The Big Year Chronicles #1: Introduction

Earlier this year, I decided that next year I was going to do an ABA Big Year in 2016. For those of you who don't know, a big year is when a birder tries to see as many bird species as possible in a given geographic area in one calendar year. I'll be doing this in the ABA Area, which is the Lower 48, Canada, and Alaska. My target number is 500, which is a tall task for an eighteen year old going to college in the Fall. However, I am more than willing to take it on. I've done a lot of preparations including creating a target list of species by month and listed locations I plan to hit to find those species. I'll save the general strategy for The Big Year Chronicles #2 because all the turkey I ate is making me sleepy.

500 may seem crazy for a kid, but when you hear where I'm going and what I'm doing you may think twice...

Good birding, and happy Thanksgiving!

- Mike

Wild Turkey

It's Thanksgiving I had to post it

This One Will Make You Laugh

I hate to post about the same thing twice in a row, but this is well worth it. After school today I decided to go and see if I could get better looks at the Barred Owl near my house. I showed up and went down to the area it hangs out. I went around the trail part with no luck, so I went to the big group of pines behind some houses that my friend and I had it in yesterday. I heard a weird clicking noise which I concluded was two juncos being angry. I was able to locate the tree it was coming from. I walked under the tree so I could see upwards and sure, enough, a big pair of black eyes attached to an adult Barred Owl were looking back at me. I quickly took some pictures, however, the combination of me being there and the juncos harassing it caused the owl to fly into another tree out of sight. I decided that now was the time to leave, as I didn't want to stress out the owl anymore. As I was leaving, I heard a voice calling to me "YOU THERE! COME HERE!" Scared straight, I walked over to the man, who turned out to be a cop. He angrily asked me "what are you doing??" I nervously said "I'm looking at a Barred Owl..." He then asked, "Are you taking pictures?" I said yes and showed him the shot of the owl. His voice change was unbelievable, all of a sudden he was very nice. He took my information and said "disregard" on his walkie-talkie. I asked if I was in trouble and he said "no you're fine, someone just sent in a complaint, just go somewhere else." I told him I was already on my way out, and went on my way, kind of stunned from the whole thing. For a kid who does not do anything that breaks the law (and I mean nothing...no drinking, smoking, only one other person in the car, etc.), this was pretty terrifying...and the best part was that I had to regain my composure for a college interview at 4:30...

Moral of the story...a camera and binoculars in a suburban wood patch near houses is not a smart move...especially if you're basically pointing them at the houses...would not recommend.

Good birding, and stay on trail for God's sake...don't make my mistake...(that rhymed)

- Mike

The Barred Owl that almost got me arrested...

Those damn birds....

P.S. Check out my new life list page: http://thegoldenplover.blogspot.com/p/aba-life-list.html

Owl Update: Cue Trumpets

Well...remember that Barred Owl that was like five minutes from my front doorstep that I couldn't find because owls hate me for some reason? So my friend who originally found it texted me that the owl was calling. I had just stepped in the door and was in the middle of enjoying pepperoni slices when I got the text. I flew over there in my '98 Honda Civic...so I didn't really fly...you get the point. I ran through the woods to where he told me to meet him. We then proceeded to walk in the direction of where the bird called from. After about fifteen minutes of digging through evergreens, my friend yells and points "THERE I-" as it zips out of an evergreen tree. I was able to get some crappy but identifiable looks of it in flight while it was holding some kind of a rodent. The bird then went out of sight across the street. After a long while of searching out this bird, we were unable to relocate it. A Yellow-bellied Sapsucker certainly gave us some entertainment, though. This is good mainly because I finally got to see it, and I know where it hangs out so I can go back with my mom so she can get a look. Hopefully I'll get a photo to post next time. This was a great lifer to get that was long overdue, maybe my luck with owls will finally change...only time will tell.

Good birding,

- Mike 

Funky Birds

Every once in awhile, I'll stumble upon a bird that makes me scratch my head. There are some weird birds out there, and I don't just mean weird looking. I mean they do the most bizarre things. Here's an example. One of the most sought after species in the Rocky Mountains is the American Dipper. This elusive little bird is the Arnold Schwarzenegger of the bird world. Why? Their habitat is fast flowing, rocky rivers. They literally jump from a rock or the shoreline into water that would swipe a human right of his or her feet. They then swim around, finding little things to eat on the bottom. Then, the best part, they jump back up on a rock and do their dance which is just them rhythmically bouncing up and down. When I first saw it, I couldn't believe how small it was and how easily it just swam around in the white water. Michael Phelps has got nothing on this little guy!

