ABA | Nemesis Bird: Recent Episodes
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Another year has come and gone, and 2024 is now just a few days away. In keeping with annual tradition, the imminent end of 2023 calls for a retrospective review celebrating the best birds of the past 12 months. This year has provided an incredible suite of remarkable contenders to choose from, including dramatic lifer encounters, unexpected state list additions, and memorable experiences with local specialties. Even with my travel opportunities limited exclusively to the Northeastern States, I managed to rack up a total of 320 species for the 2023 year list, with some genuine all-star birds among them. Whittling that tally down to create a compact highlight reel is no small feat, but I am always grateful for the exercise in reflection and reminiscence. Without further ado, here is my countdown of the most noteworthy birds of 2023!
Honorable Mention: Harlequin DuckThere are some birds that have a strong argument to be included in the running for the Top 10 every single year! This spectacularly charismatic species has ranked highly on my list of favorites ever since I was a child. Plumage painted with unparalleled artistic elegance and a strong preference for inhabiting dramatically turbulent waterways combine to make the Harlequin Duck one of world’s very best birds. These magnificent waterfowl are an iconic seasonal fixture in appropriate habitat along the shores of Long Island, and no winter feels complete without a pilgrimage to the wave-tossed, rocky jetties they favor. This past February, a flotilla of cooperative Harlequins at Jones Beach Inlet treated me to the best photo ops of my career thus far. I had the good fortune to spend much of the morning in their company, marveling at their stunningly ornate patterns as they bobbed and dove in the pounding surf. This delightful encounter provided a much needed touch of warmth in the chilly conditions out on the coast. Several months later, I was honored to receive a wonderful hand-painted ornament depicting this species as a Christmas gift, courtesy of my dear friends Paige and Ryan on behalf of my goddaughter, Riley. These dashing little ducks never fail to impress, and I am already eagerly looking forward to my next observation in 2024.
10: Bank SwallowWhen one spends essentially all of their waking hours looking at birds, it is not unusual for commonplace species to take on new significance due to association with especially fond memories. Such was the case with the Bank Swallow in 2023. In any given year, I typically encounter these adorable aerialists a handful of times during their migration through New York City and at their localized breeding colonies scattered along the coast. Although our meetings are occasional enough to still feel somewhat special, this is not a species that has ever come particularly close to being featured in the esteemed New Year’s wrap-up post before. This past June, however, the swirling flocks of nesting swallows at the sandy bluffs of Camp Hero State Park served as set dressing for one of the most important moments of my life: when I finally asked Jacqi to marry me. Now, I will never be able to think of these birds without being instantly transported back to that unforgettable scene. Bank Swallows feel every bit as emblematic of our engagement as the picturesque Montauk Point Light, and indeed my lovely fiancée still fondly refers to them as “proposal birds.” As far as background characters for major romantic events go, I could not have asked for a more charming creature to accompany us on that magical day!
9: Bay-breasted Warbler“What are your Top 5 favorite wood-warblers?” has long been a popular question among North American birders. Given the generally high quality of this diverse family of migratory songbirds, this is not a prompt to be taken lightly, and responses are predictably varied and ardently defended. Though my own personal take on this query has shifted somewhat over the years, there is little doubt in my mind that the Bay-breasted Warbler is a shoo-in for inclusion on the list. The unique chestnut, cream, and charcoal color palette of the male’s courtship plumage makes him a standout in a sea of yellows, greens, and browns, and even the more subdued garb of young individuals and females has its own understated appeal. This species also manages to hit the perfect sweet spot of abundance: regular enough to be counted on with some reliability, but still uncommon enough to feature among the highlights of the day whenever they turn up. 2023 proved to be a particularly productive year for these handsome boreal breeders, and I logged numerous sightings during both spring and fall migration. The most noteworthy of these observations came from mid-May, when a bird singing from the street trees below my rooftop perch officially ushered my Astoria apartment list into the triple digits, just under a year after I first moved in. Talk about making a major milestone in style!
