My 2018 Bird List

January 1st
Cassin's Finch
Dark-eyed Junco
American Crow
Pine Siskin
Steller's Jay
House Sparrow
Northern Flicker
House Finch
Evening Grosbeak
Mountain Chickadee
Common Raven
Mallard
Pygmy Nuthatch
Common Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Canada Goose
Pied-billed Grebe
Northern Shoveler
American Coot
Great-tailed Grackle
European Starling

January 2nd
Brewer's Blackbird
White-breasted Nuthatch

January 3rd
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared Dove
Hairy Woodpecker

January 4th
Clark's Nutcracker
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Pine Grosbeak

January 5th
Red-tailed Hawk
American Wigeon
Ring-necked Duck
Mourning Dove
Gila Woodpecker
Northern Mockingbird
Red-winged Blackbird
Northern Pintail
Gambel's Quail
Neotropic Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Common Gallinule
Cactus Wren
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Abert's Towhee

January 6th

Gadwall

Green-winged Teal

Canvasback

Green Heron
Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet
Killdeer
Long-billed Dowitcher
Anna's Hummingbird
American Kestrel
Black Phoebe
Verdin
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Curve-billed Thrasher
American Pipit
Northern Parula
White-crowned Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Bufflehead
Bald Eagle

January 7th
Red-naped Sapsucker
American Goldfinch
Sagebrush Sparrow
Horned Lark
American Robin
Sage Thrasher

January 9th
Western Bluebird

January 11th
California Gull
Turkey Vulture
Acorn Woodpecker
California Scrub-Jay
Bushtit
Wrentit
California Thrasher
Golden-crowned Sparrow
White-tailed Kite
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Cedar Waxwing
Peregrine Falcon
Western Meadowlark
Northern Harrier
Say's Phoebe
Yellow-billed Magpie
Tricolored Blackbird
Eared Grebe
Western Grebe
Red-shouldered Hawk
Belted Kingfisher
Nuttall's Woodpecker
California Towhee

January 12th
Greater Yellowlegs
Cooper's Hawk
Wild Turkey
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Band-tailed Pigeon
Hutton's Vireo
Bewick's Wren

January 13th
Common Goldeneye
Marbled Godwit
Least Sandpiper
Dunlin
Ring-billed Gull
Willet
Herring Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Forster's Tern
Phainopepla

January 14th
Vermilion Flycatcher

January 19th
Black-crowned Night-Heron

January 20th
Surf Scoter
Hooded Merganser
Long-billed Curlew
Burrowing Owl
Redhead
Golden Eagle
Lesser Goldfinch
Lewis's Woodpecker
Wood Duck
Ross's Goose

January 21st
California Quail
Merlin
Oak Titmouse
Spotetd Towhee

January 27th
Crissal Thrasher

February 3rd
White-throated Swift
Greater White-fronted Goose
Lesser Scaup
Iceland Gull

February 4th
Western Sandpiper
Savannah Sparrow

February 11th
Woodhouse's Scrub Jay

February 16th
Snow Goose
Cinnamon Teal
Ring-necked Pheasant
White-faced Ibis
Lesser Yellowlegs
Tree Swallow
American White Pelican
Sandhill Crane
Wilson's Snipe
Great Horned Owl

February 17th
Cattle Egret
Loggerhead Shrike
Short-eared Owl

February 18th
Horned Grebe

March 2nd
Orange-crowned Warbler
Townsend's Warbler
Fox Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow

March 3rd
Violet-green Swallow
Marsh Wren

March 4th
Barn Owl

March 10th
Osprey

March 16th
Black-capped Chickadee

March 17th
Cackling Goose
Varied Thrush

March 18th
Brown Creeper

March 21st
Rock Wren

March 22nd
Northern Rough-winged Swallow

March 29th
Vesper Sparrow

March 31st
Painted Redstart
Townsend's Solitaire

April 2nd
Chipping Sparrow

April 6th
Greater Roadrunner
Barn Swallow
Zone-tailed Hawk
Inca Dove
White-winged Dove
Broad-billed Hummingbird
Violet-crowned Hummingbird
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Dusky Flycatcher
Plumbeous Vireo
Lucy's Warbler
Green-tailed Towhee
Northern Cardinal
Black-headed Grosbeak
Bullock's Oriole
Lark Sparrow
Western Kingbird

April 7th
Bell's Vireo
Black-throated Gray Warbler
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Arizona Woodpecker
Rufous-crowned Sparrow
Rivoli's Hummingbird
Mexican Jay
Sora
Common Yellowthroat
Brewer's Sparrow

April 8th
Ash-throated Flycatcher
Brown-headed Cowbird
Canyon Wren

April 9th
Cliff Swallow
Mountain Bluebird

April 13th
Virginia Rail
Yellow-headed Blackbird

April 20th
Rufous Hummingbird
Calliope Hummingbird
Grasshopper Sparrow
Spotted Sandpiper

April 21st
Brant
Pacific Loon
Brandt's Cormorant
Whimbrel
Pigeon Guillemot
Weatern Gull
Caspian Tern
Elegant Tern
Snowy Plover
Sanderling

