Comparing My Yard Lists

House Finches in Sycamore Canyon, Corona de Tucson, AZ 2009

Since moving to Maine my yard list has grown faster here than in any other location I have lived. I thought it would be fun to compare the yard lists to see what species I have seen in each yard. I first started eBirding and keeping a Yard List back in 2007 when I lived in Sycamore Canyon. It’s hard to believe it has been 7 years since then and I have moved 3 more times for a total of 4 yard lists! Take a look if you are interested! Bird species seen in only one yard are in color and italics.

Kathie’s Yard Birds Lists

	Sycamore Canyon May 2007-August 2010	Andover, MA September 2010-August 2012	Tucson, AZ September 2012-January 2014	Mere Point Cottage  2014-present
1.	Gambel’s Quail	Canada Goose	Gambel’s Quail	Canada Goose
2.	Turkey Vulture	Mallard	Great Egret	Greater Scaup
3.	Northern Harrier	Wild Turkey	Turkey Vulture	Common Eider
4.	Sharp-shinned Hawk	Great Blue Heron	Osprey	Bufflehead
5.	Cooper’s Hawk	Black Vulture	Sharp-shinned Hawk	Common Goldeneye
6.	Harris Hawk	Turkey Vulture	Cooper’s Hawk	Red-breasted Merganser
7.	Zone-tailed hawk	Sharp-shinned Hawk	Harris Hawk	Common Loon
8.	Red-tailed Hawk	Cooper’s Hawk	Swainson’s Hawk	Double-crested Cormorant
9.	Killdeer	Red-shouldered Hawk	Zone-tailed Hawk	Great Blue Heron
10.	Rock Pigeon	Red-tailed Hawk	Red-tailed Hawk	Turkey Vulture
11.	White-winged Dove	Ring-billed Gull	Rock Pigeon	Osprey
12.	Greater Roadrunner	Herring Gull	Band-tailed Pigeon	Cooper’s Hawk
13.	Greater Roadrunner	Rock Pigeon	White-winged Dove	Bald Eagle
14.	Great Horned Owl	Mourning Dove	Mourning Dove	Red-tailed Hawk
15.	Burrowing Owl	Black-billed Cuckoo	Greater Roadrunner	American Woodcock
16.	Lesser Nighthawk	Eastern Screech Owl	Great Horned Owl	Herring Gull
17.	Common Nighthawk	Great Horned Owl	Lesser Nighthawk	Great Black-backed Gull
18.	Magnificent Hummingbird	Chimney Swift	Vaux’s Swift	Mourning dove
19.	Black-chinned Hummingbird	Ruby-throated Hummingbird	Black-chinned Hummingbird	Chimney Swift
20.	Anna’s Hummingbird	Red-bellied Woodpecker	Anna’s Hummingbird	Red-bellied Woodpecker
21.	Costa’s Hummingbird	Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	Costa’s Hummingbird	Downy Woodpecker
22.	Broad-tailed Hummingbird	Downy Woodpecker	Broad-tailed Hummingbird	Hairy Woodpecker
23.	Rufous Hummingbird	Hairy Woodpecker	Rufous Hummingbird	Northern Flicker
24.	Calliope Hummingbird	Northern Flicker	Broad-billed Hummingbird	Eastern Phoebe
25.	Broad-billed Hummingbird	Eastern Wood Pewee	Gila Woodpecker	Blue Jay
26.	Gila Woodpecker	Blue-headed Vireo	Ladder-backed Woodpecker	American Crow
27.	Gilded Flicker	Blue Jay	American Kestrel	Fish Crow
28.	American Kestrel	American Crow	Merlin	Common Raven
29.	Peregrine Falcon	Fish Crow	Peregrine Falcon	Tree Swallow
30.	Say’s Phoebe	Common Raven	Black Phoebe	Black-capped Chickadee
31.	Ash-throated Flycatcher	Black-capped Chickadee	Say’s Phoebe	Tufted Titmouse
32.	Brown-crested Flycatcher	Tufted Titmouse	Vermillion Flycatcher	Red-breasted Nuthatch
33.	Western Kingbird	Red-breasted Nuthatch	Ash-throated Flycatcher	White-breasted Nuthatch
34.	Loggerhead Shrike	White-breasted Nuthatch	Warbling Vireo	Brown Creeper
35.	Bell’s Vireo	Brown Creeper	Common Raven	Carolina Wren
36.	Warbling Vireo	House Wren	Northern Rough-winged swallow	Golden-crowned Kinglet
37.	Chihuahuan Raven	Carolina Wren	Purple Martin	Ruby-crowned Kinglet
38.	Common Raven	Golden-crowned Kinglet	Verdin	Hermit Thrush
39.	Purple Martin	Ruby-crowned Kinglet	House Wren	American Robin
40.	Violet-green Swallow	Veery	Cactus Wren	European Starling
41.	Barn Swallow	Wood Thrush	Curve-billed Thrasher	Cedar Waxwing
42.	Verdin	American Robin	Northern Mockingbird	Black and white Warbler
43.	Rock Wren	Gray Catbird	European starling	Northern Parula
44.	House Wren	Northern Mockingbird	Phainopepla	Yellow Warbler
45.	Bewick’s Wren	European Starling	Tennessee Warbler	Palm Warbler
46.	Cactus Wren	Cedar Waxwing	Orange-crowned Warbler	Pine Warbler
47.	American Robin	Northern Waterthrush	Lucy’s Warbler	Yellow-rumped Warbler
48.	Curve-billed Thrasher	Yellow-rumped Warbler	Yellow Warbler	Eastern Towhee
49.	Northern Mockingbird	Black-throated Green Warbler	Yellow-rumped Warbler	American Tree Sparrow
50.	European Starling	Chipping Sparrow	Wilson’s Warbler	Chipping Sparrow
51.	Yellow-rumped Warbler	Field Sparrow	Green-tailed Towhee	Savannah Sparrow
52.	Black-throated Gray Warbler	Song Sparrow	Spotted Towhee	Fox Sparrow
53.	Green-tailed Towhee	White-throated Sparrow	Brewer’s Sparrow	Song Sparrow
54.	Rufous-crowned Sparrow	Dark-eyed Junco	Lark Sparrow	Lincoln’s Sparrow
55.	Canyon Towhee	Northern Cardinal	Savannah Sparrow	White-throated Sparrow
56.	Rufous-winged Sparrow	Red-breasted Grosbeak	Song Sparrow	Dark-eyed Junco
57.	Chipping Sparrow	Red-winged Blackbird	White-crowned Sparrow	Northern Cardinal
58.	Brewer’s Sparrow	Common Grackle	Western Tanager	Red-breasted Grosbeak
59.	Black-chinned Sparrow	Brown-headed Cowbird	Northern Cardinal	Red-winged Blackbird
60.	Lark Sparrow	Baltimore Oriole	Pyrrhuloxia	Common Grackle
61.	Black-throated Sparrow	House Finch	Black-headed Grosbeak	Brown-headed Cowbird
62.	Lark Bunting	Purple Finch	Great-tailed Grackle	House Finch
63.	Lincoln’s Sparrow	Pine Siskin	Brown-headed Cowbird	Purple Finch
64.	White-crowned Sparrow	American Goldfinch	Hooded Oriole	American Goldfinch
65.	Dark-eyed Junco	House Sparrow	Bullock’s Oriole
66.	Western Tanager		House Finch
67.	Northern Cardinal		Pine Siskin
68.	Pyrrhuloxia		Lesser Goldfinch
69.	Black-headed Grosbeak		House Sparrow
70.	Blue Grosbeak
71.	Brewer’s Blackbird
72.	Great-tailed Grackle
73.	Bronzed Cowbird
74.	Brown-headed Cowbird
75.	Hooded Oriole
76.	Bullock’s Oriole
77.	Scott’s Oriole
78.	House Finch
79.	Cassin’s Finch
80.	Pine Siskin
81.	Lesser Goldfinch
82.	Lawrence’s Goldfinch
83.	House Sparrow

