Thursday, June 17, 2010

Complete US Bird List as of 1/1/10-

After reviewing my notes from the trip, notes from home, and my in progress year list from CT, here is what I've gotten so far (you can tell which were here in CT in winter before I left, and those not. I got to see many of our winter guys up in breeding territory... really neat):

(L)- indicates a lifer


  1. Red-throated Loon
  2. Common Loon
  3. RN Grebe
  4. Horned Grebe
  5. Eared Grebe (L)
  6. PB Grebe
  7. Western Grebe
  8. Clark's Grebe (L)
  9. Am. White Pelican
  10. DC Cormorant
  11. AM. Bittern
  12. Least Bittern
  13. GB Heron
  14. Great Egret
  15. Snowy Egret
  16. Little Blue Heron
  17. Cattle Egret (L)
  18. Green Heron
  19. BC Night-Heron
  20. YC Night-Heron
  21. White-faced Ibis
  22. Glossy Ibis
  23. Mute Swan
  24. Trumpeter Swan
  25. Tundra Swan
  26. Canada Goose
  27. Cackling Goose (many in the middle fly-way)
  28. Brant
  29. GWF Goose (same as Cacklers... many migrants)
  30. Ross's Goose
  31. Snow Goose (blue and white)
  32. Wood Duck
  33. Mallard
  34. Am. Black Duck
  35. Gadwall
  36. No. Pintail
  37. Am. Wigeon
  38. Eurasian Wigeon (Stratford)
  39. No. Shoveler
  40. Cinnamon Teal (L)
  41. BW Teal
  42. GW Teal
  43. Canvasback
  44. Redhead
  45. RN Duck
  46. Greater Scaup
  47. Lesser Scaup
  48. Long-tailed Duck
  49. Surf Scoter
  50. WW Scoter
  51. Common Goldeneye
  52. Barrow's Goldeneye (one female I found off Penfield late winter)
  53. Bufflehead
  54. Hooded Merganser
  55. Co. Merganser
  56. RB Merganser
  57. Ruddy Duck
  58. Turkey Vulture
  59. Black Vulture
  60. No. Harrier (LOTS of grey ghosts in the prairies)
  61. SS Hawk
  62. Cooper's Hawk
  63. No. Goshawk (NJ)
  64. RS Hawk
  65. BW Hawk
  66. Swainson's Hawks (many morphs)
  67. RT Hawk (5 sbsps, including Kriders, and a possible 6th... maybe Harlan's... VERY dark, looked like those I've seen in AK)
  68. Ferruginous Hawk (L)
  69. Rough-legged Hawk
  70. Golden Eagle (low-ball count around 15)
  71. Bald Eagle
  72. Osprey
  73. Merlin
  74. Am. Kestrel
  75. Prairie Falcon (L)
  76. Peregrine Falcon
  77. California Quail (L)
  78. Mountain Quail (L)
  79. Chukar (L)
  80. Gray Partridge
  81. RN Pheasant
  82. Blue Grouse (L)
  83. Ruffed Grouse
  84. Greater Prairie-Chicken (L)... and honor to see a bird on it's way out
  85. Greater Sage-Grouse (L)
  86. Wild Turkey
  87. Common Moorhen (L)
  88. Am. Coot
  89. Clapper Rail
  90. Virginia Rail
  91. Sora (L)
  92. Yellow Rail (L).. MAN that was hard to see!!
  93. Sandhill Cranes... everywhere
  94. BB Plover
  95. AM. Golden Plover
  96. Piping Plover
  97. Semipal Plover
  98. Snowy Plover (L) (Lake Taho region)
  99. Killdeer
  100. Am. Oystercatcher
  101. Am. Avocet (L)
  102. Black-necked Slilt (L)
  103. Gr. Yellowlegs
  104. L. Yellowlegs
  105. Solitary Sandpiper
  106. Willet
  107. Spotted Sandpiper
  108. Upland Sandpiper (abundant through some areas in the Dakotas and prairie land through IL/IN)
  109. Long-billed Curlew (L)
  110. Ruddy Turnstone
  111. Purple Sandpiper
  112. Red Knot
  113. Sanderling
  114. Dunlin
  115. Pectoral Sandpiper
  116. White-rumped Sandpiper
  117. Baird's Sandpiper (L)
  118. Western Sandpiper
  119. Semipal Sandpiper
  120. Least Sandpiper
  121. Stilt Sandpiper
  122. LB Dowitcher
  123. SB Dowitcher
  124. Buff-breasted Sandpiper
  125. Am. Woodcock
  126. Snipe
  127. Wilson's Phalarope (L)
  128. Boneparte's Gull
  129. Franklin's Gull
  130. RB Gull
  131. California Gull (L)
  132. Herring Gull
  133. Iceland Gull
  134. Glaucous Gull
  135. Lesser BB Gull
  136. GBB Gull
  137. Caspian Tern
  138. Co. Tern
  139. Forster's Tern
  140. Roseate Tern
  141. Least Tern
  142. Black Tern
  143. Black Skimmer
  144. Mourning Dove
  145. WW Dove (L)
  146. Rock Dove
  147. Band-tailed Pigeon (L)
  148. Monk Parakeet
  149. YB Cuckoo
  150. BB Cuckoo
  151. Greater Roadrunner (L)... awesome bird
  152. Long-eared Owl
  153. Short-eared Owl
  154. GH Owl
  155. Snowy Owl
  156. Barred Owl
  157. No. Saw-whet Owl
  158. Burrowing Owl (L)
  159. W. Screech Owl
  160. E. Screech Owl
  161. Co. Poorwill (L)
  162. Whip-poor-will
  163. Co. Nighthawk
  164. Lesser Nighthawk (L)
  165. Vaux's Swift (L)
  166. Chimney Swift
  167. Black Swift (L)
  168. White-throated Swift (L)
  169. Black-chinned Hummingbird (L)
  170. Ruby-throated Hummingbird
  171. Calliope Hummingbird
  172. Broad-tailed Hummingbird (L)
  173. Rufous Hummingbird (L)
  174. Belted Kingfisher
  175. Red-headed Woodpecker
  176. Lewis's Woodpecker (L)
  177. Red-bellied Woodpecker
  178. Red-naped Sapsucker (L)
  179. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
  180. Downy Woodpecker
  181. Hairy Woodpecker
  182. Three-toed Woodpecker
