Okay, I am ready to give up a major family of birds--the migrants. And if you read the title you now know that MIGRANTS = WARBLERS. Now I'll save you the trouble of going through the list and figuring out how many migrants are listed--just 18. This doesn't include 3 species which I called by other names which are included in the list below. So 21 species of warblers in a year. How many states can you eliminate with that information? Quite a few, so I won't do any favors and list them--it's pretty easy. But here are the warblers I saw in 2016:
Bobbing Migrant
Purchased Migrant
Enlisted Migrant
Variable Migrant
Subtle Migrant
Honky-tonk Migrant
Companion's Migrant
Hidden Migrant
Marsh Migrant
Tiger Migrant
Common Migrant
Slapping Migrant
Confusing Migrant
Kinfolk Migrant
Arid Migrant
Trek's Migrant
Castaway Migrant
Northern Migrant
Usual Candle
Septentrional Triller
Late-night Talker
I actually missed 4 species of warblers in Narnia this year. 2 that I absolutely should have gotten, and 2 that I chased and couldn't relocate. The one breeder that I missed was stupid on my part. I kept making excuses that I would get it later, and well, later never came. One of the regular migrants I missed because I thought I could stretch its migration window based on sightings in nearby states. I missed the height of migration and in turn missed it all together. Both of these species I easily picked up in my previous big year which really made them sting.
Of the other two species which are both vagrants, I was at the park where one was seen 3 hours after it had been found. A big storm had come through the night before, and the winds were awful. A friend and I spent an hour scouring the trees, shrubs, etc, and couldn't make it appear. I thought for sure I was going to add this bird as the park was rather small so I figured we would be able to track it down. The wind probably hurt as we couldn't hear if it were singing or calling. In the end, I didn't have it on my expected species list, so it wasn't a huge miss, just a frustrating could have been.
The other warbler I missed that was reported was simply bad timing. I was out of town when it was reported and by the time I was able to go look it had moved on. It was a long shot given the location, but that's birding. I had listed it as a possible for this year as they are almost reported annually in Narnia--and yet it remains a nemesis for me :)
There was also one other species reported that was misidentified. I definitely didn't waste my energy trying to track it down since the pictures showed what species it was.
Three other species of warbler that are reported most years weren't reported at all this year. That's was a pretty big let down as I sort of expected a fall turn out of warbler migrants to help buoy my list. It just never happened. The unexpected combined with my lack of proper planning for two other species left me a bit short on warblers. 25 species should have been a reasonable outcome.
Now let's just hope a meg doesn't show up in Narnia in the next few weeks... Then I might have to make up a whole new name to keep the secret for a couple days!
New birds today: 0
Year List: 353
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The slowdown continued for the last 10 days of the month. Just as fast as things got hot mid-month, they slowed back to a crawl for the remainder of October. I also have to admit that I failed to include one species on my previous post that was seen the day before I published. I had already written and scheduled the post for the 21st before that date and didn't add in a bird I saw on the 20th. The bird on the 20th was the last new bird I saw for the month...
One thing that has become overtly apparent this year is the lack of sharing going on in the community. The shift to Facebook from local listservs, and to eBird have greatly diminished the number of shared up-to-the-minute sightings. It is awful. I missed at least 2 birds in October because of this. Both are birds I readily would have dropped everything to chase had I gotten an email when reported. Both may be complete misses for the year now--which would make this sting even more. The worst part is that some of it comes from a place of selfishness, that is incomprehensible in an activity like birding. It isn't a case of new birders not knowing any better--it is the case of people who have decided they have no desire to share.
I for my part have also kept several things off the radar this year. My reasons are just as selfish. But, I can honestly say that what I share far outweighs what I don't. Which is why I don't feel bad about my latest secret find. Now, to be honest the bird was on private property not accessible to the public. I had received the owner's permission to take a look around the property a few times this year and have taken advantage. When I walked up to a patch of trees and began to pish I didn't expect the Tiger Migrant to flutter out onto a branch--but I sure was excited about the find.
I tucked the sighting away on my spreadsheet of birds found this year, submitted a checklist without the bird, and left it at that. As far as anyone else was concerned the Tiger Migrant was never seen. No one could've chased it without trespassing, and I didn't want to share. I was fed up with the way others were acting, and given the big years others were having in Narnia it was hard to trust some people to stay away given some events that had happened earlier in the year.
I had expected another pickup or two in the waning days, but here it is October 31st and nada. 4 new year birds in a 31-day span. While I hoped for more species, all is not lost. For starters, 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. But oh, where did those wild things go?
The bulk of the regular passerine migration is all but over here in Narnia. There will still be winter songbirds that haven't arrived yet, but the big push is done. That means warblers are all but out of the question from here on out. So let's talk a little bit about warblers and what I saw this year. I can't give you specifics on exactly how many I saw, but I saw all but 2 regularly occurring species in 2016. I should have gotten both as I did in my previous big year. Outside of the regulars, I saw an additional 5 species that aren't seen regularly or require a chase most years when reported. Of all the warbler species reported in Narnia this year I missed 4 species.
From here on out if I add any species of wood warblers they will all be unexpected and a bonus for the year. And usually, every winter brings at least one surprise like this to Narnia. But as October progressed, and migration slowed, the warbler flight diminished too. The wild things left, and I was a species or two short of expectations I had...
There are officially 61 days left in 2016. I would really like to see another 17-20 species of birds this year. I don't want to settle for much less--and really need to get just about everything reported from here on out. There will probably be more of others not sharing, and potentially more of me doing the same. For every bird I haven't shared this year--there are 20-30 I have (literally). Really, I just want these 61 days to pass quickly so I can be done with this ridiculous endeavor. No matter how it ends, it will be a relief to not constantly be thinking about this stuff any more...
New birds this post: 1
Year List: 343
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One night last week an email crossed the local listserv with a report of The Pompadour. It was too late to chase and I had a busy couple of days ahead, so I wasn't sure if I'd be able to chase at all. I figured I'd wait and see if it was relocated the next day before making a decision. Sure enough it was found the following morning and reported sporadically during the day. Anxiously I imagined the chase in my head. It was less than an hour drive and I could potentially be there and back in 90 minutes if everything panned out. Avoiding other birders might be problematic given the location and the fact it was a rarity, but it was a good year bird and one I couldn't afford to miss.
