#2019 BigYear in Review

Happy New Year!!! 2020, can you believe it? Wow has the time gone by fast.  This post is a recap of the year that was #BigYear2019, all the fun stuff, places visited, good times and future plans. Below are some of the highlights.

the Bog in MN, Jan' 2019

Hawaii, Oct' 2019

• 10 lifers--Wow!! I had a good year, 2018--7, 2017--18, 2016--12, 2015--13 new and in 2014 I had 29 lifers. I traveled to Minnesota +5 in the dead of winter and Arizona +3 in late spring, which produced new birds. Ohio produced +2 new lifers!! 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 #621 Life Birds.                                                                                                                    
• My ABA Birds of the Year are . . . .the code 2 Northern Hawk Owl & code 3 Sharp-tailed Sandpiper. I saw the NOHO in MN with friends and made a video on my Youtube channel to document the cold and jubilation of the sighting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBKk75qToG8   Then, in October, a birder found this different looking sandpiper in Ohio. This Rare Asian Migrant was fantastic and a complete surprise.

Northern Hawk Owl

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, left

• My Ohio Bird of the Year is . . . .the code 2 Swainson's Warbler Finally I nabbed this wood warbler. Very rare for Ohio, like only 7 times ever. It was the last of my easy east coast warblers needed. Lucky I didn't have to travel out of the state. The bird was viewed by many over almost 30 days it was here in the Dayton area. 

Swainson's Warbler

Some more great Ohio birds I saw.  Only 2nd time ever Pomarine Jaeger & Red Knot. A Wilson's Phalarope showed up in Sept at Galaena boardwalk, a Nelson's Sparrow at Battalle, and a Snowy Owl down 71 South

POJA in Richland cty inland lake

Likes fisherman 

Red Knot, Wilderness Rd.

Wilson's Phalarope, juvi

Snowy Owl, field in Clinton cty

         

• 6 states visited--Minnesota(+31 foys/total species), Ohio(+206 birds), California(+47 foy), Arizona(+15 foys), Hawaii(+22/lifers did not count),  Florida(+22 foys)

• Hawaii trip, October 2019.  I will make a separate blog post later about the trip and new birds seen while in Hawaii. I have decided to keep my HI list separate from my "ABA Continental Life List". For example, Pacific Golden Plover, I still need for a life bird. They are really hard to see on the west coast, but in Hawaii, PAGP are like lawn darts, everywhere everytime. So like fellow ABA birders, before HI was added in 2016, we will just keep an HI only list. If and when I do see PAGP, will add it to my life list, and make HI just a "seen" bird. **the entire Gambill family of birders keep a separate Hawaii list, Mahalo**

• 321 total species--Finishing it strong!! My Christmas Florida trip really helped me get over 300 for the year. I ticked many Ohio common & new birds this year. This puts me at a 347.1 species per year average over 7 years.                                       
• STATS  In 2013--338; 2014--359; 2015--322; 2016--360; 2017--377; 2018--353; 2019--321

Northern Hawk Owl, MN

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 2019.

#289 Red-throated Loon
#290 Ross Goose
#291 YBSS                                                       

#292 Cackling Goose
#293 Snowy Owl
#294 Red-necked Grebe
#295 Northern Saw-Whet Owl
#296 Common Merganser
#297 Tundra Swan
#298 American Pipit
#299 Sharp-shinned Hawk
#300-321 Florida common birds, ie. Egyptian Goose, Roseate Spoonbill, M Frigatebird


**heard only 2019**
 Yellow-billed Cuckoo, VA Rail, American Bittern, Sedge Wren, Canyon Towhee(AZ), Louis. Waterthrush, Blue Grosbeak, Prairie warbler


Rarities seen in 2019--only saw two Code 3 or higher birds this year
         

             Code 3  Sharp-tailed Sandpiper--KillDeer WA, Ohio Lifer #621
             Code 3  Ruddy Ground Dove--Buckeye, AZ  Lifer #619

• Misses--not 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 2020, my goal will be to get them early and keep trying.  Misses included: 

        Snow goose, LTD, Black & Surf Scoter, Yellow-bellied & Alder empidx., American Golden Plover, Baird's sandpiper, LBBG, Long-eared & Short-eared Owls, Brown Creeper, Canada, Pine, Connecticut, Mourning, Kirtland & Golden-winged warblers, Lapland LS,

• 2020 trips--So far many planned trips, but likely to change. 

           1. March 1--LRGV, going to to Texas, sun & birds. Need Tamaulipas Crow, Golden-crowned Warbler, Mountain Plover, rarities
           2. May 1--Colorado, Greater Sage Grouse, all Grouse, all Rosy Finches, Chickens, Mountain Plover
           3. Ohio--Biggest week in American Birding--you know where to find us in May
           4. May 31--Cape Hatteras Palegic, Black-capped Petrel, South Polar Skua, rare petrel, Masked Booby
           5. July--Maine again, Red-billed TropicBird, Razorbill, Dovkie, Roseate Tern, Bicknell Thrush
           6. Chase a rarity. Can this be the year of a Code 4 or 5 chase??



Next up: Let's start off #BigYear2020 with a cold Ohio birding