8: Common Ringed PloverPart of the challenge of birding is that there is always an inherent risk of failure when setting out to search for a particular bird. For some rarity chases, the odds are stacked heavily against the chaser’s favor, which makes it all the more rewarding when victory is finally achieved. This summer’s Common Ringed Plover experience served as a suitably worthwhile prize for a demanding effort. When Brendan and Taylor first discovered this Eurasian shorebird out at Old Inlet on the far eastern end of Fire Island, it was unclear whether anyone else would be able to find it again. Success would require a prolonged trek along the shore, followed by a careful scan to sift through the thousands of waders present at the site, including several hundred lookalike Semipalmated Plovers. In the first few days following the report, many made the attempt and few came away satisfied. Taking full advantage of the freedom afforded by summer vacation, I loaded up a cooler backpack and set out for an especially grueling day at the beach. With a bit of fortuitous assistance from fellow plover-seeker Ari, the bird finally revealed itself to me at close range for fantastic views and diagnostic photos. This individual represented only the 4th confirmed record of the species for New York State, and it served as a dramatic improvement over my distant, dissatisfying lifer views in Spain some 5 years prior. Standing triumphantly on the sandy flats with a breeze coming in off the Great South Bay, that celebratory beer tasted exceptionally refreshing!
7: Atlantic PuffinWhile my list of favorite birds is famously rather extensive, the list of birds that I count as former coworkers is considerably shorter! During the summer of 2014, fresh out of undergrad at Cornell University, I worked as an interpretive naturalist and visitor center educator for Project Puffin in Midcoast Maine. In all honesty, the nesting Atlantic Puffins of Eastern Egg Rock felt like every bit as much a part of the team as the island field researchers and the crew of the tour boats. These endearing seabirds are beloved the world over for their comical looks and entertaining antics, and my personal soft spot for the little charmers only grew over the course of the season I spent living alongside them. My last encounter with puffins was also my first sighting of the species in New York, when I observed several bird far out at sea on a winter pelagic way back in 2017. When Jacqi expressed her interest in taking a trip to Maine to celebrate her 30th birthday, I was keen to reconnect with my Puffineer roots and show her around the old stomping grounds. For the grand finale of a lovely week split between Portland and Acadia National Park, my good buddy Tabor at Cap’n Fish Cruises hooked us up with a puffin boat trip for old times’ sake. It was a delight to see these familiar feathered faces once again, and Jacqi’s first introduction to these lovable living bath toys left her positively enamored with them. I am hopeful that I will get the chance to cross paths with these winsome oceangoing wanderers again in the near future.
6: Harris’s SparrowAs frustrating as it can be to repeatedly miss out on seeing a bird, the successful conquest of a vexing avian adversary is always well worth the wait. The Harris’s Sparrow is one of those species that gave me the runaround for a surprisingly long time. Although their typical migratory route runs between northern Canada and the Central Plains states, these striking birds have a strong track record for vagrancy and frequently turn up far from home. Even so, I continually struggled connect with my quarry despite my best efforts. Discouraging near misses while searching for them in their core range, sticky staked-out individuals that I never found time to chase, and even a tantalizingly suspicious series of overheard call notes all haunted me over the course of multiple years, landing this bird among my personal frontrunners for Number One Nemesis status. In late October, fortune smiled on me at last when a wayward Harris’s Sparrow was reported just a few miles away from where I happened to be birding that day. Less than an hour after I first heard news of the discovery, I finally clasped eyes on this hefty, handsome songbird for the first time. The impromptu birder party that convened at the Hot Dog Beach parking lot was a marvelously convivial setting for celebrating this overdue lifer. Meeting a new bird is exciting enough on its own, but to share this unexpected victory with the company of good friends makes the memories all the more sweet.
