Browsed by
Category: Birding Goals

Stories about goals, projects, or annual challenges

March Recap

March Recap

Comments 0 Comment

Total Species Recorded: 67

As March comes to a close, I find myself thinking about how my Big Recording Year has evolved. The initial adrenaline rush of recording a dozen or so new species each week has settled into a steady, but much slower pace. While I recorded some fascinating birds in March, such as the Bonaparte’s Gulls and Lawrence’s Goldfinches, I mainly recorded the birds we see year round.

With the recordings slowing down (for now), I shifted my focus to a new activity: submitting eBird lists to the California Bird Atlas. This is an ambitious five-year project to document bird breeding activity in California to support conservation efforts and expand our knowledge of our breeding birds.

I have to admit that diving into this project has been intimidating. The breeding codes feel daunting, and the birding involves a different focus that requires you to carefully observe bird behavior. I watched a webinar recording that helped me get over my nerves, and spent time reviewing the breeding codes to ensure I understand them.

It turns out that the atlas project supports my recording goals since one of the breeding codes is for a singing bird. You can also add a code if a bird has been singing in the same location for a week or more. Because of that, I’m attempting to take careful notes of the singing birds and their locations to track their territories.

There is a particular mockingbird that has caught my attention recently. I’ve been drawn to its complex song of mimicries, often lasting more than 2 minutes. I enjoy the challenge of identifying the mimics, which includes Mallards, American Crows, and fire alarms. Even though I’ve already recorded this species for the year, I’m submitting additional recordings because it’s helping me to tune in to the song and perhaps it will support the atlas project.

April is just around the corner, and with it will come a fresh new wave of birds to record for my Big Year, and observe for the breeding project. In the meantime, I hope to continue to monitor the mockingbird as long as it continues to sing for a mate.

To read more posts about this challenge, see the dedicated Bird Recording Challenge 2026 web page or click on “Bird Recording Challenge 2026” under “Tags” at the bottom of this post.

A Day with the Bonaparte’s

A Day with the Bonaparte’s

Comments 0 Comment

Bonaparte's Gulls

Bonaparte’s Gull flock flying in front of playground equipment, 2026

Total Species Recorded: 57

“It’s always a good day when you see a Bonaparte’s Gull.”

This is what I tell my husband every time I see Bonaparte’s Gulls. I find these delicate birds absolutely adorable in their winter plumage. They are tiny white gulls, smaller than the local California Gulls, that expertly zip around the airspace above the waters with mesmerizing acrobatics. The simplicity of their winter plumage with petite black bills, dark eyes, and black ear spot on a perfectly rounded head is a relief from studying other gulls with their endlessly variable appearances.

My neighborhood park filled up with water with the recent rains, and it attracted the expected water-loving birds, such as Greater Yellowlegs, Black-necked Stilts, California Gulls, and even some egrets. But what delighted me the most were the Bonaparte’s. As each day passed, their numbers grew until I counted at least 200 visiting at once!

One cloudy afternoon, I spent some time watching them from the edge of the park. They were picking off worms while swimming around the waters. Their preferred method of foraging seemed to involve swimming in the shallow lake until something caught their attention, causing them to pop straight up into the air and then dive head first into the water. They would emerge with a squirmy worm in their bills.

Bonaparte's Gulls

Bonaparte’s Gull flock foraging for worms in a shallow park pond, 2026

I took note of their plumage differences. While not as complex as other gulls, there was some variability depending on the age. The younger Bonaparte’s Gulls had pale legs, brown in their outer flight feathers, brown along the edges of their wings, and a brown line across the wings that forms a faint “M” in flight. Their tails are also dark along the end. The adults, on the other hand, have deep reddish-orange legs, gray wings, and black across the primary tips – a much cleaner look than their younger counterparts.

What struck me as unique about this experience was their calls. I had never heard them vocalize before, and here they were by the hundreds giving me ample opportunity to observe! Some of their calls sounded to me like a cross between a Mallard and a Gadwall. When later I researched their calls on All About Birds, it was described as “tern-like,” which made more sense.