As you can see from these lists I have only been here for 3 1/2 months and I have almost caught up to all my other yard lists! I do think I will reach over 100 yard birds here at Mere Point Cottage!

Northern Cardinal in Andover, MA June, 2012

Field Sparrow in Andover, MA 10-19-2010

Tucson Yard 2-11-2013

Mere Point Cottage Yard

 Fox Sparrow at Mere Point Cottage

Savannah Sparrow at Mere Point Cottage

From Andover to Tucson Day 1

 Mom, Kathie, Stephen, MG, and Brother C; 8-21-2012

All journeys start with “Good-byes.” When the movers were done loading our stuff on their truck Kathryn and I finished sweeping the floors. We ate our lunch on the back porch one last time, then loaded up the car with the cats and our luggage and hit the road. We drove to two hours south to Connecticut where we dropped the pets and our luggage off at a nearby hotel, then headed to Colchester to spend my last night in new England with my family. As usual, we gathered at Mom’s house for pizza. three of my four siblings were able to be there. It was a rather quiet night. I think everyone was holding their emotions in. No one wanted to make a big deal of the finality of the situation, so we just chit-chatted and ate. then Kathryn and I said good-bye and got in the car. I let her drive back to the hotel. I was spent. In the morning I counted birds in the hotel parking lot while I walked the dog. I saw 9 species in Glastonbury, CT before we got on the road.

