Top Ten Lifers of 2008: Number 1

I don't remember one bird being my spark bird but I do remember what got me hooked on birding, warblers. So at sitting on the top at Number 1 on my Top Ten Lifers of 2008 has to be hands-down, the Golden-winged Warbler.

These pictures of my lifer Golden-winged Warbler make me smile every time I see them. I love warblers and warbler migration more than any other part of birding. Maybe this will be a passing fad in my birding life but something about spring and fall migration gets me all excited. So when Andy and I found ourselves at Kendall Indian Hammocks Park this fall I had high hopes for a good warbler day. I didn't know it would be a 15 warbler, 3 flycatcher, and 2 vireo day but I knew it would be fun because the bird board had been hyping this place all week.

As Andy and I walked through the oak hammock we were literally surrounded by migrants. Every 10 feet or so we would stop, scan all the trees, tally new day birds, and continue walking. Tanagers and thrushes were seen that day along with vireos and buntings. But the big highlight came in almost a missed find. Our main target for the day was to find Andy a lifer Chestnut-sided Warbler. I had found one that morning in his yard but he had missed it. So when we found a little warbler that looked different than the others I assumed we had found his Chestnut-sided. As I opened our Sibley so he could confirm his lifer bird he quickly stated that it was something different. The bird was lost and he scanned the guide to figure it out. He thought it was a Golden-winged but before we could re-locate the bird the bottom fell out of the sky and it begain to pour. The weather gods were going against us.

As we sat under a shelter with a crowd of crazy Boy Scouts we mused over the idea of the bird being a Golden-winged Warbler. When the showers lightened we left for lunch thinking there was no hope in re-locating the bird but afterwards we decided to give the park one more go. A few hours later and plus one more birder we were standing in the oak hammock trying to find one unusual migrant amongst hundreds of other little birds. With fate on our side we found the bird again and confirmed the ID. A few phone calls later a dozen or more birders were scouring the hammock to pick up the bird. Not only did I get an amazing lifer bird this fall but we started a mini twitch in Miami-Dade where many people were happy to add this bird to their life, state, or county lists.

Picking my Top Ten Lifer Birds of 2008 has been fun and I encourage you to leave your top birds in the comments. I really would like to know what other people saw this year that tickled their fancy. No matter if it was a lifer or just a new yard bird, I know you had some birding highlights this year. And tomorrow you can start clean slate with 2009 and start making new birding memories all over again. Happy New Year's everyone and thanks for reading my little piece of the internet this year. It's been fun sharing with you my experiences and I've even made a few new friends in the process.

Top Ten Lifers of 2008: Number 2

To get a really crazy life list I guess at some point you have to chase a few rarities. My first twitch gave me my Number 2 lifer of 2008, the Brown Booby.


For a few months in early 2008 a Brown Booby was being reported on the St. John's Fishing Pier near St. Augustine. So on a trip up north I decided I had to take a chance and chase this bird. The chasing part was easy, a short 15 minutes off the interstate and I was at the pier parking lot. I gave the attendant my 25 cent fee and seconds later I was staring down my lifer Brown Booby.

This particular Brown Booby was a juvenile and had been living off of fish scraps from the fishermen all winter. But this bird wasn't just free-loading. While I was there it took flight and tried to catch some food. By spring time the bird was gone but it was a successful trip for me and definitely a birding high spot for the year. I'm sure the next Brown Booby won't nearly be as easy to see and certainly won't let me take photos from a few feet away.

Tomorrow's post will highlight my Number 1 Lifer bird of 2008. Any guesses on what it could be?

Top Ten Lifers of 2008: Number 3

The beginning of 2008 seems like an eternity ago but this bird was given to me, literally on my hand, at the Space Coast Birding Festival. I am sure from my banner you already know that I love the Florida Scrub-Jay and that's why it claims nearly-top honors at the Number 3 spot on my 2008 list.

For my number 3 bird we traveled to the Kennedy Space Center complex where an on-going scrub-jay study is being performed. At the festival every year they allow particpants into this restricted area to view the jays and even feed them some peanuts. In return we get to see their color-coded bands up close.

Florida Scrub-Jays are animated, vocal, and a pleasure to behold. Having a lifer bird like this feeding off your hand is a life changing event. If I wasn't in love with this bird already I certainly fell hard when one landed on my hand for the first time and took my offering. I ran out of peanuts quickly on this trip. Luckily for me I met a couple of new friends on this trip, Liz and Jeff, that were willing to share their peanuts with me for a few more up-close and personal views. I really enjoyed all of the Space Coast Festival but this was definitely the most memorable experience of the trip for me.

Top Ten Lifers of 2008: Number 4

After yesterday's large list of raptors I'm going to switch gears and name the Mangrove Cuckoo as my Number 4 bird of 2008.

Mangrove trail where I spotted my first Mangrove Cuckoo.

On my first solo camping experience in my life I decided to head down to the Florida Keys. Along the way I had two main target birds, Black-whiskered Vireo and Mangrove Cuckoo. Black-whiskered Vireos are found throughout South Florida and a week later I would even have one on my bird count at Green Cay. The Mangrove Cuckoo was really my grail bird for the weekend.

