I Broke My Year Record For Birds Today!

Mourning Dove from today

One of my goals this year was to break my record for number of bird species for a year. My record
came from last year. I saw 143 species.

 Not only did I want to see more than 143 species of birds, but I am also counting how many species I am seeing in Rhode Island. Many people would call this a "Rhode Island Big Year" however I have modified my plans. When a very rare bird is seen there are many places to find out. People put the alert on websites like ebird and Facebook. I am no longer chasing those birds after work anymore. It just puts too many miles on the car for a "chase". So I have been concentrating on fishing after work and birding on days off during migration. Because I am not chasing these rare birds, I'm going to miss a few. Sometimes a rarity sticks around a few days, more often, it is gone the next day.  I'm saving thousands of miles on my car and the frustration of chasing  birds that I can't find.

My day started off at Swan Point Cemetery.  I got there about 7:15. At first I didn't see much. The highlights were the ever present colorful Baltimore Orioles and Yellow Warblers. After checking out the south side I went to the "pond". There I ran across a lady named Joan who I had never met. We started talking and decided to bird together. After looking at the pond, we went back to the south side and walked the trails. Together we found Ovenbird (her) and Northern Parula (me). These were new birds for the year for both of us.

It worked out quite well that I birded with Joan. She found the Ovenbird. I never would have found the Parula if I went at my normal pace. Going with her forced me to slow down and really look. We tried by the ocean where we saw some Warbling Vireos but not much else.On our way back to our cars we saw chimney swifts, which were also new. She left to go grocery shopping and I left for Foster, RI.  Both of us were very happy to get three year birds for the morning.

I got to Ponaganset Road in Foster at 11:30. I had planned on being there by 10 but stayed long at Swan Point. I really took my time and looked for birds. I was happy the birds were still active (morning is by far the best time to see songbirds since they are eating, they rest at mid-day).

At first I was hearing a lot of birds back in the trees but not seeing much. I got out of my car and walked long stretches of the road. I came upon a turn in the road near the lake. That little spot was loaded with birds. I saw woodpeckers and a young oriole. In that spot alone I saw three more year birds (Yellow Headed Vireo (lifer), Black Throater Blue Warbler, and Common Yellowthroat).

Later on I came across my record breaking bird, and what a bird it was, Scarlet Tanager! I watched it for 30 minutes. It was high up in the trees but kept moving around and I had a great time watching it. In the same general area  I saw, new for the year, Great Crested Flycatcher and Veery. This gave me a

Grey Catbird

total of six new species at this location and nine for the day.


I currently have seen 146 species of birds. I have seen 138 in Rhode Island and 8  species that I have only seen in Massachusetts. I should obliterate my old record. I still haven't seen most of the shorebirds. I have purposely been avoiding them until the fall. I wanted to concentrate on forest birds during the spring. Also I missed quite a few winter birds that I should hopefully see in Nov/Dec.

Lastly, I want to take at least one Pelagic trip to see offshore birds. If I do, I will be able to see 8-10 lifebirds since I have never done that. If I take the boat trip, then 175 should be a very obtainable goal. Even without it, 165 should be easy.

For those of you who think I brag on this blog, let me put my 146 species into perspective. I have seen 138 in RI/MA and 8 in Mass only. In Rhode Island alone there have been 240 species seen. The "leader" who has seen the most has seen 222 of those 240 species. The leaders generally end up with about 300 species.

At this point, I have no chance of being near the top of any leader board in Rhode Island. These people do chase those rare birds. They also have a huge advantage, because they know ALL the bird songs. How many birds others see is of little relevance to me. I'm still learning. Clearly, I'm learning at a good pace since I beat last year's personal best on May 12. So I am very happy with myself. I'm having a lot of fun, I'm seeing new birds, and I learn more everyday. To me, that's all that matters.

Not a great picture, but a Great Crested
Flycatcher on the broken limb