5: Swainson’s HawkMy lifelong total of birds observed in New York finally crested 400 species after an incredible run of 17 new additions over the course of 2022, leaving 2023 with a pretty tough act to follow in the state listing department. Not to be outdone, the New Year started to deliver within the first few days of January, when a young Swainson’s Hawk turned up along the industrial waterfront in northern Staten Island. Jacqi and I dropped what we were doing and made haste to chase as soon as we could, arriving to find a outstandingly confiding raptor prowling for prey in some dramatically unusual surroundings. The hawk made multiple close, low passes as it patrolled the shoreline, pausing regularly on prominent perches with the Manhattan skyline looming in the background across the bay. I would not have expected a bird of the open prairies to make a temporary home for itself in such a heavily urbanized environment, but the Swainson’s Hawk wound up overwintering in the City, eventually relocating to the bustling ports of Brooklyn later in the season. This impressive individual proved to be simply the initial entrant in a docket of 10 splendid new state birds documented throughout the year, featuring some long-awaited inclusions like Western Meadowlark, Curlew Sandpiper, and Sandwich Tern. Even when compared to such steep competition, this wanderer from the west still held its own as one of the most memorable avian encounters of 2023.
4: Smith’s LongspurPatch birding is an endlessly fulfilling exercise unto itself, but every once in a while the fates deliver an extra special treat as a reward for one’s dedicated effort. This April, just before peak migration kicked into top gear, a highly anticipated New York City first arrived at my beloved Randall’s Island in the form of an astonishing Smith’s Longspur that touched down on the northwest ballfields. Many of the Randall’s Regulars had semi-seriously predicted this species as a plausible vagrant for our fair isle given the state of its available habitat, but with only a handful of documented records for the entire state it always felt like an rather unlikely long shot. I’ll never forget the sense of utter shock that hit me like a freight train when Mary Beth first sent me the preliminary photo for ID confirmation. The madcap scramble up nearly the full length of the Island was pure chaos, but in the end I was able to successfully enjoy this exhilarating find alongside Dmitriy, Adam, Efua, and a number of other birders from throughout the City and beyond. In all my travels across North America, I had never been within the nonbreeding range of this Arctic-nesting songbird during the appropriate season to cross paths with the species. Encountering such a high caliber global lifer on patch was an amazing experience, and a glowing testament to the potential of unsung, underrated hotspots. Little did I know that this would not be the final surprise that Randall’s Island had in store for me in 2023.
3: Red-flanked BluetailOf all the mindblowing megararities that I have been fortunate enough to chase over the years, there is something singularly spectacular about the tale of the East Coast’s first Red-flanked Bluetail. It is incredible enough that the species hails from the opposite side of the planet, but on top of that it must be emphasized that this little globetrotter weighs a whopping half an ounce! The discrepancy between overall body size and distance from home, a minimum of some 4,000 miles regardless of whether it came from Siberia or Scandinavia, is the most extreme ratio for any vagrant I have ever met. I truly have a difficult time wrapping my head around the wildly improbable odds that this tiny creature would survive such an arduous journey, happen to land in a backyard where the homeowners recognized it as unusual, and subsequently stick around for hundreds of birders to successfully twitch it. Although the bluetail’s skulky habits made it an unpredictable target for many chasers, Jacqi and I were lucky enough to spot the adorable little songbird multiple times as it flitted energetically through the wood lots of a sleepy New Jersey neighborhood. Perhaps the most remarkable component of the narrative is the patience and enthusiasm of the residents of the community. No one could have prepared for the chaos that their far-flung guest brought upon them, yet they still welcomed the influx of unexpected visitors with open arms. Seemingly impossible events like this represent the very best of what birding has to offer, and I am beyond grateful that I got the chance to join the fun!
