The plan was to do a one and done Average Year. Then I just missed our goal of 300 species and we couldn’t have that – another year to right that miss – which we both successfully accomplished. Somehow Ron convinced me to make a go of it for this third year. I am not completely convinced I want to bring that much stress to my life once again, but for now I’m continuing to fill out the tracking spreadsheet. The year isn’t exactly starting out well. Our switch to Arizona has brought several new lifers, but at a cost as it is hard to beat the number of birds roaming around Texas. How the rest of the year goes, no idea as our big trips are done. Regardless, Intrigued will still be filled with posts from our finds throughout the year. As soon as I get the chance, I’ll let you know how it is going and get some of the stats up.
Here are the final 2024 stats:
Quick summary of counts:
The Cumulative Species graph:
Our Daily Species graph:
Our Monthly Species graph:
Here are couple of graphs to show how 2024 compared to the previous year. Made it over the 300 goal with a nice surge at the end of the year thanks to leaving for Texas before Christmas this year. Fell short of 2023’s high water mark, but based on how bad migration was, 325 was not a bad number. Now Ron, well, we shall not speak of that catastrophe ha.
Manged to recover somewhat from the horrible start of the year thanks to going to Arizona in January instead of Texas. That big spike in the April timeframe is due to heading back to Texas to hit as many birds I could that were missed earlier in the year.
Updates:
03/11/2025: Found some late adds while going through the shots from last year – have now added the Sabine’s Gull from Loveland Lake in Colorado and an Ash-Throated Flycatcher found at Santa Ana NWR on March 21 which technically brings my total to 327
12/31/2024: Last day of the year and last chance to get any more checks for the ’24 Average Year. Not a lot of opportunities out there. Decided to go after the Brown Booby and another shot at the Black Scoter hanging out along the Corpus Christi waterfront. Very windy out and the surf was the choppiest we have ever seen it. Zero luck with the Booby, but that was a long shot anyway. The Scoters were still a long shot, but I had actually seen one of those before and had a chance of spotting it. First attempt was at Sunset Park where it had been reported earlier in the day – nothing there. Linda was driving back across the causeway when I spotted a group of ducks floating a ways off the opposite side of the bridge. Took some shots that ended up blurry, (we were going 55mph on the opposite side of the road by the way). The profile looked right for a Scoter..enough to ask Linda to drive back across so I could attempt another tin. Linda dropped the speed a bit to 50 as no one was directly behind us. As we came by where they were I took as many snaps as I could before we were past them. Immediately started chimping the back of the LCD display, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe.. wait.. is that a yellow bill on a pitch black duck. Ladies and gentlemen, we have number 325 for the year, the Black Scoter. That’s a wrap for 2024. Below last year’s number, but a very happy with results. It was a pretty down year for birding in my opinion and getting this far over the 300 goal feels good.
12/30/2024: Now down at Port Aransas, there was a lot of chatter about a very rare Kelp Gull that was hanging out on the beach past Mustang Island State Park at a place named Packery Channel. As a rule I rarely chase Gulls, especially since I have such a hard time distinguishing the common ones in the area. I was getting close to a nice round 325 number so Linda loaded up the Jeep and took a shot. It took us a bit of time of hunting and driving, and hunting and driving and hunting and driving..oh, who am I trying to kid, Linda drove right onto the beach, pulled near two other birders standing there. I got out, hobbled my way to them and asked them if they had seen it..”Yes, it’s right there” as they pointed out about 30 feet at the waveline. Holy Crap, I thought the Cattle Tyrant was an easy chase. Luckily this Gulls is pretty unique – massive like a Herring Gull, but with a very white head and completely dark wings. Now that was a nice score for another rarity at the end of the year. Went ahead and went down to Corpus Christi for another visit with the Cattle Tyrant hanging out in its usual place on the blue dumpster. Drove up, took a few shots, on our way – my kind of birding.
12/29/2024: Now for a sure thing. We packed up and headed to Goose Island. Those familiar with the blog, know that is near the Big Tree..and we all know what is near the Big Tree..correct, the Whooping Cranes. Due to the swapped destinations at the beginning of the year, we missed the Whooping Cranes – they had left the Big Tree area one day before we got there. No problem this time – there was over 18 of them wandering around the field with a large flock of Sandhills. Clearly the word is getting out about the Big Tree area based on the number of other birders we saw there.
