600 Life Birds

Oh the road can be sooooo slow!  Life birds?  What are those?  Last year in April I was at 500 life birds.  Throughout the year, I added birds regularly every month.  This year it has been a trickle:) I suppose it gives me a chance to absorb all the amazing observations of the birds without feeling rushed.  I do hope to make up for the birds down in Mexico this year. Will I be able to make it to 700 by the year end?  Here are the stories behind each of the top ten birds.

Monk Parakeet

The Monk Parakeet was seen downtown Ft. Myers, Florida near a swimming pool.  I grew up with these birds at home as they are sold in the pet trade as Quakers. In fact, this is how they invaded the US! Loud, ruthless and quick to multiply, the Monk Parakeets have become established in many US communities which include cities like cold Chicago and tropical Florida.  My bud Sydney and I played a hunch and followed the human trail to several nest sites and voila! There they flew in great numbers with twigs and branches making nests around power lines and palm trees.

Wilson's Plover

The Wilson's Plover was number 510.  I went to Bunche Beach, Florida to count hundreds of shorebirds only to come out with thousands of chigger bites!  It took nearly two months for my body to heal!  It rained after I heard and saw the bird.  I was able to help several birders get their scopes on the this plover.  Later in Mexico, I would see this bird once again under much better circumstances.  Sunny and bug less! It's call is distinct and easy to pick out.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

At 520, a Rose-breasted Grosbeak made its way into Willcox, AZ.  I went to chase the bird and hung out in a very kind man's backyard.  There we watched this beautiful bird feed off of his fruiting mulberry tree.

Bobolink

By life bird 530, I was in Maine visiting Kathie.  Together, we went to a field near her home and discovered the magnificent Bobolinks.  There they called and collected caterpillars for their young ones. This is one unusual and gorgeous blackbird.

Black Guillemot

Life bird 540 happened near Eastern Egg Island.  This Black Guillemont went after what looked like twizzler's licorice.  I braced myself on the rocky boat as I snapped off several shots of this bird flying near the side of our boat.  At this point both Micheal and Kathie were under the weather and very seasick!  Now THAT was an adventure I won't forget anytime soon:)  Nor will they.

Blue-headed Vireo

In the dark mossy forests of Maine, we discovered a Blue-headed Vireo.  This lovely bird graced the branches while we sweat it out in the woods:)  This bird made 550 on the list. 

Prairie Warbler

At 560, the Prairie Warbler made its swirly call as the rain began to fall.  I was able to briefly see this bird before it went back into hiding as two young morons revved up their truck and sped past us on the dirt roads of Maine. 

the exotic Northern Red Bishop

At 570, I was alone again in California.  Here I spotted the exotic invading Northern Red Bishop.  What a beauty!!!

Wrentit

By December, it all began to slow down.  Again, I returned to Southern California where I stood silently near a city park lake and watched the Wrentits move around me.  This was Life bird 580.  

At 590, the Black-throated Blue Warbler was a real shyster. Not all life birds play nice.  We sat and waited and waited for this warbler to come out.  When he did, the tiny warbler was so far away! I finished in the US with number 599, the Painted Bunting.  But I wondered which bird would mark the magical 600.  Drum roll...............

Green Parakeets

We flew into Southern Mexico during the night hours.  At dawn, the first bird that made itself known was the Green Parakeet. They seemed to be flying everywhere around us.  And so in my life, number 600 marks the Green Parakeet. The adventure continues next week as we begin our exploration into Chiapas, Mexico. 

California Dreaming

Over the past weekend, I felt a strong urge to go to California.  So we got into our car and drove.  I had mapped out this trip a couple months in advance.  The purpose?  To find the wild and feral populations of exotic birds that have spread throughout the Southern California region.  While we were there, we would also study the rare California Gnatcatchers that lived in the preserve by our nearby hotel. 

Before I begin with this incredible bird list, I'd like to clarify a birding rule of mine.  In the United States, we have a very important organization known as the ABA or the American Birding Association.  While I do not always follow their rules, I do understand them.  They are the organization that tells birders which birds "count" and which ones "don't".  Over the years, invasive non-native species(to the US) like the House Sparrow, Monk Parakeet, Rock Pigeon, European Starling, Eurasion collared dove, Muscovy Duck, Rosy-faced Lovebird and many others have been added onto the lists and now "count" for birders. But ONLY if you go to the areas where they "count".  For example, you can only count a Rosy-faced Lovebird in Maricopa County, Arizona.   There are strict birders who only bird according to the ABA list.  Anything off that list is not worthy of their effort nor time.  And while that's certainly one way of looking at the birding world, it isn't necessarily mine. 

