1/1/11

First bird of the New Year: Northern Flicker, seen flying into a pine tree behind our friends' house in Malverne, where we spent New Year's Eve.

Our original plan was to go to Point Lookout to see what was in the ocean, but we thought that the parking lots might not be cleared of all the snow, so we went to Jones Beach instead, figuring the Coast Guard Station might yield some interesting birds. Not really. Aside from a lone Long-tailed Duck, there was nothing exceptional there--gulls, Brant, a couple of Mallards. The Roosevelt Nature Center had a couple of Northern Harriers swooping over the dunes.

Over at West End 2, a birder doing a Christmas Count was kind enough to show us a Peregrine Falcon sitting on a pole way out on the beach. She said that the counters weren't encountering much bird activity today, so we at least knew it wasn't just us. I was hoping to find Snow Buntings or Horned Larks; she said there had been quite a flock of Buntings out on the beach, so we trudged through snow and sand all the way out to the ocean, which, though it was placid, was devoid of any waterfowl. And no buntings. However, on the march back to the backing lot we were lucky enough to find at least 4 Horned Larks running around the scrub on the dunes.

Our first list of the year:
Jones Beach SP
Observation date:    1/1/11
Number of species:    18
Brant    100    Coast Guard Station
Canada Goose    75
Mallard    4    Coast Guard Station
Long-tailed Duck    1    Coast Guard Station
Common Loon    1    Coast Guard Station
Northern Harrier    2    Roosevelt Nature Ctr
Cooper's Hawk    1    WE2
Merlin    2    Coast Guard Station
Peregrine Falcon    1    WE2
Ring-billed Gull    100
Herring Gull    100
Great Black-backed Gull    4    Coast Guard Station
Rock Pigeon    50    Coast Guard Station
American Crow    2    Coast Guard Station
Horned Lark    4    WE2
Northern Mockingbird    5    Coast Guard Station
European Starling    25
House Finch    11    Coast Guard Station

So, not the most productive start for the birding year, but the sun was out, the weather was warm, the wind was nil, we were with our friends--I'll start a New Year like that any year.

2010 / 279 species

Green Heron, Mount Loretto

Aside from Puerto Rico, we didn't range very far this year in our birding trips: NY, NJ, CT, MA, DE, and DC. Last year we had trips to Arizona and Florida--we added something like 70 life birds in Arizona alone. As my brother said, we'll never get that many birds in one trip in the lower 48 again.

So 279 species is a good number and there are, I think, 37 life birds (bold type, below) on the list.

Puerto Rico was obviously the highlight of the year if for nothing else names alone--West Indian Whistling Duck, Puerto Rican Lizard-Cuckoo, etc.--but the birds that stand out in my memory are the chases--the Fork-tailed Flycatcher in CT, and especially the Barnacle Goose in the Bronx.

The flycatcher was exciting because it was so out of place--it's a bird I really never expected to see. The goose was most satisfying of all because we were able to read and report the band on its leg, proving that it was legitimate find (not an escapee) while adding a smidgen of information to the ornithological knowledge base.                                                                                                              

Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Cove Island Park, CT
Photo by Shari Zirlin

Barnacle Goose, Orchard Beach, NY

Tomorrow we start our adventures anew, but probably at the same place as we did this year--Point Lookout, and isn't it appropriate to begin the new year from that vantage point?

