My strategy for finding new species to add to my list during the last weekend in January was not to try too hard. I decided that I would just pick a couple of my favorite spots and let the birds find me. I found these two Bald Eagles hanging out in Middletown trying to catch a little sun.
One of my favorite places to go birding is Machimoodus Park in East Haddam. There are remains of old stone walls all throughout the park. The best times for birding there are spring and summer but it's a great place to go for a walk any time of the year.
I didn't find anything add anything new to my list but was content watching familiar birds like this American Robin picking at some berries. The sound of robins, juncos, and wrens rustling through leaves on the ground brought life to a cold winter day.
I managed to find 2 more species to finish the month. the first was a White-crowned Sparrow I found in South Windsor and the other was a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker I saw at Wadsworth Park. I ended the month with a total of 95 species total. Adding more to the list would have required chasing down individual reported species and I didn't want to do that (too much time and fuel).
Seeing so many species of birds in January was a treat for me. It was great running into so many birders who were out braving the elements working on their own specific goals. Big January was just as it should be. A celebration of birds and the birders who enjoy finding them.
Big January 2013 final list
Lists of other bloggers who participated in Big January:
Kathie's Birds
Las Adventuras
One of my favorite places to go birding is Machimoodus Park in East Haddam. There are remains of old stone walls all throughout the park. The best times for birding there are spring and summer but it's a great place to go for a walk any time of the year.
I didn't find anything add anything new to my list but was content watching familiar birds like this American Robin picking at some berries. The sound of robins, juncos, and wrens rustling through leaves on the ground brought life to a cold winter day.
I managed to find 2 more species to finish the month. the first was a White-crowned Sparrow I found in South Windsor and the other was a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker I saw at Wadsworth Park. I ended the month with a total of 95 species total. Adding more to the list would have required chasing down individual reported species and I didn't want to do that (too much time and fuel).
Seeing so many species of birds in January was a treat for me. It was great running into so many birders who were out braving the elements working on their own specific goals. Big January was just as it should be. A celebration of birds and the birders who enjoy finding them.
Big January 2013 final list
Lists of other bloggers who participated in Big January:
Kathie's Birds
Las Adventuras
5 comments:
Cool capture of the two eagles together. I guess they are a happy couple!
Lovely post. I really enjoy your appreciative, non-competitive approach to finding and enjoying birds.
Nice job!!!
Eileen-Thanks,it was nice seeing them together like that but wished they were facing the same way.
Quodlibet-I tried to be laid back about it but did have a goal to at least exceed 90.To me birding is still more of a hobby than it is a sport but to each his/her own.
Jen-thanks.
Larry, I like it that you enjoy the birds and the birding process and that you don't let yourself get too stressed out about it! My list is posted now and so is Chris Rohrer's. do you know anyone else that was doing a Big January?
BTW, that's quite an impressive number considering that you live in the Northeast! I barely got half that high when I lived there!
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