Florida State Parks don't open until 8AM, something I didn't know before this trip. So as I drove down the Keys I kept wanting to stop a various parks but it was too early. Finally 8AM arrived and I found myself at the Long Key State Park where I immediately picked up my lifer Black-whiskered Vireo. Riding on the high of one bird I took nice loop trail through the park. Within 20 minutes I was staring down my first Mangrove Cuckoo. I had two solid looks at it and the trip was done. I walked away elated but wishing for a longer view.

A few months later I returned to Long Key State Park with Andy and Kim to re-locate the bird. We were succesful and found the bird in about the same location. This time the bird held still for a little bit longer and we even had time to consult the field book to nail the ID 100 percent. Every trip to the Florida Keys is spectacular but picking up some new birds made these trips even better.

Andy and I celebrating our lifers of the day, he got the Mangrove Cuckoo and we both picked up a Roseate Tern.

Top Ten Lifers of 2008: Number 5

I added over 100 birds to my ABA list this year so narrowing down the select few to ten is nearly impossible. Once again I'm going to cheat a little and name these Buteos or Buteo-like (as Sibley calls them) Hawks all under Number 5: Harris's Hawk, Gray Hawk, White-tailed Hawk, Broad-winged Hawk, Short-tailed Hawk, and Swainson's Hawk.

The first three hawks on the list were all picked up at the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival. Harris's Hawks were nearly EVERYWHERE I went while in Texas but they have to make the list because they are such a beautiful hawk. I wish we had Harris's Hawks in Florida. My lifer Gray Hawk was probably one of the highlights of the Rio Grande for me. It was found on the Upper Rio trip and sat perched on a snag for over 30 minutes. Not many birds are that cooperative and I really had a chance to soak in this gorgeous bird. My lifer White-tailed Hawk was also a stunning bird to behold. What is even better about this sighting is that Bill of the Birds offered me his scope to watch this bird circle overhead. I could pick up every detail as it crossed our path. I may not have showed my excitement at the time but this was truly a wonderful gift on the King Ranch trip.

My lifer Gray Hawk perched on a snag by the Rio Grande.

The Broad-winged, Short-tailed, and Swainson's Hawks were all seen while birding with Andy. Really all the hawks on this list were found with him minus the White-tailed Hawk. I'm going to have to consider calling him my raptor magent. While Andy was living in Tallahassee, FL we successfully attempted a Big Day event where I picked up my first Broad-winged. Oddly enough it was our ONLY hawk of our Big Day, were we tallied over 100 species while fighting the rain and wind. The Short-tailed was seen circling overhead Matheson Hammock in Miami. It was one of those perfect birding experiences because a dark morph Short-tailed and a light adult were both in our binos at the same time. Comparisons like that are unforgettable.

The Swainson's Hawk was picked up just a few weeks ago in an agricultural field outside Everglades National Park. We were getting ready to leave, feeling defeated because the week before dozens of Swainson's were around when a large kettle of vultures emerged. After a brief bit of scanning I found my Swainson's in the mix. I love finding new birds easily but a little bit of searching makes the find so much more sweeter.

Tomorrow I will go back to my one bird format. The nice thing about making your own rules is you're allowed to bend them a little. The top 4 birds on the list are all singular in nature but superb finds for the year.

Top Ten Lifers of 2008: Number 6

If you're a birder I'm sure you have been guilty of scanning the pages of your field guide and dreaming of seeing certain birds. When I was in Bolivia I saw my first creeper but I still dreamed of seeing one in my home country. So at Number 6 I present you with my lifer Brown Creeper Certhia americana.

Painting by Louis Agassiz Fuertes

This fall I decided to take a spur of the moment trip to the Midwest to see my drinking buddies. I knew that I could easily pick up a couple of lifers but I wasn't going to focus my trip on birds. My main reason for being there was to relax, have some fun time with my girls, and see real fall colors. That being said I knew I would be disappointed if I went home without seeing a couple of new birds. To my surprise one of the first birds of the trip would be my lifer Brown Creeper.

The creeper was in a mixed flock of kinglets, titmice, and chickadees. And yes, that was my first confirmed Black-capped Chickadee. I really must think about getting out of the Southeast more often. So there I was on a path all alone staring down my first Brown Creeper. It was definitely a big highlight of the trip though the apple orchard, camping, and concert wasn't half bad either.

We're half way through my Top Ten Lifers of 2008. Check back tomorrow for another selection of not one but five birds all lumped together under Number 5.

Top Ten Lifers of 2008: Number 7

For my Number 7 bird we will have to travel back to the Rio Grande Valley for my lifer Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl encounter.

My first Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl was found at the King Ranch in the Norias Division while attending the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival. Our excellent guides, some of them you may know from the blogging world such as Bill of the Birds and Jeff Gordon, were very diligent in coaxing this bird out and giving us some great looks. I saw not one but two different Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls on this trip. We even had a couple of Great Horned Owls later in the trip which gave me a nice two owl day. That's certainly not something that happens very often.

The Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl holds the number 7 spot because of it's limited range and difficulty in finding it but mostly because it's one helluva cute owl. Don't forget to click that Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl link up there to see a picture.

Top Ten Lifers of 2008: Number 8

We're going back to Miami-Dade for my Number 8 bird, the American Flamingo.

Reports had been swirling on the birdboard about a flamingo at Cutler Wetlands. I had always figured that in order to see one of these birds a boat or kayak and some mud flats in the Everglades would be involved but instead I saw my lifer flamingo at a residential wetland outside Miami. Now, I'm not going to complain that seeing this bird was so easy but it did take some of the fun out of the chase. Andy and I merely followed the directions to Cutler, pulled off the road, and looked to the center of the water. There was our bird without any problems of sinking mud or rabid mosquitoes, which we would have found elsewhere.

Regardless that the chase was small seeing a wild countable flamingo is awe inspiring. There's something about these birds that attract the imagination. And in the words of my good friend Rupp, they are one sexy bird.

Top Ten Lifers of 2008: Number 9

Since January 2008 I have attended two phenomenal birding festivals (Space Coast and Rio Grande Valley), went on multiple weekend excursions, and have even chased a few rarities. Now my ABA list stands at 309 which isn't bad considering I started 2008 at 185. But really it's not about the numbers. To me the joy of birding comes from the moment you are totally focused on a bird. I love watching the movements, listening to the calls, and soaking in the details.

This is my list and I'm allowed to cheat so coming in at Number 9 are three Rio Grande Valley birds: Altimira Oriole, Audubon's Oriole, and Hooded Oriole.

That little speck flying above the Harris's Hawk is my lifer Altimira Oriole in Texas.

Really, how can you expect me to pick which oriole is the best? Each of these orioles gave me great looks at the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival. My first spotting of the three was on November 6th at The King Ranch were our group found an Audubon's Oriole high on top of a tree and directly in the sun. Thanks to Jeff's scope I could make out the colors and markings. On the Upper Rio trip I saw one in better light.

On the same day as my lifer Audubon's Oriole I also picked up my first Altimira Oriole, this one seen at Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge. Kim and I hiked up the observation tower to a beautiful Harris's Hawk perched on a nearby snag. Almost instantly a Altimra Oriole came out of nowhere and chased the hawk off. Nothing like seeing a beautiful little lifer bird chasing a big hawk to make your day.

The third oriole would grace me on the Upper Rio trip. While sitting at some feeders checking out the Clay-colored Robins a lone Hooded Oriole swooped in. This great bird was only feet away from me. The details were superb in my binocs. This would give me an oriole trifecta for my birding festival. All three great birds and wonderful experiences with them to boot.

Come back tomorrow for Number 8, this time without cheating.

Top Ten Lifers of 2008: Number 10

As a little countdown to 2009 I present you with my Top Ten Lifers of 2008. To compile this list I looked back over my blog entries for the year and consulted my trusty little Rite in the Rain notebook. After a little debating I think I've come up with a suitable list. To really put this list in perspective I must remind you that I only started my life list February of 2007. Prior to that, birds were cool to me but I didn't consider myself a birder. So at the beginning of 2008 my life list had less than 200 birds. What this means is my top ten list may have some common birds to the average birder but for me they were exceptional finds.

Coming in at Number 10 is the American Woodcock, Scolopax minor.

On the morning of February 9th I woke up in the Everglades Hostel at 5AM. I stumbled in the dark so I wouldn't wake my bunk mate, a nice English girl attending a conference in Miami. Once dressed I drove out to the Everglades National Park welcome center and waited in a dark parking lot for my local birding guide Robin Diaz to meet me. Robin was leading the Tropical Audubon's ENP walk that day and agreed to meet me early to help locate my lifer American Woodcock. Robin is an excellent birder and if you ever have the pleasure of birding with her you will be amazed by not only her skills but also her gracious hospitality.

I had ran into Robin the week prior at work and she had enticed me into this early meet-up. I wasn't to be disappointed. We drove to the scouted spot and right in the highway was my first Whipporwill seen in Florida. It's not often that I get to see a nightjar right out in the open but I knew this was a good sign for how the day would play out. After that little surprise we rolled down the window and waited. The American Woodcock is known for producing a sharp twittering sound with its wings when it's displaying. The fog was deep in the Everglades that morning so I didn't actually see the woodcock in the air as it flew upwards but the sound confirms the ID 100 percent. Now many people would not add a bird to their life list without actually seeing the bird but this one is an exception to my list. I left that magical morning feeling like I had seen the bird even though I only saw the dark trees silholletted against the morning sky and the heavy fog. Of course I would love another chance to actually see an American Woodcock but for now, it's on my lifer tally and it even makes the Top Ten Birds of 2008 list!

For the next 10 days a new Top Ten Lifer Bird of 2008 will be posted on this blog. I would love to hear what new birds you saw this year that really sparked your interest.