Year List 2010

Species	Location
West Indian Whistling-Duck	Laguna Cartegena - West End
Snow Goose	Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--West Pond
Brant	Point Lookout
Barnacle Goose	Orchard Beach/Hunter Island
Canada Goose	Willow Pond
Mute Swan	Prospect Park
Tundra Swan	Jones Beach SP
Wood Duck	Prospect Park
Gadwall	Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--East Pond
American Wigeon	Willow Pond
American Black Duck	Willow Pond
Mallard	Willow Pond
Blue-winged Teal	Mount Loretto Unique Area
Northern Shoveler	Willow Pond
White-cheeked Pintail	Pond Near Copamarina
Northern Pintail	Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--West Pond
Green-winged Teal	Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--West Pond
Ring-necked Duck	Prospect Park
Greater Scaup	Sandy Hook
Lesser Scaup	Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--East Pond
Common Eider	Point Lookout
Harlequin Duck	Point Lookout
Surf Scoter	Point Lookout
White-winged Scoter	Avalon Seawatch
Black Scoter	Avalon Seawatch
Long-tailed Duck	Point Lookout
Bufflehead	Gravesend Bay
Common Goldeneye	Gravesend Bay
Hooded Merganser	Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--West Pond
Common Merganser	Prospect Park
Red-breasted Merganser	Gravesend Bay
Ruddy Duck	Prospect Park
Northern Bobwhite	Bombay Hook NWR
Wild Turkey	Upper Valley Road
Red-throated Loon	Point Lookout
Common Loon	Point Lookout
Pied-billed Grebe	Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--West Pond
Horned Grebe	Point Lookout
Red-necked Grebe	Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--West Pond
Northern Gannet	Sandy Hook
American White Pelican	Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--East Pond
Brown Pelican	Gran Melia
Double-crested Cormorant	Owl's Head Water Pollution Control Plant
Great Cormorant	Sandy Hook
Magnificent Frigatebird	Bosque Estatal de Piñones
Great Blue Heron	Prospect Park
Great Egret	Prospect Park
Snowy Egret	Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--West Pond
Little Blue Heron	Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--West Pond
Tricolored Heron	Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--West Pond
Cattle Egret	Coco Beach Road
Green Heron	Mount Loretto Unique Area
Black-crowned Night-Heron	Willow Pond
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron	Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--West Pond
Glossy Ibis	Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--West Pond
White-faced Ibis	Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--West Pond
Black Vulture	Costco Parking Lot
Turkey Vulture	Sandy Hook
Osprey	Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--West Pond
White-tailed Kite	E. B. Forsythe NWR--Barnegat
Bald Eagle	Cape Island--Higbees Beach SWA
Northern Harrier	Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--West Pond
Sharp-shinned Hawk	Prospect Park
Cooper's Hawk	Prospect Park
Red-shouldered Hawk	Cape Island--CMPSP--Hawkwatch
Red-tailed Hawk	Prospect Park
American Kestrel	Clinton Street
Merlin	Prospect Park
Peregrine Falcon	E. B. Forsythe NWR--Wildlife Drive
Clapper Rail	Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--West Pond
Virginia Rail	Cape May Migratory Bird Sanctuary
Sora	Bombay Hook NWR
Purple Gallinule	Laguna Cartegena - West End
Common Moorhen	Meadowlands IBA--Kearny Marsh
American Coot	Prospect Park
Caribbean Coot	Coco Beach Road
Black-bellied Plover	Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--West Pond
Snowy Plover	Cabo Rojo
Semipalmated Plover	E. B. Forsythe NWR--Wildlife Drive
Piping Plover	Sandy Hook
Killdeer	Orchard Beach/Hunter Island
American Oystercatcher	Jones Beach SP
Black-necked Stilt	Bombay Hook NWR
American Avocet	Bombay Hook NWR
Spotted Sandpiper	Cape May Point SP
Solitary Sandpiper	Wetlands Institute
Greater Yellowlegs	Sandy Hook
Willet	E. B. Forsythe NWR--Wildlife Drive
Lesser Yellowlegs	E. B. Forsythe NWR--Wildlife Drive
Whimbrel	E. B. Forsythe NWR--Wildlife Drive
Hudsonian Godwit	E. B. Forsythe NWR (Brigantine Unit)
