Big Year

Deciding to do a big year or even a ‘little’ big year is a huge commitment. We can tell you that you will be tired and your bank account will be lighter but it will be worth the effort. Not everyone has this opportunity and we are very grateful for the experience. Because we both work full time we were not sure if we could reach our goal of 500 species in a year but we were inspired by Greg Miller’s effort in 1998. If you decide to try know that you will visit beautiful places and meet wonderful people. You will also find out that you can do a lot of birding on weekends and the most important part is to plan ahead. The following is a summary of our journey and some suggestions if you decide to do a big year or just take a birding trip or two.

Here are our top tips when planning a trip to a new area:

1. Check eBird and sign up for the needs alerts in the area

2. Sign up for the local bird group email service and ask for suggestions

3. Go to the local Audubon site to see if they are leading tours while you are there

4. Map a plan before booking hotel rooms to maximize your birding time

5. Rent a 4-wheel drive vehicle because there is a good chance you will need it

Must visit places if doing a big year with the number of species seen in parenthesis:

1. Florida (224)

2. Southeast Arizona (196)

3. Texas (179)

4. California (133)

5. Ohio – The Biggest Week (101)

Top Bird Guides in alphabetical order (We did not bird with Greg Miller during 2015):

1. Jeff Babson – Arizona

2. Joan Collins – Adirondacks, NY

3. Doug Kibbe – Colorado

4. Jake Mohlmann  – Texas and Arizona

5. Ron Smith – Florida (go birding with him if you get the chance)

Best birds – Every bird is a good bird but these stood out for us and should go on your bucket list:

1. Elegant Trogon

2. Hummingbirds of Southeast Arizona – The sheer number of species and individuals is mind boggling

3. American Dipper

4. Northern Saw-whet Owl

5. Williamson’s Sapsucker

Biggest misses listed in order by most effort, not necessarily the biggest disappointment:

1. Pectoral Sandpiper – numerous tries in multiple states

2. California Condor – Arizona and California

3. Green Kingfisher – Rio Grande Texas

4. White-crowned Pigeon – Florida Keys and Southeast Florida

5. White-tailed Ptarmigan – Colorado

It would have been fun to go birding on the last day of the year but we both had to work. We did spend our New Year’s Eve at home with champagne and popcorn while watching ‘The Big Year’ and reflecting on what a great year it’s been.

In January we submitted the results to the American Birding Association Listing website for both the Lower 48 and North America. We knew it would be awhile before we found out where we finished. While we waited we submitted our first entry to the Milestones Editor for Birding Magazine and the following was published in the August 2016 edition:

Sharon Pratt and Mike Pratt of St. Petersburg, Florida, completed a “Little” Big Year (weekendwarbler.com) in 2015, locating 519 species in the Lower 48 states. The last bird of the year was a Williamson’s Sapsucker at Mount Wilson Observatory in the San Gabriel Mountains of California on Sunday, December 27, 2015. This was also Lower 48 life bird #562 for Sharon and #557 for Mike.

We patiently waited for the ABA Birder’s Guide to Listing & Taxonomy that came out in October 2016. This is how we finished for 2015:

Region	Rank	Count	Name
Lower 48	9	519	Sharon Pratt
	11	511	Michael Pratt
North America	4	527	Sharon Pratt
	5	519	Michael Pratt

We cannot possibly list all of the people that helped us with our big year. To everyone that we birded with, helped us with identification, shared a photo or met along the way we want you to know you are appreciated and thanked. We also want to thank our non-birder family and friends for cheering us on.

We plan to continue to post about our birding and travel adventures so we hope you will check back soon.

 

Next up: Birdapalooza

2015 : Year Birds: 519   Life Birds: 85

Here’s the list: 2015 Bird List