110/10 Big Year Update - March 3rd Week

Last week was a good week of birding for the 110/10 Big YearChallenge.  It ended with two new year-birds, both rare to the island, and a couple of decent images.  The first year-bird came early in the week when I paid a brief visit to Tappy Pond, St. John. 

Grey Heron

It was a location I normally would not stop at because the deep irrigation pond there seldom attracted any birds of note, but on this occasion, I did and was rewarded with a Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)^(#79), the old world equivalent to the Great Blue Heron (Ardea Herodias). These birds can prove difficult to separate but I took my reference from the color of the thighs, which are brownish on the Great Blue, and pale, like the thighs of this bird, on the Greys.

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

The second bird was much easier to identify, it was an adult Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (Nyctanassa violacea) ^(#80) I saw it on a bright sunny morning at Oistins, Christ Church on the 19^th.  One of the photographs of that bird became my 8^th image in the Photo-challenge 2022 along with a male Shiny Cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis) at number 7.

Shiny Cowbird

Thus far for Mach, 5 new species were added. With another twelve days to go, I will hope for at least 2 more species. Let’s see how that goes.

110/10 Big Year Update: First Two Week of March

I am still finding it difficult to get out birding for the first two weeks of March, but was still able to add four year-birds to my 110/10 Big Year 2022.  These birds were: a beautiful Pacific Golden-Plover (Pluvialis fulva) on March 02^nd, Laughing Gulls (Leucophaeus atricilla) on the 03^rd and a Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri) that was showing signs of breeding plumage on 09th.  

Blue-winged Teal 

Quality images are still hard to come by but I did add one image of a Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors) to my Photographic Big Year 2022, check it out.

The goal for the remainder of March

The goal for the remainder of March is simple, get  out birding.  

110/10 Big Year Update: February

Caribbean Martin

I was very busy during the month of February and was not able to do a lot of birding.  This was reflected in my month’s tally for the 110/10 Big Year, only adding two species ending the month with 75 bird species.  The first-year bird came in the first half of the month, a Caribbean Martin (Progne dominicensis), while the second bird was American Wigeon (Mareca Americana).  Two photographs were added to the Photo Challenge finishing the month with 5 images.  I have a lot of work to do. I will be playing catchup during the month of March. Let see how that goes.