Of course, this is a Big Recording Year and I knew I had to grab a recording. This proved to be difficult to achieve. Neighborhood noise from cars and lawn care were endlessly present. The wind was also a major factor, making it nearly impossible to hear the gulls in the background. I had to settle for a one-star recording. It was a good thing that I captured any recording at all, for the water would recede in the coming days and my daily visits with the dainty gulls would soon come to an end. But for now, I was happy to call it a good day having spent quality time with the Bonaparte’s Gulls.

To read more posts about this challenge, see the dedicated Bird Recording Challenge 2026 web page or click on “Bird Recording Challenge 2026” under “Tags” at the bottom of this post.

February Recap

February Recap

Total Species Recorded: 52

February has come to an end, and I am halfway through my goal of recording 100 bird species. It may seem like I will reach that target number before summer begins, but it is already getting more difficult to add new species to my list. In fact, I have submitted recordings of several species only to later realize that I had already checked them off my list for the year.

Yet spring is just around the corner, which means that we will soon see a new batch of species infiltrate the region for breeding. Already the local breeding populations are loudly proclaiming their territories, such as the House Finches in my backyard that will sing nonstop, bringing me joy whenever I open up the windows.

In the coming weeks and months, new hummingbirds will fly through, flycatchers will pop in, and orioles will dazzle us with their brilliant colors. The switch from winter to spring will invite a whole new set of species to target for recording. But I’ll have to work fast because once paired up and nesting, the adult birds will largely go quiet as they care for their young in secret!

To read more posts about this challenge, see the dedicated Bird Recording Challenge 2026 web page or click on “Bird Recording Challenge 2026” under “Tags” at the bottom of this post.

Brief Spring Days

Brief Spring Days

Total Species Recorded: 45

Spring has gently appeared for a few sunny days in February. It’s been a welcomed change after weeks of heavy fog and chilly weather that dampened spirits. Even the birds have seemed melancholy in this heavy weather. In past years, some birds would start singing as early as January. Aside from the backyard White-crowned Sparrows singing a quick tune first thing in the morning, it’s been oddly quiet, adding to the solemn atmosphere.

Now that the sun has been poking out, suddenly the musical landscape has cheered up and the air is filled with song. House Finches and Lesser Goldfinches have been singing over each other in the same trees. Eurasian Collared-Doves are suddenly present, both cooing to potential mates and attacking competitors that dared to stray into their invisible territory. It’s been such a gloomy winter that even the starlings’ songs have been a welcomed change from the silent, gray cold days.

I have been waiting for the right moment to capture a recording of singing finches to add to my Big Recording Year list. As soon as the sun arrived, our backyard was suddenly filled with House Finches and Lesser Goldfinches, all sharing a tree for preening and the bird bath for drinking. Since House Finches are so common, I don’t always pay attention to them, but the recording project is reintroducing me to the complexity of their songs, making me appreciate them all the more. I’m happy that they are choosing to sing in my backyard giving me great opportunities to listen and observe.

This temporary spring won’t last long as a chilly rain is forecast to arrive soon. But for now, the birds are itching to get a mate and in spite of the expected return of cloudy weather, the birds are singing away!

To read more posts about this challenge, see the dedicated Bird Recording Challenge 2026 web page or click on “Bird Recording Challenge 2026” under “Tags” at the bottom of this post.

January Recap

January Recap

Total Species Recorded: 36

I am one month into my Big Recording Year, and it has certainly been a learning experience.

I do a lot of birding by ear, which means that I identify birds based on their calls or songs. When I set out on this goal to record 100 bird species, I thought it would be a relatively simple pursuit because of the frequency in which I identify birds by ear. The reality is turning out to be quite different.

Oftentimes I will hear a bird call just once, and that’s enough to identify it. To record it, however, I need the bird to continue to vocalize, as there’s the time needed to open up the Merlin app and get my microphone ready. Very often I’m left with an empty recording because the bird only sounded off once before going quiet or flying away. That has made recording tricky.

In spite of this, I’ve submitted recordings for 36 bird species in January. My absolute favorite experience so far was spending time with a small group of short eared owls. To hear their barks and screeches while they interacted with each other was magical.

January has been otherwise filled with seets, chips, and chups with a general lack of singing. I expect that to change soon as spring migration and the breeding season gets underway.