April 27th
Solitary Sandpiper
Blue-winged Teal

April 28th
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
House Wren
Red-faced Warbler
Summer Tanager

April 30th
Bank Swallow

May 5th
Ridgway's Rail
Wilson's Phalarope

May 14th
Yellow Warbler

May 15th
Lazuli Bunting

May 18th

Vaux's Swift

May 23rd

Pacific Slope Flycatcher

May 24th

Warbling Vireo

May 26th

Brown Pelican

Red-throated Loon

Common Loon

Heerman's Gull

May 31st

Olive-sided Flycatcher

Hooded Oriole

June 2nd

Cassin's Vireo

Western Tanager

June 20th

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Common Wood-Pigeon

Eurasian Magpie

Eurasian Jackdaw

European Blackbird

Eurasian Robin

June 22nd

Carrion Crow

Eurasian Blackcap

June 23rd

Eurasian Blue Tit

Eurasian Jay

Eurasian Wren

Eurasian Moorhen

Great Tit

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Grey Heron

Tufted Duck

Eurasian Coot

Common Tern

Dunnock

June 26th

Black-headed Gull

Mediterranean Gull

June 28th

Common Chaffinch

Common House-Martin

June 29th

Long-tailed Tit

Greylag Goose

July 1st

Eurasian Sparrowhawk

Goldcrest

Eurasian Green Woodpecker

Song Thrush

July 3rd

Common Swift

Little Egret

Great Crested Grebe

July 5th

European Goldfinch

Northern Lapwing

White Wagtail

Common Sandpiper

July 7th

Common Chiffchaff

July 8th

Mute Swan

Eurasian Kestrel

Rook

July 9th

Great Cormorant

Sandwich Tern

Common Pochard

Common Buzzard

Egyptian Goose

July 10th

Great Black-backed Gull

Black-legged Kittiwake

July 11th

Eurasian Oystercatcher

Redshank

Eurasian Curlew

July 12th

Rose-ringed Parakeet

Coal Tit

July 16th

Mew Gull

July 19th

Black-winged Stilt

Pied Avocet

Black-tailed Godwit

Ruff

Little Owl

Eurasian Skylark

Meadow Pipit

European Greenfinch

European Reed Warbler

Sedge Warbler

Greater Whitethroat

Bearded Reedling

Eurasian Linnet

Common Shelduck

July 24th

Little Grebe

Stock Dove

July 25th

Ruddy Turnstone

July 31st

Allen's Hummingbird

August 11th

Common Murre

Black Turnstone

Pelagic Cormorant

August 12th

Western Screech Owl

August 13th

Fischer's Lovebird

August 24th

Common Poorwill

August 25th

Black Skimmer

August 28th

Northern Waterthrush

MacGillivray's Warbler

September 1st

Western Wood-Pewee

September 3rd

Pinyon Jay

Red-necked Phalarope

Nashville Warbler

Virginia's Warbler

Willow Flycatcher

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

Wilson's Warbler

Juniper Titmouse

September 7th

Eastern Kingbird

September 9th

Downy Woodpecker

September 14th

Chimney Swift

Gray Catbird

Palm Warbler

September 15th

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Great Crested Flycatcher

Eastern Phoebe

Cape May Warbler

September 26th

American Redstart

Sabine's Gull

September 29th

Short-billed Dowitcher

October 12th

White-headed Woodpecker

October 20th

Franklin's Gull

October 26th

Pacific Golden-Plover

November 3rd

Williamson's Sapsucker

Canyon Towhee

Bridled Titmouse

November 10th 
American Golden Plover

November 11th

Clark's Grebe

November 17th

Red-breasted Merganser

November 21st

Red-breasted Sapsucker

November 22nd

Trumpeter Swan

Northwestern Crow

Swamp Sparrow

Golden-crowned Kinglet

November 23rd

Harlequin Duck

Barrow's Goldeneye

November 24th

Long-tailed Duck

December 8th

Purple Finch

December 14th

Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch

Black Rosy-Finch

December 16th

Black Vulture

Ferruginous Hawk

Crested Caracara

Prairie Falcon

Mountain Plover

Blue-throated Hummingbird

Yellow-eyed Junco

Hepatic Tanager

December 17th

Greater Pewee

Cassin's Kingbird

December 2018

The month of December was memorable for the first Rosy-finches in Arizona since 2000. I was worried that I was going to miss out as most of the local birders headed to see them as soon as they were found, while I was tied to my desk during Finals Week. Luckily Chuck was going back for another look and I went with him and John Coons to see the birds on Friday December 14th. We had our first glimpse of the flock of about 80 birds at 8:30, and had to wait until 10:00 before they returned to feed for about half an hour. They disappeared for about an hour before giving us our closest views - some within 6 feet. The flock consisted of 2 Black-crowneds with the rest Blacks.