I always love seeing birds do funny things, but this one left me puzzled. Evolution at its finest I guess.

Good birding,

- Mike

American Dipper

Wild Basin, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Winter Plumage

Birding in the fall and winter is great but can also be very challenging when trying to identify birds that aren't in their stunning breeding plumages. Take the Red-throated Look below as an example. Guess what this bird is missing? Yep you guessed it, a red throat. To an experienced birder, this a no brainer. But to someone who is either relatively new or inexperienced with waterbirds, this could be tricky ID without a field guide. However, there are many features on this bird that I can tell you that differ from a Common Loon in Winter. First off, look at the face, it is clean white all over with a very clear cut off at the throat. A Common Loon would show some fading from the brown of the neck to the white. Also, the brown of a common loon extends into the face a little. Notice the speckling on the back, a Common Loon would show a more brown back. Also, the Red-throated Loon is more gray overall than the common. It is also more slender-bodied overall. For a shot of a Common Loon in Winter plumage, click here.

There are many birds that can be confusing in non-breeding plumage, but a closer look can reveal a lot. And if you're not sure, a field guide wouldn't hurt. 

Good birding,

- Mike

Red-throated Loon

Birding on the Jetty

You know those rocks on the beach that signs say you should not go on? You should go on them! Not actually, if there's a sign...don't do it. However, some jetties, such as the one at Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, are flat enough to walk all over semi-safely. Birding on the jetty in the winter is one of the most exciting things a birder can experience. On the East Coast, common Winter rock birds include Ruddy Turnstone, Purple Sandpiper, and Dunlin. However, the real fun is in the water. All three scoters can usually be seen. In some places, Common Eiders form rafts of over one hundred. At Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, rare Harlequin Ducks spend the Winter along the jetty. This is definitely the most reliable location for them in the Mid-Atlantic, and maybe even the East Coast. King Eiders can sometimes be found within the massive raft of Commons here and other places such as Nummy Island in Cape May. Although jetty birding is great, it can be dangerous. I've heard a few stories of people slipping and getting caught in between the rocks. Jetties experience tides, you can put two and two together...no one has actually drowned that I know of, but better to be safe than sorry. Take my advice, don't bring a tripod for a scope of camera. Your binoculars and camera around your neck will suit you well, the birds are surprisingly approachable...don't get too close, though. I'm a big advocate for the "birds have their boundaries too" campaign. Sorry to folks from the West, I don't know too much about jetty birding on the Pacific Coast. Hopefully I'll learn about it next year when I'm in Washington. Feel free to comment any facts about it or photos you have.

So get out on the jetties and have a totally new experience with birds, but be careful doing so.

Good birding!

- Mike

Harlequin Duck 

Barnegat Lighthouse State Park

March 2013

Keep Your Hummingbird Feeders Up!

I know, all of you are probably like, "Mike, it's getting into the 30's now...why would I keep my hummingbird feeders up??" Good question...I'll tell you. It's very complicated so this may take awhile....just kidding, it's very simple: they're still around. Yep, as crazy as that sounds. In the Southwest, you guys are probably saying "pft please, a hundred of those things knock on my window every morning I don't fill the feeders." True, it's common knowledge in the West that hummers are around all winter...not in the East though. In fact, it's very rare for one to show up beyond mid-October. Some Ruby-throated Hummingbirds stick around through the Fall by accident. However, Rufous Hummingbirds migrate along the East Coast in very small numbers through November and even into December. Both of these species have to resort to feeders for food because most flowers have gone away for the winter. So it's very important that those feeders stay up in case of that rare chance a hummer visits it. They have a very long journey to South America, and need all the energy they can get to make it. If you're not familiar with the migration of hummingbirds, I'm going to post a video in the next couple of days about all of the ABA's hummingbirds which I will link to this post. So stay tuned!

Good hummingbirding!

- Mike

Rufous Hummingbird in Fanwood, NJ

November 2013 

Those Damn Birds...