I finally managed to get away around 6:30pm and sped most of the way to the stakeout--I pretty much hit every red light on the way making it seem like it took forever. When I arrived I found The Pompadour not overly pompous, and quite accommodating in the evening glow. The best part--not a birder in sight! I enjoyed the bird for a few minutes, before I packed back into the car and snuck off without being noticed. I was home, not having spent more than 1 hour and 20 minutes total for the chase, view, and return. All while keeping under the radar.
The Pompadour was a nice add for September and brought my total up to 334. The following week could potentially be a big one, with at least 3 targets on my radar, and with the middle of September who knows what might show up.
Now shortly after The Pompadour sighting I had a look at my year list and in reviewing one bird that I had not added, and talking with others, I decided to go back and tack in one year bird--the Identifiable Hustler. Initially I was unsure whether or not I was going to count it and left it on a tentative list--this one isn't in the category of the "Do-you-count-it Bird", but more in the category, of I'm not 100% sure of the ID. As the days and weeks past I have gotten more and more comfortable with the call and decided to add it unless I have a change of heart down the road.
Instead of inserting it where I saw it on my list, I am placing it at 335 for the time being. At the end of the year I'll go back and place it where it belongs accordingly.
The following week was slow. I didn't add any new birds, and despited looking at 100's of migrants I couldn't turn anything into a rarity. I was in a drought. The hot start into the middle of the month was over. I had expected to keep the big birds coming but there was just nothing to be seen. I finally was able to take a few days and focus on some specifics as the month started wrapping up and tabbed 4 new year birds in 72 hours. It all started with the infamous Do-you-count-it Bird. And yes, I am counting it. This was the first Do-you-count-it Bird I've seen in several years and I thought I had missed my shot for 2016. But not only did I get great looks, I got some really interesting pictures. A couple hours later and I stumbled upon some Angry Bellowers calling in the woods. This was getting to be one of my last resident birds to pick up, and it couldn't have come at a better time. I planned on spending some serious time in October looking if I missed out on this trek, but luckily it didn't come to that.
After this I got back to keeping secret what I found. I found two easily chase-able birds at places birders were frequenting near the end of the month. First came a Gorgeous Spinner. Inevitably this species i reported a handful of times each year. Often at the same place--and most of the time they are 1-day or even 1-hour wonders. It was a weekday morning, and I knew the birds weren't going anywhere based on where they were at that moment. I just couldn't let this one go so easy. This was a species I had actually already chased back in May and missed, so I was just excited to finally pick one up.
Later the same day a Lemon-frosted Riveter popped into my binocular view. This earlier than expected find was also at a location where other birders had been often in the previous days. The truth is I don't think anyone would even think to look for this bird where it was found because everyone coming to the area was so focused on a specific habitat and species that this specific "patch" was going unchecked. I certainly wasn't the first person here this week, nor would I be the last--but this report was going int the vault as well.
I'll make up for these secrets later on I figure. Nothing has been so rare that it would lead to anyone missing out on a once in a lifetime bird. I wouldn't do that. But these birds reported a couple times each year are expendable for this one time undercover adventure. It's helping keep my identity under the wraps, while allowing me to keep building my year list.
As the month came to a close I added a photo of an Enlisted Migrant, a bird seen earlier this year that I missed an opportunity to photograph. This is going to be one of the things I try to focus on in the coming months--adding pictures of as many birds I've seen but didn't take pictures of as possible. The truth is that things are going to come to a pretty abrupt halt for the rest of the year. The brunt of fall migration is over... I have my targets for each of the three months and an a pretty good idea of where I am going to be come Dec 31 now. But of the birds I've seen this year, I am missing pictures of about 30. I can probably get pictures of about 1/2 of those. I have recordings of 4 species I didn't photograph--use your imagination and you might be able to guess what family. Then there are 12 species I just missed my opportunity on. Those are the ones that I hate--in some cases they are common (6 actually) and I just didn't take the time early on to get a picture because I was so focused on birding.
Hindsight right? A big year isn't about photos, but it certainly is fun to try and get as many as possible to go along with what you saw.
This was absolutely the September to remember in terms of what I saw and where I ended up. Sitting at 339 today, I saw almost every bird I looked for, and aside from the vagrants I'd hoped would be reported and weren't--I didn't miss much. September was exactly what I wanted in terms of new birds--I added 17 species in comparison to just 7 in August. I wanted to be right around 340 so I am sitting pretty.
But as I mentioned this is the beginning of the end. The next 3 months should be 3 of the slowest, most doldrums of the year. There just aren't that many birds left to see. Going through my list of possibles for the next 92 days and there are just 5 species I hope/expect to see in the following 31 days. Here is a little insight into the rest of the year as well--on top of the 5 for October, I hope to see 10-11 new species in November, and finally just around 6 in December. So--there you have it--my end goal for right now is roughly 360 species. Take that for what it's worth. Who knows what October will really bring, and if the next 3 months will pan out as expected. Is 360 a new big year record in Narnia, or am I coming up short? Will there be some mega rarities that propel that total higher? Will I miss some things I am expecting and come up 5, 10, or more short?
Your guess is as good as mine.
New birds this post: 6
Year List: 339
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When I look back at the first week of September in a few months, I might have some regrets--and it's not about the birds I saw--but about the birds I shared. I have for all intents and purposes been a boy scout this year in terms of reporting what I see. Unless its a chase of someone else's bird, I pretty much always let others know. This week the boy scout went dark... It started out with a Harsh Inspector. Not an every day bird in Narnia, but usually reported annually, sometimes with several showing up. To my knowledge this was the first of the year. I saw it and pulled out my phone to share--then I had a moment, and put my phone away. This was a turning point for the year--the 1st day of September, the biggest month of the fall, and I had 1 new bird already. But I wasn't going to share...
The fact is, I think I have serious competition. I don't know how serious, but part of me is telling myself to hold back. This person has already chased several birds I've found this year, where in return they haven't produced a single rarity for me to chase. I know this isn't eye for an eye, but this birders is acting how a big year birder acts. Part of me is nervous--what if this person hasn't put all their sightings into eBird this year? What is their actual year number? It's high as is, and them chasing everything seems like a giveaway.