2: Black-chinned HummingbirdNovember 2023 marked the first time in the history of birding that an all-new species for New York State was confirmed at Randall’s Island. That I was able to contribute to bringing this remarkable record to light for the greater community is a genuine honor and a privilege. The hard work of the Randall’s Island Park Alliance paid off in a big way when horticulturist Barbara Davaros discovered a late-lingering hummingbird visiting the carefully curated sage blooms at the Cottage Garden. She managed to capture a brief cell phone video, which rocked my world when it popped up at the top of my Instagram feed, and I called in the troops to follow up on my suspicions about its potential identity. The rush of excitement when I received those initial diagnostic photographs from Adam, Efua, and Brendan was a thrill that was only exceeded when I actually made it out there to see the bird myself. In stark contrast with other additions to the official Empire State list from this year, like the one-observer wonder Glaucous-winged Gull or the flyby lakewatch Short-tailed Shearwater, our Black-chinned Hummingbird proved to be staggeringly accommodating visitor. Birders traveled from all corners of the state to visit this enchanting little gem, and the bird stuck around long enough to be tallied for the Christmas Bird Count. Many of my patch birder buddies like to invoke the optimistic maxim that “the best Randall’s bird is yet to happen,” but there is no denying that this particular rarity is going to be tough to top. Next up, an ABA Area first? Whatever may await us in the future, I am confident that we will continue reveling in the enjoyment of this unforgettable experience for years to come.
1: American FlamingoI have followed along with the journeys of impressive individual vagrants and met with globally rare endangered species on multiple occasions over the course of my birding career, but little can compare to the sheer scope and spectacle of this year’s extraordinary American Flamingo invasion. News from the bird world rarely garners national attention from the mainstream media, but it should come as no surprise that a story centered on one of Planet Earth’s most universally familiar and admired birds would capture the hearts and attention of the public at large. Hurricane Idalia’s track across the Gulf of Mexico in late August 2023 was evidently perfectly positioned to displace hundreds of flamingos from their home range in the Yucatán, pushing the birds northwards and scattering them across the eastern portion of the North American continent. Over the course of the fall season, wayward flamingos were documented in no less than 18 different states, with flocks of the sinuous, rosy-plumed birds ranging as far north as the shores of the Great Lakes in Wisconsin and Michigan. Like so many naturalists, I have always been fascinated by the surreal blend of elegant and peculiar features that make flamingos so unique. When a pair of these Caribbean storm waifs finally turned up within striking distance, at a glorified puddle in Pennsylvania farm country, I stood no chance of resisting the call to adventure. The prospect of being part of this high-profile saga and getting to meet such a wonderfully weird species in a ridiculously incongruous setting over a thousand miles from its typical haunts was too marvelous to pass up. Ryan and I set out from New York City in the wee hours of the morning, and by dawn we found ourselves standing on a rural roadside, partaking in one of the most brilliantly bizarre birding experiences of my entire life to date. There is absolutely no question that my lifer American Flamingo encounter takes the grand prize as the best bird sighting of 2023.
Every new year brings its own set of challenges and celebrations, and as I look back on what 2023 had to offer I am proud to say that I am contentedly pleased with the final results. Through all of the ups and downs, I was fortunate enough to have the support and company of my friends, family, and loved ones, and no shortage of delightful birds along the way. There were missed opportunities, as well as some difficult losses, but there were also happy memories that will last a lifetime and moments that set the stage for wonders yet to come. On the whole, it was a year well lived. I welcome 2024 with open arms, and I have a high hopes for the surprises and successes that await in the imminent future.
2023 Top 10 Birds by Tim Healy. Original content from the folks at Nemesis Bird - fast paced birding.
When the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, a full twelve months of untold potential lie ahead. eBird resets the year list totals to zero, and the annual cycle of the seasons begins anew. For birders, each new year presents new opportunities for exciting encounters and unexpected discoveries. 2022 was undeniably one for the record books, and I am looking forward to seeing what 2023 has in store.