12/28/2024: Today we were just catching the various hotspots around Galveston Island. There was a rarity in the area and our two previous attempts had come up empty. One last shot before we head down to Port Aransas. Based on eBird reports, the Yellow-Headed Caracara was mostly seen in the morning at the Pier and then at a few places across the street after that. Up early, Linda drove us to the cinema parking lot across from the pier. There were several other birders in the area, so joined in to see what the status was. While there, a guy with a scope spotted the Caracara on the far boardwalk of the pier. Managed to get a pretty bad shot, but enough detail for the validation. It flew off to the right and the rest of the group headed that way. I took a chance thinking it might come back to the cinema and sure enough, it flew directly over me. Confirmed my shots with another couple that stayed with me and then called the rest of the group back. The bird landed on the cinema roof and proceeded to give us excellent looks before it flew off. Incredible!! Elated at that find, took a ride down 8 Mile Rd/Sportsman’s Rd. Found two Oystercatcher at the very end before noticing a solitary Sandpiper about 100 feet out proving the edge of the bank. Caught Lafitte’s Cove later in the afternoon in an attempt to get the warblers that were being reported there. Struck out on the Prairie, but did get a +1 with the Pine Warbler. Another bird alerted me to a Bell’s Vireo just down the trail. Immediately made my way there where there was a lot of bird activity going on – Golden-Crowned Kinglets, Wilson’s Warblers etc. Then a vireo swooped in and landed on a nearby branch. Got a few clicks in and was pretty happy with that find. Met another birder a few minutes later who was looking for the Bell’s as well for a lifer (was alerted by the same guy that told me). Told him where I had spotted it. Later that night I was reviewing the shots and decided it was NOT a Bell’s Vireo, but a Blue-Headed variety. I think the original birder had a bad ID. I didn’t need that, but the Pine Warbler tinned while there was. A +3 day.
12/27/2024: Decided to take ferry over to the Bolivar Flats and then on to Anahuac to see if we could get the Short-Eared Owl that was missed in April. Bolivar was pretty dead. The jetty was a bit dangerous with the boot, so just walked to where the flat cement ended. Nothing really new there. The Flats themselves were also pretty dead beyond about 800 Avocets that I had to walk way out in the sand for. On the way back I spotted something odd flitting about the brush. Took me a really long time, but finally landed a lifer, the Nelon’s Sparrow. Extremely happy about that and was eager to see what Anahuac had this late in the year…answer NOT MUCH at Shoveler’s Pond beyond the regulars. Lots of Gators though. From there started the trek to both the boat launch and the point in hopes we would see the Owl hunting the fields. No luck there, but did see a Merlin sitting in a tree near where the boat launch road breaks off. Made up for the missed Owl! There was also a Burrowing Owl there past the first rock pile on the right there is a square rusting piece of metal that is was supposedly in. No luck there, but a +2 for the day!
12/26/2024: Our birding opportunities had officially come to an end in IL. We were off to finish off the final family Christmas gathering before heading directly south to Texas. This is the first year we have headed down there before Christmas. Best of all, this gave me a chance to get a few birds in Texas that we missed on our trip back in April. One of those was the Clapper Rail. Now that I was in a boot for the broken ankle, my trail birding was a bit limited, especially the Clapper Rail trail in Galveston, Island State Park. I did try it, but the recent rains flooded the trail out at the first Observation tower. Disheartened, Linda drove to the end of the main road (directly out from entrance) to check out if there were any changes to the area – it had been closed in previous years. To my absolutely surprise, 2 Clapper Rails ran out in front of us between the puddles – wow, Bri got lucky.
12/07/2024: Linda has been dutifully watching the eBird posts for the arrival of a Snowy Owl. We were beginning to think they were going to skip this year when our old friend showed up at Gridley! Loaded up the Jeep and went on the Quest. There was a pin for the latest find and Linda drove us directly there. A few scans found what looked like an Owl, but, as we all know, there is always a chance it is just another white bag. Circled around a bit, but did not find any closer angles. A couple of other birders came by and after scrutinizing the shots decided it was the target. No wall shots for sure, but definitely a good check for the year. The hopes of seeing a Snow Bunting didn’t come to fruition. Next year we need to make an effort to get the Snowy when we get back from our January trip.