  183. No. Flicker ('yellow' and 'red' shafted)
  184. Pileated Woodpecker
  185. Olive-sided Flycatcher
  186. W. Wood-Pewee (L)
  187. E. Wood-Pewee
  188. Cordilleran Flycatcher (L)
  189. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
  190. Willow Flycatcher
  191. Alder Flycatcher
  192. Least Flycatcher
  193. Dusky Flycatcher (L)
  194. E. Phoebe
  195. Say's Phoebe (L)
  196. Vermillion Flycatcher (L)
  197. Ash-throated Flycatcher (L)
  198. Great-crested Flycatcher
  199. E. Kingbird
  200. W. Kingbird (L)
  201. Loggerhead Shrike (L)
  202. Red-eyed Vireo
  203. Warbling Vireo
  204. Bell's Vireo (L)
  205. White-eyed Vireo
  206. Yellow-throated Vireo
  207. Blue-headed Vireo
  208. Steller's Jay
  209. Blue Jay
  210. W. Scrub-Jay (L)
  211. Gray Jay
  212. Pinyon Jay (L)...maybe my fav of the trip
  213. Black-billed Magpie
  214. Co. Raven
  215. Am. Crow
  216. Fish Crow
  217. Horned Lark
  218. Purple Martin
  219. NRW Swallow
  220. Bank Swallow
  221. Violet-green Swallow (L)
  222. Tree Swallow
  223. Cliff Swallow
  224. Barn Swallow
  225. Juniper Titmouse (L)
  226. Tufted Titmouse
  227. BC Chickadee
  228. Mountain Chickadee (L)..really cool little birds
  229. Bushtit (L)
  230. RB Nuthatch
  231. WB Nuthatch
  232. Brown Creeper
  233. Carolina Wren
  234. Bewick's Wren (L)
  235. House Wren
  236. Winter Wren
  237. Sedge Wren
  238. Marsh Wren
  239. Rock Wren (L)
  240. Canyon Wren (L)
  241. GC Kinglet
  242. RC Kinglet
  243. BG Gnatcatcher
  244. Mountain Bluebird (L)
  245. W. Bluebird (L)
  246. E. Bluebird
  247. Am. Robin
  248. Wood Thrush
  249. Veery
  250. Swainson's Thrush
  251. Hermit Thrush
  252. Gray Catbird
  253. No. Mockingbird
  254. Brown Thrasher
  255. Sage Thrasher (L)
  256. Euro. Starling
  257. Sprague's Pipit
  258. Am. Pipit
  259. Cedar Waxwing
  260. No. Parula
  261. Orange-crowned Warbler
  262. Tennessee Warbler
  263. Blue-winged Warbler
  264. Virginia's Warbler (L)
  265. Nashville Warbler
  266. Yellow Warbler
  267. Chestnut-sided Warbler
  268. Magnolia Warbler
  269. Cape May Warbler
  270. Black-throated Blue Warbler
  271. Cerulean Warbler
  272. Blackburnian Warbler
  273. Yellow-rumped Warbler ('Myrtle' and 'Audubon's... latter a lifer)
  274. Black-throated Gray Warbler (L)
  275. Townsend's Warbler (L).... wow, gorgeous
  276. Black-throated Green Warbler
  277. Prairie Warbler
  278. Palm Warbler ('yellow' and 'brown')
  279. Pine Warbler
  280. Bay-breasted Warbler
  281. Blackpoll Warbler
  282. Yellow-throated Warbler
  283. Grace's Warbler (L)... thought YTWA until I realized I was in NV
  284. Worm-eating Warbler
  285. Prothonotary Warbler...still one of my fav warbs
  286. Black-and-white Warbler
  287. Am. Redstart
  288. Ovenbird
  289. No. Waterthrush
  290. Mourning Warbler
  291. MacGillivray's Warbler (L)
  292. Co. Yellowthroat
  293. Wilson's Warbler
  294. Canada Warbler... dripping off the trees in Ann Arbor, MI
  295. Hooded Warbler
  296. Yellow-breasted Chat (L)...been waiting a while for that one
  297. W. Tanager (L)
  298. Scarlet Tanager
  299. No. Cardinal
  300. Black-headed Grosbeak (L)
  301. Rose-breasted Grosbeak
  302. Blue Grosbeak (L)... seen while getting a speeding ticket
  303. Lazuli Bunting (L)... been waiting since I got my first field guide
  304. Indigo Bunting
  305. Dickcissel
  306. Spotted Towhee (L)
  307. E. Towhee
  308. Green-tailed Towhee (L)
  309. Sage Sparrow (L)
  310. Black-throated Sparrow (L)
  311. Am. Tree Sparrow
  312. Field Sparrow
  313. Brewer's Sparrow (L)
  314. Clay-colored Sparrow
  315. Chipping Sparrow
  316. Baird's Sparrow
  317. Grasshopper Sparrow
  318. Henslow's Sparrow (L)
  319. Nelson's Sparrow... weird to see in ND
  320. Savannah Sparrow
  321. Vesper Sparrow
  322. Lark Bunting (L)
  323. Lark Sparrow (L)
  324. White-throated Sparrow
  325. White-crowned Sparrow
  326. Fox Sparrow (2 subspecies)
  327. Song Sparrow
  328. Lincoln's Sparrow
  329. Swamp Sparrow
  330. Dark-eyed Junco ('pink-sided', 'oregon'. and 'slate')
  331. McCown's Longspur (L)
  332. Chestnut-collared Longspur (L)
  333. Smith's Longspur (L)
  334. Lapland Longspur
  335. Snow Bunting
  336. W. Meadowlark (L)
  337. E. Meadowlark
  338. Bobolink
  339. Brown-headed Cowbird
  340. Yellow-headed Blackbird
  341. Red-winged Blackbird
  342. Brewer's Blackbird (L)
  343. Co. Grackle
  344. Boat-tailed Grackle
  345. Great-tailed Grackle (L)... seen from airplane in Dallas
  346. Bullock's Oriole (L)
  347. Baltimore Oriole
  348. Orchard Oriole
  349. Scott's Oriole (L)
  350. Purple Finch
  351. Cassin's Finch (L)
  352. House Finch
  353. Red Crossbill
  354. Pine Siskin... neat to see in the dessert
  355. Lesser Goldfinch (L)
  356. Am. Goldfinch
  357. House Sparrow

