marauders
Showing posts with label marauders. Show all posts
Showing posts with label marauders. Show all posts

Day 335 - November in the Books


The clock just struck 11:00 PM on 2016... So mathematically speaking it actually just hit 10:00 PM, but if we are going for symbolism, 11/12, then it sounds better to say 11:00 PM right? Let's not get lost in the details and just stick to the premise that it's the final hour, and there are still birds to be seen. But first, I have to regale you with the last few days of November and catch you up where we left off with me hinting at a possible 10th new year bird for November. I would be lying if I told you I didn't like Marauders. As a family, they are one of my favorites. A lot of birders and people, in general, have very little appreciation for this widespread, wandering, gregarious, and truly interesting group of birds.

I have all but tapped out the marauder keg barring a mega showing up in December, with the exception of one of the rare, but seemingly annual species that had only been seen once so far this year. So as I mentioned in my previous post, after multiple reliable reports surfaced and it appeared said bird would be sticking around at least through the weekend, I took off with one of my birding buddies to see if we could track it down. They have no idea about this secret big year, so it was just birding as usual. It was a great day to be out in the wilds looking at all things wild. The marauder wasn't difficult to find--year bird #353 the Glacial Marauder was quickly added to the list. This also made for 10 new year birds in the month of November, a number I am more than happy with.

10 new year birds. That's only one less than October and August combined. It is tied with March for the 5th biggest month total for new birds after January (145), May (85), April (56), and September (17). It wasn't completely inconceivable that November would be a big month given the October doldrums... In fact, if you take a loot at my October Recap, I might have saw this coming...

of the birds I hoped for in the last half of October, almost every species is still possible the remainder of the year. All is not lost. What this could mean is that I have an exceptionally great November with perhaps as many as 10 new year birds. It's certainly possible.

It wasn't hard to imagine the holdovers I expected in October, popping up in November. In fact from day 1 they started to show up. In all, there were only 2 species I had listed for October or November that I didn't end up getting--yet. Numbers wise I didn't spend all that much time birding in this month, just over 40 hours, but I didn't go birding 10 of the days. One surprising number is the mileage I turned out this month as I put over 1,500 miles on my car chasing birds. I can see that number getting passed in December, knowing that I will be on the tail of almost every reported species that seems like I have a reasonable shot at getting.

So what exactly does December hold in terms of chances for new birds? To be frank, there is a very short list of possibles left. I list 12 species that I "might" have a shot at. That's assuming Narnia has the winter of a lifetime and the birding gods send in the rarities on an unprecedented scale. Realistically, I imagine if I add 5 more year birds in December that would be a success. Let's shoot for 7 though, with a couple of the less expected species, plus 5 somewhat expected winter birds. That would put me at an even 360 for the year, a nice round number that divides into 12 months nicely.

But there are no guarantees. I might still be sitting at 353 in 31 days when the last seconds of this year drift away into 2017. It's hard to believe it's almost over, hopefully things don't flyby to fast here in the end...

New birds this post: 1
Year List: 353

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Day 59 - 150th Species

 The loon playing the "5" is not a clue... It was from a Canada 150th Anniversary logo.

The slow going of February has continued. Tomorrow I'll write my monthly recap for February, and mostly focus on the slow month it was.  Not a bad thing though.  But before that lets talk about today.  In the past month there have been a handful of species that escaped me.  And this winter we didn't have a single report of a species I have come to expect annually.  This kind of throws a wrench into the gears when you plan and things don't line up.  In the past 10 days though 2 species that became must gets popped up on my radar and eluded me on my first attempt to find them.  So this morning with fingers crossed, and a tank full of gas I set out to see if I could bring them in before they were gone for the year, with no guarantees for the winter that's now just 9 months away.

It didn't take long to track down both--cutting right to the chase in less than 3 hours I had my targets, and as luck would have it I only ran into one birder I knew.  I'm almost hesitant to talk about it, because what if they follow this blog?  I doubt they do, but what if?  Eek.  I guess if this person found out, I actually wouldn't care, I really like them, and I think they would keep my secret for the upcoming 10 months.  So I shared my finds with them, but then, I didn't report them to the local lists or put them in eBird.  It would be too obvious at the moment, and I'm fairly certain several Narnian's are following the blog.  So I apologize for not sharing my sightings, but at the same time, others have reported them in the last week, so I am just a chaser at this point.

