Category Archives: Daily Report

Another cold day, but not as cold as yesterday–started out at 9ºF and got up into the low 20s.  Once again, no new birds for the year–but I did get photos of Eastern Bluebird and Snow Goose.  In reviewing my recording from last night, I found that I got a recording of an Eastern Screech-Owl at 1:09am.  I birded all morning, then spent the afternoon processing audio recordings–check out the list of birds with audio recordings from the yard.  I will add more tomorrow.

A few more birds showed up while I watched mostly from inside this afternoon, so I ended up with 28 species for the day.

AM eBird checklist
PM eBird checklist

Very cold, starting out at only 2ºF after evening snows.  I was outside for just under two hours off and on throughout the morning, the rest of the time I was listening to the OldBird21c microphone and watching from the windows while working.  Lots of activity in the yard, though no new birds for the year list.  Was able to get photos of House Sparrow and Ring-billed Gull for the photo big year list.  Best bird was probably a first year Lesser Black-backed Gull that came through overhead with Ring-billed Gulls and a couple of Herring Gulls.

26 birds for the day, eBird checklist

Started the day very cold, 12F degrees.  Spent several hours outside in the morning, and the rest of the morning listening to the OldBird 21c microphone and watching from the window.  I had to run errands, so wasn’t home to watch or listen until 3:30.

Highlights of the morning were getting photos of Turkey Vulture for the photo big year, and having a flock of 8 Common Mergansers buzz overhead about 10am.  That’s 3 days this week that these ducks have flown overhead–interesting since I hadn’t ever had them from the yard before starting this big year.  Unfortunately I didn’t get photos, as the Canon Powershot couldn’t focus fast enough, so I’ll have to keep trying to get photos next time.

That should be easier to do here soon as this afternoon I got a PhoneSkope digiscoping outfit in the mail.  More on that later, but for now, let’s just say it’s awesome!  No more trying to hold the iPhone 6 steady by hand to shoot through my Kowa 883 scope.  Look forward to getting some great shots to share here soon!

Ended up with 25 species for the day, here’s the eBird checklist from the morning.

Snowy all day, with limited visibility.  Spent most of the day inside listening to the OldBird 21c microphone and watching through the windows–but I was outside for at least 2 hours, and finally managed to get 22 species for the day.

No new species for the overall list, but I was able to get photos of American Goldfinch for the photo big year, bringing that total up to 21 species.  I also reviewed the NFC recording for the night–no really good calls, but did get this duck wing whistle that I will have to see if I can identify–probably a Mallard or American Black Duck.

eBird checklist for the day

Steady north winds seemed to keep the birds hunkered down most of the day.  I was outside off and on all morning, and listening to the OldBird 21c microphone when not outside or watching the windows.  No new birds for the day, but did add 3 more to the photo big year list, including this White-breasted Nuthatch on my suet feeder.

This morning with Google Earth I was able to find that the hillside I’m watching with my spotting scope is 3.1 miles away.  With my Kowa 883 scope I easily identified Canada Goose and Snow Goose flocks flying beyond and behind the hill today, as well as White-tailed Deer walking in the forest on the hill.  So maybe someday, IF there are Wild Turkeys walking around up there, I’ll be able to see them from my yard!

27 species for the day, pretty quiet.  Here are my eBird checklists from the morning and afternoon.

I had a funeral to go to this morning, so I only had two hours in the yard.  No new birds for the year, but another flock of 15 Common Mergansers wheeled over the house at 8:30am.  I tried to get more photos for the photo big year, but the Eastern Bluebirds stayed out of range and the American Goldfinches wouldn’t cooperate either.

It started to sleet in the late morning and continued with nasty weather all day.  By the time I got home I watched the feeders for 40 minutes but no surprises–not sure where the Purple Finches have gone, haven’t seen one for over a week now but they should be around.

Here’s a link to the eBird checklist from this morning.  Enough to get my #20BirdMDR but not much else to write home about!

American Robin in pine. Not a great photo, would look better as a Japanese calligraphy drawing.

Conditions were somewhat more pleasant today, it was only in the mid 30s instead of the teens when I started out.  Some high clouds helped break up the monotony of the sky.  I was out by 7 and watching until about 11 with a short break for breakfast.

Highlights were 4 new birds for the year–

Common Merganser–flock of 11 wheeled quickly over the yard at 8:23am

Mallard–small group of four flew directly over the house at 8:26am

American Robin–flock of 14 flew in and landed in the trees in my side yard at 8:30.  They stayed for 20 minutes, some dropping down to forage on the edge of my lawn, then they were gone.

Bald Eagle–I was inside when I heard crows mobbing something (I had the OldBird 21c microphone running).  I went to the window and saw the crows chasing 2 Red-tailed Hawks.  As I watched, I noticed an adult Bald Eagle soaring north of my yard through the trees.  Thanks crows!

I watched for an hour in the evening while I did some yard work, but it was super quiet.  Here’s my eBird checklist from the morning.  33 species for the day, making it a Bonus Bird Day.

A long day, a big day, to kick off the year!  I started by owling for a few moments after getting back from a New Years Eve party.  Fortunately an Eastern Screech Owl responded to a tape in the backyard, so it becomes the first bird of the 2015 Backyard Big Year!  (See eBird checklist here).

I went to bed but only slept for an hour before waking up at 3:30am.  After over an hour of trying to get back to sleep I just flicked it in and came downstairs to listen to the OldBird 21c microphone.  It was pretty quiet.  Just after 5:30 I went out and tried to call up a Northern Saw-whet Owl, to no avail.  The sky started getting lighter and lighter, and the first bird of the morning–a White-throated Sparrow–called at 6:50am.

A pair of Pileated Woodpeckers spent over an hour working the woods in my west side yard this morning.

Highights of the morning catching the morning gull exodus from Spruce Run.  Over 10,000 gulls streamed out in a  constant stream heading west from 7:45am until around 9am.  In the flock, which was super far away (over two miles) I was able to distinguish larger and smaller birds (Herring Gulls and Ring-billed Gulls).  I saw one (new for the yard list–Code 4) and 30 Lesser Black-backed Gulls in the haze and early morning light.  Most gulls were just too far to do much with.

After the gulls had gone through, I continued to scan the hills to the north and was rewarded with some quick very distant flybys of a Gadwall pair and a single American Black Duck–both new for the yard list (Code 3). (see morning eBird checklist here).

The afternoon was pretty dead, I spent a lot of time scanning to the north but didn’t find anything new.  I did decide that 2 of the many chickadees in my yard show all of the characteristics of Carolina Chickadee, so that was the last new bird for the year.  I ended the day with 36 species–exceeding my 30 species goal.  I’m very excited about the prospects of seeing waterfowl flying to the north, though I only have a very small visual field in that direction through trees and over my neighbor’s roof! (see afternoon eBird checklist here).

See that distant hillside above my neighbor’s roofline? That was my window onto a huge gull movement. Most birds were 1.5-2 miles away, but with my scope I was still able to pick out 4 gull species and 2 flyby ducks new for my yard list!

I took a lot of photos, but haven’t counted up how many birds I got for the photo big year.  Also I ran the OldBird 21c microphone all day, so most of the birds that I heard today should be recorded.  I’ll have to go through the recording and cut samples for each species before I know how many I got for the audio big year.

Tomorrow I probably won’t spend the afternoon outside, as it was so dead.  But I’m really looking forward to the morning flight again!