So I didn't share. 20 minutes pass and I run into another birder--we chat for a bit and I don't spill the beans--if anything they will find the inspector and get to take credit, and I can act like I missed it. But they didn't find it. Okay, I hid one from everyone--that's not me, but there's a lot at stake at the moment, and I'm playing it close to the chest.
The following day I was off in pursuit of a rarity that someone else reported--long overdue for this fall. It was a good bird for Narnia and would be a major bonus for the year. I arrived at Frozen Lake near the Witch's Camp--no birders. That's a plus. I made my way to the area the bird was seen and started looking. This was my second visit to the lake in as many weeks, and the last trip turned up a handful of new birds. I saw much of the same but slowly put together a huge list of birds for the day. By the time I left I tallied almost 70 species in under 2 hours. As I searched I spotted the bird I had come to look for--a Perfect Sprinter. And I wouldn't have to report it since no one else saw me.
I was still looking when I spotted a bird that looked out of place--it was a Pale-based Sprinter! This was a great find for my big year and something I really should report--but... I watched and tried to get a shot in flight as it disappeared past some trees and out of sight. I managed a descent shot with cloud cover and a little rain making it difficult. Another new year bird--another really good bird--but if I reported it people would know I was here. Shoot. How was I going to handle this.
For another 15 minutes I looked for birds when I spotted another out of place species. A Unique Vaultbill was sitting right out in the open. This was out of season for sure--I had expected to get one in the coming months, but not today. 3 new year birds in under an hour. Okay how would I not report these? Not only were 2 new reports, but the bird I chased was rare and others would want to know it was still around. But I couldn't do it, I needed the animosity.
Then birders showed up. I don't want to go to much into this at the moment, but I'll share more on this day/week after the year is over. Do you think I said anything about the birds? You can probably imagine based on this post...
On the 3rd I again found myself in the field at one of my favorite fall birding stops. Lots of migrants were passing through and in the first little bit I flushed my first Quaker's Inspector of the year. Three days in to September and I had already tallied 5 new year birds. This is exactly how I needed the month to go--I just hoped that Karma wasn't going to bite me in the ass for my shenanigans.
Now there is no code among birders to share their sightings. In fact there are birders in Narnia who never contribute anything to the community--this includes some birders who spend a lot of time afield and find some good birds from time to time. For some birding is a very personal thing--they look at birds, enjoy their time with them, and that's it. They may from time to time find good birds, and its a reward for them and only them. There are also the birders who perceive that they are sharing by reporting a rarity hours, or even days later--after its gone. The reason vary--I was out of cell service... I couldn't get 3G to work... I wanted to make sure I was right about the ID... And so on and so forth. These birders are almost worse in their sharing because in some cases it seems almost like its done on purpose. There is one particular birder who in the past 2 years has had 2 mega rarities that I have yet to see in Narnia. In both cases the report was after the birds were long gone...
I tend to share--maybe over share even. There is a very social aspect to birding, and helping other get to see birds they've never seen before is a fun feeling. It's also easier to share now then ever before so I expect it to happen--and immediately. So here I am now withholding 4 rare species in the first 72 hours of the month. I am being the person I can't stand--and worse, I told no other birders--not even my friends. I think at the end of the year that is what I will feel bad about. Not telling at least a handful of people I genuinely care about. Will they understand my reasoning? Will they think I was selfish? Will they tell me that my secret would have been safe with them? Will they be mad because they could've helped me get more birds maybe? IT doesn't matter, because the whole point was a secret big year, and with it will come secrets that inevitably leave a bad taste in any number of peoples mouths.
At some point at the end of December or early January others are going to find out what I did, my eBird checklists will show up--my year number will update--and I will reveal what I was up to. I still don't know how people will react--but I can't imagine this type of behavior will be a positive. There is a price to pay for everything, and I don't know what mine will be yet.
Although I was worried about the birding gods and karma coming together to punch me in the mouth, the first week ended with a surprise Northern Migrant, making 6 new year birds in as many days. What an incredible start to the month and hopefully an omen for the coming 3 weeks. I have a list of 14 more birds I hope to stumble upon in the next 24 days--and that doesn't take into account some crazy things showing up. So shhhhh, don't tell anyone what I'm seeing, or that my secret big year is making me keep secrets!
New birds this post: 6
Year List: 328
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So August is over--completely too fast, and with too few new year birds. I thought August would surpass July in terms of new year birds, but things didn't quite pan out. I added 7 new bird this month--only one of which was unexpected for the year. I did miss a couple of birds that others reported, although I'm not sure how reliable one of the reports was (not very in my opinion), and the other was a quick sighting, in an inaccessible area. So really, I got what I could.
The expected birds are almost always going to be attainable with minimal effort. I've been putting forth an extra push of effort the tail end of the month trying to turn my time into the field into an opportunity for something unexpected to pop up. The more time one spends looking, the better the odds of the unexpected filling ones binocular view. The first 1/3 of fall migration is now over and I need September to produce more. Just more. More new birds, more rare birds, more unexpected birds. If September doesn't come through, it might be the end of the big year... And that's not me being dramatic.
I've mentioned the numbers game before. I know where I am supposed to be for the end of August, and things are mathematically okay for now. But September has to be huge. How huge you ask? At a minimum I need to double what I saw this month--tripling it would be ideal. One thing for certain--if I don't hit double-digits, that means I am falling behind in the numbers game, and like I said, that could be disastrous.
BUT...
Maybe I am being dramatic. I've been in this spot this year already and the birding gods came through, making sure everything happened as it needed to. September might turn out to be an excellent month that exceeds my expectations and keeps my secret big year rolling. I feel like I make this sort of recap/prediction every month, and maybe that's just the way you think when doing a big year.
In any event let's talk about the last week of August and how I go to where I currently am. After 3 solid weeks of no new year birds I picked up 4 in short succession. This was followed by 3 more birds in the final week. Two came in the same day while I was trying to track down something good. Both birds I had expected to pick up in the next month, so I added them slightly early. The first was a quick look at a Usual Candle that either didn't like my presence, or just decided it was going to be difficult and moved out of view. This was followed up almost immediately by a Trek's Migrant. I didn't get a picture, but will be able to in the next little bit hopefully.