In keeping with tradition, Jacqi and I celebrated the changing of the calendar in the company of friends, this year in Providence, Rhode Island. The highly anticipated honors for First Bird of 2023 went to a Northern Cardinal that I heard chipping outside our window at daybreak: a delightfully welcome surprise considering our temporary residence’s location in the heart of the city. I spent most of January 1st relaxing and milling around town, racking up an incidental list of 20 expected urban birds over the course of the day’s activities. We parted from our pals and began the journey home on the 2nd, and I was able to add classic roadside species like Common Raven, Peregrine Falcon, and Black and Turkey Vultures along the way. The first addition to my 2023 New York list was an adult Red-shouldered Hawk that I spotted circling over the highway just after we crossed back into the boundaries of my home state.
As soon as we arrived back at our apartment in Queens, I set out on foot across the RFK Bridge to Randall’s Island. A wonderful whirlwind tour of holiday celebrations had kept me away from my beloved patch for over a week, and I was eager to kick off my 2023 year list with some proper City birding. I quickly connected with local winter specialties like Brant, Common Goldeneye, and Orange-crowned Warbler. I also noted a distant Ruddy Turnstone scuttling amongst the rocks at Lawrence Point Ledge and a late-lingering Palm Warbler working the western end of the Bronx Kill. A non-countable but nevertheless notable find was a hybrid drake Mallard x American Black Duck that has been hanging around the area, and a young Great Blue Heron posed cooperatively for a photoshoot. A harsh, rattling cry announced the arrival of a male Belted Kingfisher, the 2023 ABA Bird of the Year. For my money, this was a fantastic selection: a widespread but charismatic species that never fails to make a birding day’s highlight list. I spent several minutes admiring the kingfisher as it noisily hurtled up and down the shoreline before continuing on my way and slowly meandering homeward.
The first work week of 2023 was a busy one, but it still provided some lovely birds around town. Encounters with the resident pair of American Kestrels in Elmhurst brightened my morning commute, and I also spotted several of the friendly neighborhood Monk Parakeets from my Astoria rooftop. A post-work trip into Manhattan furnished me with a new county bird in the form of a Redhead drake at the Central Park Pool, and I briefly teamed up with Liam as we raced sunset to visit the local Great Horned Owl before she headed out hunting for the evening. As the weekend drew nearer, I solidified my schemes for a proper birding outing. I coordinated my efforts with Adam, and Friday afternoon saw us heading out to Long Island to crash with my family for the night.
We awoke well ahead of dawn on the 7th, setting out for the eastern terminus of Long Island under cover of darkness. By the time we reached the town of Montauk, the first hints of light were just beginning to color the landscape. We paused along the roadside to listen for owls just before sunrise, and we were rewarded by several whinnying Eastern Screech-Owls. At the official break of day, we were already in position for a seawatch from the Point. It didn’t take long for the action to get started. There were plenty of Northern Gannets and various seaducks moving past the overlook, and a steady procession of Razorbills out of Long Island Sound produced a tally of several hundred birds. As flocks of alcids began settling in the surf, we were able to pick out a handful of smaller Dovekies among them. These tiny seabirds are normally quite rare from shore in New York, but this winter’s conditions have produced an impressive incursion all along the coast of Long Island. Watching these dapper, diminutive divers bobbing on the waves below our vantage point was a delightful treat considering that this species is most often observed as a fleeting flyby. By midmorning, this seabird spectacle had unsurprisingly drawn quite a crowd of birders. You can always count on a quality wildlife show out at The End!
