2012: A Year in Review

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).

Nelson's Sparrow

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

American Oystercatcher

Piping Plover

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.

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Bonaparte's Gull

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.

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.

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.

Eastern Screech Owl