Top Ten Lifers of 2009: Number 1

Last year I posted my Top Five Desirable Lifers thanks to Corey's post on 10,000 Birds. So you can imagine my happiness when one of these birds came into my life in 2009. Without a doubt my favorite bird of the year was my lifer Atlantic Puffin. This is bird that children dream of, a bird that I didn't really think I would see at the beginning of the year but with a little luck and coincidence I found myself in Maine on May 16, 2009 waiting for a boat that would take my to Eastern Egg Rock.

From Pemaquid Point near New Harbor, Maine I took a boat (from Hardy Boat Cruises) out to Eastern Egg Rock. Along the way I would see my number three Top Ten finalists the Black Guillemot and Razorbill. But it was the Atlantic Puffin that I came to see and when we finally found one you better bet I was running to the upper deck to see the bird in the flesh. The day was cold and brisk and the boat was wet. This was the first boat trip out of the season to see the colony of puffins so we only had half a dozen or so people. I knew I would miss out seeing Artic Terns this early in the year but I came for the puffins and I would see plenty of them on this boat trip. When our captain spotted some birds ahead I was the first to scramble up the metal ladder and onto the top of the boat. I didn't take any photos but I have some nice shaky footage on my video camera of the puffins flying, floating, and swimming. It was a great moment and I am grateful to my friend Rupp for allowing me to visit and for joining me on this cold adventure out to sea. The Atlantic Puffin did not disappoint and I wish I could see it every year. Nevertheless it's permantly found on my best birding experiences and is hands down my number one lifer of 2009.

Top Ten Lifers of 2009: Number 2

Photos taken by Danny Bales at Viera Wetlands, FL.

Sometimes they say that the best is saved for last. Coming in at the number two spot and also being my last lifer of 2009 I was priveleged to see my first every Masked Duck right here in Florida. The beauty of this bird is I didn't have to really go chasing it down because I was already going right by it's new found home. I was on my way to South Carolina on the 23rd of December. After a leisurely breakfast I decided to take a peak at the bird boards and see if any good birds were in my path northward. To my surprise and delight Danny had posted about a Masked Duck seen the day before at Viera Wetlands. So with this news I was ready to get on my way.

For those that know Viera Wetlands is a great birding spot and ideal due to its close proximity to I-95. I jumped off my exit and made my way to the location mid afternoon. I didn't have much time and the first time driving by the pond I couldn't relocate the bird. I decided to give it one more go and drove back around the stretch. From the farthest location I thought I saw something different so I jumped out of the car and grabbed my scope. It was then that I caught the light on that blue bill. It was a far off look and when I tried to circle around closer and get a better look the bird stayed true to form and shied away but I had my lifer look. My trip home was a little longer than normal but it gave me a truly beautiful duck for the end of the year. I thought it was only fitting that the first lifer of the year was a duck and the last lifer of the year was a duck. One very common, one somewhat rare but both great to see for the first time.

Top Ten Lifers of 2009: Number 3

Razorbills by Arthur Morris

Nothing can round out a Top Ten list like a pair of Alcids. Coming in at number three are the Razorbill and the Black Guillemot. I went to Maine in May to see my dear friend Rupp and also to see the puffins. I was stoked at the idea of puffin colonies but I didn't relaly have razorbills or guillemots on the radar until a little further research was done. I knew that I would likely see Common Eiders and Black Guillemots but really the Razorbill would be found only if lucky since spring was approaching at the Razorbills would recede back into the northern waters of the Atlantic. So imagine my surprise when I got both of them on my puffin trip in Maine.

Razorbills are large auks that live in the coldest regions of the Atlantic Ocean but during winter they will come as far south as New Jersey. From the top of my puffin boat I spots that distinctive bill. We had whole rafts of them on our way out to Eastern Egg Rock. The Black Guillemot is closely related to the Razorbill but I will admit not quite as impressive. Despite this, I couldn't leave it off my Top Ten list so the two cousins will have to share the title. The guillemot lifer look was just as spectacular mostly because I saw it BEFORE our boat trip left the dock. We were waiting in the cold, with every piece of clothing we brought with us. Rupp and I were quite comical with our scarves and hats and layers of clothing but we were walking around staying warm when we saw the bird in the harbor only feet away. Later we would see large numbers of guillemot but you don't forget the first.