85 lifers, added to my standing 306 gives me 391. My trip goal was to reach 400.... if only I got to the 2nd half! Perhaps I can pull 400 for the US in 2010....

-Brian-

So heres the story....

I made it to California, about 6200mi of wandering our amazing country in such places like Pitsburg, NYC, Columbus and Cleveland (OH), camped in Ann Arbor (MI), saw the Sox get slammed by the Tigers in Comerica Park in Detroit (!!!! GO YANKS!!), has amazing looks at downtown Chicago from my motel window, including the Sears tower, Fargo (ND, Lewis & Clark SP (Williston, ND), Deadwood (SD), Mt. Rushmore, explored the black hills and picked up boreal species such as Mountain Chickadee and Gray Jay... as well as my first 'Audubon's butter-butt.

From Rapid City (after exploring AMAZING crystal caverns) I chugged south down the entire WY east side into Colorado... a rainbow awaited me. I stayed in a motel in Boulder (by far my favorite spot, with the Ann Arbor camping, and overall town a close second... L&P was hard to beat too!) I took a drive to Denver to see if the Rockies were playing, they weren't, though thats one more major city I visited for the first time.

During this western drive I saw hundreds of Pronghorns, wild Buffalo (not a ranch), Bighorn Sheep, several Golden Eagles, Prarie dogs, coyotes, ground squirrels, some sort of weasel, bull snakes, a prarie rattler (stayed my distance!!). For those of you who know me, and know Boulder.... I could see myself living there forever. Hopefully my job interview for the CO Dep. NFS will pan out.

After dreading leaving a town that, juxtaposed to CT.... fails with a F---. Prices, people, healthy aspect, freindly... as I plan to relocate sooner than late, Boulder sits a top, again with Ann Arbor right there. So... got off track... I chugged to Las Vegas...

..,.THE MOST OVER-RATED PLACE IN OUR COUNTRY! I put $200 aside to gamble, made $15 on Star Wars slots... then realized I might as well just hand the floor guys $500 bux then ask for a dollar change. So, I got a tattoo instead. One what would cost upwards of $300 here in CT.... $140 plus tip.

