm Warbler
245	Pine Warbler
246	Yellow-rumped Warbler
247	Yellow-throated Warbler
248	Prairie Warbler
249	Black-throated Green Warbler
250	Canada Warbler
251	Wilson's Warbler
252	Yellow-breasted Chat
253	Spotted Towhee
254	Eastern Towhee
255	American Tree Sparrow
256	Chipping Sparrow
257	Clay-colored Sparrow
258	Field Sparrow
259	Vesper Sparrow
260	Savannah Sparrow
261	Grasshopper Sparrow
262	Le Conte's Sparrow
263	Nelson's Sparrow
264	Fox Sparrow
265	Song Sparrow
266	Lincoln's Sparrow
267	Swamp Sparrow
268	White-throated Sparrow
269	Harris's Sparrow
270	White-crowned Sparrow
271	Dark-eyed Junco
272	Scarlet Tanager
273	Western Tanager
274	Northern Cardinal
275	Rose-breasted Grosbeak
276	Indigo Bunting
277	Dickcissel
278	Bobolink
279	Red-winged Blackbird
280	Eastern Meadowlark
281	Western Meadowlark
282	Yellow-headed Blackbird
283	Rusty Blackbird
284	Brewer's Blackbird
285	Common Grackle
286	Brown-headed Cowbird
287	Orchard Oriole
288	Baltimore Oriole
289	Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch
290	Pine Grosbeak
291	Purple Finch
292	House Finch
293	Red Crossbill
294	White-winged Crossbill
295	Common Redpoll
296	Hoary Redpoll
297	Pine Siskin
298	American Goldfinch
299	Evening Grosbeak
300	House Sparrow