#BigYear2018 in review

Happy New Year!!! 2019, can you believe it? Wow has the time gone by fast.  This post is a recap of the year that was #BigYear2018, all the fun stuff, places visited, good times and future plans. Below are some of the highlights.

Seattle in August for Pearl Jam & Birds

Corn Creek, NV at daybreak

2018, Team Vape May Warbler

• 7 lifers--Wow!! I had a good year, 2017--18, 2016--12, 2015--13 new and in 2014 I had 29 lifers. I traveled to Nevada +3 in springtime and Washington +3 in summer, which produced new birds. Ohio produced +1 new lifer!! I am still thankful of the trips taken, birds seen, and friends I've been with making memories and good blog posts! Thank you all and God Bless. That puts me at #611 Life Birds.                                                                                                                    
• My ABA Bird of the Year is . . . .the code 2 LeContes &  code 1 Sage Thrashers during my Nevada trip. None of my life birds where "rare" Code 3 or higher, so I wanted to choose these two that I've been wanting to see in a while. All the thrashers I needed where out west, so I got a reason to travel. Now, just the Bendire's Thrasher is all I need.

LeContes Thrasher #607

Sage Thrasher #608

• My Ohio Bird of the Year is . . . .the code 1 Iceland Gull Finally I nabbed this seagull. It's been 2-3 years waiting for a cold Ohio winter to see this bird. The ABA lumped the Thayers & Iceland together, just making one countable, the Iceland Gull.  It's known as the "white-winged" gull family.  We traveled to Dayton in January and spent close up time with this guy.

Iceland Gull, Dayton Lifer #605

Some more great Ohio birds I saw.  Only 2nd time ever Harris Sparrow, and 3rd time ever Kittiwake. Finally saw the Northern Shrike here in Ohio, second time ever too.

Harris Sparrow, Newark, OH Jan.

Black-legged Kittiwake, Hoover Dam, OH

                

Northern Shrike in Ohio

King Rail

• 6 states visited--Ohio(170 birds), Texas(137 birds), Nevada(+15 foys), Washington(+15 foys), Florida(+12 foys), South Carolina(+4 foys)

• 353 total species--Finishing it strong!! I beat my average by 1 1/2 birds.  I ticked many Ohio common birds this year. This puts me at a 351.5 species per year average over 6 years. STATS.  In 2013--338; 2014--359; 2015--322; 2016--360; 2017--377; 2018--353

Salineno, Texas boarder

Kirtland Warbler, Ohio

Below is a list of some of the new first of year birds(FOYs) I saw in Ohio, during the last 45 days of birding in 2018.

#342 Black Legged Kittiwake
#343 Winter Wren
#344 Fox Sparrow                                                           

#345 Red-necked Grebe
#346 LBBG
#347 White-winged Scoter
#348 Surf Scoter
#349 Short Eared Owl
#350 Northern Shrike
#351 Black Scoter
#352 Rough-legged Hawk
#353 Sharp-shinn Hawk


**heard only 2018**
Eastern Whip-poor-will, Sandhill Crane, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, American Bittern, Bells Vireo, Sedge & Cactus Wrens, Northern Waterthrush, Kentucky warbler
 

Rarities seen in 2018--
             Code 4 Blue Bunting--male  LRGV

             Code 3  White-collard Seedeater--seen in LRGV, Texas 

White Collard Seedeater

• Misses--many of them, especially Ohio species. I  birded OHIO, but missed some easy ones. Getting out every Sunday since May helped me see/hear them, so I'm thankful. So in 2019, my goal will be to get them early and keep trying.  Misses included: 

        Snow goose, Cackling, Tundra, Northern Pintail, Greater scaup, LTD, RT Loon, Least, Yellow-bellied & Alder empidx., Franklin's Gull, Black Tern, BlackBellied Plover Buff-breasted, White-rumped Sandpiper, Baird's SP, Long-eared Owl, Philly Vireo, Connecticut, Mourning warblers, Nelsons Sparrow, Purple Finch, Lapland LS, Snow Bunting.
 

• 2019 trips--So far two planned trips, but likely some to follow. 

           1. January--Duluth/ZaxSimBog, MN--lifers needed about 11 birds;  Owls, grosbeaks, waxwing, 2 woodpeckers and other winter specialties 
           2. February--San Clemente, CA--birding is southern Cally again
           3. Ohio--Biggest week in American Birding--you know where to find us in May
           4. Hawaii, maybe--for 15th wedding anniversary
           5. Las Vegas--Gotta go to Vegas once a year, anytime?? 
           5. Chase a rarity. Can this be the year of a Code 4 or 5 chase??



Next up: Let's start off #BigYear2019 with a cold trip to Minnesota