ABA +1

Back on March 29th, when I got lifer White-winged Parakeet & LaSagra's Flycatcher, we stopped by The U(University of Miami Hurricanes), to look for Spot Breasted Oriole atop the palms. No such luck, but there where several of these ducks we took pictures of. I always had considered them domestic non-countable birds, unless you saw them on the Rio Grand River at Salineno, TX. That's where I got my life Muscovy on March 31, 1991. What where you doing then?  I got White-collard Seedeater that day too, in San Yanacio, TX.

So, in Florida Muscovy Ducks are ABA countable.  That means you can count them on your life list.  It's perfectly fair.  Just as fair as counting any other bird.  Once birds that were introduced become very established in a state, they're ABA countable.  eBird came up Muscovy Duck (Florida feral type) so that it can count on people's ebird life lists.

Muscovy Duck FOY

The U . . . thanks for losing that bowl game!!

 This puts my #BIGYEAR2014 number at #359 for the year!!

#359  Muscovy Duck--3/29/14


Next up:  #2014BigYear review

4 FOYs & 1 Life bird

Bubo scandiacus FOY

The last Sunday of the year, and it's time for one more trip. Let's make this one count and do it for the boys!?! The lastest reports from http://birding.aba.org/maillist/OH had reports from Lorain Harbor and Impoundment that caused me to head that way at 5:30am. After stopping at McDonald's in Wellington, Ohio--I made it to the place by 8am.

• Snowy Owl--There he/she is. Right there on the pier. Sitting and resting. Ethics and Understang:) This largest (by weight) North American owl shows up irregularly in winter to hunt in windswept fields or dunes, a pale shape with catlike yellow eyes. They spend summers far north of the Arctic Circle hunting lemmings, ptarmigan, and other prey in 24-hour daylight. In years of lemming population booms they can raise double or triple the usual number of young

Where you at??

Ah hah, nice snowy

Turn around please

Thank you

Found a buddy?

Hello there

Artistic?

I like this one

Well, one down, one to go here. Now just turn around from the harbor, and behind you is the Impoundment Lot. Looks right to me!!

Impoundment Lot, Lake Erie borders NE side

Skyline of Lorain, harbor

• Common Redpoll ABA Lifer #561--Sure enough, the reports and pictures from FB Birding Ohio has a group of RPs here in the lot. A passing birder said to check the other side of the loop, closer to the Lake Erie side. About half way in, a flock of RPs flew over my head, over the lot and landed on that far side loop, exactly where I was heading. This had to be the birds, nothing else was around, and RPs fly in flocks all the time. Life Bird Check! But I headed over for a closer look, and sure enough . . .

Common RedPoll FOY

Hello there Mr. RP

As energetic as their electric zapping call notes would suggest, Common Redpolls are active foragers that travel in busy flocks. Look for them feeding on catkins in birch trees or visiting feeders in winter. These small finches of the arctic tundra and boreal forest migrate erratically, and they occasionally show up in large numbers as far south as the central U.S

ABA Lifer #561

Common Redpoll, male

Song Sparrow (R) for comparison

Look for a small red forehead patch, black feathering around a yellow bill, and two white wingbars. Males have a pale red vest on the chest and upper flanks.




 2 FOYs down, one of which is a life bird, and I chased down a flock of them. I was Redpoll hunting, the only way to spot Redpolls. What to do next? Well, there was a three bird FOY report from Maumee SP on Saturday, so lets chase west on Route 2 some 80 miles. I passed Magee Marsh/Ottawa NWR/Metzger  Marsh Retracing the Steps on the way to

10am

OK, so I've never been here, that I can remember, and the reports are of two owl species and that famous Northern Shrike I've been hearing about but missing out on. I make a loop around the "closed campground" in the car, and back to parking #7 Hill area, but still no shrike. I park and start walking the loop to the beach area. Bad idea, cold and winder, and an occasional gull, that's it. I make it back inland, and cut through the natural trail paths. I make a cross over and look down another path, and see three birders standing still, staring into a tree/bush area. BANG BANG into the BIRDS. And guess who it is, and what they are looking at?!?

Smile for the camera

Owl in a what?

Northern Saw-whet Owl FOY

small mottled brown, nocturnal

• Northern Saw-whet Owl--Thanks so much to Ken & Kimberly Kaufman for being in the right place at the right time. It was truly a special day. Enjoying the moment. After all it is all about the Birds.

