2012: A Year in Review

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Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
Well, I must say it's been a pretty good year. I made my goal for the year, and then some.  I wanted to see 250 birds in the State of Florida, and I found 259, and I also found 272 total this year (including visits to TX, MD and VA).  I also have discovered the fun of keeping track of county lists.  I've decided to keep track of three counties near where I live, and hear are my totals for this year: Seminole (170 species), Orange (174 species) and Brevard (170 species).

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Nelson's Sparrow
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Grasshopper Sparrow
I also added 76 life birds to my list, thanks in part to the ABA allowing me to count the Nanday Parakeet. I've included a list of them below in the order that I found them.  The list I'm including below comes straight from eBird, so you may notice a Budgerigar listed, even though I don't believe it's ABA countable.

Species Location State Date
White-winged Scoter Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge MD 6-Jan-12
Great Black-backed Gull Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge MD 6-Jan-12
Orange-crowned Warbler Mead Botanical Gardens FL 21-Jan-12
Nanday Parakeet Fort De Soto County Park FL 30-Jan-12
American Oystercatcher Fort De Soto County Park FL 31-Jan-12
Lark Sparrow Fort De Soto County Park FL 31-Jan-12
Vermilion Flycatcher Orlando Wetlands Park FL 5-Feb-12
Wilson's Plover Fort De Soto County Park FL 25-Feb-12
Gray Kingbird Viera Wetlands FL 10-Mar-12
White-winged Dove Kaliga Park FL 30-Mar-12
Worm-eating Warbler Mead Botanical Gardens FL 14-Apr-12
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher White Rock Lake- Sunset Bay area TX 17-Apr-12
Harris's Sparrow White Rock Lake- Sunset Bay area TX 17-Apr-12
Great-tailed Grackle White Rock Lake- Sunset Bay area TX 17-Apr-12
Western Kingbird Trinity River Audubon Center TX 19-Apr-12
Chuck-will's-widow Mead Botanical Gardens FL 21-Apr-12
Eastern Screech-Owl Mead Botanical Gardens FL 24-Apr-12
Magnolia Warbler Mead Botanical Gardens FL 5-May-12
Blackpoll Warbler Central Winds Park FL 7-May-12
Common Nighthawk Merritt Island NWR--Black Point Wildlife Dr. FL 22-May-12
Bachman's Sparrow Wekiwa Springs SP FL 24-May-12
Sandwich Tern Tierra Verde Ponds FL 27-May-12
Magnificent Frigatebird Fort De Soto County Park FL 27-May-12
Red Knot Fort De Soto County Park FL 27-May-12
White-rumped Sandpiper Fort De Soto County Park FL 27-May-12
Brown-headed Nuthatch Econ River Wilderness Area FL 9-Jun-12
Yellow-throated Vireo Lake Lotus Park FL 29-Jun-12
Fork-tailed Flycatcher Lake Apopka Loop Trail -- Northeast Section FL 15-Jul-12
Budgerigar (not countable) Springfield Plaza VA 22-Jul-12
Prothonotary Warbler Occoquan Bay NWR VA 23-Jul-12
Field Sparrow Occoquan Bay NWR VA 23-Jul-12
Louisiana Waterthrush Patapsco Valley SP--Marriottsville MD 28-Jul-12
Black Tern Merritt Island NWR--Black Point Wildlife Dr. FL 4-Aug-12
Wilson's Phalarope Merritt Island NWR--Bio Lab Rd. FL 4-Aug-12
Piping Plover Canaveral National Seashore FL 25-Aug-12
Bank Swallow Central Winds Park FL 30-Aug-12
Blackburnian Warbler Central Winds Park FL 7-Sep-12
Chestnut-sided Warbler Mead Botanical Gardens FL 10-Sep-12
Tennessee Warbler Central Winds Park FL 13-Sep-12
Black-capped Petrel Pelegic Trip Off Ponce Inlet FL 16-Sep-12
Cory's Shearwater Pelegic Trip Off Ponce Inlet FL 16-Sep-12
Great Shearwater Pelegic Trip Off Ponce Inlet FL 16-Sep-12
Audubon's Shearwater Pelegic Trip Off Ponce Inlet FL 16-Sep-12
Band-rumped Storm-Petrel Pelegic Trip Off Ponce Inlet FL 16-Sep-12
Red-necked Phalarope Pelegic Trip Off Ponce Inlet FL 16-Sep-12
Sooty Tern Pelegic Trip Off Ponce Inlet FL 16-Sep-12
Bridled Tern Pelegic Trip Off Ponce Inlet FL 16-Sep-12
Pomarine Jaeger Pelegic Trip Off Ponce Inlet FL 16-Sep-12
Canada Warbler Mead Botanical Gardens FL 29-Sep-12
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Mead Botanical Gardens FL 1-Oct-12
Gray-cheeked Thrush Mead Botanical Gardens FL 2-Oct-12
Blue-winged Warbler Central Winds Park FL 9-Oct-12
Rose-breasted Grosbeak Mead Botanical Gardens FL 13-Oct-12
Clay-colored Sparrow Mead Botanical Gardens FL 13-Oct-12
Rufous Hummingbird Mead Botanical Gardens FL 18-Oct-12
Bay-breasted Warbler Mead Botanical Gardens FL 19-Oct-12
Merlin Near Geneva Wilderness Area FL 31-Oct-12
Clapper Rail Merritt Island NWR--Shiloh Marsh Rd. FL 3-Nov-12
Red-breasted Nuthatch Merritt Island NWR, Courtenay Pkwy FL 4-Nov-12
Bonaparte's Gull Merritt Island NWR--Shiloh Marsh Rd. FL 10-Nov-12
Nelson's Sparrow Merritt Island NWR--Shiloh Marsh Rd. FL 10-Nov-12
Saltmarsh Sparrow Merritt Island NWR--Shiloh Marsh Rd. FL 10-Nov-12
Purple Sandpiper Lighthouse Point Park FL 10-Nov-12
Grasshopper Sparrow Ferndale Preserve FL 17-Nov-12
Say's Phoebe Ranch Rd in Astatula, FL FL 17-Nov-12
Snow Bunting Canaveral National Seashore FL 22-Nov-12
Ash-throated Flycatcher Lake Apopka Loop Trail -- Northeast Section FL 24-Nov-12
American Pipit Lake Jesup CA--Marl Bed Flats FL 26-Nov-12
Black Scoter Halifax Drive -- Port Orange FL 1-Dec-12
Greater Scaup Lighthouse Point Park FL 1-Dec-12
Northern Gannet Lighthouse Point Park FL 1-Dec-12
Vesper Sparrow Canal St by Lake Jesup FL 4-Dec-12
Lesser Black-backed Gull Lighthouse Point Park FL 20-Dec-12
Barn Owl Lake Apopka Loop Trail -- Northeast Section FL 21-Dec-12
Short-eared Owl Lake Apopka Loop Trail -- Northeast Section FL 21-Dec-12
Razorbill Lighthouse Point Park FL 26-Dec-12
Iceland Gull Canaveral National Seashore FL 27-Dec-12