We decided to take the Route 84 across Connecticut to the Tappan Zee Bridge. We found out later it was a good thing we did for the George Washington Bridge in NYC had a major back-up in the afternoon on that day.

It was a pretty drive and I could not believe all the houses built into the hillside on the other side of the Hudson River!

With blue skies and the open road before us we began our journey of Birding Our Way Home. With 115 miles behind us, we only had 2600 more to go! Come back tomorrow to see where we stopped next! (Yes, there will be birds!)

Birds seen in Glastonbury at the hotel 8-22-12:

1. Rock Pigeon
2. Mourning Dove
3. Blue Jay
4. Gray Catbird
5. Northern Mockingbird
6. European Starling
7. House Finch
8. American Goldfinch
9. House sparrow

Stirling Street Bog Fauna

 Muskrat in bog 3-30-2011

While observing birds at the bog for the last two years I could not help but observe some of the creatures who inhabit the bog as well. The muskrats swimming in the evenings always brought joy to my heart.

Muskrat 3-30-2011

This almost looks like a beaver from behind but it is the same animal as the one above. In the top photo you can see the sideways flattened tail of a muskrat and the smaller, more triangular shaped head. However, there are beavers at the bog and I have seen their handiwork as well as heard the slap of their tails on the water.

 Chipmunk 3-30-2011

While I would see chipmunks on and off, I did not observe them there too often, especially from the guardrail side of the bog on Stirling Street. I am sure they are seen more often in Den Rock Park at the north end of the bog. As you can imagine, gray squirrels are observed here occasionally as well, but I don’t recall ever seeing a red squirrel at this location off Stirling Street which is where I always counted birds for my eBird Site Survey.

Painted Turtle 8-26-2011

Turtles and frogs are both seen at the bog. One evening I even saw a huge snapping turtle but I did not have my camera with me! However, I observed these Painted Turtles here on a regular basis.

White-tailed deer buck 8-26-2011

I was more than surprised to find a young White-tailed deer here at the bog last summer. This was a day before the hurricane around 8:30 AM. Even more surprising was the young fawn travelling with him. This is the only time I ever observed deer at the bog.

 White-tailed deer fawn 8-26-2011

 

 Dragonfly 7-5-2011

Of course there were dragonflies and butterflies and other insects to see.

 Domestic Cat 5-9-2012

But I was not happy to see domestic cats hunting in the bog and I saw them more than once. I think this is why I did not see very many sparrows along the edge of the bog where I stood to count birds.

 Muskrat disappearing down its hole 4-10-2012

Good-bye!

Stirling Bog after Hurricane Irene last year 8-28-2011

• Stirling Street Bog
• Stirling Street Bog Birds

Stirling Street Bog Bird List

Canada Geese 11-18-2010

1. Canada Goose…10-13-2010
2. Mallard…10-25-2010
3. Black Duck…11-18-2010
4. Wood Duck…4-5-2011
5. Green-winged Teal…11-12-2010
6. Hooded Merganser…3-18-2011
7. Double-crested Cormorant…8-26-2011
8. Great Blue Heron…4-17-2011
9. Great Egret…5-9-2012
10. Green Heron…5-9-2011
11. Black-crowned Night Heron…8-12-2011
12. Turkey Vulture…3-18-2011
13. Cooper’s Hawk…10-25-2010
14. Red-tailed Hawk…9-30-2010
15. Spotted Sandpiper…7-23-2011
16. Ring-billed Gull…1-16-2011
17. Herring Gull…1-14-2011
18. Mourning Dove…10-25-2011
19. Chimney Swift…5-9-2011
20. Ruby-throated Hummingbird…5-12-2011
21. Belted Kingfisher…8-24-2011
22. Red-bellied Woodpecker…9-30-2010
23. Downy woodpecker…9-30-2010
24. Hairy Woodpecker…12-13-2010
25. Northern Flicker…9-30-2010
26. American Kestrel…8-26-2011
27. Merlin…3-21-2011
28. Peregrine Falcon…8-24-2011
29. Olive-sided Flycatcher…8-18-2012*
30. Eastern Phoebe…4-5-2011
31. Great Crested Flycatcher…5-9-2012
32. Eastern Kingbird…5-3-2011
33. Blue Jay…9-30-2010
34. American Crow…9-30-2010
35. Fish Crow…3-20-2012
36. Northern Rough-winged Swallow…5-12-2011
37. Purple Martin…8-26-2011
38. Tree Swallow…4-5-2011
39. Barn Swallow…7-15-2011
40. Black-capped Chickadee…10-13-2010
41. Tufted Titmouse…10-13-2010
42. White-breasted Nuthatch…9-30-2010
43. House Wren…8-1-2012
44. Winter Wren…11-8-2011
45. Carolina Wren…10-13-2010
46. Golden-crowned Kinglet…11-10-2010
47. Ruby-crowned Kinglet…10-24-2011
48. Eastern Bluebird…9-30-2010
49. American Robin…10-13-2010
50. Gray Catbird…5-3-2011
51. Northern Mockingbird…11-12-2010
52. European Starling…1-1-2011
53. Cedar Waxwing…4-20-2011
54. Common Yellowthroat…6-24-2011
55. Palm Warbler…9-30-2010
56. Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)…9-30-2010
57. American Tree Sparrow…12-22-2010
58. Chipping Sparrow…9-30-2010
59. Song Sparrow…10-25-2010
60. Swamp Sparrow…1-14-2011
61. Lincoln’s sparrow…9-30-2010
62. White-throated Sparrow…11-28-2010
63. Dark-eyed Junco…10-13-2010
64. Northern Cardinal…10-25-2010
65. Red-winged Blackbird…3-20-2011
66. Rusty Blackbird…10-11-2011
67. Common Grackle…11-2-2010
68. Brown-headed Cowbird…4-23-2011
69. Baltimore Oriole…5-3-2011
70. House Finch…6-24-2011
71. American Goldfinch…10-25-2010
72. House Sparrow…10-25-2010