My criteria for "counting" a bird is a bit different. If the bird is not an escapee and has proven to breed and thrive in numbers, I will count it. Surprisingly, all of the birds featured today are countable in several areas around the US while others may join the list soon.  As a side note, ABA allows for the Spotted Dove to still be counted around the Los Angeles area while it appears that much of their population has almost disappeared!  I found one recent report around the LA area.  So what happens when these feral birds have a fallout?  Do they also fall off the ABA list? 

Red-lored Parrot

Anyhow, let's get started. I was absolutely excited to find wild parrots flying free around the Orange County and the San Diego area.  

Let's begin with the Lilac-crowned Parrot below.

Lilac-crowned Parrot

This was a parrot at the top of my list.  It's disappearing from the wild in its native home of Mexico due to poaching and habitat loss.  Surprisingly, this bird has been around for quite some time in Southern California where it has sustained a slowly growing population.  The flocks are large and loud! Often they will be mixed in with their closely related cousins, the Red-crowned Parrots. Oh yes....another one of those almost cryptic species!

Red-crowned Parrot

The Red-crowned Parrot is now the only ABA countable parrot in California. It can also be counted in Texas. Their numbers have grown substantially over the past years in California, Texas and Florida.  Again this parrot is also from the Mexican region where it is also listed as endangered. However this parrot is not doing well. Its numbers have severely decreased in many parts along the Atlantic slope of Mexico. Will these parrots eventually only survive in the US?  Only time and conservation efforts will tell. 

Northern Red Bishop

Let's head over to Africa.  One bird that is being considered as an addition to the ABA list is the Northern Red Bishop.  In the Orange County area, these finch-like birds are common around parks and stream areas.  They are actually considered weavers and prefer grassy areas near water sources.  There are now feral populations in Southern California, Texas, Puerto Rico and several other Caribbean islands.  This is a stunner for sure!

Scaly-breasted Munia

Now this bird was JUST added to the ABA list.  This spice finch(formerly known as the Nutmeg Mannikin) now goes by the name Scaly-breasted munia.  Often they are heard quickly flying over your head but on a very special day, we noticed sparkles of raspberry purple coming from the reeds along an estuary.  When I got the binos on the bird, I was able to count 4 of them!  This is a stunning bird from India and Sri Lanka.  Its numbers have taken off and now these birds can commonly be seen at almost any locale you visit!

Egyptian Goose

Two birds considered for the ABA list were a bit surprising for me.  In Florida, the Egyptian Goose can be counted.  In California, more research needs to be done on this bird but they seem to be expanding their range.  Soon this bird may be "countable" on that precious ABA list.  We were lucky to spot two that flew into the woods and ponds we were scouting.  

Indian Peafowl....for now

Now this bird I've always wondered about.  I saw reports of these birds known as Indian Peafowl.  What in the world were they?!!  Turns out that the Indian Peafowl also goes by the general public name of Peacock! Except that Peacock refers to the male of the Peafowl!   Yes, these birds may also be added soon to the ABA list in California as they are breeding and expanding their range in wild areas.  However, the Indian title may be dropped and Common added instead.  

Pin-tailed whydah

Finally,  I had to end on one of my favorites.....the Pin-tailed whydah.  If I didn't have my ears, I wouldn't have been able to locate these tiny birds.  In fact,  they acted like little mice crawling through the grass.  This is a bird from Africa but now has established itself in places like Southern California and Puerto Rico.  During breeding season, the male develops a long tail that will make your jaw drop.  A field mark to help ID these little birds in their non-breeding plumage is that red bill. 

Birds are amazing creatures and I hope you enjoyed this inner city world travel.  Southern California is a strange place to bird.  It's saturated with buildings and people but if you look hard in between the cracks, you'll discover some hidden gems. 

I'll have more next week for you all on the native Californian species that we observed around Orange County and San Diego.  Until next time......

For more about other amazing birds from around the world, check out Wild Bird Wednesday!