Rock Sandpiper Yes! Al the Laysan Albatross No!

We were back out before 8 AM at MacKerricher SP, but at a different location to look again for a rock sandpiper. As we looked down from the bluff we could see lots of shorebirds bouncing around on the rocks looking for breakfast as the waves rolled in. I walked down onto the beach to get closer to one rock that seemed very active. To everyone's delight there was a rock sandpiper (photo above--click on any photo to enlarge) feeding along with surf birds, sanderlings, black turnstones and black oystercatchers. On a nearby rock we found a glaucous winged gull trying to swallow a starfish (photo just below).



Having found the rock sandpiper which was a life bird for 2 of the group, we decided to start driving to see if Al, the laysan albatross that has wintered for 19 years at Pt. Arenas, was in the harbor. Enroute we stopped at Van Damme SP for about 20 minutes to see what was around. As soon as we got out of the truck we heard several pacific wrens singing, and Laura got a photo of one (just below).


We also found several varied thrushes mixed in with the robins. One male was particularly striking (photo just below).


Our next stop was at the Pt. Arenas harbor to check on Al. The harbor master told us that he had not come in yet that day, and had not been seen for a few days. As we waited to see if he might make an appearance, we enjoyed seeing other birds including a fly over of a ferruginous hawk (photo just below).




At one point a boat came in loaded with sea urchins. We watched the harbor master unload over a 1000 pounds of them into large plastic lugs. Laura captured a 1st year western gull checking out the mound of sea urchins in the photo above. We took a lunch break, and checked out another location to see if maybe Al was over by the lighthouse. When we returned to the harbor the sea urchins had been taken off to Ft. Bragg to be processed for use by sushi restaurants.

About 3 PM we concluded that Al was not in the area, and knowing we still had a 3-4 hour ride back into San Francisco, we decided to call it a day. Laura and I were dropped off at our motel near the airport at 7 PM, and Dan, Doreene and Joe headed over to Oakland to spend the night close to Merritt Lake to be in position early on Tuesday to try for a tufted duck. As Laura and I were heading to the airport Tuesday morning she received a cell phone picture taken by Doreene of the tufted duck.

After 3 days of birding we had seen about 125 species. The Nutting's (ABA code 5) was a life bird for all of us but Joe who had already seen it a few weeks ago, and the falcated duck (code 4) was a life bird for all of us but Dan. Laura told me that she ended up with a total of 8 life birds on the trip, and Joe may have had almost that many. I do not know when I will be birding again, but you never know, so stay tuned!

Talking Falcated Duck and More

After a good night's rest, we were up early, and made the short drive over to the Colusa NWR near the town of Willams. CA. It was chilly but sunny as we walked up to the viewing platform. Several other birders already were scoping the impoundment which was covered with 1000's of birds. Fortunately the falcated duck (photo above, center bird facing left with the "shiny, rusty face" and white throat) was sitting not too far out on the water. We were able to enjoy good views of it over the next 45 minutes.


While scanning the water, Joe also quickly located 3 European wigeons which are relatively rare in the U.S. Even more rare than the wigeons was the Eurasian teal, which is a sub-species of the green-winged teal, that Joe located at the far back of the impoundment. While not countable as a species, this was the first Eurasian teal that he or I had ever seen in the U.S. Many ducks were feeding quite close to the platform including the cinnamon teal (just above) and the northern pintail (just below--click on any photo to enlarge).



After thoroughly soaking up the multitude of birds on the impoundment, and the amazement of seeing 3 very rare ducks at one spot, we felt blessed to be birding that morning. On our way back to the truck we found a western scrub jay (just below) and some white-crowned and golden-crowned sparrows feeding in a grassy area.



We decided to do the short auto tour thru the refuge, and then drove around the outside of the refuge as well where we watched a huge group of mostly snow geese lift off out of a field (just below).


By late morning we headed back to check out of our motel, and to grab a bite of lunch at Roberta's--a taqueria that I remembered eating at in 2010 during my big year. We then pointed the truck west towards the coast. Our destination was Ft. Bragg for the night where we wanted to look for some more target birds. We arrived in time to go to MacKerricher SP--a most scenic spot with lots of rocks for shorebirds to feed on and seals to sleep on. After 90 minutes, we had seen many birds, including a small raft of ancient murrelets which was one of the target birds of our group. The other target bird, a rock sandpiper, was not to be found that afternoon.