One of the birds that had eluded me up till now was the Unscrupulous Marauder.  This darn bird had popped up 3 or 4 times in the past 58 days, and I had tried 3 or 4 times to find it--without luck!  Today I found it lounging right out in the open like it hadn't a care in the world.  I followed this up with a Loud Dancer.  There must have been 7 or 8 reports this winter, and I just hadn't been able to pick one up--until today.  Mission accomplished, with these two birds, I technically don't need to chase any other regular winter visitors to Narnia.  There are still 2 birds I could try to get in the next week.  If that happens the winter was basically a great success.

I'll talk more about misses tomorrow, and the plan for the coming month.  Tomorrow is my extra day for 2016--Leap Day. Can I add a bird on this day that might just be the key to breaking a big year record?  We'll see...

New birds today: 2
Year List: 150

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Day 29 - Last Minute Decisions

I had a blog post written for today already--I expected a ZERO day after a fruitless morning and wrote a post to get it taken care of and free up my evening.  But then I made a last minute decision to keep driving past civilization to a nearby reserve to see what I might turn up this afternoon.  Turns out it was a good decision...

So the other blog post is on hold for now.  There was something in the air--maybe the sun, maybe it was clouds, snow, rain, hail, fog, dust, moisture.  I can't be sure, it was probably at least one of those things, but I had a feeling that I needed to Sprechen Reserve before heading home for the day.  Sprechen always provides an interesting bird list.  Depending on the time of year you never know what might show up and over the last decade it has built a respectable 200 + species list.  I had a specific set of targets that I knew were around--at least some.  I hoped to be the first finder of a couple of birds for 2016 in Narnia, and this was as good of a place as any to check.

When I arrived things didn't seem so good.  The birds that generally flock to this oasis on the edge of civilization were scattered.  It took a few minutes to find the culprit--a Cliff Slayer flew past my vehicle and flushed everything several more times keeping the air constantly filled with various species of birds.  This was my first Cliff Slayer of the year, and one I had missed on my previous two trips to Sprechen this year.  Eventually the Slayer disappeared and things started to settle.  I was just about to leave when I spotted a Ghostly Marauder enter the fray.  It was beautiful--and as it fluttered past I admired its ghostly appearance. Tick number two for the day.


I decided to spend the next little bit seeing if anything else interesting joined the party.  I did a double take when I noticed what looked to be a Monster Marauder--I shook my head a couple times and confirmed it was indeed this rarity.  A new year bird and a great way to end things off.  I called it a day and headed home with 2 new year bird.  A last minute decision to go a little out of my way paid off with a pair of nice additions!

New birds today: 3
Year List: 145

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Day 23 - Jumping to Conclusions

This morning I was surprised to see a sharp increase in page hits on my blog this weekend.  I thought maybe the east-coasters who are bogged down at home during snow-pocalypse were taking a keen interest in my big year.  But that idea was quickly dissuaded when I found a neat tool on my blogger dashboard that lets me know where people are visiting from.  To my surprise somebody on a birding forum I will not mention by name started talking about my big year.  I had tried to join this forum earlier in the year, but my account was deleted since I mentioned that I had another account on the service--and this was strictly against their rules.  Bah hum bug.  Needless to say, it was interesting to see my year brought up, and how in less than 48 hours the detective/birders there had sliced and diced their way through various states, and birds to try and determine who and where I am.

It was fun to read their comments and see what they had come up with.  Some conclusions were well put together and spot on.  Others were expectedly off  as intended through the ambiguity in my posts, and species names.  But reading through these posts, and some of the comments I've received via my contact page, I thought I would clarify one main point that several people have jumped on.  In my initial post I said the following:

On an annual basis between 350-400 species are recorded in this state providing plenty of targets to chase.

Several detective have taken this very literally and used eBird to narrow the options.  The problem is eBird is useless for long term averages, and most birders seem to only look at the last decade.  But looking at a 50 year history of my state, the average # of birds recorded annually falls in this range--some years it may be higher, other years lower. The reason is that in the last 10 years the numbers of birds generally seen in any state trends higher than the 10 before that, and the 10 before that.  I did some math to come up with my total based on a cumulative history that takes into account a great deal of years with "less than" average combined with a recent history of "higher" than average.  350-400 might mean that over the last 50 years, total ranges anywhere from 250 to 450 species reported in any given year.

