Each month Team eBird issues a challenge. In March, the challenge was to submit 20 complete eBird checklists recording at least one species of waterfowl. I have been trying to fulfill each eBird challenge for the past six months or so, and really wanted to fulfill this one at home as part of the Backyard Big Year. But with no water on the property, and most of the water in the county frozen over, it seemed like it would be a real challenge.
But, with a lot of perseverance and my trusty Kowa 883 scope helping me see off in the distance, I was able to record over 30 checklists listing 12 different waterfowl species–
Several of these birds were new for the yard. It was a lot of fun looking for waterfowl without water, learning when they might be flying, and putting myself where I could hopefully see them. Also frustrating to have such limited viewing to the north towards the Mulhockaway Creek valley and Spruce Run Reservoir. Many times I had only quick looks at distant ducks in fading light. It killed me to have to just list them as duck sp. but that’s what I had to do on at least 10 checklists!
So it was a lot of fun, and I’m already working on the April 2015 eBirder of the Month challenge–report 20 complete checklists that include at least one Bird of Prey. Since I’ve got vultures flying around the neighborhood every day, that one should be pretty easy, but it will be fun to see how many species I can pick up–and it gives me an excuse to do more scanning in the afternoons when the hawks are flying.
BTW, I also completed the February 2015 challenge of 20 checklists from my local patch (Union Township–including my yard, of course!) and the January 2015 challenge of 50 complete checklists during the month. We’ll have to see how many of the monthly challenges I can complete from my yard this year!