Satisfied with the spoils of our seawatch, Adam and I started making our way back towards the parking lot. Amidst the trilled squeals of high-flying robin flocks coming off the Sound, I heard a series of distinctive chipping flight calls. I wheeled around to see a group of chunky finches bounding through the sky overhead: Red Crossbills! Considering the somewhat patchy state of this winter’s irruptive finch flight, I wasn’t expecting to cross paths with these northern nomads so early in 2023. Following up on this serendipitous encounter, we set out to search for more of Montauk’s winter specialty birds. A visit to the inlet at the north end of Lake Montauk netted us several Great Cormorants hanging out in their preferred perches at the end of the jetty, and I briefly spied a Virginia Rail furtively peering out of the vegetation at Big Reed Pond before it dashed back into cover. We hit a short-lived rough patch when our attempt for Harlequin Ducks at Ditch Plains Beach was thwarted by a congregation of surfers and off-leash dogs, and we similarly struck out in our efforts to locate the Black Guillemots which had been recently seen on Fort Pond Bay. Thankfully, our luck took a turn for the better once again when we successfully connected with the overwintering Trumpeter Swan on Fort Pond, a spectacular regional rarity which was initially discovered by Brent during the Montauk Christmas Bird Count a few weeks prior. In the early afternoon, fueled by our hearty haul of excellent birds and some delicious lobster rolls from LUNCH, we finally began the long drive back to the City. A trip to Montauk is always a fantastic way to start the year!
On Sunday the 8th, Adam and I were up and at it again, patrolling Randall’s Island in pursuit of noteworthy birds. We bumped into Xander about halfway through our circuit, and the three of us spent the rest of the morning birding together. Once we finished up exploring the Island, we headed over to Central Park to see what else we could find. Moments after we arrived, I received news of a shocking discovery: there was a Swainson’s Hawk on Staten Island! The wayward bird had been discovered along the Front Street waterfront by a photographer named Maureen Seaberg, and it wasn’t long before stunning photographs of this cooperative individual began popping up on all the bird alert groups. I was initially hesitant about dropping everything for an interborough chase, but when I texted Jacqi about it she enthusiastically suggested we go for it together. I bid my friends farewell and rushed home to Astoria, coincidentally arriving at my doorstep just in time to see my first-of-year Yellow-rumped Warbler moving through the treetops across the street. Jacqi and I loaded up the car and started driving south, making great time on our journey through Brooklyn and across the Verrazzano.
As we approached the stakeout site on Front Street, I was a touch nervous about whether the bird would still be present. Swainson’s Hawks are notorious for being difficult to track down when they turn up in New York, most often showing up as transient birds during migration and rarely sticking around long. Once we pulled into the parking lot, however, I immediately spotted the rare raptor perched on a telephone pole a short distance down the shore from a crowd of birders with many familiar faces among them. Just over a week into 2023 and I’m already checking off New York State bird #401! This remarkable vagrant proved to be a stunningly confiding subject, repeatedly making close, low passes as it cruised up and down the waterfront. Jacqi was absolutely in awe, gasping with amazement when the hawk first spread its long wings and exclaiming excitedly whenever it flew in our direction. When the bird finally made an extended flight out of view, we said our goodbyes to our friends and headed out to take care of our Sunday afternoon errands. Not a bad way to close out the first weekend of the new year!
A few days later, on the evening of the 11th, Jacqi and I were taking a stroll along the river’s edge at Astoria Park when we happened upon a gaggle of Brant foraging in the intertidal zone. As she scanned through the geese with my binoculars, she announced that one of them had something colorful attached to its leg. I quickly zeroed in on the bird with my camera, confirming that she had indeed spotted a plastic field-readable band through reflective surface of the water. It proved to be a bit of a challenge securing legible photos as the bird paddled around, especially since it refused to haul out onto the rocky shoreline, but I eventually managed to snap a few shots where the unique code could be clearly discerned. I reported the observation to the North American Bird Banding Program, and within hours I received a response. Our goose is evidently an adult female, first banded in Nunavut back in August 2018. Considering that I most frequently encounter Brant in dramatic hordes of hundreds or thousands of birds, this was the first time I had ever managed to get a read off a banded individual in the wild. Of course, I have Jacqi’s sharp eyes and burgeoning birding skills to thank for this particular sighting!
The remainder of the work week passed fairly quietly, though I did make a short commute extension to visit Bryant Park on my way home on the 12th. A late-lingering Ovenbird scrounging around the dining area was a welcome early addition to the 2023 year list, and I also saw several Gray Catbirds tussling for scraps amidst the throngs of hungry sparrows. This micropark is a famous migrant trap where many half-hardy species hang on well into colder months, and the mild conditions thus far this season have undoubtedly aided the overwintering attempts of these tiny lost creatures.