This means that narrowing things down to a handful of states doesn't necessarily rule out the outliers with higher or lower seemingly annual totals.  Confusing?  Damn right. :) It's supposed to be.  Guessing who I am in the 1st month and getting it right would be in my opinion a leap of faith, combined with sheer luck. That's not to say the clues aren't there to do it.


But at this stage in the year, it might just be a game of jumping to conclusions.  Wait, follow, and see what clues I provide as the months drag on.  Is it more fun to know who I am in the first 30 days, or to be on the edge of your seat wondering?  That was one of the main reasons I did this--a state big year generally doesn't intrigue a lot of people.  Mainly the folks who know you're doing it, and have an interest in your states listing.  But if it could be any one of 48 states (or 45, or 40 if you've already ruled out a few) it becomes more interesting.  The possibility that I might be one of your friends, or someone you see from time to time while birding certainly adds to the plot.

I hope this keeps everyone interested at some level.  I will help narrow things down as the year goes on, but won't fully reveal myself till the time is right.

I did manage to get in some birding today.  Some weekends aren't meant for birding--whether its because of the weather, or other obligations I won't get out every weekend.  So a couple hours today was a nice way to add 2 more birds to my year list.  The Diminutive Jerk and a wonderful Camouflaged Marauder were today's reward for taking the time to look carefully at every bird I could find.  The Jerk saves me a longer trip later in the year, or a chase when one shows up closer to home than usual.  Neither species are all that uncommon, but every new bird seen makes the path to a new big year record more clear.

New birds today: 2
Year List: 141

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Day 12 - Go Big or Go Home

I had an itch last night.  It was brought on by a post on a local bird list about a vagrant that was seemingly being harassed.  I had not gone to see said vagrant yet, not because I thought there would be another one later (which is certainly possible), but because the bird had been long staying.  And unless an act of nature prematurely ended its winter visit, it will likely continue through February and potentially into March.  But I know a lot of birders have gone and seen said bird, and with a holiday weekend looming, I decided to take action and make sure I got it before it was too late.

 These Shovelers were not the quarry today...

Birding ethics are something that I take very seriously.  Every birder at some time or another makes a poor decision that isn't in the best interest of the birds we enjoy.  But some birders behavior is so atrocious, it makes other birders not want to share their sightings or take part in the shenanigans.  Even me chasing this bird was likely putting undue stress on a an out of range bird.  The circus that sometimes surrounds vagrants has turned birders against photographers, and even worse one another.  With a shared interest in birds, it's surprising that not all birders think of birds and their well being in the same manor.  One of my pillars for ethical birding is taking pride in not harassing the birds I watch.  Whether with overuse of tape; pressure with photography; or getting too close--every birder has a choice in their interactions.  And those interactions leave a lasting impression on other birders.

Now that I've gotten my soap box stored for the week, let's talk birds.  I was out the door in the dark this morning for a bit of a drive, which went smoothly.  I was visiting a state park and after waltzing through the entry station I was focused.  It wasn't long before a glorious American Patriot soared overhead.  I admired it as it sailed past and lit on pile of rocks in the distance. The first of a handful of new year birds on this impromptu outing.

I spent the next 20 minutes waiting for the sun to break the horizon as twilight slowly gave way.  I snuck to a roost I've had luck with in previous years and sure enough found a pair of Pale Thief's hiding out of the public view.  Soon enough the sun was up, things warmed ever so slightly, and I was on foot hiking through the forest in search of my quarry.  Stunning Pessimists seemed to be flushing from every brush pile; new year birds and always a joy to see. I continued, checking several places where the cagrant had been reported but wasn't having much luck.

Eventually I wandered to an area that is particularly birdy most of the year and pished.  I looked up and the Fantastic Skulker glided by landing out of sight.  Success! This was the target bird--the vagrant I was looking for.  I slowly backed up and around the tangle where the bird was and spotted it sitting mid-canopy. I raised my camera to get a shot for the year but it quickly fluttered away.  I walked back to where I originally saw the bird and stood waiting.  It was only 2 or 3 minutes when out of the tangle the skulker glided in to the trees right above me.  I snapped a few obscured pictures, but still captured the reason its called Fantastic!

I was relieved, and wanted to leave the bird in peace, so I slowly headed away from the area.  I only made it about 100' when I froze at the sight of an animal I had never seen in my dozens of years on this planet. I was shocked--it was a creature of exquisite beauty and I struggled to get my camera up and focused.  It was almost like a mythical creature.  I know they exist (not just in Narnia) but had never before seen a Bamboozler... Sorry I can't tell you what it is, or show you the photos.  I want to share these ones badly as it was an amazing animal.  But it isn't found in probably 1/3 to 1/2 of the lower 48.  That would rule out a lot of territory and it's too early for that. Needless to say I enjoyed the show, and if you follow along through the end of the year, I will share tons of photos in early 2017 while I recap my year and tell the stories behind the stories I'm 1/2 telling now.