The Candle was a good to get out of the way--I thought I saw one earlier in the day, but it was scared off when someone with a chainsaw started up. A few days later I returned to the chainsaw site--no chainsaws this time, and a stream of migrants passing through the trees. I spotted something that looked different and as it flew was excited for a new year bird. When I got my binoculars on it however, it wasn't what I had expected, but was instead a different year bird, and one that I had altogether written off for the year, an Independent Inspector.
The inspector was a nice add before the end of August and certainly helps in the numbers game. And that's August. It's over. With that the year is also 2/3 complete. Today marks the exact 2/3 mark--244 of 366 days gone. With 122 left I am starting to think about how the year will end, and how I will wrap up this blog, reveal who I am, and share my story with real names, places, and the things I haven't told here.
Birding Narnia this year has certainly been an experience, but we're approaching the time of year where we find out if this journey through the wardrobe was all for nought...
New birds this post: 3
Year List: 322
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At the time of my last post things were looking down--the year had come to a grinding halt, and it had been 3 weeks without a new year bird. I was starting to wonder if August was going to be a complete bust. I expected big things for August and September. If May is the biggest month of the spring in Narnia, August is usually the biggest month of the fall. This should have meant a heap of new birds, a few rarities to mix things up, and keeping me on pace for a big year. But 18 days in and I hadn't seen a single new species.
I knew that things should be showing up and it was time to seriously start seeking things out. If others weren't reporting things, I knew I had to just go look and find what I could on my own. I decided to take an afternoon hike through a nearby woodlot. It's no secret that it's fall migrant time and there were birds to be found--it was just a matter of are there new birds arriving, and will there be any in this forest today? It didn't take long to hear a couple of Average Wood-Pewee calling. These weren't migrants, and had been here since the spring, but it was just nice to have a few birds around. I could hear some chip notes coming from high in the trees. Some of the notes were easy to pick out while one was lighter than the expected species here. I pished emphatically and the little migrant dropped in to eye level about 10' away--BINGO! A new year bird with my first Honky-tonk Migrant of 2016.
There would be more of these to come during migration as they made their way through Narnia heading south. But it felt good to finally add a new year bird after the drought. My hopes were high that this was a sign of migration being fully underway and packed with arrivals--it wasn't. I saw only a few other migrants that were expected and already seen this year. But one new year bird sure beat the alternative of none!
A couple days later I decided to make my way to a nearby protected area to see what was around. The birding was actually quite phenomenal. I visited in the middle of the day, and avoided running into any other birders which was a huge plus. But the birds--the swarms of birds was simply a welcome sight. Migrants on their way through, flocks of birds stacking up as they prepared for their journey south, and the lingering breeders combined for great visuals. If I was just out for a day of photos it would have been a great time, but I was in search of year birds, and anything new I found would make it a truly memorable day.
It didn't take long either.
As soon as I stopped the car and hopped out, I flushed a bird from the ground nearby. As it flew I called out--Lonely Sprinter! That was a year bird. It landed and I got good looks before moving on in search of others. It was just a few moments when scanning through a pile of rocks I spotted a Masculine Sprinter. Add another one to the year list in under 5 minutes. As I kept my search up it wasn't even a minute later when I spotted a Silvery-brown Sprinter. 3 new year birds in a span of less than 10 minutes, and I didn't even have to wander to far from the comfort of my car. I mentioned at the end of July that 2 new year birds in a day would be a great day--so 3 was, well, pretty awesome!
Just like that the 4th week of August things had picked up. 4 new year birds in a few days and I was back in the thick of it. I kept a low profile and left my reports out of eBird, as will likely the norm for the coming months. Hopefully, this is just the start of a really big 2 months of migration...
New birds this post: 4
Year List: 319
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A week ago I was reeling from the July slog. Summer is moving along at a pace that isn't becoming of a big year. On the flip side I mentioned Olaf Danielson and his big year, while I failed to note there was actually another birder just 4 birds behind him at the time. This is perhaps because the #2 guy, isn't using eBird--shame on you. It's hard to take any birder seriously in 2016 who doesn't use eBird, especially if you are in the public eye in a major listing competition--like a big year. For eBirders, Olaf is the clear year leader--but as it turns out, he hasn't broken the record yet--while the guy who was at #2 is actually sitting at number one, with 754 year birds and a new ABA record. John Weigel ticked off 750 over the weekend and has added 4 more this week, putting him 5 past the previous record already. Where Danielson had been vocal and the name in the public sphere, Weigel, had quietly on his blog been cataloging his ridiculous year as well.
With 5 months left to go will it be a neck and neck race with these two? Will Weigel continue to pull away? Or will Danielson have a big push to regain the lead? And will one of them top 800 species in a year in the ABA? I personally can't imagine wasting the time, money, and energy for this arbitrary record. The most birds in the continental U.S., as well as Canada and Alaska in a year. It's really a strange border, considering we allow the counting of birds in the Aleutians--islands closer to Russia than the mainland U.S., but we don't allow birds form Mexico, or the Caribbean... An arbitrary boundary... It's a feat none-the-less, and pretty incredible. But it's not my cup of tea.
In any event, back to my secret big year. Also rather arbitrary when you mention it. This person is quietly doing a big year in their state, while using made up names to hide their state and identity along the way. And for what? State borders are just as arbitrary. Set by men for political reasons. Habitat doesn't stop at the border, and birds don't either. But alas, I am doing this, because it's fun for me. It also doesn't require, the time, money, or effort as an ABA big year. A more feasible big year for your average person. So here I am doing my arbitrary, feasible secret big year with July 2/3 of the way over--and yes, I did see some new birds this week!
I actually ticked off 5 new year birds in the past 9 days, and not all of them were species I expected for the week. Things started off with the expected. I knew there was a Dribbling Conquistador frequenting a patch of trees in a public forest. I had actually already visited this summer and spent some time scouring the trees with no luck. As it were, I actually heard the bird early on in my second search, and finally tracked it down a short time later, breathing a big sigh of relief for a bird that was turning into 1 of 2 year nemesis. I had put on countless miles on foot looking for this species this summer and was starting to wonder what I was going to do to get it. But it all worked out!