Our original plan for the second weekend of January was to head up to Vermont with Jacqi’s family, but when Friday afternoon rolled around several of them were feeling under the weather. We elected to push our ski trip to the following week and started working to restructure our itinerary on the fly. This unexpected schedule change presented me with an opportunity to make good on a long-held promise to my aunt, who has been dreaming of meeting a Snowy Owl for years. This species has held top honors as my favorite animal for my entire life, so I’ve always been the go-to guy for friends and relatives who want to try their luck at searching for these incredible Arctic predators. However, this winter has proven to be a historically slow season for Snowies thus far. I’d heard a handful of scattered reports of an owl moving around some traditional South Shore haunts, so I figured it was worth taking a shot at trying to track the bird down.
Jacqi and I met up with Auntie at the West End of Jones Beach on the morning of the 14th and slowly made our way down the shore towards the jetty. As I scanned the surrounding dunes, I somehow managed to pick out a tiny white speck a full mile away across the inlet. My long-range photos suggested that the distant form was suspiciously owl-shaped, so we decided to relocate to Point Lookout for a closer view. Upon our arrival, we promptly found our quarry: a gorgeous adult male Snowy. The bird was nestled close to a tussock of grass that it was using as a windbreak, solemnly regarding the small crowd of observers that had begun gathering a respectful distance away. We quietly celebrated our victory and basked in the presence of the magnificent raptor. A low-flying helicopter caused the bird to briefly become alert, showing off its arrestingly golden eyes as it watched the noisy aircraft roar past the beach. As the owl settled back down and made itself comfortable again in the wake of this intrusion, it delivered a soft shrieking cry, the first time I have ever heard this species vocalize in the wild.
While we were admiring the Snowy, I kept a weather eye out for other coastal birds of note. When a lone duck popped up in the surf just offshore from where we stood, I was struck by its unexpectedly light brown plumage. My suspicions about its identity were confirmed when I raised my binoculars and was greeted by the gently sloping bill and distinctive sail-like back plumes of a King Eider hen. It had been several years since my last sighting of this regionally uncommon seaduck, and I certainly wasn’t expecting to stumble upon one by sheer happenstance. Flocks of shorebirds periodically raced past our vantage point, with good numbers of Purple Sandpipers and a handful of Red Knots mixed in with the masses of Sanderling, Dunlin, and Black-bellied Plover. Other local specialties seen during this outing included Northern Harrier, Bonaparte’s Gulls, and Tree Swallows, as well as a few Harbor Seals periscoping above the waves. Once we’d had our fill of beach birding for the day, we started back towards the parking lot and left the Snowy Owl where we found it, resting peacefully atop its prominent perch. I was glad that I finally made good on my promise to Auntie, and grateful as ever for another memorable encounter with this magical species.
The remainder of the weekend was filled with delightful date nights, fun with friends, and plenty of time for some much needed relaxation. On the morning of the 16th, I was up and out of bed in the wee hours of the morning so I could make it over to Randall’s Island in time for sunrise. The Randall’s Regulars know all too well that our favored patch often produces its best birds at the extreme northeastern corner of the Island at the precise crack of dawn. One of the most reliable examples of this phenomenon is a locally rare Black-headed Gull which has been wintering in our region. Since late November, this individual has kept a remarkably consistent schedule, commuting down the East River from its night roost to its preferred foraging grounds alongside the flocks of more common, expected species. I had missed Adam’s early morning observation of the bird by mere minutes the previous week, and I was determined to settle the score this time. I was in position at the stakeout site for dawn patrol, and Dmitriy joined us soon after. The first noteworthy species we spotted was an Iceland Gull following the same route downriver, placing me just one species away from closing out the January 100. The Black-headed Gull evidently elected to sleep in a bit and keep us waiting, finally showing up a full half hour after the official start of the day and securing its spot as my 100th bird species for 2023. The rest of the morning proved to be delightfully productive, including close observations of displaying Bufflehead pairs, a family of Mute Swans, and a Common Loon feasting on crabs. I also picked up an unexpected life fish: a small American Conger caught in the clutches of some squabbling Herring Gulls. You truly never know what you’re going to find on Randall’s!