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American Oystercatcher
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Piping Plover
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Red Knot
It would be hard for me to pick my favorite finds for this year.  Near the top of the list would have to be the flycatchers though: Scissor-tailed, Fork-tailed, Ash-throated, Yellow-bellied and Vermillion Flycatchers, Western and Gray Kingbirds, and a Say's Phoebe.  Sparrows have also been fun this year: A Clay-colored right at Mead Gardens, then Nelsons, Saltmarsh, Grasshopper, Vesper, Field, Bachman's, Harris's, and even a Lark Sparrow at Fort De Soto. I also found a fair share new new warblers: Orange-crowned, Worm-eating, Magnolia, Blackpoll, Prothonotary, Blackburnian, Chestnut-sided, Tennessee, Canada, Blue-winged, Bay-breasted, and Louisiana Waterthrush.  I also enjoyed the shorebirds for this year: Wilson's and Rednecked Phalaropes, American Oystercatcher, Purple Sandpiper, Wilson's and Piping Plovers, Red Knot and a White-rumped Sandipiper (which I've probably seen before before I knew how to identify them). And I've even learned to appreciate gulls and terns, adding Sandwich Terns, Black Terns, Sooty and Bridled Terns, Great Black-backed, Lesser Black-backed, Bonaparte's Gulls, and last but certainly not least, an Iceland Gull.

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Lesser Black-backed Gull
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Bonaparte's Gull
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Sandwich Tern
This year has also been a year where we've been able to see some wonderful birds we don't normally get to see in Florida.  We've had Red-breasted Nuthatches come to Florida in unprecedented numbers, a Snow Bunting decided to sunbathe at Playalinda Beach, Scoters have been frequently seen, and a whole slew of Razorbills have invaded Florida's waters, extending south to Miami, rounding the penninsula and being seen even in the panhandle of Florida's gulf coast.

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Razorbill
There were a few birds I missed seeing, despite valiant efforts: Nashville and Hooded Warbler (which I saw last year but hoped to see again this year).  I had a brief glimpse at what I still think was a Wood Thrush, but I didn't get a good enough look to be sure, so I had to log it as Catharus sp. (totally unsatisfying). And even though I found an Orchard Oriole this year in FL, try as I might, I have not been able to find a single Baltimore Oriole anywhere in the state this year.

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Bay-breasted Warbler
I haven't decided on all the details of my goal for 2013, but at the very least I want to increase my FL life list to 300 species.  I need 36 more FL birds to make that happen.  That seems pretty doable, so I may need another challenge too.  I'm not sure.

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Eastern Screech Owl

Comments

  1. Wow Scott, you had an awesome year birding. Your photos are amazing. I'm so jealous of the shorebirds and gulls! Have a great beginning to the new year.

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  2. Congrats on a great year Scott! The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher is gorgeous! Wishing you another bird filled year:)

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