It was with great excitement that I kicked of my first truly wholehearted big year effort yesterday!
After the ball dropped I went out through my neighborhood with some non-birding friends hoping to call in an owl. We had no such luck. Some of the party went home around 1AM but my wife and friends Dan and Pete stuck around to find the first bird. Our strategy changed to checking some local ponds for some resident waterfowl and around 2AM Pete spotted shapes that would turn out to be two Mute Swans, the first birds of the year!
With the first tick marked off I went to bed. Having stayed up so late may have been my demise, however, because the next day I overslept a bit and didn't head out until almost ten o'clock. Various media I use told me that other birders had already seen my primary target--the Sandhill Cranes at Randolph Road in Somerset County. I left my house as fast as possible, clipboard at my side. As I drove I kept marking off drive-by FOYs; Turkey Vulture, Tufted Titmouse, Northern Cardinal, European Starling, etc.
By the time I got to the corn fields the birds were no where to be seen despite a thorough search. Sandhill Crane is already a nemesis, second only in frustration to Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. I have chased cranes at this location several times before and this attempt only added to the nemesis status. From here I turned west and easily found the Duke Island Park Greater White-fronted Goose amongst 350 or so Canadas. Also interesting were three Killdeer mixed in. I continued west and made an unplanned stop at Round Valley Reservoir since I was nearby. Here I added American Coot, Mallard, Bufflehead, and a few others.
Next stop was Merrill Creek Reservoir for the continuing Snowy Owl. It was quite a relief to have this species out of the way on day one. I have mentioned in a previous post that I am going to be involving others in my big year by having other sign off when they see a bird with me as a way of saying 'I was there when...' At Merrill Creek the bird's location was pointed out to me by a certain Lynn and became my first signature (I have to have the Mute Swan crowd sign off but it slipped my mind at the time).
Now I headed east toward Monmouth county but mad a second pass at the cranes in Somerset; another no-show. I arrived at Thompson Park in hope of finding the continuing Ash-throated Flycatcher. Ash-throated is a Jersey nemesis for me. I have made a few half-hearted attempts to chase this bird to no avail, though I have seen them in Arizona. I joined with other arriving birders in what would be a fruitless search. New birds here included Downy Woodpecker and Northern Pintail. With darkness impending I abandoned what would have been my last target; the Western Flycatcher at Hartshorne Woods.
I am hoping the birds I miss remain after the impending cold spell this week to allow me another crack at them on Saturday when I intend to start with them and continue on to the North Shore. My opening day efforts were focused on rarities, not total species and in the end I saw twenty nine birds.
NJ - 29
ABA - 29
World - 29
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