Yet another outstanding highlight for the start of 2023 was a repeat performance by one of the last major birds of 2022. My quest to observe 400 species of birds in New York State finally came to fruition when Winter Storm Elliott rolled through NYC on December 23rd, inundating Randall’s Island and attracting incredible concentrations of gulls. The ever-vigilant Andrew Farnsworth discovered a vagrant Short-billed Gull among the swarms of storm-driven seabirds, and I had the incredible fortune to mark the long-awaited milestone of reaching 400 at my own beloved patch. Regrettably, the rest of the Randall’s Regulars were all out of town for the holidays, which cast a slight pall over my celebration of this record. To my great relief, similarly rainy weather on January 3rd drew the gull flocks back to the soggy ballfields, where Adam managed to refind the adorable visitor from the West Coast. Dmitriy, Efua, and a number of other birders were granted a second chance at redemption, and there was understandably much rejoicing.
This reappearance inspired hope that the Short-bill might fall into a predictable pattern of occurrence whenever the conditions were suitable, and a forecast for dreary drizzle on the 19th had us all waiting with bated breath. Sure enough, Xander reported that the gull had come through yet again, and I made haste to chase once I returned home from a school field trip. The steady precipitation, dwindling daylight, and constant reshuffling of birds complicated the search effort somewhat, but I eventually managed to locate the correct subflock and was reunited with my little buddy. It’s always a treat to encounter the same wild animal more than once, especially when it’s such a personally significant individual! The other assembled birders who’d braved the weather to chase the gull were grateful for my last minute rediscovery, and Mack was gracious enough to give me a ride back to Astoria. Sure beats walking across the RFK in a storm!
Our postponed trip to Vermont proved to be well-worth the wait, and although it was fairly light on wildlife we did spot several groups of Wild Turkeys on our long drive home. For the last weekend of the month, I look forward to partaking in the esteemed Northport Winter Bird Count, a CBC-style survey spearheaded by Taylor and Brent. This will be the 7th year that the Count is conducted in an official capacity, and I am eager to get back to my assigned territory and see what surprises I can turn up. Though the end of January is fast approaching, there’s no denying that the fun has only just begun for 2023. Here’s to hoping the remaining eleven months are as productive as the kickoff turned out to be!
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When I shared my traditional annual wrap-up post in the final days of December 2021, I did so knowing that I wasn’t quite done with ... Read More
A Grand New Year by Tim Healy. Original content from the folks at Nemesis Bird - fast paced birding.
I’ve always appreciated the seasonality of birding. When you’re paying close attention to the goings-on in the world outside your windows, the annual cycle of ... Read More
2021 – The First 100 by Tim Healy. Original content from the folks at Nemesis Bird - fast paced birding.
Week 1: So it begins Even though the first waves of Neotropical migrants typically arrive before the calendar changes to the fifth month, most East ... Read More
A May in the Life of a Birder by Tim Healy. Original content from the folks at Nemesis Bird - fast paced birding.
:: The American Birding Association just announced the winners of the Young Birder of the Year contest :: The House Sparrow is a thriving species in North America, ... Read More
This week in birding 59 by Charlotte Wasylik. Original content from the folks at Nemesis Bird - fast paced birding.
Robert Mortensen has thrown together another one of his classic Bird of the Year videos to announce the Multimedia Art Contest for this year’s bird, ... Read More
ABA Bird of the Year Multimedia Art Contest Announcement by Drew Weber. Original content from the folks at Nemesis Bird - fast paced birding.