All in all, I had a great time in Maine and it won't be the last mention of this great state on our way to the number one spot. If you want to see guillemots, Razorbills, and puffins I would suggest Hardy Boat Cruises. They were so friendly and the price was perfect for a low budget birder like myself.

Top Ten Lifers of 2009: Number 4

Greater Antillean Bullfinch, Loxigilla violacea

April 6, 2009 Kim, Andy, and I were on our last day of birding on Grand Bahama. We had quite a few life birds in the hatch and we were still missing the Greater Antillean Bullfinch on our list. Someone told us that it was guaranteed to be found in the Garden of the Groves. We had been there on the previous day but decided it wasn't worth the price of admission but here we were back at the same site and forking over our $10 for the chance for one more bird. It was very hot and there really wasn't ANY bird activity going on in the gardens. We were almost to the point to admit defeat but we found another Red-legged Thrush and decided to chase it for awhile and get some last looks when we found ourself at the back of the gardens. It was right then, at the crucial point that we were going to leave that we found the bird. Our group circled in the suspect and we all nailed our lifer Greater Antillean Bullfinch right before we headed off to the airport. A great way to end a nice birding trip. And such a great bird deserves a place on my Top Ten list of 2009.

Top Ten Lifers of 2009: Number 5

Trail Map of Evergreen Cemetery, Maine

My trip to Maine was one of the best trips of the year and it also netted me some amazing birds. I had been dreaming of Maine since college. A friend of mine lived there and I often dreamed of driving up the coast. So this May I decided to visit my dear friend Rupp, fresh back from Bolivia, and see her job and also look for some birds.

On my first full day without her I decided to head into Portland and check out this Evergreen Cemetery I had heard of online. You may remember my number nine bird was also found at an Evergreen Cemetery but on the opposite side of the Eastern seaboard in Florida. So imagine my delight when once again I found myself in a cemetery that was literally dripping with neotropical migrants. There were Chestnut-sided Warblers and Indigo Buntings and all sorts of delights but the best two birds were my lifer Canada Warbler and lifer Baybreasted Warbler. Warblers hold a dear place in my heart since they are the main reason I really got into birdwatching. I found them terribly intimidating but once I started observiing them I found them also even more bewitching to behold. I love the small compact bodies, the skinny legs, the eye rings and wing bars and other number of subtle differences between them. They are my favorite nature puzzle and you can't imagine my happiness in seeing these two little birds in a cemetery in downtown Portland, Maine.

Top Ten Lifers of 2009: Number 6

Chestnut-backed Chickadees by Louis Agassiz

My number six bird is actually going to be another tie between the closely related Chestnut-backed Chickadee and the Mountain Chickadee. Both of these birds are found in the Northwest and this past summer I saw them on my trip out there. I love the energy of chickadees, and their noisy calls remind me of my childhood spent in South Carolina where the lovely Carolina Chickadee could be heard in every yard. Though these birds are quite common I found them very entertaining on my trip out West.

Mountain Chickadee

My first Chestnut-backed Chickadee was seen on the Glacier View Trail outside of Mt. Ranier. We started out hike off of a long Forest Service Road. Not too far up the trail we found a mixed flock and many Chestnut-backed Chickadees calling from a tall evergreen tree. We would hear them throughout our hike and I would see many more during my 2 weeks on the West Coast.

My lifer Mountain Chickadee was also found in a mixed flock of but this time I was on the beach of Medicine Lake in California. Rupp, her dog Chapare, and I were hiking through the Glass Mountains that day when we decided to stop in at Medicine Lake and go for a swim. After cooling off I decided to walk down the road and do some birding. A quick flock of birds were moving fast through the trees. I kept following them and sorting through all the Yellow-rumped Warblers looking for something new when I noticed that one mixed flock was intersecting another flock and this one had a dozen or more Mountain Chickadees mixed in. The other highlight of this side trip was on the way to Medicine Lake I saw my 400 life bird, a White-headed Woodpecker. It was a brief sighting but if not it would have made my top ten list this year.