One great thing about vegas... other than the drunks, hobos, crime and dispair.... I got to see George Clinton w. P-Funk for the 6th time in my life. The show lasted until late-late night, so I didn't sleep and got out around 5:00a(pst) to head for Frisco.**

** Now here is where GPS fails... about 75% of the passes through Yosemete NP were closed due to a 12" snow blast the night before. So, I navigated using my atlas, compass, and locals to find a away around. I made it to the Caliornia (Walker, to be exact...border od CA/NE in the Sierra Nevadas), still on icey roads, and I swerve for a Jack Rabbit, 4x4 off, turned to the driver side and my baby (my green Colorado) flipped 6 times and wound up in a 6' ditch in the mountainous dessert.

Would list... broken left arm in 2 spots, 2 broken ribs, cartlidge torn between 4-5 ribs, one of the ribs pokes my lung (no better time to quit smoking, huh??, lol), a grade 2 concussion, 5 staples in the skull, and various raspberrys and deep cuts. Thank whoever is to thank that I had my seatbelt on.

I lost about 2 days due to brain trauma, only remembering someone asking if this driven over laptop was mine, off-duty parameds telling to lay down because of my head bleeding, someone asking if a globe of pure (100%, not .999%) Silver flakes taken from the Black Hills... next memory is getting stabbed in the skull 5-6 times with novacaine, and feeling every bit of each staple being inserted.

Unfortunately, my photos end at Mt. Rushmore (until I figure out how to get some from the droid), and I have many yet to upload from the Sierra Nevadas/Reno/Vegas.etc...


Let me say this right now, to anyone who reads this.... WEAR YOUR SAFETY BELT!! Mine, 100% saved my life. And I had a friend who sits in a hospice going on 4 years as a veggie.... due to lack of seat-belts. PLEASE wear them.


I will do a bit of a break down in a day or so, as it kinda hurts to type with a broken arm and stupid cast!!! Someone, whoever it may be in whoever's eyes, thought I had more time on this planet.

More soon,

-MoJo-

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Back in CT... tentative bird list from 3 weeks of pure America....

I tallied dozens of lifers, and I didn't even make it down the south of California.... I made it there, but the Sierra Nevada mountains, and a stupid Jack-rabbit now has my baby (Colorado) as a pile of scrap metal, never to bee seen again.

I made this list on the plane ride home, I just need to positively ID a few.... this is about it though. 3-5 more at best.