• Lesser Black-backed Gull-- On the way back down 75 South, you have to cut over Findlay on 15 to get to 23South. So lets' stop at the Reservoirs!! And sure enough out in a raft of Ring-Bills and Herring Gulls

LBBG FOY

The band "Flock of SeaGulls"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6HiBxGRfzI





 This puts my #BIGYEAR2014 number at #358 for the year!!

#355  Snowy Owl--12/28
#356  Common Redpoll--12/28
#357  Northern Saw-whet Owl--12/28
#358  Lesser Black-back Gull--12/28

Next up:  ABA countable species review for 2014?!? +1 maybe

Need list: no particular order

1. Cackling Goose--maybe in a field with 200 Canada's?
2. Northern Saw-whet Owl  12/28 Holy cow
3. Snowy Owl--hoping 12/28 Lake Erie run
4. Short eared Owl--12/1
5. Lesser Black-backed Gull- 12/28
6. Thayers Gull--would be a lifer
7. Iceland Gull--would be a lifer
8. Glauscous Gull--hoping a return to Alum Creek Beach 12/28-31 like last year
9. Purple Finch--12/20
10. Northern Shrike--floating around KillDeer Plains, tried 12/24&28
11. Long earred Owl--missed the 12/12 showing at CMH airport, damn
12. Vesper Sparrow
13. Common Redpoll--12/28 Out of left field, a blessing

Finish Strong!!

As I write this, only 10 days left in the #BIGYEAR2014. After a slow down in November, and a crazy snow storm, a breakout month of December would be all that's left. Temperatures have been warmer the first two weeks of December, but now cold weather is expected. This should help get some winter migrants down to the Lake Erie Shores.

• Short Eared Owl--On Monday December 1st, I headed over to Teal Trail/Battelle Darby to see the owls that have been reported. I've seen them there before, but this year was not as good as past. It was very cold and windy, but just at dusk, 5:22pm, 2 birds flew up to me and passed by. I was standing on the mound hill just at the parking lot. Making a couple of passes, a third SEOW came into view. No pictures, it was too dark, and these owls are fast fliers.

SEO  public picture

• CBC Jefferson Township--On Sunday December 13th, I attended the annual Gambill family Christmas Bird count, covering south Gahanna; Taylor Rd to the north, Broad St. to the south, 270 to the west and Rey./N.A. Rd. to the east.  Team #TSB was back together again. We did most birding by car, because of all the commercial space we have. New species this year for #TSB was Golden-crowned Kinglet and Ring-Billed Gull. The total for CBC Jefferson Twp was 40 species and 3822 total birds

• Purple Finch--Believe it or not, I had missed this winter finch in the early season of 2014, and didn't know how or where I could see it before the end of year. Most people would tell me stories of chance, a group in a tree, one bird clear out in a field, etc.  But, I got a reliable tip from a birder friend, there is a female PUFI at the window feeder at HighBanks MP in north Columbus. So I made the trip there on Saturday, and after a 40 minute wait . . . BAMM!!

Purple Finch

notched tail

Purple Finches are large and chunky. Their powerful, conical beaks are larger than any sparrow’s. The tail seems short and is clearly notched at the tip . Female Purple Finches have no red. They are coarsely streaked below, with strong facial markings including a whitish eyestripe and a dark line down the side of the throat.

Yaahh!!

This puts my #BIGYEAR2014 number at #354 for the year!!

#353  Short Eared Owl--12/1
#354  Purple Finch--12/20

Next up:  One last trip to the Lake for Snowy Owl and Gulls

Need list: no particular order

1. Cackling Goose--maybe 12/28 trip, some seen up north
2. Northern Saw-whet Owl
3. Snowy Owl--hoping 12/28 Lake Erie run
4. Short eared Owl--12/1
5. Lesser Black-backed Gull--hoping 12/28 Lake run, or ClearFork Reservoir
6. Thayers Gull--would be a lifer
7. Iceland Gull--would be a lifer
8. Glauscous Gull--hoping a return to Alum Creek Beach 12/28-31 like last year
9. Purple Finch--12/20
10. Northern Shrike--floating around KillDeer Plains, trying again 12/24
11. Long earred Owl--missed the 12/12 showing at CMH airport, damn
12. Vesper Sparrow