Search any bird you want on google...seriously just do it now. Is almost every image not some incredible close up with perfect quality with perfect light? Add on...the bird is posing beautifully, as if it weren't moving. Now, does this ever happen to we casual birders in the field? Of course not! However, we all have those moments where the shot was almost perfect. I've had a few of those myself, but my favorite is when I saw a  Black-throated Blue Warbler at The Celery Farm. I was having a great early May afternoon, with multiple warbler species including Magnolia Warbler, American Redstart, and Northern Waterthrush. I came across a gorgeous male Black-throated Blue Warbler. And for those who don't know, warblers are like little laser beams bouncing all around you. In other words, they don't stop moving. This guy was doing the usual warbler thing, singing away and jumping all over. At one point, he stopped and just sat with his head straight. I lifted up my camera ferociously and began to focus on him, seeing the incredible photo opportunity. I was perfectly in focus and the light was awesome, plus he was surrounded by green leaves and pink buds. As soon as I snapped the photo, he turned his head, and continued doing his thing. The photo I got can be seen below. You can imagine my frustration...

Nowadays, I just don't attempt to photograph warblers, it's too much of headache. I just love to enjoy them, but I'll save my absolute warbler obsession for the spring. 

Until next time, good birding!

- Mike

He was definitely laughing at me...

Rarity Chasing: It's a Gamble

The title says it all. Chasing rarities is a complete gamble. Today, I made a probably not-so-smart choice of going to Sandy Hook, over an hour away, after school to try and find a Le Conte's Sparrow that was being seen (I mentioned it in my post yesterday). Well, my mom and I left at around 2:30, and the sun sets at 4:30. By the time we actually got to the Hook, the sun was nearly set. However, with high spirits, we gave it our best shot. After a lot of searching and listening and what not, we were unsuccessful. Although I was highly disappointed, my mom, as usual, managed to lift my spirits during the ride home.

Many people make chasing rarities look easy when they find the bird within minutes of showing up on site. In reality, it can actually be really hard. First off, you have to take the usually long drive to see the bird. Then, you have to get on the bird...which can be very annoying because, well, they're birds. People will tell you "The bird was just there," but they have wings...and legs...so they move. And, although it's nice when someone is already on the bird, it's an even better feeling when you're the one who gets to call out, "I got it!" I know some people who don't even chase rarities simply because they want to find their own. I really admire birders like that, because they are the kinds who just go out and enjoy the birds. If they get a rare one, great, if not, no problem. As much as I tell myself I'm going to start being like this, it never happens...

As my mom told me, we'd be better off buying a lottery ticket than going after a tiny sparrow on a massive dune at dusk. So moral of the story, never chase rarities (kidding).

Good birding, I hope you find something rare!

- Mike

Although we didn't find the sparrow, we did

find ourselves in this lovely rush hour 

traffic jam! 

Franklin's Gull Invasion

There is nothing like a good old rare species invasion to a region. Some last full season, others a mere few hours. Either way, it always gets birders excited. In the last week or so, the East has seen a good amount of rain coming from the West. Once that bad weather cleared, a perfect wind from the northwest moved through, bringing with a good amount of western species to the East. Some of these include Ash-throated Flycatcher, Western Kingbird, and Le Conte's Sparrow. However, probably the most exciting of them were the hundreds of Franklin's Gulls that could be seen at many coastal locations. Flocks of over 60 were sometimes seen, with the heart of the action in Cape May (where else?). The combined total ended up being 315 individuals, and that was conservative. An invasion of Franklin's Gulls to the East like this one has not happened since 1998, and that did not come anywhere near these numbers. Today, they're still being seen in some locations, but the bulk of them have departed. Although I was unable to witness the action, it was still exciting to watch all the texts come in of tons of Franklin's Gull being spotted up and down the coast.

I wasn't super disappointed, I was able to see one when I was in Colorado. One of the other young birders and I were walking in Pawnee National Grasslands, and we looked up and saw a gull high overhead. He and I just passed it as a California Gull, as that was a safe thing to assume. Instead, we watched a kestrel flying overhead, which he photographed. Later on, however, when I was getting my lunch, he came over to me and told me that the gull was actually a Franklin's Gull, as he showed me a photo of the kestrel with a very clear Franklin's Gull in the back. I was very excited, however I knew it wouldn't go over well with the other birders. We young birders tend to be a bit more of counters than birders, and missing a lifer is like missing the winning penalty kick shot a championship soccer game. I'll admit, when I know lifers are a distinct possibility, I get a little intense...but that's besides the point. When they heard this, some were pretty pissed, others didn't really mind as they would have passed it as the same thing. I felt bad either way, but the number of birds seen on that trip probably clouded the fact that many of them missed that (because God forbid you miss ONE bird).