*(Starting from where the Merritt turns into the Hutch)
*(L)-indicates lifer

  1. RT Loon
  2. Common Loon
  3. RN Grebe
  4. Horned Grebe
  5. Eared Grebe (L)
  6. PB Grebe
  7. Western Grebe
  8. Clark's Grebe (L)
  9. Am. White Pelican
  10. DC Cormorant
  11. Am. Bittern
  12. Least Bittern
  13. GB Heron
  14. Great Egret
  15. Snowy Egret
  16. Cattle Egret (L)
  17. Green Heron
  18. BC Night-heron
  19. White-faced Ibis
  20. Mute Swan
  21. Tundra Swan
  22. Canada Goose (including several 'cacklers')
  23. Great-white Fronted Goose
  24. Snow Goose
  25. Wood Duck
  26. Mallard
  27. Am. Black Duck
  28. Gadwall
  29. No. Pintail
  30. Am. Wigeon
  31. No. Shovelor
  32. Cinnamon Teal (L)
  33. BW Teal
  34. GW Teal
  35. Canvasback
  36. Redhead
  37. RN Duck
  38. L. Scaup
  39. Co. Goldeneye
  40. H. Merganser
  41. Co. Merganser
  42. Ruddy Duck
  43. T. Vulture
  44. B. Vulture
  45. No. Harrier
  46. SS Hawk
  47. Cooper's Hawk
  48. No. Goshawk (NJ)
  49. RS Hawk
  50. BW Hawk
  51. Swainson's Hawk
  52. RT Hawk (5+ sbs/morphs, including 'Krider's')
  53. Ferruginous Hawk (L)
  54. Golden Eagle
  55. Bald Eagle
  56. Osprey
  57. Merlin
  58. Am. Kestrel
  59. Prairie Falcon (L)
  60. Peregrine Falcon
  61. California Quail (L)
  62. Chukar (L)
  63. Gray Partridge
  64. RN Pheasant
  65. Blue Grouse (L)
  66. Ruffed Grouse
  67. Sharp-tailed Grouse
  68. Wild Turkey
  69. Co. Moorhen (L)
  70. Am. Coot
  71. Virginia Rail
  72. Sora (L)
  73. Sandhill Crane
  74. Am. Golden Plover
  75. Semipal Plover
  76. Killdeer
  77. Am. Avocet (L)
  78. Black-necked Stilt (L)
  79. G. Yellowlegs
  80. L. Yellowlegs
  81. Solitary Sandpiper
  82. Willet
  83. Spotted Sandpiper
  84. Upland Sandpiper (tons!)
  85. Long-billed Curlew (L.... needed Sibley's for that one... amazing bird)
  86. Dunlin
  87. Pectoral Sandpiper
  88. White-rumped Sandpiper
  89. Semipal Sandpiper
  90. Least Sandpiper
  91. Stilt Sandpiper (L)
  92. LB Dowitcher
  93. Baird's Sandpiper (L)
  94. Buff-breasted Sandpiper
  95. Am. Woodcock
  96. Snipe
  97. Wilson's Phalarope (L)
  98. Boneparte's Gull
  99. Franklin's Gull
  100. RB Gull
  101. California Gull (L)
  102. Herring Gull
  103. GBB Gull
  104. Caspian Tern
  105. Common Tern
  106. Forster's Tern
  107. Black Tern
  108. Mourning Dove
  109. White-winged Dove (L)
  110. Rock Dove
  111. YB Cuckoo
  112. BB Cuckoo
  113. Short-eared Owl (strange to see them over prairies and not marshes)
  114. Long-eared Owl
  115. GH Owl
  116. Barred Owl
  117. No. Saw-whet Owl
  118. Burrowing Owl (L!!... was sitting dead center in a country road north of Vegas enjoying small mammal.... on of my target birds!)
  119. E. Screech Owl
  120. W. Screech Owl (L)
  121. Co. Poorwill (L)
  122. Whip-poor-will
  123. Co. Nighthawk
  124. Lesser Nighthawk (swarms around billboard lights in the dessert) (L)
  125. Chimney Swift
  126. White-throated Swift (L)
  127. Black-chinned Hummer (L)
  128. Ruby-throated Hummer
  129. Calliope Hummer
  130. Broad-tailed Hummer (L)
  131. Rufous Hummer (L)
  132. Belted Kingfisher
  133. Red-headed Woodpecker (numerous is some spots)
  134. Lewis's Woodpecker (L....amazing bird...looks like water-colors)
  135. RB Woodpecker
  136. Red-naped Sapsucker (L)
  137. YB Sapsucker
  138. Downy WP
  139. Hairy WP
  140. 3-toed Woodpecker (L)
  141. No. Flicker (both 'yellow' and red'-shafted')
  142. Pileated Woodpecker
  143. Olive-sided Flycatcher
  144. W. Wood-pewee (L)
  145. E. Wood-pewee
  146. Cordillion Fly (L)
  147. YB Fly
  148. Willow Fly
  149. Alder Fly
  150. Least Fly
  151. Dusky Fly (L)
  152. E. Phoebe
  153. Say's Phoebe (L)
  154. Vermillion Fly (L)
  155. Ash-throated Fly (L)
  156. GC Fly
  157. E. Kingbird
  158. W. Kingbird (L)
  159. Loggerhead Shrike (L)
  160. RE Vireo
  161. Warb Vireo
  162. White-eyed Vireo
  163. YT Vireo
  164. BH Vireo
  165. Steller's Jay