We checked into a motel for the night, and then went down to the wharf for dinner. We had dungeness crab cakes, steamed manila clams, and clam chowder, and toasted the overall success so far of the trip with a bottle of Roederer Estate champagne--produced very close by in Anderson Valley. On Monday Laura and I needed to be back in San Francisco by the evening to be in position to catch our flights home on Tuesday morning, but we still had all day Monday to do some more birding. Stay tuned!

Talking Nutting's Flycatcher

I caught a 6:15 AM flight last Friday out of Raleigh/Durham to a connecting flight in Dallas that got me to Phoenix about 11 AM. My friends from Ohio, Dan and Doreene, and Laura, and Joe, a birding friend of theirs who lives in Rio Rico, AZ were already there waiting for me. We loaded up Joe's Toyota Forerunner, and headed towards the Bill Williams NWR with the goal of arriving in time to look for the Nutting's flycatcher before dark. We arrived about 3:45 on a windy afternoon and spread out along the road listening for the Nutting's. There were very few birds about, but we did see a couple of verdins chasing each other around, one of which Laura got a photo of just above (click on any photo to enlarge; all photos in this post and the next 2 to follow were taken by Laura Keene).

Joe finally heard the Nutting's distinctive call 1 time around 4:45, but we could not find the bird, and it did not call for us again. With the sun setting, the wind rising and no bird life to speak of, we headed up to Lake Havasu City to spend the night, stopping at the lake to scope what was around--common goldeneyes, clark's grebes and greater scaup being the main birds on the water.



We woke up to find it still windy in Lake Havasu City which worried us a bit. We arrived back to the Nutting's spot at 7:45, and once again spread out to listen for its call. Fortunately it was not windy, and about 7:55 I located the bird quietly feeding just off the road. We had great looks at it for the next 10 minutes. The photo above shows clearly the tail which has only dark on the outside edges, but not across the very bottom--a key marker to separate the Nutting's from the very similar ash-throated flycatcher. While it never called, I did get to see the orange color inside its mouth--another distinguishing marker for the Nutting's. In the photo below, there is a faint yellow tint to the secondaries, a third marker for this bird.



We continued to bird the area for another hour in hopes that the Nutting's would return or call again, but it did not. We did hear and see at least 2 canyon wrens, and Laura got the photo below of one of them.



We had a long drive ahead of us so we left about 9 AM, stopping again at the lake to check out the bird life there. We found a pair of Barrow's goldeneyes mixed in with lots of other ducks, but soon jumped back into the truck to make the 10+ hour drive up to Williams, CA which is an hour north of Sacramento. Our goal for Sunday morning was to see the falcated duck. Stay tuned!

Woodcocks at Mason Farm

At dusk last night my sister and I went down to Mason Farm to see if the woodcocks (photos above and below taken last spring at Magee Marsh, Ohio) were out. We arrived about 6 PM, and as we walked down the grassy roadway to get to the open fields we heard several birds still calling, including woodcocks. We had a few fly bys as we made our way down to the open area. By the time we reached the intended spot it was quite dark with only a new moon to light up the evening. Sure enough a woodcock landed about 50 feet away and began to call. I had charged my spotlight before coming out, but quickly discovered that since it had not been charged in a very long time that the charge was short lived. Opposite us an equal distance from the bird were 2 other birders with a flashlight which they would occasionally shine on the woodcock. Since our light was kaput, after squinting thru our binos for about 10 minutes, we headed on back home.



I am off tomorrow at the crack of dawn to fly to Arizona to meet up with 4 other birding friends. Our first stop tomorrow afternoon will be near Lake Havasu City to look for the Nutting's flycatcher that has been up visiting for a few weeks from Mexico. From there we will all drive into California to look for a falcated duck that has been hanging out for several weeks at Colusa NWR. Stay tuned!

A Great January for a Birder Doing a 2012 Big Year

In reviewing the NARBA postings for the first 10 days of 2012, if I were doing a big year in 2012 my head would be spinning with the possibilities. And following Sandy Komito's big year dictum to chase immediately all ABA code 4 and 5 birds, I would have already criss-crossed the country in just 10 days, and would still be rushing about trying not to miss the amazing number of rarities currently being seen.

