110/10 Big Year Update – March

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

Five year-birds, four images equal a good month of March. Those five birds took the 110/10 big year tally at the end of March to 80 species. The five birds were:

• Pacific Golden-Plover (Pluvialis fulva) which I saw on the 2^nd
• Laughing Gull (Leucophaeus atricilla) was on the 3^rd;
• Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri) flew in on the 9^th
• Gray Heron (Ardea cinerea) at Tappy Pond, St. John on the 15^th
• Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (Nyctanassa violacea) at Oistins on the 19^th

I am placing more effort into quickly increasing the number of photographs for the Photo-Big Year and was able to add a few during the month, my favorite being that of a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (Nyctanassa violacea) at Oistins. This bird was very cooperative allowing me to capture not only stills but also video.

Goals for April

Scarlet Tanager photographed April 2015 

Spring migration is happening, even though not as noticeable as the fall migration it can produce a few eye-popping birds.  One such bird is the Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea), a fiery red bird with a patch of black on the wings, that bird will be on my radar.  Much easier birds to see will be Yellow-crowned Parrot (Amazona ochrocephala), even though it eluded me thus far, and Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica).  Ebird’s Target Species tool is also suggesting I also look for Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos) and Willet (Tringa semipalmata). My target in April is four or more species for the Big Year but I am way behind in the Photo Big Year so 10+. Let's see how that goes.