  166. Blue Jay
  167. W. Scrub Jay (L)
  168. Gray Jay
  169. Pinion Jay (L)
  170. Black-billed Magpie
  171. Co. Raven
  172. A. Crow
  173. F. Crow
  174. H. Lark
  175. P. Martin
  176. NRW Swallow
  177. Bank Swallow
  178. Violet-green Swallow (L)
  179. Tree Swallow
  180. Cliff Swallow
  181. Barn Swallow
  182. Juniper Titmouse (L)
  183. Tufted Titmouse
  184. BC Chickadee
  185. Mountain Chickadee (L)
  186. Bushtit (L)
  187. RB Nut
  188. WB Nut
  189. Brown Creeper
  190. Carolina Wren
  191. Bewick's Wren (L)
  192. House Wren
  193. Winter Wren
  194. Sedge Wren
  195. Marsh Wren
  196. Rock Wren (L)
  197. Canyon Wren (L)
  198. RC Kinglet
  199. GC Kinglet
  200. BG Gnatcatcher
  201. Mountain Bluebird (L)
  202. Western Bluebird (L)
  203. Eastern Bluebird
  204. Am. Robin
  205. Wood Thrush
  206. Veery
  207. Swaison's Thrush
  208. Hermit Thrush
  209. Gray Catbird
  210. No. Mockingbird
  211. Brown Thrasher
  212. Sage Thrasher (L)
  213. Sprague's Pipt
  214. Am. Pipit
  215. Cedar Waxwing
  216. No. Parula
  217. Orange-crowned Warbler
  218. Tennessee Warbler
  219. BW Warbler
  220. Virginia's Warbler (L)
  221. Nashville Warbler
  222. Yellow Warbler
  223. Chestnut-sided Warbler
  224. Magnolia Warbler
  225. Cape May Warbler
  226. BTB Warbler
  227. Cerulean Warbler
  228. Blackburnian Warbler
  229. Yellow-rumped Warbler (both 'myrtle' and 'audubon')
  230. Black-thated Grey Warbler (L.... another on checked from the wish list)
  231. Townsend's Warbler (L... striking)
  232. BTGreen Warbler
  233. Prairie Warbler
  234. Palm Warbler (both 'yellow' & 'western')
  235. Pine Warbler
  236. Bay-breasted Warbler
  237. Blackpoll Warbler
  238. Yellow-throated Warbler
  239. Grace's Warbler (L)
  240. Worm-eating Warbler
  241. Prothonotary Warbler
  242. B&W Warbler
  243. Am. Redstart
  244. Ovenbird
  245. No. Waterthrush
  246. Mourning Warbler
  247. MacGillivray's Warbler (L)
  248. Common Yellowthroat
  249. Wilson's Warbler
  250. Canada Warbler
  251. Hooded Warbler
  252. YB Chat (L... finally!)
  253. Euro. Starling (most numerous bird seen, 2nd to TVs)
  254. Western Tanager (L)
  255. Scarlet Tanager
  256. No. Cardinal
  257. Black-headed Grosbeak (L)
  258. Rose-breasted Grosbeak
  259. Blue Grosbeak (L)
  260. Lazuli Bunting (L... another on the 'hitlist')
  261. Indigo Bunting
  262. Dickcissel
  263. Spotted Towhee (L... 'great plains')
  264. E, Towhee
  265. Green-tailed Towhee (L)
  266. Sage Sparrow (L)
  267. Black-throated Sparrow (L)
  268. Field Sparrow
  269. Brewer's Sparrow (L)
  270. Clay-colored Sparrow
  271. Chipping Sparrow
  272. Baird's Sparrow (L)
  273. Grasshopper Sparrow
  274. Henslow's Sparrow (L)
  275. Nelson's (sharp-tailed) Sparrow
  276. Savannah Sparrow
  277. Vesper Sparrow
  278. Lark Bunting (L)
  279. Lark Sparrow (L)
  280. White-throated Sparrow
  281. White-crowned Sparrow
  282. Fox Sparrow ('interior west')
  283. Song Sparrow
  284. Lincoln's Sparrow
  285. Swamp Sparrow
  286. Dark-eyed Junco ('pink-sided', 'slate', & 'Oregon sbs.)
  287. McCown's Longspur (L)
  288. Chestnut-naped Longspur (L)
  289. Smith's Longspur (L)
  290. W. Meadowlark (L)
  291. E. Meadowlark
  292. Bobolink
  293. BH Cowbird
  294. Yellow-headed Blackbirds (tons!)
  295. RW Blackbird
  296. Brewer's Blackbird (L... once I IDed one, they seemed everywhere)
  297. Co. Grackle
  298. Great-tailed Grackle (L... seen from my airplane window in Dallas/Ft. Worth)
  299. Bullock's Oriole (L)
  300. Baltimore Oriole
  301. Orchard Oriole
  302. Scott's Oriole (L... very, very neat bird)
  303. Purple Finch
  304. Cassin's Finch (L)
  305. House Finch
  306. Red Crossbill (I love the Black Hills... winter birds don't winter there, they stay!)
  307. Pine Siskin ('yellow adult, in the end of May, in Nevada... cool stuff)
  308. Lesser Goldfinch (L)
  309. Am. Goldfinch
  310. House Sparrow