*Last new species I counted at the bog.

My name is Kathie Brown and for two years I lived in Andover, MA and counted birds at the Stirling Street Bog adjacent to Den Rock Park. I submitted all my bird sightings to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology through eBird. These bird sightings were subsequently used by Susan Hegarty in compiling her book, The Birds of Den Rock Park.

Stirling Bog 10-13-2010

Stirling Street Bog Birds: 71 species and Counting!

Song Sparrow October 2011

All year round one can see and hear Song Sparrows singing at the bog.

 American Crow October 2011

The Crow is another year-round species at the bog.

 Mallard May 2012

I have seen Mallards nesting here and many more duck species during migration.

 

January Birds

  January Blue Jay 2011

 

Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) 2011

February Birds

 House sparrow

 

 Eastern Bluebird 2012

 

March

 Downy Woodpecker 2011

 

April Birds at the Bog

 Red-tailed hawks are regularly seen here

 

 Red-tailed Hawk being mobbed by crows April 2011

 

 Common Grackles return to the bog April 2011

 

 Belted Kingfisher April 2011

 

 Mourning Dove April 2012

Mourning doves are seen year-round at the bog.

 Eastern Phoebe April 2012

I know spring has returned when I hear and see the phoebes!

 

 April 2012 Northern Flicker (yellow-shafted)

 White-breasted Nuthatch April 2012

 

 Great Egret May 2012

This year was the first time I ever saw an egret at the bog. Last week I saw 2 more!

 

June Bog Birds

 Eastern Kingbird June 2011

I have seen Eastern Kingbirds here both summers. This spring during migration I also saw Great-crested Kingbirds but was unable to obtain pictures of them. I have not seen them during the summer.

 Northern Flicker near nest hole June 2011

 

August Birds

 American Kestrel August 2011

 

 Blackbirds flocking August 2011

 

October Migration at the Bog

 Yellow-rumped Warbler October 2011

Though I look and listen all spring and summer I only seem to see warblers here during migration and mostly in the fall. I have also see palm warblers here and I suspect there are others but I did not recognize them in their autumn plumage.

 Common Yellowthroat October 2012

 

 Yellow-rumped warbler on guard rail October 2011

 Swamp Sparrow October 2011

 

 Yellow-rumped Warbler on stump October 2011

November Birds

 Canada Goose November 2010

Geese are usually here spring through Autumn but they leave when the bog freezes up in winter. I have seen them nest here as well, but their nest are usually too far out for my camera.

 

 Northern Cardinal November 2010

 

November Sunset with Crows in Flight 2010

These are just a few of the bird species that can be seen year-round at the bog. The complete species list can be seen in the side-bar, but these are only the birds I have seen in the two years I lived nearby and counted birds at the bog. Hopefully many others will come enjoy the bog and its birds and continue to add to the list of species seen at the bog now that it is an eBird Hotspot! I just added a new species there tonight when I went to count birds and saw a pair of House Wrens climbing around on an old snag. They bring my total to 71 species of birds seen at the Stirling Street Bog! Check out eBird and see what can be seen for yourself! Then come back to read my next post:

• Stirling Street Bog Fauna
• Stirling Street Bog is an eBird Hotspot
• Den Rock Park