So invasions are cool, whether you're in the action or a bystander. Happy birding!

- Mike

By the way, be sure to check out my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDLKRpu959tma--2sBRnmSA
I'm starting to take videos of birds on my normal camera.

Franklin's Gull

(Photo from public domain)

Sparrow Flocks: Not to be Overlooked

When we hear the word "sparrow," we immediately think of those annoying House Sparrows that nest in our gutters and take over our feeders. Well, first of all, those aren't even sparrows, they are actually weaver-finches. I think they should be renamed to the Black-chinned Weaver-Finch, sounds much more interesting I think. But anyway, often times, birders overlook flocks of sparrows such as Chipping Sparrows or Dark-eyed Juncos. It's safe to assume that's all that's in there, right? Wrong. You would be very surprised as to what you can find in a flock of sparrows. In fact, especially around now and through the winter, you can find multiple different species. Every time I comb through some sparrows, I can usually pull at least three different species. I've pulled up to seven or eight a few times, it really depends on where you are. A backyard feeder area can usually produce three to five species, while a place with a lot of sparrows like a field, marsh, or woodland edge can produce high numbers. Some rarer sparrows to look out for included Fox Sparrow, American Tree Sparrow, Clay-colored Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow (rarity to the Southwest), White-crowned Sparrow (only rare in the East), and White-throated Sparrow (only rare in the West). Even if they're not rarities, native sparrows are still interesting to watch as different species work together to find food and avoid predators.

So never overlook that flock of juncos in your yard this winter, you never know what may turn up. And remember, a cool bird doesn't have to be a rarity. 

Good birding!

- Mike

A video of multiple sparrow species in a flock: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0kQDosK8Ic

"Ipswich" Savannah Sparrow 

Barnegat Lighthouse State Park

Unlikely Birds in Unlikely Locations

It always amazes me when I find some randomly uncommon species in an unusual location. I usually just start laughing because I always find it funny when this bird is just rebelling against the avian social norm and being like, "I'm a free spirit, I'll go wherever I want!" A great example is when I was birding at Laurel Hill Park a couple of years ago, and I was looking for Horned Larks in hopes of picking out a Lapland Longspur. I walked up to the river, and all of a sudden, this little bird comes floating along right in front of me. I'm thinking to myself, "wtf is this little...oh hey it's a Horned Grebe." Horned Grebe is a pretty rare species in Bergen County, especially in the dead of Winter. I started laughing because he was just chillin,' riding along the river next right in front of me, in fact, he barely even acknowledged that I was there. It's always great when birds are so cooperative for great photos. It was cool to finally get this guy on my county life list. 

So basically, any bird can be anywhere. They don't need field guides to tell them where to be. Oh yeah, about that Barred Owl in my town...my mom and I tried again this morning. You can guess the out come :( Oh well, I'll break this no owl on my own curse eventually. 

Good birding, leave no place unchecked! You never know what you'll find...

- Mike 

Horned Grebe at Laurel Hill Park

The Headache I Call Owls

Let me make something very clear to you all, I have a total of negative zero luck with owls. I'm not kidding around. I'll give you an example. Two of the best places around my area to see Short-eared Owls in my area are Shawangunk Grasslands and Jakes Landing. It is said that you are near guaranteed shorties if you go to these places at dusk. Let me tell you, I have been to both...and failed both times. What's even better is that each time, less than ten minutes after I left, the owls fly out and start to hunt. I think I might be cursed or something. The only times I see owls are when they are handed to me on a silver platter. I've seen them in a friend's owl box, on birding tours, etc. Well today, I was informed that there was a Barred Owl, a well overdue life bird, in my neck of the woods. When I say my neck of the woods, I literally mean my town. My friend had a Barred Owl in a little woodland patch near where he was working. Even better, it has been there for about a year now...a year...and I had no clue. This only goes to show what you can find close to home, but that's irrelevant. So I rally up the crew (my mom and my friend who knows the trails well), and we head in to find this owl. After a long while of searching with, at best, a potential call that I think was a Great Horned Owl. Finally, as I'm scanning some pines, a large bird comes beasting through the woodlot. I could not tell what it was for sure, but it certainly looked like an owl to me. However, I don't count species if I "think" it was that. Like Richard Crossley said, "even 99% sure still means you don't know." So there you have it, foiled again by those damn owls. I intend to try again in the morning before I go to work. I'm going to break this owless curse if it kills me! 