By my tally, that is 78 lifers, jumping my life total to 387. Sucks to be home, but with staples in the brain, sprained wrist, and 2 busted ribs.... it feels great to relax.

-Brian-

Monday, May 24, 2010

Time to get a trip bird list....

After camping and driving, A LOT (3900+ miles so far), plus poor weather here near Mt. Rushmore, I have time to get a updated trip list up. To put it very bluntly, these past 2 weeks have been stupid hectic, so actually resting on a bed and typing is relaxing.

Here is what I've gotten so far (again, going by Sibley's taxonomy):

  1. Common Loon
  2. Red-necked Grebe
  3. Horned Grebe
  4. Eared Grebe (lifer)
  5. Pied-billed Grebe
  6. Western Grebe
  7. Am. White Pelican
  8. DC Cormorant
  9. Am. Bittern
  10. Least Bittern
  11. GB Heron
  12. Great Egret (seen near CT/NY border... still counts!)
  13. Green Heron
  14. BC Night-heron
  15. Tundra Swan
  16. Canada Goose
  17. Cackling Goose
  18. GWF Goose
  19. Snow Goose
  20. Wood Duck
  21. Mallard
  22. Am. Black Duck
  23. Gadwal
  24. No. Pintail
  25. Am. Wigeon
  26. No. Shoveler
  27. BW Teal
  28. GW Teal
  29. Canvasback
  30. Redhead
  31. RN Duck
  32. Lesser Scaup (it is SO neat to see 'our' winter waterfowl up here in breeding plumage)
  33. Co. Goldeneye
  34. Bufflehead
  35. Hooded Merganser
  36. Co. Merganser
  37. Ruddy Duck
  38. Turkey Vulture
  39. Black Vulture
  40. No. Harrier
  41. Sharp-shinned Hawk
  42. Cooper's Hawk
  43. No. Goshawk
  44. Red-shouldered Hawk
  45. Broad-winged Hawk
  46. Swainson's Hawk
  47. Red-tailed Hawk
  48. Ferruginous Hawk (lifer)
  49. Golden Eagle (3 so far)
  50. Bald Eagle
  51. Osprey
  52. Merlin
  53. Am. Kestrel
  54. Peregrine Falcon
  55. Gray Partridge
  56. RN Pheasant
  57. Ruffed Grouse
  58. Sharp-tailed Grouse
  59. Wild Turkey
  60. Common Moorhen (lifer)
  61. American Coot
  62. Virginia Rail
  63. Sora
  64. Sandhill Crane
  65. Am. Golden Plover
  66. Semipal Plover
  67. Killdeer
  68. Am. Avocet (lifer)
  69. Gr. Yellowlegs
  70. Lesser Yellowlegs
  71. Solitary Sandpiper
  72. Spotted Sandpiper
  73. Upland Sandpiper
  74. Dunlin
  75. Pectoral Sandpiper
  76. White-rumped Sandpiper
  77. Semipal Sandpiper
  78. Least Sandpiper
  79. Buff-breasted Sandpiper
  80. Am. Woodcock
  81. Wilson's Snipe
  82. Wilson's Phlarope (lifer)
  83. Boneparte's Gull
  84. Franklin's Gull
  85. Ring-billed Gull
  86. California Gull
  87. Herring Gull
  88. GB-backed Gull (again, still counts as I was on the road)
  89. Caspian Tern
  90. Common Tern
  91. Forster's Tern
  92. Black Tern
  93. Mourning Dove
  94. Rock Dove
  95. Yellow-billed Cuckoo
  96. Black-billed Cuckoo
  97. Short-eared Owl
  98. GH Owl
  99. Barred Owl
  100. E. Screech Owl
  101. Whip-poor-will
  102. Co. Nighthawk
  103. Chimney Swift
  104. RT Hummingbird
  105. Belted Kingfisher
  106. RH Woodpecker
  107. RB Woodpecker
  108. YB Sapsucker
  109. Downy Woodpecker
  110. Hairy Woodpecker
  111. No. Flicker (red and yellow)
  112. Pileated Woodpecker
  113. Olive-sided Flycatcher
  114. E. Wood-Pewee
  115. YB Flycatcher
  116. Willow Flycatcher
  117. Least Flycatcher
  118. E. Phoebe
  119. Say's Phoebe (lifer)
  120. GC Flycatcher
  121. E. Kingbird
  122. W. Kingbird (lifer)
  123. Loggerhead Shrike (lifer)
  124. Red-eyed Vireo
  125. Warbling Vireo
  126. White-eyed Vireo
  127. YT Vireo
  128. Blue-headed Vireo
  129. Blue Jay
  130. Black-billed Magpie
  131. Co. Raven
  132. Am. Crow
  133. Fish Crow
  134. Horned Lark
  135. Purple Martin
  136. NRW Swallow
  137. Bank Swallow
  138. Tree Swallow
  139. Cliff Swallow
  140. Barn Swallow
  141. Tufted Titmouse
  142. BC Chickadee
  143. RB Nuthatch
  144. WB Nuthatch
  145. Brown Creeper
  146. Carolina Wren
  147. House Wren
  148. Winter Wren
  149. Sedge Wren
  150. Marsh Wren
  151. RC Kinglet
  152. BG Gnatcatcher
  153. Mountain Bluebird (lifer)
  154. E. Bluebird
  155. Am. Robin
  156. Wood Thrush
  157. Veery
  158. Swainson's Thrush
  159. Hermit Thrush
  160. Gray Catbird
  161. No. Mockingbird
  162. Brown Thrasher
  163. Euro. Starling
  164. Sprague's Pipit
  165. Am. Pipit
  166. Cedar Waxwing
  167. No. Parula
  168. OC Warbler
  169. Tennessee Warbler
  170. Blue-winged Warbler
  171. Nashville Warbler
  172. Yellow Warbler
  173. Chestnut-sided Warbler
  174. Magnolia Warbler
  175. Cape May Warbler
  176. BTB Warbler
  177. Cerulean Warbler
  178. Blackburnian Warbler
  179. YR Warbler
  180. BTG Warbler
  181. Palm Warbler (brown and yellow)
  182. Pine Warbler
  183. Bay-breasted Warbler
  184. Blackpoll Warbler
  185. Yellow-throated Warbler
  186. Worm-eating Warbler
  187. Prothonotary Warbler
  188. B&W Warbler
  189. Am. Redstart
  190. Ovenbird
  191. No. Waterthrush
  192. Mourning Warbler
  193. Co. Yellowthroat
  194. Wilson's Warbler
  195. Canada Warbler
  196. Hooded Warbler
  197. Yellow-breasted Chat (lifer)
  198. Scarlet Tanager
  199. No. Cardinal
  200. RB Grosbeak
  201. Lazuli Bunting (lifer)
  202. Dickcissel
  203. Spotted Towhee (lifer... 'great plains')
  204. E. Towhee
  205. Field Sparrow
  206. Clay-colored Sparrow
  207. Chipping Sparrow
  208. Baird's Sparrow (lifer)
  209. Grasshopper Sparrow
  210. Henslow's Sparrow (lifer)
  211. Savannah Sparrow
  212. Vesper Sparrow
  213. Lark Bunting (lifer)
  214. Lark Sparrow (lifer)
  215. WT Sparrow
  216. WC Sparrow
  217. Fox Sparrow
  218. Song Sparrow
  219. Lincoln's Sparrow
  220. Swamp Sparrow
  221. Chestnut-collared Longspur (lifer)
  222. W. Meadowlark (lifer)
  223. E. Meadowlark
  224. Bobolink
  225. BH Cowbird
  226. YH Blackbird
  227. RW Blackbird
  228. Brewer's Blackbird (lifer)
  229. Co. Grackle
  230. Bullock's Oriole (lifer)
  231. Baltimore Oriole
  232. Orchard Oriole
  233. House Finch
  234. Am. Goldfinch
  235. House Sparrow

