Surreptitious Bird-A-Day

Anhinga, #105, 4/15, Playa Puerto Morelos

This year I decided to play Bird-A-Day for the first time in 6 years, but surreptitiously. For one thing, Shari thinks it's just one more obsession on top of an obsession, so I kept it a secret from her for about two months until she saw the Excel spreadsheet on my desktop. Secondly, it was surreptitious by default, since there's no one to play against; there use to be a website where you would post your bird of that day and see what other birds from about 50 or 60 birders all over the world were posting. Sadly, the webmaster of that site died and the site along with him. 

To review the very simple rules of the game: Each day you have to pick a unique bird that you've seen or heard and list it as your bird of the day. Once you have used it, it can't be repeated. Ideally, at the end of the year, you'd have 365 birds listed, but unless you do a lot of traveling it almost impossible to achieve that. The winners on the site were usually professional bird guides. So, the interest in the game, if there is one, is how far into the year you can get. I was hoping to at least get into September, as I did 6 years ago, but the streak ended yesterday at 224 days. I could easily have extended it today if I had gone east and picked up a Herring Gull, and I probably could keep going another week if I felt like spending all my time along the shore, listing terns and some shorebirds that didn't make the list yet, but I don't feel like doing that. Having COVID this year didn't help, but looking over the list now, it was not that much of a hindrance. I appear to have used up only two backyard birds during the week or so I had it and one of them, House Sparrow, is a very odd bird for us to have in the backyard anyway.  Going to Mexico for 10 days, of course did help keep the streak going longer than it would have had I stayed only in NJ, as did our little trip to Delaware in May

The strategy of the game is to try to use the rarest bird you've found that day, saving the easy birds for rainy days or days where life gets in the way of birding with dentist appointments or visits to the eye doctor. The year didn't get off to a very good start because it was cold and rainy, so my first bird was an American Tree Sparrow at Whitesbog. Everything else I saw that day, I wanted to "save" for later. 

Arctic Tern*, #135, May 14, Assunpink

Of course, another aspect of the strategy is to use up the seasonal birds before they disappear from the area, so in winter, that means a lot of ducks, swans, geese, and other water birds, and in spring, with luck, a lot of warblers and vireos. Real rarities, like a Thick-billed Murre or an Arctic Tern are gifts. As the year progresses, the birds on the list get more common until Carolina Chickadee is the only bird seen that hasn't been used, and this on a day when I listed 51 species at Whitesbog. 

Here is my list of 224 species; if nothing else, it serves as a pretty good history of where I spend most of my time (Whitesbog appears 42 times). Birds in bold are rarities, birds with an asterisk* are species specifically sought out that day, and the two birds in ALL CAPS are the only lifers I added so far this year.

