2013 and beyond

It's pretty simple: the most birds seen or heard from one's yard during 2013 will be the "winner". Want in? O.k....then do it despite that.

2013 promises to be a lot less mean but still a carbon-free birding competition, even if slightly less exciting than a MEGA x EPIC hybrid.

Monday, January 18, 2010

The Warning speaks


Greetings bird gods. Prepare yourselves for some serious yard birding competition. I started the year off right with some of this action on Jan. 2nd.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak
This probable SY male Rose-breasted Grosbeak is pretty rare around these parts, its a first state record for the month of Jan. in Ohio. Definitely a good bird for my Ohio January list (now up to 80 sp.).
A little about myself, I'm about to turn 28, I live out in the overgrown rural area near Sunbury Ohio, on 50 acres. We have a creek running through the property which is lacking in much mature forest, but has a lot of firs successional weedy fields etc which are nice for woodcocks and YWARs, FISP, etc. Other than birding I'm into other naturalist type crap, skiing, rock climbing, trail running and mountain biking. I'm not really the Slagermeister's mentor, but have showed him around Ohio some - where I've certainly learned him a thing or two. I'm ashamed to post my low yard list number, truth be told I've never birded my own back yard too intensively, been too preoccupied by state-listing (up to 319 now).
Today I had a group of about 20 American Tree Sparrows out by the feeders along with the usual Dark-eyed Junco's etc. I've been having a good time watching Red-breasted Nuthatches at the feeders and yesterday I had a Carolina Wren at the feeders, what now?!
This will be a nice excuse to boost my numbers out back and to rub it in your faces. Consider yourselves duly warned by the Warner.

13 comments:

  1. Well the lead was fun while it lasted!

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  2. Exactly my thought BigRig! Just when we got rid of Sean (WI), automatic victor, we seem to have brought on his replacement.

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  3. whatever

    After the thrill of nesting Blue-winged Warblers fades away, I'll be looking at Yellow-belly Flys and crossbills in my yard.

    I'll take my tiny city lot by Lake Superior over any amount of acreage in land-locked Ohio any day!

    Warning?!

    Warrantless...

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  4. Haha, Owl Ranch I'll see those Yellow-bellied flycatchers long before they reach you. And OH is far from landlocked. We have a Great Lake that sees far more diversity than Lake Inferior will ever have.

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  5. Warndog- Of course you will, b/c they're Phoebes!

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  6. So wait Caleb, you think EAPH and YBFL's are the same thing? There are many subtle differences in the identification of flycatchers, but I'm sure with time and experience even you can learn to tell the differences between these two species. I don't have the time to go through it all right now, but maybe you also should read up on migration and timing in this region of the U.S...

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  7. And DASL, you did not just diss my lake! We ought to compare lists of birds seen along our respective great lake, Superior vs. Michigan vs. Erie! Bring it!

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  8. Yo BEWA- I see that you think you can swing with big dogs. You said "Yellow-bellied flycatcher", not "Yellow-bellied Flycatcher". Only the latter is a common name, my man. The former just describes a flycatcher with yellow on its belly, and I hate to break it to you that Eastern Phoebe fits the bill quite well. You might also be surprised to learn that the cooing noise in your backyard is not an owl??

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  9. I'm sorry that in my haste to trash talk I forgot to capitalize Flycatcher, I won't make the mistake again. I'd hate for you to not be able to follow along and look it up in your Golden Guide there Putty.

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  10. Damn, have you guys ever met?? I typically reserve this level of trash talking for when I call Caleb up after seeing something good...
    Ha, seawalled mud puddle, that's pretty good Dave.

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  11. DASL told me that this blog was all about trash talking so I'm bringing it with gusto. No, never met anybody here except Aaron Boone and the Slagermeister. But I figure we're all sailors on this ship of fools, so let it loose. Just know that I love all you guys, really I do, so don't take anything I say too seriously. Except this: you are all going to lose to the Warner.

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  12. All you guys and your yard birds suck!

    B-DubNer, I had no idea until your recent trash talking that you were on board with this blog too. Nice! We already have such a great reputation of trash talking each other that this is perfect!

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  13. it was just the tip o' the iceberg.

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