In 2010 when I did my lower 48 big year, I was blessed in January with several code 3-5 birds, beginning with the first North American record for bare-throated tiger-heron at Bentsen RGV State Park. But 2012 is off the charts with opportunities, particularly if one is doing a lower 48 big year. In south TX in the Valley the rarities include black-vented oriole (code 5), golden-crowned warbler (4), crimson-collared grosbeak (4), blue bunting (4), and rose-throated becard (3).

In Arizona you can find Nutting's flycatcher (5), rufous-backed thrush (3), rufous-capped warbler (3), and black-capped gnatcatcher (3). Florida is hosting La Sagra's flycatcher (3) and American flamingo (3). In 2010 I was able to see in Florida a La Sagra's as well as the red-footed booby (3) in the photo just below.



California has a wintering over falcated duck (4), and Oregon has a brambling (3) and emperor goose (2). Washington also has emperor goose and yellow-billed loon (2). Ohio has had for several weeks a black-tailed gull (4) while the northeast is sporting pink-footed and barnacle geese (3's), and a slaty-backed gull (3). New Jersey has a common chaffinch (4), and Tennessee still has the hooded crane--possible first NA record. Anchorage, AK has a dusky thrush (4) being seen, and Newfoundland this winter once again has a yellow-legged gull (4). Finally, it has been a very good irruption year for snowy owls.

Most of these birds showed up in December, so working out a travel schedule prior to starting a big year in 2012 would have been a top priority. And those that appeared only recently are in places that the other birds were already being seen. 8 of this January's lower 48 states rarities I did not see during my 2010 big year. I have not heard of anyone doing an all-out full ABA area or lower 48 big year in 2012, but there are several birders doing their version of a big year (photographic, low budget, father/son). Here's wishing you all the very best of birding this year.

Turning to my chase for the Nutting's flycatcher and the falcated duck that I referenced in my last post, a stomach virus laid me low last week so that did not happen. I still have my fingers crossed that both birds will continue to winter over at their current locations. In 2010 a brown shrike was found in northern California in November, and stayed into early April of 2011. Stay tuned!

John Vanderpoel and the Myth of El Nino and Attu

John Vanderpoel's monumental effort to surpass Sandy Komito's full ABA area big year record of 748 in the end fell short by just 6 birds. John is undoubtedly still feeling worn out from the effort expended, and maybe a bit frustrated for having just missed setting a new record. But mostly I am sure he is elated from all the incredible memories that he has from his big year. Major congrats to you John!


Having done my own lower 48 big year in 2010, and being a student of other big years, I can say today that Sandy Komito's record set back in 1998 should no longer be seen as unbeatable. The book, The Big Year, helped to create a belief that somehow the combination of an El nino year and being able to bird at Attu created a unique set of birding opportunities that no longer could be matched. Bob Ake's effort last year when he saw 731 birds in the full ABA area began to raise questions about the myth of Attu and El nino. John's total of 743 (plus 1 provisional--the hooded crane) in my opinion demonstrates that it is just a matter of time before Sandy's seemingly insurmountable record is surpassed.



In fact, if John had begun his big year with the same single-mindedness that Sandy had in 1998, and discusses in his book (I Came, I Saw, I Counted), then John could have set a new record in 2011. I have spent some time studying John's schedule, and some key birds that he definitely could have seen but missed last year. For starters, a tufted flycatcher (code 5) was seen all of December in 2010 at Big Bend NP. If john had started his big year on Jan 1 at Big Bend he would have seen the tufted.

He could have gone to Quebec, and either Newfoundland or Nova Scotia in January or February to see a fieldfare (code 4) and a northern lapwing (code 4). His schedule would have allowed him to be on a pelagic trip out of Santa Barbara on 4/30 which would have given him a Murphy's petrel (code 3). If he had been patient and stayed literally a few minutes longer at a feeder in TX, he would have seen a white-eared hummer (code 3) in August that he specifically had gone to see. Similarly, after his extended stay at Adak in December, he chose to go home rather than remain one more day in AK which would have given him a dusky thrush (code 4) in Anchorage.

While John generally had very good timing throughout the year (fork-tailed flycatcher in FL; little egret in ME; curlew sandpiper and little stint in southern CA on the same day; violet-green hummer in TX; and gray-hooded gull in NY), the need to be home for Thanksgiving meant he missed a redwing (code 4) in Seward, AK by 1 day. Hindsight shows if he had first gone for the smew (code 3) in Ontario rather than the hooded crane in late December he would have gotten the smew and still been able to see the crane.