1-Jan	American Tree Sparrow	Whitesbog
2-Jan	Virginia Rail	Manahawkin
3-Jan	Yellow-rumped Warbler	Backyard
4-Jan	Eurasian Wigeon*	Maclearie Park
5-Jan	Snow Bunting	Island Beach SP
6-Jan	Common Goldeneye	Graveling Point
7-Jan	Brown Creeper	Crestwood Village
8-Jan	Wilson's Snipe	Cattus Island CP
9-Jan	Harlequin Duck*	Barnegat Light
10-Jan	Long-billed Dowitcher*	Deer Head Lake
11-Jan	Rough-legged Hawk*	BC Fairgrounds
12-Jan	Brown Thrasher	New Egypt
13-Jan	Northern Shrike*	Franklin Parker Preserve
14-Jan	Canvasback*	Riverfront Landing
15-Jan	Cedar Waxwing	Backyard
16-Jan	Rusty Blackbird	New Egypt
17-Jan	Winter Wren	Horicon Lake
18-Jan	Northern Pintail	Pemberton Lake
19-Jan	Pileated Woodpecker*	UTT New Egypt
20-Jan	Swamp Sparrow	UTT OC
21-Jan	Savannah Sparrow	Shelter Cove
22-Jan	Redhead*	Mantoloking
23-Jan	Horned Lark*	Jackson HS
24-Jan	Fox Sparrow	Manahawkin
25-Jan	Lapland Longspur	Holgate
26-Jan	Blue-headed Vireo	Whitesbog
27-Jan	Dark-eyed Junco	Backyard
28-Jan	Razorbill	Island Beach SP
29-Jan	Hermit Thrush	Backyard
30-Jan	Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	Backyard
31-Jan	White-crowned Sparrow	New Egypt
1-Feb	Black-headed Gull*	Manasquan Inlet
2-Feb	Common Merganser	Sands Point
3-Feb	Hairy Woodpecker	Whitesbog
4-Feb	Northern Cardinal	Backyard
5-Feb	Ring-necked Duck	Whitesbog
6-Feb	Eastern Screech-Owl*	Whitesbog
7-Feb	Red-tailed Hawk	Meadowview Lane
8-Feb	Great Horned Owl	Colliers Mills
9-Feb	Gadwall	Double Trouble
10-Feb	Thick-billed Murre*	Barnegat Light
11-Feb	Hooded Merganser	Whitesbog
12-Feb	Sharp-shinned Hawk	Whitesbog
13-Feb	Common Raven	Colliers Mills
14-Feb	Ruby-crowned Kinglet	Assunpink
15-Feb	Northern Harrier	Manahawkin
16-Feb	Cackling Goose*	Meadowedge Park
17-Feb	Eastern Meadowlark	Colliers Mills
18-Feb	Tundra Swan	Whitesbog
19-Feb	Eared Grebe	Manasquan Inlet
20-Feb	Green-winged Teal	Reeves Bogs
21-Feb	Eastern Bluebird	Manasquan River WMA
22-Feb	Merlin	New Egypt
23-Feb	Belted Kingfisher	Pond on Schoolhouse
24-Feb	Iceland Gull	Manasquan Inlet
25-Feb	Northern Flicker	Whitesbog
26-Feb	American Woodcock	Backyard
27-Feb	Trumpeter Swan*	Assunpink
28-Feb	King Eider*	Island Beach SP
1-Mar	Lesser Scaup	Colliers Mills
2-Mar	Greater Scaup	Great Bay Blvd
3-Mar	American Coot*	Lake of the Lilies
4-Mar	Common Grackle	Whitesbog
5-Mar	Eastern Phoebe	Colliers Mills
6-Mar	Northern Shoveler	Brig
7-Mar	Peregrine Falcon	Great Bay Blvd
8-Mar	Killdeer	Whitesbog
9-Mar	Black Vulture	Crestwood Village
10-Mar	Wood Duck	Colliers Mills
11-Mar	Great Cormorant	Island Beach SP
12-Mar	White-throated Sparrow	Backyard
13-Mar	Fish Crow	Crestwood Village
14-Mar	Pied-billed Grebe	Double Trouble
15-Mar	Red-breasted Merganser*	Waretown
16-Mar	Bufflehead	Cattus Island CP
17-Mar	Tree Swallow	Whitesbog
18-Mar	Snow Goose*	Brick Reservoir
19-Mar	Brown-headed Cowbird	Colliers Mills
