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Willoughby
Social climber
Truckee, CA
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Mar 11, 2016 - 08:44am PT
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Solid guess, Little Z! Gray-cheekeds were 2-3 drawers up. I looked for Bicknell's so I could send some pics back to my old colleagues in VT (I did my undergrad thesis on that beast, which was just a subspecies back then), but it turns out they don't have any. These are all Swainson's Thrush. I'm trying to get a handle on the subspecies situation in the Sierra Nevada, which may be more complicated than previously thought. Outbreeding depression across a major migratory divide has been demonstrated in British Columbia, and we may have something similar going on here.
The 2015 Tahoe Big Year was quite a success. We had 116 folks actively participate, 8201 observations logged, and an average of 16.5 people per monthly TBY outing. Eight people broke 200 for their tallies, and some retired folks (and one realtor) were out almost every single day all year. Top list was a staggering 222 and the cumulative list was 243. I got 209 and didn't really try; I'm just out a lot for work. I suppose 250 is possible, but who has that kind of time?? Regardless, these are big numbers for 6000' and surpassed our expectations. Yellow-billed Chat was seen at Tahoe by a non-participant, so we could've at least bumped it by one. Top Youth (under 16) tally was 149, and the top five Youth all broke 100 (pretty good for not being able to drive). Nineteen birders topped 150. Highlights included:
Rusty Blackbird that spent the winter in my neighborhood in Truckee (the TBY area was the Tahoe basin, plus Truckee). New state bird for me, not that I chase these too often.
Tahoe's first Hooded Oriole
Tahoe's first Mountain Plover
Tahoe's first Gray Catbird
Tahoe's second and Placer Co. first American Tree Sparrow
Tahoe's second Black-chinned Hummingbird
Long-tailed Duck
Tahoe's first photographs of Harris' Sparrow
Tons of other lesser rarities (Am. Redstart, Semi-P Sandpiper, etc.)
Other distributional surprises - lots of Ash-throated Flycatchers, and Canyon Wrens (first nesting record since 1909), several goshawks in people's backyards.
We did well with shorebirds, swept Zonotrichia (missed Swamp Sparrow though), but not the best with Larids.
But the best part was that we really brought the birding community together, energized the scene, and bridged communication gaps, spread knowledge, and had fun. We created a few monsters out of what were previously just feeder watchers, had folks from Truckee regularly birding S. Lake and vice versa, and all those folks were getting to know each other and having a good time.
I picked up a few new Tahoe basin birds for myself (which ain't easy these days), but I still need Rose-breasted Grosbeak and White-winged Scoter, which was really my whole point for creating this event, and neither species was seen during the year. Harrumph.
For 2016 we're doing a wildflower big year with more emphasis on the collective effort.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Mar 11, 2016 - 09:12am PT
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Got my secret Bicknells stash sussed out for my trip to Maine shortly! YO!
It does count if you only hear 'em, right?
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Bob D'A
Trad climber
Taos, NM
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Mar 11, 2016 - 10:22am PT
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Little Z is killing it, great stuff!
It's good to have Willoughby back.
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Willoughby
Social climber
Truckee, CA
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Mar 11, 2016 - 11:21am PT
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That's a tough species in Maine. I spent the summer of '94 sleeping in my car and surveying all over coastal Downeast Maine and a little bit of New Brunswick for them. It was a monumental effort for lots and lots of absence data - important, but tough on morale. As I'm sure you've read, you really need to get up above 3000' for that critter (and be there well before dawn).
Thanks Bob. I check in from time to time. But this thread moves fast, so it's hard to keep up, and I just can't compete with any of the photography!!
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Mar 11, 2016 - 11:31am PT
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and be there well before dawn
Yes, I believe the little lady will be a hard sell on that. Perusing eBird
coastal Maine looks pretty thin! 'My' spot is about 4K.
BTW, I'm sitting here at my intergalactic internet command center watching
your 'weavers' working the hedge 7'-8' away. I wish I was so diligent,
not to mention sharp-eyed!
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Crimpergirl
Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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Mar 11, 2016 - 11:36am PT
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Yes! Love that W is back!
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Bob D'A
Trad climber
Taos, NM
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Mar 11, 2016 - 02:32pm PT
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Watch this guy tear off branches to built his/her nest...really beautiful raptors. Common Blackhawk.
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Bob D'A
Trad climber
Taos, NM
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Mar 11, 2016 - 08:23pm PT
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A few more, different angle.
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little Z
Trad climber
un cafetal en Naranjo
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Mar 12, 2016 - 02:49pm PT
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very cool Big Year event Will. Congrats on the participation. How do you follow up to keep that psyche going?
That's an interesting project with the Swainson's Thrush. Seems to be one of those few species with a massive breeding range that hasn't been split (yet?). We see many different looks from Swainson's down here, especially during migration. Hers's an Oct. bird from the Caribbean-slope lowlands.
I'm currently at a mid-elevation site on the Pacific-slope (Wilson Gardens) and they pour through here the last week of Mar. and first half of Apr. There's a group from Stanford that has been netting here for years and in a 24 net array they can get 200+ SWTH in a morning during the peak.
I sort of cheated for my Bicknell's - got a bunch of wintering birds when I was in the Dominican Republic.
speaking of wintering birds here are 2 common CR winter residents
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, the Empidonax of choice.
Broad-winged Hawk. They are starting their movement north now, soon to be passing in the thousands.
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cyndiebransford
climber
Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
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Mar 12, 2016 - 10:05pm PT
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A group of 9 went to Homer today to look at birds. It was cold and gray at Anchor Point, not a great start to the day. However, Homer was glorious! The blue of the bay, the mountains, the sunshine. Best day ever, so my shirt said. We got a lot of birds including a very early Ruby Crowned Kinglet. Pizza at Fat Olives was a great way to end the day.
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Mike Bolte
Trad climber
Planet Earth
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Mar 12, 2016 - 10:30pm PT
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this is a wonderful thread.
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Mar 13, 2016 - 06:58am PT
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Mike B--that poor Cooper's hawk looks like they've got a flat head. . .
and I love the Rorshchach test on the back of the Goldeneye!!!!
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Bob D'A
Trad climber
Taos, NM
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Mar 13, 2016 - 09:58am PT
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Great photos Cyndie and Mike.
Common Black Hawk going for an early morning takeoff.
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hooblie
climber
from out where the anecdotes roam
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Mar 13, 2016 - 11:13am PT
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that heron in flight sends me, thanks bob. so many fine images, thanks all.
the inkling i have of the dedication involved i'm sure falls short of reality
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10b4me
Mountain climber
Retired
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Mar 13, 2016 - 04:05pm PT
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Bob D'A
Trad climber
Taos, NM
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Mar 15, 2016 - 07:12pm PT
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Short trip to southern AZ (Organ Pipes NM and Puerto Penasco, Mexico).
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Bob D'A
Trad climber
Taos, NM
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Mar 15, 2016 - 09:42pm PT
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Three more.
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Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Mar 15, 2016 - 09:57pm PT
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awesome Bob.
I'll be the straight-person. Curlew or Whimbrel or ...?
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Bob D'A
Trad climber
Taos, NM
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Mar 16, 2016 - 09:29am PT
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Thanks Darwin, Whimbrel.
Common Blackhawk this morning.
Female Belted Kingfisher.
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Bob D'A
Trad climber
Taos, NM
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Mar 16, 2016 - 11:20pm PT
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A few more from my trip south, first one is easy, second one not so easy, in fact I don't what it is.
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