After the mythical beast disappeared I hurried back to my car for the drive back to society.  I still had targets to look for and scanned the road edges as I drove.  I came around a bend and in a distant tree I spotted a familiar shape. I raised my glasses and found a Menacing Cleaver perched surveying its surroundings. Another new year bird.  I had to cross a bridge before leaving and stopped to look at what was below.  A Bulky Cruiser accompanied a variety of yolk-sacs, and green-rumps. The cruiser was a nice find for the day--I expected to add one this weekend, but now it was a done deal.

I wasn't done yet.  I headed back to civilization and took off through some neighborhoods till I eventually found a Murdering Boaster in someones yard.  This species frequents the area and I knew it would be an easy pick up.  I still had a bit of a drive through the city and as I neared home I took a side trip. I was close enough to a couple ponds that I could check for anything random.  I had marauders on my mind but the first pond was void of anything out of the ordinary.  My second stop yielded just one Common Marauder; my 8th and final new bird for the day.  I checked a nearby lake as I wandered the last few miles but the only marauders were way to far off to get a good look at.

The morning was over.  I had traveled about 150 miles and killed 4 hours.  More importantly I picked up 2 good year birds that I don't have to worry about going forward.  Some days on a Big Year you have to throw caution to the wind and go big or go home.  Today I went big and it paid off.  Next time, I might strike out!

New birds today: 8
Year List: 84

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Day 6 - A Clairvoyant Told Me So

I'm not overly superstitious.  I've never had my fortune told, I don't read horoscopes, and I think "Mediums" are out of their minds... Sorry to any mediums reading this.  Occasionally I will check the same spot at the same time of year each year because a certain bird might be there.  This isn't anything super-natural; it's natural in fact.  If a Great Horned Owl for instance uses a roost one year, there is a high probability it will use the same next year.  Odds and chance along with patterns make birds some what predictable.  Today a little bird in my head told me to look for 3 birds that wouldn't take more than an hour.  So I obliged.

Today's targets were two birds that often frequent the ponds behind a local shop and I figured this would be an easy way to keep my "No-Zero" streak alive.

But the ponds were void of almost any birds.  No waterfowl, no songbirds, no waders, shorebirds, etc.  There were a small group of American Coots bobbing around, and several Variegated Dashers moved about with ease.  But that was it.  So I moved on.  I knew of another body of water close and thought to check it, but there were slim pickings there.  A pair of Compass Stripes were the best birds.  That left one species I thought I could check for, and after spending 15 minutes trying to find said Maniac (maniacs are a family of new world song birds) I moved on and was 0 for 3.  Desperation sank in.

I headed to a nearby park along a river where I thought I might be able to find an American Patriot.  This is a freebie folks--it's January, and I called a bird an American Patriot.  You can put two and two together and figure this one out.  After driving the perimeter of the park and checking every snag, limb, pole, and possible perch I shrugged to leave.  I stopped at a patch of trees and pished to see if anything would come to the edge. But it wasn't meant to be.  I started to drive off and caught a shape in the tangle! Great Horned Owl! And just like that my ZERO day turned into a plus one!


The owl was deep in the trees and would have been unseen unless you were looking closely.  With a new found burst of positive feelings I started to head back from my outing.  I found a flock of Marauders. I scanned them to look for anything out of place.  I stopped as a slightly smaller bird popped out from the group.  I stared for a second looking over its features; it was a juvenile Thin-billed Marauder!  This species is never guaranteed year in and out so it was a relief to find one now and not have to worry about it later

I was now satisfied with my two newbies and headed home when I caught a shape on a distant power pole. I slammed on my breaks--Clairvoyant! The shape was obvious and it looked to be feasting.  I flipped around and drove to a better vantage point then got it in my glasses. Success!  Ironically as the Clairvoyant flies this was about 2/3 of a mile from where I had my false-Clairvoyant yesterday.  I have seen them numerous times here in the past so I shouldn't have been all that surprised. A valid food source, the right habitat, and a usual place were the right mix of natural things to nail down this stunning bird.

New birds today: 3
Year List: 66

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