20-Mar	American Oystercatcher	Barnegat Municipal Dock
21-Mar	Brant*	Cedar Bonnet Island
22-Mar	Bald Eagle	Cranberry Bogs
23-Mar	Golden-crowned Kinglet	Whitesbog
24-Mar	Red-winged Blackbird	Cloverdale Farm
25-Mar	Double-crested Cormorant	Whitesbog
26-Mar	Louisiana Waterthrush*	Budd's Bogs
27-Mar	Field Sparrow	Cloverdale Road
28-Mar	Blue-gray Gnatcatcher	Colliers Mills
29-Mar	Glossy Ibis*	Waretown
30-Mar	Red-Shouldered Hawk	Whitesbog
31-Mar	Northern Gannet	Great Bay Blvd
1-Apr	Bonaparte's Gull	Whitesbog
2-Apr	Glaucous Gull	Sandy Hook
3-Apr	American Kestrel	Colliers Mills
4-Apr	Little Blue Heron*	Island Beach SP
5-Apr	Palm Warbler	Whitesbog
6-Apr	Laughing Gull	Horicon Lake
7-Apr	Sandhill Crane	Jumping Brook Preserve
8-Apr	Red-throated Loon	Island Beach SP
9-Apr	Red-breasted Nuthatch	Double Trouble
10-Apr	White-fronted Parrot	Casa Primavera
11-Apr	Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl	Puerto Morelos
12-Apr	ROSE-THROATED BECARD	Cenote Zapotec
13-Apr	White-winged Dove	Puerto Morelos
14-Apr	Yellow-billed Cacique	Jardin Botanica
15-Apr	Anhinga	Playa Puerto Morelos
16-Apr	Olive-throated Parrot	Puerto Morelos
17-Apr	MORELET'S SEEDEATER	Mangles de Puerto Morelos
18-Apr	Plain Chachalaca	Casa Primavera
19-Apr	Cinnamon Hummingbird	Puerto Morelos
20-Apr	White-winged Scoter	Island Beach SP
21-Apr	Broad-winged Hawk	Double Trouble
22-Apr	Prairie Warbler	Whitesbog
23-Apr	Stilt Sandpiper	Forsythe-Barnegat
24-Apr	Greater Yellowlegs	Jumping Brook Preserve
25-Apr	Clapper Rail	Great Bay Blvd
26-Apr	House Wren	Cranberry Bogs
27-Apr	Common Loon	Reeves Bogs
28-Apr	Eastern Kingbird	Whitesbog
29-Apr	Hooded Warbler	Colliers Mills
30-Apr	Northern Rough-winged Swallow	Manahawkin
1-May	Horned Grebe	Island Beach SP
2-May	Marbled Godwit	Island Beach SP
3-May	White Ibis*	Ocean City Visitors Center
4-May	Red-headed Woodpecker*	Colliers Mills
5-May	Least Flycatcher	Island Beach SP
6-May	Indigo Bunting*	Emson Preserve
7-May	Wild Turkey	Backyard
8-May	Yellow-throated Vireo	Huber Preserve
9-May	Nashville Warbler	Jumping Brook Preserve
10-May	Chuck-Will's-Widow	Collinstown Road
11-May	Bank Swallow	Cranberry Bogs
12-May	Red Knot*	Great Bay Blvd
13-May	Blue-winged Warbler*	Manasquan River WMA
14-May	Arctic Tern*	Assunpink
15-May	Yellow-billed Cuckoo	Jumping Brook Preserve
16-May	Wilson's Storm-Petrel*	Barnegat Light
17-May	Canada Warbler	Island Beach SP
18-May	American Redstart	Double Trouble
19-May	Black-bellied Whistling Duck*	Amalfi Pond
20-May	Brown-headed Nuthatch*	Cape Henlopen SP
21-May	Black-necked Stilt*	Bombay Hook
22-May	Warbling Vireo	Colliers Mills
23-May	Scarlet Tanager	Whitesbog
24-May	White-rumped Sandpiper	Great Bay Blvd
25-May	Acadian Flycatcher*	Double Trouble
26-May	Blackpoll Warbler	Whitesbog
27-May	Brown Pelican	Island Beach SP
28-May	Saltmarsh Sparrow	Great Bay Blvd