Top Ten Lifers of 2009: Number 7

Number 7 Lifer of 2009 taken on Grand Bahama

At number seven for 2009 my favorite bird of my Bahamas trip was the Red-legged Thrush. This is a very common bird on Grand Bahama but despite this I couldn't help but be intrigued by it's glaring red eye and red flamed legs. Our first time spotting this bird was outside of Garden of the Groves. We were in the parking lot on our first full day when we noticed that there was a bird literally a few feet away from us on the ground. We immediately all jumped on the bird and got nice looks. The photo above was taken on our last day in the Bahamas from the inside of the Garden of Groves. It was skulking about a chain fence and just out of my cameras reach. I thought I had a nice photo before it flew away but I was disappointed to find that the crazy red eye is partially obscured by a branch. Nonetheless this bird will always remind me of my Bahamas trip and the fun time had by our South Florida birding crew.

Top Ten Lifers of 2009: Number 8

Sunset at Eco Pond, Everglades National Park

On February 7, 2009 my Big Day birding partners, Kim and Andy, joined me for a 103 species tally from Miami to the Everglades. You can read about our adventures in two parts here and here. Highlights included White-tailed Kite, Tropical Kingbird, and Mangrove Cuckoo but the top birds of the day were my only two lifers a Bell's Vireo at the Annex and some Lesser Nighthawks at Eco Pond.


We started the day at Dump Marsh before sunrise. Our first bird of the day was a pre-dawn Barn Owl and Northern Cardinal. We dashed over to Cutler Wetlands to pick up a few birds and then back to Dump Marsh before heading to the Everglades. Before entering the park we stopped at Lucky Hammock and the Annex (both areas are widely known in the birding circles down here). We found our Bell's Vireo despite a stray dog trying to attack Andy at the Annex and then we entered the park where we would later camp. Our plan was to slowly make our way to Flamingo by nightfall.


By the time we were at Eco Pond at sunset we had already achieved our 100 bird mark. The icing on th cake was hearing and watching as Lesser Nighthawk swooped over the water. We tried to look for a Whipporwill to round out the day but this would be our last bird of a great day of birding and also a lifer for all of us. So my number 8 bird is tie between the Bell's Vireo and the Lesser Nighthawk of our Feb09 Big Day.

Top Ten Lifers of 2009: Number 9

My number nine lifer of 2009 was the very secretive Swainson's Warbler. I had been keeping an eye on the bird boards for South Florida when I noticed a few reports of the warbler in Broward County at Evergreen Cemetery. I decided on my way south to visit a friend that I would stop by and give it a go. The only information I had was this warbler was very shy and was seen in the southeastern corner of the cemetery near the water.

I searched the cemetery from high and low and found many warblers such as Black-throated Blue, Prarie, Palm, Cape May, Black-and-white, and Blackpoll to name a few. As I made my way to the southeastern corner I met another birder that said he had struck out and didn't see the bird. I decided instead of rushing the bird head on I would loop around behind the area it was seen and slowly creep towards the bank. I kept close to the fence and then made my way down the bank when I saw a small warbler run behind a tree. I had previously seen an Ovenbird but something about this bird was different. I slowly peeked behind the tree and there was my lifer Swainson's Warbler in full glory. It was great to find the bird and I celebrated that night with some drinks.

Top Ten Lifers of 2009: Number 10

Without further ado I present my Top Ten Lifers of 2009. I guess at some point in life I won't have 10 life birds in a year but until then I will try and keep up with tradition. This year has given me many great rewards. I had excellent trips to the Bahamas, Maine, and the West Coast. Of course not all of my lifers were found on far flung trips, some of them came from closer to home locations. My number ten bird was found on January 20, 2009 at the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge.

I live in South Florida so you must understand that ducks are not necessarily in great number except for a few months out of the year and even then we only have a few species this far south. To see things like Buffleheads and pintails you generally must drive further north. So you can imagine my excitement when my trip to the wildlife refuge netted me my first ever Canvasback. I was birding with my two friends Hewy and Kelly. We stopped for a short hour or two at the refuge. After scanning the wetlands we came up with 34 species. Right before leaving we made one more stop and with the help of my scope I found number 35 for the refuge and my lifer Canvasback. After many celebrations we headed to dinner very happy. It's always great to start the year off with a new bird.