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