11/15/2024: Remember me?, been a while. As the days slowly tick by without checks on the bird tracker, beginning to wonder if this birding year will be called early. Before the weather turned too cold, took a quick run down to Banner Marsh to get that damn Mute Swan checked off. An easy get, just need to take the 45 minute drive to get down there. Hunting was going on down there, so the shots were startling the birds a bit. Pulled into Banner East and quickly got the Mute Swan checked off (fish in a barrel as they say). Found a new trail to the right of the fishing dock and found one of the blinds there – felt bad I might have scared the birds for a hunter in the blind, but he popped out and admitted there hadn’t been much there all morning and hadn’t even pulled the trigger yet. On the way back an American Tree Sparrow landed on a nearby tree – a nice get, now I do not have to drive all the way to Detweiller. Drove into the Bell’s Landing area for the first time – absolutely amazing, no idea why I had not gone there before. huge ponds/lakes absolutely full of Ducks, Geese and Swans. Must have been 80 plus Mutes there. In the midst of all the activity, noticed a few Greater White-Fronted Geese hanging out among the Swans. Went for 1 check, ended up with 3, not bad.
10/25/2024: Ruger had a FastCAT competition down at Purina Farms this weekend. This gave us a chance to drop in at Shaw Nature Preserve to see what was still hanging around this late in the year. Not me exciting birds, but did manage to get a Golden-Crowned Kinglet by the trees along the road heading to the pavilion. Was hoping for more, but will take what I can get at this point. Still a good time whenever we can spend time at Shaw. Such a great place if you are willing to walk a bit and there are plenty of areas I still need to explore there.
10/21/2024: It has been a really slow go since September. The Haunted Trail consumed all my extra time the rest of September and then the 50 mile ultra trail race at Farmdale left me physically broken and the ankle injury really cut into my mobility. Besides all that, the birding has been pretty sucky. On our way back from getting a new tow hitch put on our Jeep in Pontiac, we stopped at the Gridley Water Treatment Plant. Didn’t find the target bird there, but did spot a single Wood Duck floating out in the middle of the pond. Surprised that it took this long to get that Duck!
09/13/2024: We had made our way to Loveland where the dog show was taking place. Ended up with some extra time and decided to check out a few local birding hotspots. Saw an Elk on one stop, but didn’t get any new checks until we stopped at Lake Loveland. That lake was actually way low either through drought or intentional, not sure which, but it is a private lake and forced to bird it from afar. Several ducks etc. there and possibly a Sabine’s Gull – still need to verify that. Linda drove us over to a smaller pond across the street where we had better luck. 4 Hooded Mergansers had just flown in and a walk over to a couple of tall evergreens netted me Red-Breasted Nuthatch for the year.
09/10/2024: One of my favorite places to bird in the Denver area is at Red Rocks Ampitheatre. Really enjoy the trails they have there and usually find a lot of good birds. We stayed at a place called Bear Creek Lake park just outside of the Red Rocks area which ended up being fantastic. Nice to trails to walk and run (got a couple of good trail runs in while there). Ended up with 6 checks there – Black-Billed Magpie, Brewer’s Sparrow (like a lifer for me), Common Merganser, Prairie Falcon, Swainson’s Hawk and the Vesper Sparrow. Definitely putting this place on the list for future visits. Turns out the Red Rocks visit the next day did not add any new checks for the year – they were having a huge 9/11 firefighter’s memorial event that day with thousands of firefighters and first responders walking the steps to the theater in memorial.
09/9/2024: Although close to the haunted trail event, we had an offer we could not refuse to shoot the TDAA National dog show being held near Denver, CO. Took The Beast along to see if I could pick up some birds to help my struggling count for this year. There was a large lake in Lemoyne, NE that we happen to be camping by. Took a quick run over there and found a lifer – a Western Wood-Pewee was hanging out at a place called Lake McConaughy-Spring Park. Was sitting in a tree right next to where we parked. The Mosquitoes ended up driving me out, but enjoyed the small park – several juvi Flickers were hanging out in the trees and then a number of Common Nighthawks came in at dusk to hunt the treelines.
08/17/2024: Birding has been really slow this summer. We had a family wedding to celebrate in Kansas and had the opportunity to do a little birding while we were there. Ended up at R. Michael Rhoades Wetlands Park in Newton, KS. As a birding spot goes, it was just a small boardwalk around a fenced in water reclamation area. There was a likely injured Ross’s Goose there, but the real star of the visit where the numerous Mississippi Kites hunting Dragonflies on the wing. Best view I have ever had of these birds and was able to get some really nice shots. Only second encounter ever with these Kites.
06/14-16/2024: Linda and I went to South Pekin to watch the fireworks. Surprised to see several Chimney Swifts flying over our heads as soon as we got out the car.
