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-

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-

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-

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. =)