I'll update you guys if I find it or not, until then, good birding!

- Mike

Female Snowy Owl: For some reason I've had great luck with 

these guys, I'm 2 for 3 for chasing them. 

Flybys: Why Patience Gives Back Eventually

I don't know about everyone else, but I for one despise nothing more than waiting. I've always had little patience and never liked sitting around waiting for something to happen. Even before I got into birding years ago, I hated car rides, plane rides, firework shows, etc. However, when it comes to birding, those who wait are usually rewarded. Hawk watches and sea watches are a perfect example. Down at Avalon Sea Watch, people go everyday. They sit there all day, counting every species that flies by. This means everything from scoters to jaegers to loons, nothing goes uncounted. Like I said, I always love to see cool birds, but after the three thousandth Black Scoter, I would lose interest. However, just this year, Avalon Sea Watch has had multiple NJ rarities including a number of Pacific Loons, a Manx Shearwater, all three jaegers, and (cue drum roll), the second state record Masked Booby. I don't know how the watcher was able to contain himself, I think I would just stop breathing and pass out on the spot if I saw a Masked Booby in NJ. It took a lot of patience, but he got himself one heck of lifer!

Although I've only gone to sea and hawk watches a few times, and the only thing of note I've see is a Dickcissel pair flyby the Cape May Point Hawk Watch, I have some pretty good waiting stories. One of my favorites takes place right down the road from me. I was at my usual local nature preserve (called The Celery Farm, I don't think I've ever mentioned that here) in April sitting on one of the platforms. I was enjoying myself watching Yellow Warblers and Baltimore Orioles flying from one side of the preserve to the other. All of a sudden, a medium-sized group of folks birding joined me on the platform. As soon as this happened, I knew something cool was going to show up...I only have luck in numbers, never on my own. Literally two minutes after I said that to myself, a Common Loon comes flying in. I immediately said, "uh...there's a loon over there," and all the people turned and out their binoculars up like a marching band snapping to attention. The loon landed on the lake briefly, then continued North. It was very cool because that is a rare migrant in my home county. In fact, it was a county lifer. So my casual birding day ended in triumph, all after sitting on a platform for a little too long. 

Moral of the story, don't ever walk away from a platform. I know some tragic stories of people missing mega rarities because they left to find somewhere better to bird. And remember, patience is always rewarding when birding....sometimes it takes longer than you want, believe me.

Happy sitting!

- Mike

Common Loon that flew by the platform,

my county lifer. 

Book Review: The Crossley ID Guide to Eastern Birds

First of all, let me say that I am not one to use field guides very often. Overall, I am pretty good with my identification skills. Sometimes, I try and to use field guides to identify birds that I really don't know, but I always end up confirming photos with an expert. Anyways, one of my favorite ID books is The Crossley ID Guide to Eastern Birds. This book basically hits every eastern species and their third cousins. What I'm trying to say is there are a lot of birds in this book. Everything from the common birds like Northern Cardinal to rarities like Curlew Sandpiper. Not only does it have the species, it hits most of them in essentially every plumage from any angle you would need to identify a species. Another, less appreciated aspect of this book is the fact that every photo in here was taken by Richard Crossley himself. You have to see it to really appreciate how many photos there are and how much work was put into this. The price that ranges between fifteen and thirty five dollars, is well worth it in my opinion, as you're getting much more than a field guide. You're getting a library of information and photos. On my downtime, I like to use this book to study the many different plumages of different species. I would recommend this book to any birder, whether you're a novice or an expert.

Happy birding!

- Mike

Book Cover

Sample: Painted Bunting, pg 492.

Photos of book taken by me solely for the purpose of review. 

Heard Only Sightings: What to Count and What Not to Count

This is another question many birders are faced with, whether or not to count a heard only species. For me personally, my rules go as follows. If a bird is a lifer species, I will not count a heard only with the exceptions of sensitive species such as owls, rails, and nightjars (speaking of which, I hear a Great Horned Owl call outside my house as I'm writing this...cool). The reason being, trying to draw them in for a good look can ultimately hurt them in many ways, which I like to avoid. If a bird is a new year bird, I will count a heard only. On a casual birding walk, I will also take heard only species. Seeing species is much more interesting than hearing them, let me tell you. It's super rewarding to finally see some species that you know you're hearing but can't get your binos on.