06/14-16/2024: Headed up to Chain O’ Lakes for a dog show and kayaking. Was able to check off the usuals like Sandhill Crane and Black Tern. Worked my butt off at the entrance to get the Yellow Warbler I heard there and came up empty on the Cuckoo. Managed to get the Bobolink with a quick run to Glacial Park, but not Henslow’s Sparrow to be found.
05/20/2024: Decided to do a quick walk through Jubilee College SP to see what was out and about. Pretty annoyed by the trail upkeep this year, especially after they ruined several of them as they tried to widen them out for some unknown reason leaving massive ruts from the large excavator. Started at the horse camp until I was ridden out by mosquitoes and flies. Switched to the other side and got halfway down a huge trail only to get stopped in my tracks by waist high weeds and had to walk all the way back up. Did find an American Redstart and a Dickcissel to at least come away with something for the effort.
05/20/2024: I usually have several Eastern Wood-Pewees, but this year I had not heard one until today as one was singing out from our woods near the house.
05/17/2024: At the State Fairgrounds for a dog show. Easy get of the Common Nighthawks as they are always hunting the bright lights on the grounds.
05/3/2024: Continue to get the migrants coming up from the south to the woods. Today was visited by a Rose-Breasted Grosbeak. Headed over to Jubilee with Brad Marks and spotted a Scarlet Tanager working the woods north of Brimfield-Jubilee.
05/5/2024: Heard a familiar song as I left the house. A Tennessee Warbler was busy hunting for food in the trees along the tree line. Took a bit to locate it, but finally got it in the tin.
04/25/2024: Went back to Shaw Preserve in Gray Summit, MO for a long trail run. From my previous days explorations discovered this place was a LOT bigger than I had originally thought and had a large trail system complete with challenging hills. While heading to the trail parking lot, I noticed a small yellowish bird fly in front of the car and land on a nearby bush. First noticed the rufous cap and then the dark wings over the yellowish body. Kept a good eye on it until it finally revealed the yellow eyebrow – a Palm Warbler! An early specimen from the next wave of migrants. Only saw that one, so the full migration is still coming, but definitely appreciated the extra +1
04/24/2024: The previous day’s finds at Shaw Preserve were excellent, but I did miss a few birds that Merlin detected but I couldn’t get eyes on. Decided to go back and give it another try. Ended up walking over 7 miles going back to the river and exploring new areas of the preserve. Managed to finally get the Blue Grosbeak (there were 2) hanging out in the meadows and was able to get eyes on a Kentucky Warbler that was down by the river with a Northern Parula and Prothonotary Warbler. Got a bit lucky thanks to a couple of Orchard Orioles on the wetlands trail. They started squawking and getting all worked up and a supposed uninvited intruder. That ended up being a female Baltimore Oriole who wasn’t too keen on their Orchard’s presence either. After a few skirmished the Baltimore Oriole took off, but not before giving me the third +1 for the day.
04/23/2024: It was time for the Poodle Nationals at Purina Farms in Gray Summit, MO. That meant a week near one of my favorite parks Shaw Preserve. Headed over there with Linda between the boys’ run to see what was hanging about. Still slightly ahead of migration, but there were plenty of gaps on the checklist that I knew hung out down there. The day started out with a bang as I was able to get a Yellow-Breasted Chat – a miss from last year and a Yellow-Throated Vireo. Decided to take a walk down to the river for the first time and that was absolutely beautiful down there. A bit of a hike and it sits in the valley so you have to work for it – but worth it! I immediately made a point to come back in the following days and get some trail miles in. While down in the lush trees along the river, spotted a Red-Eyed Vireo and a Wood Thrush. Saw a Prothonotary Warbler and a Northern Parula as well, pretty, but those were not new for the year. From there we went over to the wetlands trail parking lot and took the .75 mile walk to ponds. There we got good eyes on the Orchard Oriole – heard several times, but unable to get a clean shot up to that point. On the way back, we spooked two Northern Bobwhites hanging out in the prairie fields. Shocked us at first, but then noticed they were Quail – a bird I had missed on multiple trips last year and went unchecked for ’23. Ron was lucky enough to get his check there last year so we knew they were there, now we know exactly where. In the parking lot I was able to add a Warbling Vireo to the list hanging out in the tall trees singing like crazy. A really good day that brought 7 new +1s. Also got a feel for just how big this park is – my previous visits didn’t even scratch the surface – definitely coming back to explore all the missed areas.
Life Intrigued 