-MoJo-

Howdy from Rapid City, SD

I packed up my truck Sunday morning (5/23) at Lewis & Clark S.P. after some amazing sight-seeing, camping, birding, and learning. Some new life birds I added were Mountain Bluebird, Lazuli Bunting, Spotted Towhee, Say's Phoebe, Loggerhead Shrike, Baird's Sparrow (for real this time), Lark Bunting and Lark Sparrow, California Gull, Chestnut-collared Longspur, Bullock's Oriole (f), and Ferruginous Hawk.

I made pals with a really nice ranger who gave me a free 'pop', as they call them out here, for making a tally of the birds I saw while there. My list got to 149 species. My drive from Fargo to the park yielded my 3rd Golden eagle of the trip. The wind whipped off of the lake that laid right behind my tent. It reminded me of Long Island Sound... one morning it was glass, and I was able to scope several Western Grebes.... the next it was white-capped.

I can honestly say they only down side is driving 30 miles to get one bar of cell phone service to the closest town, Williston. Even that was alright because it drove me past a Prairie dog town.


Each night, and Elk 're-marked' his territory, right where I was during the night! Sharp-tailed Grouse and RN Pheasants called at dusk and dawn, coyotes sang out from the canyons, and my closest neighbors for the 3 nights/days were a Brown Thrasher, Orange-crowned/Yellow and Magnolia warblers, Clay-colored Sparrows, Western Kingbirds, a Screech owl, and Mr. Elk.... along with some passer-bys.




After saying my goodbyes and taking a few photos of the rising sun over the lake, I headed south to where I am now... Motel 6 in Rapid City, SD. About a half hour from Mt. Rushmore, Deadwood, and the Black Hills Nat'l Forest. I drove through Sturgis to get here, which was FILLED with Harley bars, dealers, shops and the like. Before I got that far, I stopped half-way at an really neat bar called 'The No.3 Saloon' in Buffalo, SD. Coincidentally, two identical twins came in, which is interesting to me because my good friend feeding my pets my mother won't even look at is a twin. I was outside talking on my cell phone to a different friend back home, and as they left, one of them tossed me a 65,000 year old turtle shell fossil as a souvenir for my trip. It went in the cup with interesting rocks and petrified wood I found on my own.

Unfortunately the ratio of living mammals (not live-stock) to road-killed mammals is around 300:1.... Dead:Alive. I did pass a few Pronghorn Antelope on the drive, and saw a few free-roaming Bison as well. The grassland and badland roads are all lined with wired fence to keep our burgers and lamb from getting out, and birds perched on what seemed like ever 100 feet of them. So again, unfortunately, I saw many road-killed birds too. One of which was a hawk of some sort.

I've now seen 3 sub-species of Red-tailed hawks on the trip, and the drive here gave me great looks at different morphs of Swainson's and Ferruginous hawks. I have another night here, and will probably do a bird tally tonight.... or today, as it will be heavily raining and storming, with winds up to 50mph. Tomorrow will be sunny and 65, though. There are caves to see, and gold to find, and Deadwood to enjoy while I am here. A lot of the stories and characters from the HBO show 'Deadwood' are based on real people/events, and I can't wait to see Wild Bill Hickock's grave... as he was killed in Deadwood. Not sure if Calamity Jane is buried in the same cemetery. I do know I will walk where they did, as well as Wyatt Earp.


The weather for Yellowstone N.P. is NOT what I had expected.... snow and sleet for the next several days, so camping there is out. I will do a drive through and tour, take some photos, then haul to Boulder, CO... where it will be 70-80 and sunny until Friday.


It is now 7:47am (now in Mountain time.... it follows the Missouri I believe.... zig-zags like crazy) in Rapid City.

Signing off for now,

-MoJo-

Thursday, May 20, 2010

The freedom of the road....

It is 8:46a(central) in Fargo, and I am going to head to Lewis & Clark State Park in North Dakota for some camping/birding/hiking/photography(finally!) until Sunday morning (5/22).

The campground sits close to great walleye fishing, amazing birding (duh), and is close(relatively... CT is SMALL!) near/on the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers, and the northern section of Theodore Roosevelt Nat'l Forest.

On April 17th, 1805, the park's namesakes camped very nearby as they explored then unknown. To me, very cool.


Next WiFi probably in Salt Lake City, maybe a week or so away. Still awaiting my first Ferriginous....


From Fargo,

-MoJo-

PS:

I can't find Brainard! I want to photograph the Paul Bunyan Statue from the movie. They changed the names, due to the true events, so perhaps the town as well. I'll ask a local. =)