Bottom line, always strive to see the bird. But don't make it go out of its way to come to you...that's just mean. 

Good birding!

- Mike

Eastern Screech-Owl

(Photo by Your's Truly (it's me))

Desires vs Reality

We all want to see cool birds. The desire to see uncommon and sometimes lifer species is a common thing in the birding community. Sometimes, however, we take this desire and turn it into reality. Every birder goes through his or her ambitious stage where no bird can go unchecked as a rarity. And I don't mean digging through a flock of Common Goldeneye in hopes of a Barrow's Goldeneye. I mean taking a bird you see or hear and jumping right to the rarity. I'll give you an example. When I was a kid, my mom told me she heard a flat whistle song in our yard. Before thinking of the common birds, I jumped to a Harris's Sparrow, which is a vagrant to NJ. Well, it turned out to be the very common White-throated Sparrow. I've had more instances like this, but again, more stories for another day. Anyways, if you look on eBird to see which species won't be flagged as rare, you'll often find some pretty rare species that there's a fat chance of seeing. In Cape May, Golden Eagle is not flagged as rare, but that doesn't mean you're going to see it. In descriptions of places like hawk watches and nature preserves, a list of species seen there is often provided. I always get a kick out of reading the lists because I see the most unusual species which have likely only been recorded once or twice there. Yet, people have actually asked me in the field, "have you seen (insert laughably rare bird here) today?" I just say "not today," knowing that trying to explain the whole thing to them will be difficult. I remember one man who went to my local nature preserve looking for a Purple Gallinule. This bird was seen there some years ago and stuck around awhile, but has never been recorded since. That was the only exception, and I explained that it had only been recorded here once. He was upset, however his spirits were lifted when we saw a handsome male Philadelphia Vireo, which certainly made my day as well.

The point here is, just go out and see what you can find. Don't ever assume you're going to find something, because then you'll end up like me a few years ago convincing yourself that's what you had. It's great to find a rarity, in fact I can't think of any better feeling in birding than discovering a vagrant, but I for one will take a day full of good birds over just one uncommon to rare species.  

Happy birding! And feel free to comment on what you want me to post about, I'm always open to ideas. 

- Mike

I did end up seeing a Harris's Sparrow (photo above)

a couple of years after my little ambitious accusation

at a feeder in Pennsylvania. 

Winter Finch Forecast 2015

If you haven't already read the 2015 winter finch forecast, I suggest you do so as it is very informative and usually stunningly accurate. So, if you haven't read it, click here. If you have read it, you probably already know that this year is supposed to be what we call a "mixed bag." This basically means that the finches may come or they may not. From a Jersey-boy's perspective, the two species I really have my eye on are Evening Grosbeak and Red Crossbill. Both of these species are expected to make a decent flight to the East this winter. Each of these finches have a very distinctive flight call. The Red Crossbill's call is a simple kip-kip-kip-kip. They have a strong tendency to perch on the tops of trees (aka "tee up"). So if you happen to hear their flight call, check the tops of trees, you will likely spot one perched there. The Evening Grosbeak's flight call is a loud and proud veer! They are often in small groups or sometimes large flocks, so you'll often hear a rapid fire of veers coming at you. Evening Grosbeaks love to eat black oil sunflower. A tray or hopper feeder works very well for them, as they are on the larger side of the finch family. It is not guaranteed that either of these finches will do what they're expected to, but better to be prepared.

As for the rest of them, I will briefly sum up their reports. Purple Finches and Pine Siskins are already making their way south. Just the other day I saw three Purple Finches at my local nature preserve, and I've heard that Pine Siskins are being reported around. The easiest way to distinguish Purple Finches from House Finches is the coloration and the tail. Purple Finches are more of a red-violet, with pointed, forked tails. House Finches are straight red with squared off tails. Purple Finches prefer sunflower seeds, while Pine Siskins prefer thistle seed. By the way, please...put thistle in a finch feeder...not a tube, or hopper, or anything that's not a finch feeder. Anyway, it sounds like Pine Grosbeaks will make a small movement south potentially into Northern New England and the Adirondacks along with White-winged Crossbills. Common Redpolls will also make a southern movement because birch crops are rather poor up north. There is always the possibility that, like last year, they will show up literally overnight. Redpolls can show up in many different habitats. I've seen them at coastal marshes, beaches, birch woods, my feeders, etc. If we do see a nice movement of redpolls, check for Hoaries! The Hoary Redpoll is the rarer northern species that should probably be lumped with its cousin but that's not my decision. I have a funny story with a Hoary Redpoll, but I'll share it some other time. They look exactly like a Common Redpoll but their bill is pushed in, and their undertail is all white or only has one streak. I will make a post concerning the difference between the two if we start to see them down here.

