my year in birds: 2012

My traditional compilation.

I took no trips at all this year, as my father was ill and passed away, and we bought and sold a house. We barely had time to eat, much less bird.

• New life birds:  I picked up an armchair lifer with the split of Gray-lined Hawk (saw mine in Nicaragua in 2009) from Gray Hawk (which I have seen numerous times in the U.S. as well as Mexico and Honduras). Okay, I know the “rules” state a species must be valid when seen and retroactive species are not allowed. If you submit your lists to the ABA, which I do not. Of course, I know dozens of people who also violate Rule 4 (Diagnostic field-marks for the bird, sufficient to identify to species, must have been seen and/or heard and/or documented by the recorder at the time of the encounter) and Rule 5 (The bird must have been encountered under conditions that conform to the ABA Code of Birding Ethics). This is why, in fact, I don’t participate in competitive bird listing.
  
• Total life birds: 1099.
• Total ABA-area birds: 579. No new species this year.
• Total state birds: 314 (new this year were Scissor-tailed Flycatcher and Red Crossbill).

I moved to a new county this year, but I’ll still be working in my old home county of Wayne and old city of Dearborn. So I’ll keep those lists, and start  few new lists. I probably will not work too much on my new home county list, and I don’t live within a city limits, so I will be keeping a township list instead.

• Total birds, Wayne County: 264 (new: Scissor-tailed Flycatcher).
• Total birds in my new home township: 86.
• Total Dearborn birds: 225 (new species this year: Dickcissel and Northern Shoveler). I saw 148 this  year.
• Total birds at work: 196 (new this year: Northern Shoveler).
• Yard birds, old house final life tally: 138 (added in 2012: Red-shouldered Hawk and Louisiana Waterthrush).
• Yard birds, new house: 78. My husband Kingfisher spent more time here before we officially moved in, and has 96 species for the yard.

Happy New Year.