About an hour later while walking through the forest just a few miles away in hopes of a flyover of another year bird I had a flyby--of a different species, I hadn't intended to see this day. My year Defensive Hobbit flew by--and although it was a first for the year, by the end of the week I had seen almost 20. Almost too easy. But I had again missed 2 species I had hoped for on this outing. I would have to come back again later, because I still needed to must get year birds from the area.
The following day was a hot one and I spent a great deal of time in search of birds. I needed photos of a few, so I used the time to track down and get pictures of several birds I needed for the year. I have no idea ho many of them I have actually photographed at this point, but I do know that in the afternoon I added year bird #310, a Upper Stirrer, and managed a picture. I had this stirrer on my list for the last 2 weeks of July, so it was right on time. The end of the day brought one more year bird--a surprise find, and a good year bird in a Northern Thief. I have tried several times for this Thief in 2016 but thus far had come up empty on each occasion. The best part of find it was this was a bird I did not get last time--something I need for the 2nd half of the year!
The last year bird of the week came and went in a hurry. While walking along a path taking in some amazing Narnia scenery, I noticed some movement in a nearby bush. I found the bird and was surprised to see an Enlisted Migrant. A good bird and one I wasn't expecting this summer. I had already looked for one this year unsuccessfully, so this was another win for the year.
But not all things are looking up. I can do math and I know where I want to be, need to be, and should be. I won't divulge where I actually fit in to those 3 numbers, but based off this, you can assume I am falling behind. As it happens some of my misses this summer will cancel out by some other great things I find. But some will just be holes in my list. Of my original list of wants for July I only have 6 logical, and realistic species remaining. And being perfectly honest, I don't know if I can even get 3 of those. All 6 are possible for months to come, so it's not perilous--yet.
But it is hard looking at a list and knowing that you've tired 6,7, or 8 times for a single bird and are yet to have one. Yet you've seen them on 10 other eBird checklists this summer. Then there are the issues of the species that for some reason just aren't being reported. In specific two resident species that are normally summer staples have been under reported this summer, and for one species there is only one possible report. If you miss the things you guarantee for yourself, then you're really in trouble. I think I will get all these species, and probably all 6 on my list of wants--but it will probably be into September to clear them all off my list.
This is where the math comes into play, time for a reality check. While earlier I mentioned that I was within 10 species either way, you might have taken that as up to 10 species short. A possibility, As I keep running through the birds I absolutely expect for the rest of the year, and a handful of birds I think will likely show up, it's possible I am 5 short of the record. Yikes. It's a stressful proposition--all this work to keep secret and put in a big effort and I am not all that sure that I can overcome those 5 birds. This is pessimistic me. Now time for optimistic me. Getting to that number 5 short is plausible--and that doesn't include a bunch of mega rarities, only a few. If fall migration brings in some really good birds, then 5 more really isn't that many to make up--in fact running numbers a little differently, I might pass the record by 5. Optimistic me thinks that if I keep to my strategy and just make sure to chase everything that shows up I should be able to do it. There's no telling how things will go.
Imagine having these thoughts run through your head every day and tell me that even a state big year doesn't cause a little stress. Luckily I don't have to fly 3,000 miles tomorrow to chase a rarity on some coast, then turn right around for another on the other side of the states. At most I have to drive a little bit--maybe tell a fib or two about where I am, and just keep on pushing through the slog. I like the sound of that...
New birds this post: 5
Year List: 312
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Where last week filled my list with the expected--this week filled it with the much needed and truly unexpected. Over the weekend I had opted not to chase a bird that was only 15 minutes from me at one point. I don't quite know what went through my head at the time, but it was passing on a slam dunk. The following day I looked for it to no avail. What a mistake--or so I thought. I decided to take one more shot at it, and see if by some miracle it had been hidden away when I looked--and luck must have been on my side. I pulled up to the marsh where the Trivial Lounger had been and spotted it flying immediately. I was just plain lucky...
It was a huge find in that if I missed it, there were no second chances later in the year. This spring migrant rarely if ever shows its face in Narnia during the fall. I decided to press my luck for the day and headed to the hills to visit some feeders I check periodically throughout the year. I first stopped to check a thicket for a species that should be arriving any day, and was glad to hear my first Capped Thicketbird of the year.
Moving along, the feeders were loaded with seed and birds. In a matter of 30 minutes I added a Sparkling Hobbit and a Great Vigilante from the nearby woods. Although I categorize both these species as birds I would see in 2016, or "expected", they are at the bottom of the expected list and should've required a little more work. Some days you get lucky though and the birds come to you with ease.
The next day, I set out for more migrants in a lowland area. I was in need of something out of the ordinary, and set out to find something. It's funny how that works as after a short hike I turned up a not-so-shocking Shocking Bird. This was not on my previous big year list, so a huge plus, and in general a "shocking" find. I tallied another year birds with the first Summer Skulker of the season, followed up by a singing Purchased Migrant. I put the migrant on my list with some hesitation. The find was an audible, and I narrowed it pretty quickly. After listening to a recording I made I stuck with my guns as there is nothing that sounds quite like it.
Continuing my week and streak of days with new year birds I was excited to pick up my first Black-and-white Overseer of the season mid week. The endless stream of migrants did slow a bit, but an overnight storm on Wednesday turned up a lot of birds the following day. I added my Summer Orchid for the year and saved myself a trip later in the summer to a remote location in Narnia to see one. I may still have to go, as I wan unable to get any pictures.
I have always been big on taking photos to help have some amount of culpability and credibility, but it's impossible to capture something 100% of the time. Given my secret big year this is problematic, since in many cases I only get one shot at a bird to make sure I'm not being too obvious. And often I am trying to enjoy the moment and unable to get a shot of before the chance has passed. It's a constant struggle to weigh the needs of getting a good look and being satisfied for the count versus trying to make sure I document the year.
Some days I win the battle and get great looks and photos. Other days I enjoy a nice look, but that's it. I pick my battles accordingly and know that some birds just aren't going to make it on film...