Marbled Godwit	Jones Beach SP
Ruddy Turnstone	Nummy Island
Red Knot	Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--West Pond
Sanderling	Point Lookout
Semipalmated Sandpiper	E. B. Forsythe NWR--Wildlife Drive
Western Sandpiper	Bombay Hook NWR
Least Sandpiper	E. B. Forsythe NWR--Wildlife Drive
White-rumped Sandpiper	E. B. Forsythe NWR (Brigantine Unit)
Pectoral Sandpiper	JBWR--Southern East Pond
Dunlin	Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--West Pond
Stilt Sandpiper	Sandy Hook
Short-billed Dowitcher	E. B. Forsythe NWR--Wildlife Drive
Long-billed Dowitcher	Bombay Hook NWR
Wilson's Snipe	Sandy Hook
American Woodcock	Prospect Park
Wilson's Phalarope	Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--West Pond
Bonaparte's Gull	Gravesend Bay
Black-headed Gull	Bombay Hook NWR
Laughing Gull	Sandy Hook
Mew Gull	Gravesend Bay
Ring-billed Gull	Willow Pond
Herring Gull	Point Lookout
Glaucous Gull	Sandy Hook
Great Black-backed Gull	Point Lookout
Least Tern	E. B. Forsythe NWR (Brigantine Unit)
Gull-billed Tern	E. B. Forsythe NWR (Brigantine Unit)
Caspian Tern	E. B. Forsythe NWR (Brigantine Unit)
Common Tern	Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--West Pond
Forster's Tern	Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--West Pond
Royal Tern	Jones Beach SP
Black Skimmer	E. B. Forsythe NWR (Brigantine Unit)
Rock Pigeon	Gravesend Bay
Scaly-naped Pigeon	Bosque Estatal de Maricao
Eurasian Collared-Dove	Cabo Rojo
Zenaida Dove	Gran Melia
Mourning Dove	Prospect Park
Common Ground-Dove	Laguna Cartegena - West End
Monk Parakeet	Clinton Street
Yellow-billed Cuckoo	Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--West Pond
Mangrove Cuckoo	Portal del Yunque
Puerto Rican Lizard-Cuckoo	Portal del Yunque
Smooth-billed Ani	Laguna Cartegena - West End
Barn Owl	Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--East Pond
Barred Owl	Coles Brook Farm
Northern Saw-whet Owl	Prospect Park
Chimney Swift	Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Antillean Mango	Gran Melia
Puerto Rican Emerald	Copamarina
Ruby-throated Hummingbird	E. B. Forsythe NWR (Brigantine Unit)
Puerto Rican Tody	Portal del Yunque
Belted Kingfisher	Mount Loretto Unique Area
Puerto Rican Woodpecker	Bosque Estatal de Maricao
Red-bellied Woodpecker	Prospect Park
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	Prospect Park
Downy Woodpecker	Prospect Park
Hairy Woodpecker	Prospect Park
Northern Flicker	Heckscher SP
Pileated Woodpecker	Scherman-Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary
Caribbean Elaenia	Cabo Rojo
Eastern Wood-Pewee	Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--West Pond
Lesser Antillean Pewee	Bosque Estatal de Maricao
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher	Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--West Pond
Acadian Flycatcher	Bombay Hook NWR
Willow Flycatcher	Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--West Pond
Least Flycatcher	Mount Loretto Unique Area
Eastern Phoebe	Green-Wood Cemetery
Great Crested Flycatcher	E. B. Forsythe NWR (Brigantine Unit)
Puerto Rican Flycatcher	Bosque Estatal de Guánica
Eastern Kingbird	Prospect Park
Gray Kingbird	Gran Melia
Fork-tailed Flycatcher	Cove Island Park
Loggerhead Shrike	Jones Beach SP
White-eyed Vireo	Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--West Pond
Puerto Rican Vireo	Bosque Estatal de Maricao
Warbling Vireo	Central Park
Philadelphia Vireo	Prospect Park
Red-eyed Vireo	Prospect Park
Blue Jay	Prospect Park
American Crow	Prospect Park
Fish Crow	Heckscher SP
Horned Lark	Whitehall Crossroads - Leipsic
Northern Rough-winged Swallow	Branch Brook Park
Purple Martin	E. B. Forsythe NWR--Wildlife Drive
Tree Swallow	Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--West Pond
Bank Swallow	Great Kills Park
Barn Swallow	Branch Brook Park
Cave Swallow	Laguna Cartegena - West End
Carolina Chickadee	CMBO Northwood Center
Black-capped Chickadee	Willow Pond
Tufted Titmouse	Prospect Park
Red-breasted Nuthatch	Prospect Park
White-breasted Nuthatch	Prospect Park
