2014 Recap

This year in birding has been really interesting. There have been many rarities, misses, and surprises. My species total for New York County alone is 135. Here is an overview of what I did in birding this year.

Winter 2014
Best birds were 4 different Long-Eared Owls, and the Baltimore Oriole pair at the feeders. This winter was a struggle for many birds there.

March
The month started off with an early Pine Warbler at the feeders and a Red-Breasted Merganser on the Reservoir. Not long after, I saw my first Woodcocks and a singing Rusty Blackbird. I also saw a Red-Necked Grebe on the 22nd.

April
Many migrants finally started to trickle in, such as kinglets, Winter Wren, and Palm Warbler. On a weekend in mid-April, I saw Red-Shouldered Hawk, Glossy Ibis, and Eastern Bluebird. I then went to the Bahamas for a week before coming back at the end of the month. That's when I saw a Broad-Winged Hawk, as well as my first White-Eyed Vireo and Prairie Warblers of the year.

May
The birds were really starting to diversify. I saw all the normal birds that should be arriving the first time I was there. A week later, birds were everywhere. That's when I saw Summer Tanager. both species of cuckoo. White-Crowned Sparrow and Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron, along with 16 species of warbler. As the month drew to a close, I got Mourning Warbler and Yellow-Bellied Flycatcher.

June
The month was really bland...except for the 21st. That day the birding group I was in ran into a Red-Headed Woodpecker! We we all so surprised. We also spent lots of time observing nesting Peregrine Falcons on 62nd Street. On the 26th, I went to camp in Pennsylvania.

July & August
 I saw about 40 species when I returned from camp in mid -July, including Green Heron, Great Crested Flycatcher, and Pileated Woodpecker. The park was pretty empty of migrants. In late-August I made a quick stop by Jamaica Bay and saw some shorebirds, the highlight being a Little Blue Heron.

September
The month didn't have much migrants at first, but had a decent amount at the end. I saw some raptors, including Osprey and Bald Eagle, but nothing much other than that.

October
In early-October, I saw a Tennesee Warbler in Strawberry Fields, as well as some other stuff. I also saw Purple Finches and Pine Siskins. Sparrows were abundant as usual.

November
Not much seen other than the Purple Finches and a Hairy Woodpecker. At the end of the month, I successfully chased the Cassin's Kingbird at Floyd Bennet Field.

December
The Christmas Bird Count was a really fun day. Other than that, all I really saw apart from the norm were a few Ruby-Crowned Kinglets and the Ring-Necked Ducks. After two failed attempts on the 28th and 29th, I finally saw the first state record of Couch's Kingbird in the West Village on the last day of 2014.

Highlights
Long-Eared Owl (2 pairs at seperate times. Central Park near boathouse)
Eastern Bluebird (2 occasions, first at Tupelo Field, then at the Great Lawn)
Summer Tanager (Near Belvedere Castle)
Both cuckoos in a single day (2 YB, 1 BB)
Yellow-Crowned Night Heron (Azalea Pond)
Red-Necked Grebe (Reservoir)
Cassin's Kingbird (2nd State Record! Floyd Bennet Field)
Ring Necked Duck (3 at the Reservoir)
Couch's Kingbird (1st State Record! West Village)

Misses
Worm-Eating Warbler (Missed twice in a day, both a just a few minutes)
Hooded Warbler (Should've seen at some point but missed)
Lincoln's Sparrow (One missed by a few minutes)
Red-Breasted Nuthatch (3 attempts in an invasion year)