New birds today: 9
Year List: 285
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What, you thought migration was over. It's just getting hot! I made a trek around Narnia the past couple days tracking down a handful of must get species. Several had limited windows for seeing them--either due to their timing, or my ability to be where they are. With the undercover big year I really am limited in a sense. I have to plan trips and make them see like everyday birding, so I can be in the right place, at the right time, for the right birds. If I miss I may be up craps creek. That was the case with the past couple days. I made plans and had to be where I had to be. And it mostly paid off.
Friday started off with a quick pile of year birds. A calling Hidden Migrant was the first year bird of the morning, calling from a thicket where it was--hidden. This was followed almost immediately by a singing Ocean Zebra-bird which I didn't just want to hear, so I tracked it down, getting great looks while the sun lit the bird up perfectly. This species of Zebra-bird has a wide distribution in Narnia, but is very localized. Despite being found throughout the state, they are by no means common.
It wasn't too long after this that a must get bird for the year piped up from a tree high above. It was a singing Influential Poet. Like its sister species, this poet has a lot to say--and I always listen when it "talks". A singing male is a slam dunk on a species that sometimes can confuse even the most ardent observers. I enjoyed the song, and the outfit this poet sported. A real stunner, and a great year bird out of the way.
As the day went on the new year birds kept coming. A Plain Inspector followed by a Late-night Talker and things were looking good. The talker is a favorite of mine, but I only heard it today. I debated whether or not to share the next year bird by it's secretive, but suggestive name. It opens up the possibilities for eliminating states. But if you've been paying attention most of the states it eliminates should have already been obvious. The singing Average Wood-Pewee was easy to track down and hopefully this isn't too big of a giveaway. You decide what's average for you--Eastern or Western... I know what's average for me.
The day just kept producing and before long I have my first Kinfolk Migrant and a singing Drab Inspector. The forest I was birding in was certainly handing over some freebies and making things easy. But nothing was a given. In fact I missed one of the most common species I expected to come across. Now I have to make sure I get back at some point int he coming months to nail one down. Eventually I heard my first Hustler species for the year--an Average Hustler. It took longer than normal into the year to get one, and I had expected 2 or 3 species on the day. I happily took the year bird though.
The afternoon netted a Nutty Conquistador which saved me some time later on having to worry about tracking one down. Very limited in Narnia there are only 4 or 5 semi-reliable locations where they can be found. Apparently for the last year they have been rather sparse where I had mine, but it was an easy find on this day. And finally after several days looking I picked up a Disguised Colorful to end the day and leave just 2 target birds I needed before the week came to an end.
Saturday started off slowly. Migration seemed to have ground to a halt overnight and I didn't find a single new migrant for the year. Eventually a singing Desert Master-hustler brought my need list for the day down to one species. And just an hour later a gorgeous Quaker's Overseer wrapped up my needed year birds for the week. I spent a little time with the Quaker's, admiring their simple ways, and striking look. It had been a number of years since I had one, so I reveled in the moment and soaked in the experience. The past week had been huge, migration didn't stop despite one slow morning. I had picked up 33 new year birds in the past 7 days and was right on pace where I needed to be for the year. I had some great finds, some necessary finds, and the expected finds of course. And as far as I know, my identity still remains a secret to most...
New birds today: 13
Year List: 264
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This week started moving fast. In just 2 days I racked up another 7 species for my year list. This time instead of swordsman, it was the Barrellers that got things started. I quickly found my first Contrasted Barreller of the year followed up by a nice Mineral's Barreller. Two barrelers out of the way and the sky was the limit. I spent yesterday afternoon wandering around a migrant trap hoping for a good vagrant. Although I saw a ton of birds, the vagrants were not to be found. I did run into a Soldier's Conquistador obviously out of habitat during its migration. I had missed this species at every turn up till now this year, so was relieved to have it out of the way.
Today started off with another species that had managed to hide from me for at leas the past 45 days. I finally spotted a Crescent Joy, ticking a birds that I was starting to worry about--strange for something I expected to come across potentially back in March. I got to bird on of my favorite hot spots in the evening, and despite a few annoying non-birders in the area, it was a fun experience. I added just one bird while out, a Companion's Migrant. I was searching for a specialty birds that I wouldn't have many chances for later, so I wasn't sure what I was going to do when I missed it. I decided to try something out, and checked a nearby location--sure enough after a little work, I added my Motionless Thief for the year. It wasn't the kind of encounter I enjoy all that much, but when it comes to getting the birds you need for the year, I'll take any I can get. As a side note it was my 250th species for 2016--a nice milestone to move past...
I ended the day with one last year bird--an Arid Gloom-spectre. With that name you must be wondering what the hell kind of bird is that. I will tell you that I only had an audible, but its a truly memorable sound.
Migration continued today, and I can only imagine it will get better in the coming days. I'm soaking in this time of year, as what follows will be 7 months where I see only a fraction of the new species I nailed down in the first 5 months.
New birds this post: 7
Year List: 251
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May showed its glorious bounty this week, and it all started with a pair of Swordsman... They day started off with both Dark and Common Swordsman making a racket. I had managed to make it through 4 months without either--a feat in itself. One thing that will surprise some people at the end of the year, when I share common names of every species is how many common birds I either waited to look for, or managed to not have until months into the year. The swordsman are a prime example. But they were just the tip of the iceberg. It wasn't long into the week and I was picking up migrant. A Bobbing Migrant and a Fluorescent Kicker, combined with a Circus Sprinter and Marsh Migrant got my tally moving northward with the birds.
The common stuff in these waves of migrants really helps make you feel good and like things are on track. The longer the migrants take to arrive, the more pressing it feels like your big year is slowing in a pace. Birds like the Hillbilly Spinner which others were reporting days and weeks ahead of me seemed to evade me at every turn. I couldn't find a single one despite being in the right places at the right times. My lucky finally turned when I came across a small migrant flock. By the end of the week, I had seen more than my fair share.
When I spied my first Remarkable Poet of the year, I listened as it read to me. Like Shakespeare this poet has a repertoire for the ages. For the next several months I will probably hear them most days, and enjoy the specific brand of poetry they bring the table. I had a brief moment of high hopes for a rarity when I came upon my first Basic Maniac of the year. The views I had were sub par, and they told a story of a different species. It took 15 minutes to finally get a view that delivered the news--it was a common bird.