The next day I headed towards Tucson where I was to pick up my son from the airport. I spent Saturday night in Casa Grande, and spent 3 hours on Sunday December 16th on the Santa Cruz Flats. Luck was very much with me and I added 5 species for the year in that time. My first stop was at Sunland Gin and Pearce where dozens of Black Vultures and Crested Caracaras had been seen recently. I only had 3 and 1 respectively, but that was good enough for my year list. I then drove down Greene Reservoir Road where I had flushed a Prairie Falcon which was perched close to the road, and then shortly afterwards had a Ferruginous Hawk fly by. That was 4 year-bird raptors in about half an hour! A stop at the sod farm, a place where I had not always been lucky, yielded 56 Mountain Plovers actively feeding on the brightest green. On Monday December 17th my son and I went to Reid Park where we ran into a Cassin's Kingbird on route to a stake-out spot for a Greater Pewee that my son noticed in the pines near the playground.

The following day my son noticed a Brown Creeper on my feeder, my first in Arizona for 2019. This bird, and a sometimes a second one, were daily visitors after that.

On my only California trip earlier in the month I went to Shoreline Park - to add Barrow's Goldeneye to my Santa Clara list - and walked the dyke between Salt Pond A1 and Charleston Slough where over 5000 Northern Shovelers were the highlight. The following day, Saturday December 8th my wife and I walked around he Santa Clara Water District where I again failed to find the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker or Scaly-breasted Munias. I did see a female Purple Finch drinking from a puddle; my only year bird that weekend.

November 2018

The month of November included what has become a regular trip to the northwest to see my son (22nd-24th), with Northwestern Crows and Trumpeter Swans easy to find along the highways. There were no owls this year, but Stanley Park, Vancouver yielded large numbers of Barrow's Goldeneye and three Harlequin Ducks, while a Long-tailed Duck flew past us at Zuanich Point in Bellingham. I also added Golden-crowned Kinglet and Swamp Sparrow for the year.

I did not get to bird too much on a couple of trips to San Jose, but I did chase after an American Golden Plover that had been seen at Alviso EEC entrance road on November 10th. There was a crowd of birders there when we arrived -including Sergio and Garrett, many having searched for the bird for quite some time. I was in luck and someone spotted the bird back towards Spreckles Pond and I added what was possibly a lifer to my list. A Ruddy Turnstone that had also been around eluded everyone that day. Later in the month, on the 21st, Sergio and I spent a morning at Laguna where we had almost given up scanning for Mountain Bluebirds only to find them right along the road itself, and at the water district where Sergio took me straight to the Red-breasted Sapsucker's tree. This was the first time I had seen this species in two years.

Closer to home I did a trip down to Sedona on November 3rd to add some year birds to my Coconino list, and as well as finding Gila Woodpecker, Northern cardinal, Bridled Titmouse and my jinx bird Canyon Towhee, I found a female Williamson's Sapsucker in a juniper in the Brewer Road neighborhood. Two weeks later I headed out on a successful chase, first to Ashurst Lake to add Red-breasted Merganser for the year, and to Mormon Lake to add Ross's Goose to my county year list.

October 2018

My first real chance to bird in the month of October was around Lake Tahoe on October 12th. My wife and I went to Taylor Creek to see the salmon run - no black bears - and saw a local specialty, White-headed Woodpeckers as well as high elevation birds such as Red-breasted and Pygmy Nuthatches and Mountain Chickadees. Efforts to find Sooty Grouse or Mountain Quail were again to no avail, and we also dipped on Black-billed Magpie. On the 13th we took a cruise on the lake on a paddle steamer and found the lake to be lacking in birds. Vegetation and fish are well below the surface and only in one cove did we find a few birds such as Pied-billed Grebe.

Back home the following weekend, I went with Tom and Kathryn on October 20th and found things much more quiet than on my September visit. The highlight was a group of gulls, with 4 obvious Ring-billeds, 2 Franklins (my first of the year) and a large brown immature gull. We spent a couple of hours looking at the gulls and their relative sizes trying for better looks at the large gull. We left having penciled this in as a Herring Gull, got excited when Lauren replied to a first photo saying it could be an Iceland, but after others went out the following morning to find the bird more cooperative and posing for better photos, it was decided that it was a small-billed Herring Gull.

I returned to San Jose the following weekend and on the 26th I went to Alviso chasing some rare birds. Ina a remarkable half hour I quickly found the Pacific Golden Plover - only my second ever - and the Ruff. The latter was much more cooperative than it had been for em in either of the previous two years, and I saw this bird again on subsequent trips. I then found the bird that I took to be the immature Pectoral Sandpiper, but my photo of the bird turned out to be a Least Sandpiper and was rejected by the local eBird authority; but my bird was larger than the peeps around it and I suspect I took a picture of the wrong bird using my point-and-shoot camera! I then saw a Stilt Sandpiper in the Spreckles pond and even posted for the first time to the list serve. However my description on eBird was insufficient for the local eBird authority and this was later rejected, although another birder had confirmed my sighting.

September 2018

The month of September

August 2018

I returned to San Jose on Thursday July 26th.

Pelagic Cormorant

Pigeon Guillemot

Fischer's Lovebird

Faversham, Rainham, Hanningfield and Leicester

On July

Little Owl

Black-winged Stilt

Peregrine

Ruddy Turnstones