29-May	Chimney Swift	Jumping Brook Preserve
30-May	Yellow-breasted Chat*	Double Trouble
31-May	Eastern Wood-Pewee	Crestwood Village
1-Jun	Garganey*	National Guard Train Ctr
2-Jun	Cliff Swallow*	Wesley Lake
3-Jun	Ovenbird	Whitesbog
4-Jun	Great Blue Heron	Cranberry Bogs
5-Jun	Black-and-White Warbler	Reeves Bogs
6-Jun	Spotted Sandpiper	Jumping Brook Preserve
7-Jun	Worm-eating Warbler*	Evert Preserve
8-Jun	Least Tern	Great Bay Blvd
9-Jun	Grasshopper Sparrow*	Laurel Run
10-Jun	Orchard Oriole	Jumping Brook Preserve
11-Jun	Sora	Brig
12-Jun	Blue Grosbeak	South Park Road
13-Jun	Green Heron	Whitesbog
14-Jun	American Avocet*	Barnegat Light
15-Jun	Black-billed Cuckoo*	Whitesbog
16-Jun	White-eyed Vireo	Colliers Mills
17-Jun	Eastern Towhee	Double Trouble
18-Jun	Least Bittern	Jumping Brook Preserve
19-Jun	Purple Martin	Reeves Bogs
20-Jun	Willow Flycatcher	Cranberry Bogs
21-Jun	House Sparrow	Backyard
22-Jun	Ruby-throated Hummingbird	Backyard
23-Jun	Great Crested Flycatcher	Whitesbog
24-Jun	Northern Mockingbird	Crestwood Village
25-Jun	Wood Thrush	Jumping Brook Preserve
26-Jun	Common Nighthawk*	Whitesbog
27-Jun	Royal Tern*	Island Beach SP
28-Jun	Ruff*	Brig
29-Jun	Veery*	Double Trouble
30-Jun	Eastern Whip-poor-will	Backyard
1-Jul	Yellow-crowned Night-Heron*	Great Bay Blvd
2-Jul	Barn Swallow	Jumping Brook Preserve
3-Jul	Mallard	Reeves Bogs
4-Jul	Mute Swan	Colliers Mills
5-Jul	Common Tern	Manasquan Inlet
6-Jul	Pine Warbler	Whitesbog
7-Jul	Common Yellowthroat	Whitesbog
8-Jul	Marsh Wren	Manahawkin
9-Jul	Song Sparrow	Backyard
10-Jul	Canada Goose	Jumping Brook Preserve
11-Jul	Chipping Sparrow	Whitesbog
12-Jul	Black Skimmer	Cattus Island CP
13-Jul	Red-bellied Woodpecker	Jumping Brook Preserve
14-Jul	Gray Catbird	Crossley Preserve
15-Jul	Great Egret*	Cranberry Bogs
16-Jul	Red-eyed Vireo	Jumping Brook Preserve
17-Jul	American Crow	Whitesbog
18-Jul	Snowy Egret*	Waretown
19-Jul	Least Sandpiper*	Whitesbog
20-Jul	American Robin	Lakehurst RR Tracks
21-Jul	Short-billed Dowitcher*	Great Bay Blvd
22-Jul	Lesser Yellowlegs	Whitesbog
23-Jul	Blue Jay	Colliers Mills
24-Jul	Solitary Sandpiper	Reeves Bogs
25-Jul	Monk Parakeet*	Sylvan Lake
26-Jul	Semipalmated Sandpiper	Whitesbog
27-Jul	Yellow Warbler	Whitesbog
28-Jul	Semipalmated Plover	Whitesbog
29-Jul	House Finch	Backyard
30-Jul	Western Sandpiper	Whitesbog
31-Jul	Buff-breasted Sandpiper*	Whitesbog
1-Aug	Pectoral Sandpiper*	Whitesbog
2-Aug	American Goldfinch	Backyard
3-Aug	White-breasted Nuthatch	Backyard
4-Aug	Upland Sandpiper*	BC Fairgrounds
5-Aug	Mourning Dove	Whitesbog
6-Aug	Black-bellied Plover	Brig
7-Aug	Gull-billed Tern	Whitesbog
8-Aug	European Starling	Whitesbog
9-Aug	Turkey Vulture	Whitesbog
10-Aug	Tufted Titmouse	Backyard
11-Aug	Great Black-backed Gull	Belmar
12-Aug	Carolina Chickadee	Backyard

Black-bellied Whistling Duck*, #139, May 19, Amalfi Drive Pond,