As the week came to a close I added two birds that had eluded me for some time. Both the Explorer's Dasher and the Strutting Bellower have been around for some time, but I had missed them. I snagged both in the same morning, and followed up with a Dusky Lounger in the afternoon. I expected to have to wait till the summer or fall for the lounger, but with an unexpected stop, I added the bird earlier than expected.
This week migration happened and it was only the beginning...
New birds this post: 13
Year List: 244
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I rather enjoy lemons. So when life gives me lemons, it's a good sign. This week was incredible. It wasn't my biggest week, and certainly the next week will produce my biggest addition of species in a week period for the rest of the year. But the lemons life through at me this week were sweet, and made a delicious glass of lemonade.
Without going in to too much detail, while making my regular rounds I found one of my favorite species. I had no intentions of seeing this bird this year. I didn't see it on my previous big year, and when it popped up in early May, I was as surprised as anyone. A freebie! This makes up for one of the missed opportunities, but at the same time, that could have just been one more to add on to the new big number.
Things only got better. Over the first couple days there were some great birds reported all over Narnia. I had a decision to make. I could manage to sneak away for a day and either chase one of these great rarities, or I could use that day to get the one bird I mentioned in my April recap that I had missed. It's a tough decision, and I tossed the options back and forth in my head the night before not sure which was best. Do I risk not being bale to get the gimme--the sure thing; or do I get it, and write the vagrants off? The vagrant I had in mind was a big deal as I saw one on my previous big year. I actually had already decided it was not going to be a bird I would get this year, so it was almost as if I should just pass on it. But its a vagrant--and I still have time to possibly make a run at the other bird. What to do, what to do?
I still wasn't even sure when I woke up the day of the chase what I was going to do. I had a little time to decide once I left the house and still wrestled back and forth with the idea. What if the vagrant was gone? But what if it wasn't, and I picked up a few others? What if I missed the freebie some how? Ah, the decision was almost too much... But as I approached the fork in the road I chose the chase--I would rather take the risk, go off course and go big. Because I can likely still pull off the freebie in the next few weeks, the chase was more inportant.
Usually when I chase a bird I am a nervous wreck all the way there. What if I can't find it? That is the nagging voice in my head. But not this day. I was actually calm all the way the way to the stakeout. It was only the last few minutes as I puled into the parking area and started my search that I could feel a tug in my gut. But it faded quickly. I decided to try a strategy and work my way through the "refuge" form one end to the other. The very first stop I made I looked out my windshield and there the creature sat right out in the open. I didn't even need my binoculars. It was gorgeous--and reigned from one of my favoirte families of birds. I had only ever seen one this stunning before, and it was a long time ago. I basked in the birds amazing presence.
I spent about 40 minutes watching it form a distance, and at one point worked fairly close and just sat admiring. I wanted to stay longer, but my fear is that other chasers would be arriving at any moment. So I thanked the bird for allowing me to keep it company, wished it well, and hurried out the exit before any other birders saw me. It was a success. And I still had several hours to burn so I decided to make a morning out of it. I raced to a nearby stakeout of a Irruptive Chalkwing that was high on my target list for 2016 and that I had missed several times already. I allotted my self 30 minutes to look and as the clock ticked down it looked as though I would miss out. At the very end of the road I was driving I scanned the brush and low and behold there it sat.
By this point I had added 4 new year birds for the day and kept going. I worked my way through a number of other areas trying to find more birds. I saw and heard my first Common Migrant of the year, while the other two targets I sought out never materialized. I decided I had enough time to slip away to one of my favorite hot spots to see what migrants were passing through, so I headed that direction... And it might have cost me my anonymity...
I thought I was in the clear but pulled into a parking stall and realized there was another car there. I figured it might be someone just taking a break, but when they saw me, they called out my name--dammit--busted. I didn't recognize them, but after a quick talk I knew who they were. How was I going to play this off? I told no one I was chasing the bird, and they had just come from seeing it. My side trip searches for the other birds had put me behind enough that they just beat me here. They very well would have recognized my vehicle but now they saw my face.
I hurriedly birded the area so that the other birder that was with them didn't actually see me. Then around a corner came 5-6 birders I didn't recognize. This was getting to messy. I'm not supposed to be here, and all these people are seeing me. I rushed up a hillside onto a different trial and made my way back to the parking area and sped off. I had added another 6 species in just 20 minutes, but people knew I was here...
I cursed myself the first little bit of the drive home. How sloppy of me. I risked my whole secret to tick off a couple more year birds with the thought of you never know what you might find. I really couldn't believe other birders had been there though. I thought I had picked a good day, and would be in the clear. Stupid.
So it goes. I'm exhausted as I write this, still fretting about the situation. Fingers crossed that it all just goes away.
New birds this post:12
Year List: 231
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Time is really flying now... 3 days ago I talked about impatiently waiting and now, I'm saying time is flying. I'm like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The truth is I am impatiently waiting while time flies if that makes sense. April really did go fast though. I think its partially because I spent a lot of time birding. In fact in April I spent 78.25 hours birding. The equivalent of just over 3 entire days--or almost 2 full work weeks for the gainfully employed. That's about 2.5 hours each day. Which is nothing once you see what my average for May ends up being. I bet I will easily top 100 hours for May--and I bet 150 isn't unreasonable given the amount of birding I need to do in this month.
But back to April. I hit the ground running after the painfully slow end to winter. It was a great month in which I added 56 new year birds to my current total of 216 species. Here is a subtle clue--I am not the current eBird Top 100 leader in Narnia. The truth is that I scratched a weekend trip that would have easily put me at the front of the pack--to hold off for even more bird in May. My 56 species though in included some really great year birds. I had 2 birds that I did not have on my previous big year attempt. I also had 2 other birds that I rank very highly in my ranking system for birds to see this year. Needless to say that while 56 species isn't all that impressive of a total--the quality is what matters.