Brown Creeper	Prospect Park
Carolina Wren	Sandy Hook
House Wren	Prospect Park
Winter Wren	Prospect Park
Marsh Wren	E. B. Forsythe NWR (Brigantine Unit)
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher	E. B. Forsythe NWR--Wildlife Drive
Golden-crowned Kinglet	Prospect Park
Ruby-crowned Kinglet	Prospect Park
Eastern Bluebird	Great Swamp NWR--Pleasant Plains Rd.
Veery	Coles Brook Farm
Gray-cheeked Thrush	Greenbelt Nature Center
Swainson's Thrush	Prospect Park
Hermit Thrush	Prospect Park
Wood Thrush	Prospect Park
American Robin	Prospect Park
Red-legged Thrush	Portal del Yunque
Varied Thrush	Central Park--The Ramble
Gray Catbird	Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--East Pond
Northern Mockingbird	Prospect Park
Brown Thrasher	Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--West Pond
Pearly-eyed Thrasher	Caimitillo Trail
European Starling	Prospect Park
American Pipit	Prospect Park
Cedar Waxwing	Sandy Hook
Nashville Warbler	Coles Brook Farm
Northern Parula	Central Park
Yellow Warbler	Prospect Park
Chestnut-sided Warbler	Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--West Pond
Magnolia Warbler	Central Park
Black-throated Blue Warbler	Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--West Pond
Yellow-rumped Warbler	Sandy Hook
Black-throated Green Warbler	Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Blackburnian Warbler	Coles Brook Farm
Adelaide's Warbler	Bosque Estatal de Guánica
Pine Warbler	Prospect Park
Prairie Warbler	Higbees Beach SWA
Palm Warbler	Prospect Park
Bay-breasted Warbler	Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--East Pond
Blackpoll Warbler	Prospect Park
Elfin-woods Warbler	Bosque Estatal de Maricao
Black-and-white Warbler	Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--West Pond
American Redstart	Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--West Pond
Prothonotary Warbler	New York Public Library
Ovenbird	Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Northern Waterthrush	Prospect Park
Louisiana Waterthrush	Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Common Yellowthroat	Cape May Point SP
Wilson's Warbler	Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--West Pond
Canada Warbler	Prospect Park
Bananaquit	Gran Melia
Puerto Rican Tanager	Caimitillo Trail
Puerto Rican Spindalis	Bosque Estatal de Maricao
Yellow-faced Grassquit	Laguna Cartegena - West End
Black-faced Grassquit	Gran Melia
Puerto Rican Bullfinch	Bosque Estatal de Maricao
Eastern Towhee	Prospect Park
American Tree Sparrow	Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--West Pond
Chipping Sparrow	Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Field Sparrow	Great Kills Park
Vesper Sparrow	Prospect Park
Savannah Sparrow	Wetlands Institute
Seaside Sparrow	E. B. Forsythe NWR (Brigantine Unit)
Fox Sparrow	Prospect Park
Song Sparrow	Prospect Park
Lincoln's Sparrow	Mount Loretto Unique Area
Swamp Sparrow	Prospect Park
White-throated Sparrow	Prospect Park
White-crowned Sparrow	Mount Loretto Unique Area
Dark-eyed Junco	Prospect Park
Lapland Longspur	Jones Beach SP
Snow Bunting	Jones Beach SP
Scarlet Tanager	Prospect Park
Northern Cardinal	Prospect Park
Rose-breasted Grosbeak	Coles Brook Farm
Blue Grosbeak	E. B. Forsythe NWR (Brigantine Unit)
Indigo Bunting	Bombay Hook NWR
Red-winged Blackbird	Prospect Park
Yellow-shouldered Blackbird	Cabo Rojo
Rusty Blackbird	Prospect Park
Common Grackle	Prospect Park
Boat-tailed Grackle	Mount Loretto Unique Area
Greater Antillean Grackle	Gran Melia
Brown-headed Cowbird	Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--West Pond
Orchard Oriole	Mount Loretto Unique Area
Venezuelan Troupial	Cabo Rojo
Baltimore Oriole	Cape Island--Cape May Point SP (CMPSP)
Antillean Euphonia	Bosque Estatal de Maricao
Purple Finch	Prospect Park
House Finch	Prospect Park
Pine Siskin	Prospect Park
American Goldfinch	Prospect Park
House Sparrow	Prospect Park
Orange-cheeked Waxbill	Laguna Cartegena - West End
Bronze Mannikin	Laguna Cartegena - West End
Nutmeg Mannikin	Laguna Cartegena - West End
Pin-tailed Whydah	Gran Melia