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Inspired by 2n10’s plan to start our engines for the 2022 Bird Race, I thought I might go back and check my totals for lap number 2021. I’ve been kind of lax about keeping the tally up, so this was a good excuse to go back through some of my 2021 birding highlights.
For the year, I really only managed two locations, my home state of New York and the central American country of Panama, where I got away for a two week jaunt in September. My home state birding was entirely conducted on Long Island with the exception of a one-day run to Orange County, about an hour north of New York City, where I added Ferruginous Hawk (first ever for New York State) and a Rough-legged Hawk (my only one for the year). My New York total for 2021 was 246- below average for me, but all things considered, not so bad.
Tropical birding with a competent guide can yield some pretty big totals, and I was happy to record a total for Panama of 323 species. There was some overlap between the two lists- Black and Turkey Vultures, a lot of the wading birds, and a few migrant warblers. Accounting for the overlaps, my yearly total for 2021 stands at 529. That might go up by one or two species by year’s end, but probably not. There is a Mew Gull (of the “Short-billed” western North America type) in Brooklyn right now, and that would actually be a state life bird for me, but that’s kind of a hike and I’d really have to talk myself into it! I’ve seen Mew Gull of the European (Common Gull) type here, but this year they were “split”, so it is tempting.
Here are a few of the photo highlights of my 2021 birding year.
WHAT’S UP IN NATURE IN YOUR AREA TODAY?
In early January a couple of my birding buddies found a female Spotted Towhee while participating on a local Christmas Bird Count. Although it was faithful to a small, several acre patch of brush, it was surprisingly hard to find! It took me three tries to finally catch up with it- my first Spotted Towhee for New York.
Throuhout the spring and summer, the eastern part of North America saw a big influx of southern wading birds into the northern states. In May, Long Island got in on the action with a Wood Stork- the first here since the early 1960s, and my first for the state.
Just a week or so later, a western vagrant- Black-throated Gray Warbler, turned up a few miles from my house- another state lifer.
In the summer it was wader time again- this time a Roseate Spoonbill that stood right on the border of Nassau and Suffolk Counties- aking twice as many “county listers” very happy!
In September I finally took a long planned trip to eastern Panama- where, with the help of some great local guides, I found 101 life birds and a lot of other really cool stuff. The Harpy up top was the highlight, but here are a few others from that two week trip.
And just because raptors seem to be pretty popular here- a few more of those.
And then, to finish things off (well there are a few more days, so maybe )
a Northern Lapwing turned up last week, part of a mini influx of this Euro-Plover into the northeast.
Your turn now- let’s hear about some 2021 birding highlights.