April had me busy--and while I risk giving up some information about the size of my state, I will tell you that I drove as many miles in April as I had in the previous 3 months combined; and that 2,291.8 miles... Does that help rule out Rhode Island and Connecticut? While that number seems quite large- I actually spent at least 15 minutes birding every day in April. And most week days I spend about an hour and traveled no less than 12 miles. I also birded most weekends, and took several day trips long distances to track down birds. At an average of about 70 miles a day, this really isn't too big of a number for most states, especially in a big year.
Perhaps the number that is most interesting and starting to grow is the distance I traveled on foot this month--27.6 miles. While this is less than a mile a day, it is almost 1/2 of my total mileage by foot for the year. Again, May will topple this number, as I can see 60 miles being a reasonable distance in the next 31 days.
Aprils great successes didn't come without some headaches, misses, and potential disasters. What, a disaster? I am missing a species that I absolutely have to get in the next 2 weeks--and that means sneaking away to find it and telling no one. This birds is a gimme in Narnia but requires a little work to get to it. And it's not just taking an hour out of my day to do so. If I miss this bird, that is basically giving away a free one. I can't let that happen. I planned on having it wrapped up in April, but a number of things happened that made it impossible. Sometimes you take a risk for one thing, and then risk losing the other thing all together if you catch my drift. That one miss may not seem like a big deal, but a gimme on a big year that isn't taken is a disaster.
The misses this month included a handful of birds I should see later. I won't waste my time chasing some one elses "rare" find, when I usually can find my own at a more convenient time and place. There were a few of those in April so I'm not going to dwell on them. The bigger misses were the no less than 4 very rare birds that popped up in random places at bad times. One was never reported and I hear it through the grape vine. The other 3 weren't worth the risk of chasing. I actually can't verify that any of the 4 were actually correctly ID'd as there were no photos or documentation--so it's just speculation. But 3 of those 4 I did not have on my previous year, so they could end up being quite costly...
The last week of April was a good week, and I added 5 species since my last post. I actually thought I had 2 more, but I had seen them earlier in the year, and just forgot until I looked at my list. But my daily outings turned up Dancing Sprinter and Flocking Ornament for the year. The ornament is interesting because they breed in Narnia but can be quite isolated. If you miss them during migration it can be a tough find the rest of the year. I happen to talk to a birder who said they had seen one in a strange spot--I was there so walked a short distance and was pleasantly surprised that it was indeed correct. Other new birds included hearing a few Vivid Jewels. I hoped to see them, but that will come later. I ended the month with a Slapping Migrant, a bird I also saw in my previous big year and was excited to tick off for 2016.
I did have one very frustrating species in April that I chased no less than 3 times. I almost gave up after routing #2, but figured the 3rd try was the charm. When you chase the same species over and over you start to wonder if you really should just walk away from it? Is it worth the time, gas, miles, money, and stress? Would that effort be better spent on other birds. I know for a fact, because of the time I spent on these chases, I missed the opportunity for one of the 4 rarities that I missed in April. That is frustrating to think about. The chases also make me vulnerable to being figured out. Why are you going to look for this bird again and again and again? Luckily the 3rd time was the charm and no other birders were around to see me at the chase sight yet again. The hard part is keeping it a secret till 2017...
Aprils now in the books and as I write this on May 1st, I've already added a year bird...Time flies as I impatiently wait for the 80 or so birds I need to see in the next 30 days... and the big year rolls on...
New birds this post: 5
Year List: 216
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“Meteorologist see perfect in strange things, and the meshing of three completely independent weather systems to form a hundred-year event is one of them. My God, thought Case, this is the perfect storm.”
― Sebastian Junger, The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea
Sometimes all your ducks line up in a row--or to quote Sebastian Junger, "this is the perfect storm". Although his verison of the perfect storm was an ominous and unforgiving force of nature wreaking havoc on the open ocean, my version is more of the stars aligning type storm. If you follow birding, migration, and weather in the United States, you know that the middle part of April has been wild. Hot temperatures, freezing temperatures. More than a foot of snow in Colorado. More than a foot of rain in Houston. Huge winds in the west. Mega-migration in the midwest. High Island getting its annual inundation of birders and migrants. This April is turning into the perfect storm for birding--and the weather is a key to it.
Some will blame El Nino, while others will just look at history and see patterns that generally April shapes up to be an interesting month anyways. And it's no different here in Narnia. After the early boom, things slowed down for a bit, I was becoming increasingly anxious waiting for new migrants. I made daily excursions to expected locales for expected arrivals--and nada. Then the perfect storm crept across the nation so to speak and I got a mi-April wave of migrants. I can't get to specific--as with most of my posts, but it all started with a Speckled Probe. That first probe of the season quickly led to finding The Crook, and several Striking-wings. 3 new year birds in one morning. I decided to press my luck and turn up the pressure on a local breeder--I headed to the Edge of the Conifers and drove a lonely stretch of road. It wasn't long before the Savory Whistlebirds started popping up. 4 new year birds and the big year rolled on.
It's no secret that big years survive and thrive not on the every day species, but the unexpected, or the least expected. Mathematically speaking if the average year list for birders in Narnia were 400 species, and the big year record was 450, then one could assume that more than 50 species would have to be the least expected sorts. The under-400's are going to see a few unexpected, while the over-400's are going to consist of listers who typically chase a number of unexpected. So if 75 species are of the least expected, we can assume a small percentage of those are completely unexpected as well. These 75 are the must-gets. You will miss birds, but these 75 are absolutely integral to a big year. I've already had a handful of these least and unexpected--and I've also missed a few. Those hurt.
April has already had its fair share of unexpected birds in Narnia--and I've tracked them down. I can't share their names here--that might be a clue. Remaining vague at this point is my best weapon for anonymity. I've been lucky, I've been persistent, and I've stayed on course. And through it I've kept ticking of birds. My first Bulky Loungers showed up as well as the False Anglers, and a Lowly Follower. Arid Migrants, Summer Ornaments, and Camouflaged Hikers all added to my excitement as my Year lest crept towards a milestone--200 species. The lucky bird was a Trivial Sprinter. And then a few more species rolled in capping off a sometimes excellent and at other times slow 10 days of birding.
The perfect storm has been brewing and my secret big year continues 1 bird at a time as I look towards 250, then 300. It might only be a matter of weeks--and 50 days from now I could easily be past 300...
New birds week: 15
Year List: 203
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