Finally, in late August instead of birding in Colorado for some code 1 birds that he could have picked up at other times of the year, he could have been in the Pribiloffs for a few days before going to Gambell. If he had he could have seen taiga and dark-sided flycatchers (code 4's), a jack snipe (code 4) and a long-toed stint (code 3). All of these birds could have been seen without missing out on other birds that John saw during the same time periods. If he had seen all these additional birds his 2011 total would have been 755.

When I exchanged emails a few weeks ago with Sandy Komito, he wrote that he hopes to live long enough to be able to congratulate a new full ABA area big year record holder. John's big year clearly shows that Sandy just might be doing that in the near future.

I have an airplane ticket on hold to fly out to Arizona and California this coming weekend to try for the Nutting's flycatcher and the falcated duck. Stay tuned!

My Birding Highlights from 2011

It is New Year's day--warm and sunny here in NC. While the extent of my birding in 2011 was nothing like my big year in 2010, I still had some memorable birding trips. 2011 began in early January with my birding buddy Pam when we spent 5 days in the Rio Grande Valley of TX. I had chosen not to chase a black-vented oriole (photo above--click on it to enlarge) that showed up at Bentsen RGV State Park at the end of December, but since it was still being seen and it would be an ABA lifer for me, we decided to try for it while doing some extensive birding. We had a very enjoyable time with Pam picking up 25+ life birds.

I was going to chase with my friends Dan and Doreene a fieldfare that spent 3+ weeks in late Jan. and early Feb. at the tip of the Gaspe peninsula, Quebec, Canada. Unfortunately I had a last minute conflict develop here in NC, and could not make the trip. Dan and Doreene did go and got to see the fieldfare. I did get to see a yellow-faced grassquit in Texas in late Feb. when I went to Austin to visit friends.



In early May I made what is becoming an annual spring trip to Magee marsh near Toledo, OH. Just prior to my departure a garganey was found outside of Cincinnati. I routed myself thru there and was able to see another lifer (photo above--far right bird). My time at Magee may have been the best so far. The weather was almost perfect--sunny and 60's. The birding was outstanding most days, and for the first time when birding at Magee I saw a Connecticut warbler.

In late May a fan-tailed warbler (photo below by Martin Meyers) was found in Madera Canyon, AZ. This is the only new world warbler that I had not yet seen, so I jumped on a plane to AZ. I was able to see it on 2 consecutive days before it disappeared.



In June I went with 3 friends--Craig, Marty and Richard--on a raft trip with 4 other birders and 2 guides in the Arctic NWR to find the gray-headed chickadee (photo below by Bob Dittrick). This is probably the hardest breeding bird to see in North America. We were fortunate to get great views at the nest tree shown in the photo, and we saw another pair further down the river. All in all, the raft trip was outstanding--a most memorable birding adventure.



After we completed the raft trip, my wife joined me for 10 days of touring around Alaska. At Denali NP we were able to see lots of wildlife including a first ever lynx. We also saw a pair of gyrfalcons. While in Homer we took a morning pelagic trip to look for 2 more life birds-- red-faced cormorant (photo below), and Kittlitz's murrelet, both of which we found.



My 2011 life bird success rate dropped dramatically in the 2nd half of the year when I missed by 2 days seeing the gray-hooded gull that spent a week at Coney Island, NY. Then just before Thanksgiving I joined John Vanderpoel, Doug Koch, Ken Petersen and Liz Southworth to chase a graylag goose near Montreal, Canada. We missed it by a day, but fortunately it was refound 2 weeks later so that John, Doug and Liz were able to see it afterall.

My final chase of the year was over to TN to see the hooded crane which was also a success. So I finished the year with 7 new lifers, and 1 provisional pending the acceptance of the crane as a wild bird.

Turning to some of the 2011 big year birders, Gabriel Mapel, a 12 year old from VA, finished his junior big year at 436 birds, seeing a Bell's vireo as his last year bird at Cape May, NJ. Matt Stenger from OH completed his big year at 681, seeing a black-headed gull on Dec. 31st in Rhode Island. Finally, John Vanderpoel missed the smew in Ontario, Canada, but did see a Nutting's flycatcher in AZ on Dec. 31st bringing his YTD total up to 743 plus a provisional for the hooded crane. Major congrats to all 3 big year birders! In the next few days I will be doing a post on John's monumental effort that just missed breaking Sandy Komito's record for the full ABA area. Stay tuned!