Life List
Finally did it this freezing evening, out of boredom, I guess. I set up an iNat life list for birds. Don't know what I expected; probably about what I got.
- That's it. Add in all the birds seen in the wild positively identified NOT on iNat and my life list might run to ... 120?
Pretty paltry for a senior citizen, no?
Waay short of anybody's Big Year total. More like a Big Day's worth. Sheesh.
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When I got semi-serious about birds back in 2015 I bought a DVD of the movie, "The Big Year." Loved it. Got the book. Loved it more. Even for us non-competitive non-fowl-obsessed birders it's fascinating and informative to read about such things.
Obviously no relation in blood or spirit to competitive birding pioneer Geo Stuart Keith. My hero if not model is Phoebe Snetsinger. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoebe_Snetsinger
You're doing several of orders of magnitude better than you think, and helping with the CBCs will add a bunch of new birds for you to admire. There is a Gray Catbird sighted at Clapp that would be great to have documented for our region on here. I never have much luck when I intentionally search for things, but you do.
Everything is serendippity, Amzapp! But thanks.
I could not find the Gray Catbirds today, so that can only mean they are saving themselves for you.
Heavy responsibility, Amzapp. The honor of the birding community on my feeble shoulders. . But I will look. Do not approve of the gardeners removing the dead plants in that circle at Clapp; still seeds for birds on 'em. Thinking the compost pile would be good to stake out. The thick trees north of the lake.
Perfect! The bird has been sighted in the thick trees north of the lake. There are a lot of footprints in the snow, not to mention signs of a snowman, so I fear the locals may have scared it off. I doubt that many birders could have come through.
There were also tons of photographers coming through for photos of scenery and many more doing family portraits. I did, however, manage to see a Brown Creeper along the trail, and there have been 3 Spotted Towhees lurking in the area between the parking lot and Garden & Arts building. If you've not yet seen those, watch for them. They are easy to mistake for Robins if you're not paying attention.
Saw and photographed a Spotted Towhee in the grass in my backyard in 2015. Did think it was a robin at first. Would love to see one again. Good hunting, Amzapp! Liked your annual turkeys!
Finally got to see a Gray Catbird, with a lot of help from Jennifer: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/18952389
You had a Spotted Towees in your yard? What exciting visitors you have.
Congratulatioms un the Catbird!'
Thr Towhee. Having at the time only old bird books [a condition since rectified in the extreme] I called it a Rufous-sided Western Towhee. La voila. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/18954633 Pics taken at about 90 feet with a heavy, long, stiff focusing 300 mm Nikkor lens from about 1974, sold to me by a former newspaper photographer.
Saw 3 new birds during the CBC, photographed 2, for iNat. Next day saw/photographed another new species or two. Tuesday an Orange-crowned Warbler showed up in my backyard. Wednesday 3 more species during a 3-4 mile hike, incl a White-throated Sparrow and a pheasant. So it's been a fairly productive week.
And who knows what got away. 4 new birds yesterday heard but unseen or unphotographed out east of Hell's Gate. Monday something black & yellow in the brush under the canyon rim at Mackenzie Park.
They are flocking to you. Congratulations on this period of productivity.
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