Until next time, good birding!

- Mike

Evening Grosbeak

Red Crossbill

                                                      Photos from a public domain                                                                 

Mystery Duck Update: Frustration

So I showed up at the site where this supposed hatch year female Tufted Duck was supposed to be. I was able to relocate the bird mixed in with some Mallards feeding on the mudflats. It is certainly a very interesting bird. It shows some white on the face, and has a white undertail. When it was feeding while I was there, it dabbled. However, I heard it also dives sometimes. That's one skilled duck! Although I have to say I disagree, the verdict seems to be that it is a Tufted Duck. There's only one problem: it doesn't have a tuft! With the great luck of the NJ birders, all first year Tufted Ducks happen to not show a tuft between October and November. Of course that's when this thing shows up. On my way home from the location, I received an email from the New Jersey Birds Listserv called "Jerseybirds." Richard Crossley, who if you don't know is a British birder who happens to be an expert and author of many field guides. Long of the short of it, he thinks it's a scaup. However, many people including some highly regarded North Jersey birders have said otherwise. I think we should just shoot the damned thing and get it's DNA. Just kidding, but seriously this kind of ridiculous. The amount of e-drama that one little bird has stirred up is laughable. I heard earlier that Furruginous Duck is also being considered. This, I believe, would be a first ABA record. I don't think it's that because they show no white on the face, this bird has that. That would also be a huge stretch.

Bottom line, the final verdict is in the hands of the experts now. I don't know when (or if) it will be confirmed, but if it is, I will post about it. Hey, at least I got the bird in case it turns out to be a Tufted Duck...or something better! Other species of note included an unidentified falcon, Ruddy Ducks, Northern Pintails, and some late-staying Greater Yellowlegs.

Happy birding!

- Mike

Documentation photo through scope

To Chase or not to Chase

This is a question "competitive" birders like myself face rather often. If a life bird is twenty minutes from my house, I will usually jump on it as soon as I can get my hands on the wheel of a car. However, if a state bird is an hour away, I will usually pass knowing it's likely not worth it. However, recently I have been caught in bit of pickle. About thirty minutes from where I live, there is what a decent number of people are calling a hatch year female Tufted Duck. For those of you who don't know, this a rare visitor from Eurasia. Although I saw about one hundred of them in London a couple of years ago, I am more passionate about my ABA life list than my schoolwork. This duck may or may not be Tufted. A few days ago I told myself I was going to see this duck. Then, I was told it was a scaup species, and I gave up. Now it's back...and people are re-re-re thinking it. At this point, I think I'm just going to go ahead and see it in case it does turn out to be a Tufted Duck. If it doesn't...oh well, I've been through worse rarity losses, but that's a story for another day. I'll post an update in my daily post tomorrow. Tomorrow will also be the first bird of the week! More on that coming up!

Until then, happy birding!

- Mike

Sorry, no photo! Hopefully I'll get one to post soon.

Welcome to my Blog!

For those of you that have not seen The Big Year, it's a movie about three men who set out to break the record number of bird species found in the ABA Area in one year. There is one particular part that caught my eye when I first saw it (I've seen it around twenty times). One of the main characters, Brad, tells his father about the migration of the American Golden-Plover. They begin their journey from their wintering grounds in South America. They travel through fields, beaches, sod farms, etc. and end up on the Arctic Tundra. In the fall, they do the the opposite, traveling from the tundra to South America. I decided to name this blog "The Golden Plover" because it was likely that scene in the movie that inspired me to take my birding to the next level a few years ago. My name is Mike, by the way. I am eighteen years old and live in Northern New Jersey, and find myself birding whenever I can. Sometimes it at the local nature preserve, others in far away places like the Alpine Tundra of the Colorado Rockies. I decided to create this blog to share my adventures with the rest of the birding world. I intend to make daily posts, whether they're trip reports or reviews of a certain bird product or old memories brought back. Either way, I hope you find this blog entertaining and interesting to read.

Thanks for reading,

- Mike T.

American Golden-Plover
(Photo by Peter Wilton)

Range Map

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