To read more posts about this challenge, see the dedicated Bird Recording Challenge 2026 web page or click on “Bird Recording Challenge 2026” under “Tags” at the bottom of this post.

January Big Day

January Big Day

Total Species Recorded: 24

It was a perfect day for birding. The air was cool, the sky was a brilliant blue, and the sun offered some gentle warmth against the chill. The wind was finally calm after days of high gusts. I was excited to have some good weather because we were competing with my sister and her husband to see who could spot the most number of bird species in a single day, commonly known as a “Big Day” event. Although the day would be focused on spotting the highest number of birds, I hoped to sneak in some opportunities to record birds for my Big Recording Year challenge.

We had an active day planned that would take us to various edges of San Joaquin County. We would start birding in South County, meander to the north, and then drive to the east to wrap up the day. Much of the time would be spent driving, but there was always the possibility of picking up incidentals along the way.

The first stop involved our neighborhood where I could be sure to pick up Lincoln’s Sparrows, Yellow-billed Magpies, and Rock Pigeons. After a rushed walk, we took off to Oak Grove in Ripon where we focused on the water treatment plant. We were able to add unique species to our Big Day list, including Bonaparte’s Gulls and Black-bellied Plovers. Our trip to Ripon added a lot of time, but I knew it was going to be a tight competition for the highest numbers.

These first stops were far too noisy for a good sound recording, so I didn’t bother trying. But our next stop at the Cosumnes River Preserve in Sacramento offered a great opportunity to record geese. Our timing was perfect – a large group of loud Greater White-Fronted Geese were foraging in the water close to the pedestrian walkway. I had to wait a moment to allow other nature lovers to walk away so that their conversations wouldn’t be added to my recording, but otherwise the geese were cooperative.

A quick check-in with my sister made me a bit nervous – we were falling way behind their numbers. They were birding in San Diego and had planned their day more carefully. It was time for us to step it up.

Our next stop was at Staten Island (not to be confused with the New York location), which I knew would be filled with water-loving birds and waders. Indeed, we saw thousands of various geese, and dozens of Sandhill Cranes and Tundra Swans. We also picked up a few birds that we weren’t expecting, such as the Brown-headed Cowbird. I managed a recording of Cackling Geese that were foraging on a dry field, although a nearby dog decided that was the perfect time to unleash a barking fit. It’s not always easy to record Cackling Geese, so I shrugged off the barking and accepted the recording as is.

After a quick lunch sitting in the car while counting the geese at Staten Island, we drove across the county to the east side. Although we didn’t pick up any birds along the way, it was a pleasant drive through the fields and vineyards. Our last hope for picking up more birds was Mokelumne River Day Use/Fish Hatchery. Here I expected to get mergansers, wrens, and sparrows along with the possibility of eagles.

The park was surprisingly not crowded with people despite it being a beautiful weekend day. It was also mysteriously low on birds. I was able to opportunistically capture recordings of Bushtits, Dark-eyed Juncos, and a Song Sparrow. But the point of the day was to see as many birds as possible. I soon realized that we were hopelessly losing the competition. But I had one consolidation prize that I was anticipating all day, and I had to time it just right.

We left Mokelumne at 3:00 p.m., exactly when I wanted to, and we headed north to Amador County to a worn-down road off the beaten path. We arrived about a half hour later and I popped out of the car with the microphone in hand. After a few minutes of scanning, we saw them: Short-eared Owls were sitting on the ground. We counted four simultaneously, although there were possibly one or two more. They delicately flew over the herd of cows, interacted with each other with aerial acrobatics, and swooped down to pounce on prey. The most incredible part of the experience was hearing them vocalize. Their calls ranged from screeching, not unlike a Barn Owl, and a quick succession of barks. I had only seen a Short-eared Owl once before and it did not vocalize, but this small group was very chatty, giving me a perfect opportunity to capture the audio experience. We stayed in the area watching them for an hour before we decided to call it a day.

Although we majorly lost the Big Day competition with my sister and her husband, I was happy for a perfect owl ending to a fun day.

To read more posts about this challenge, see the dedicated Bird Recording Challenge 2026 web page or click on “Bird Recording Challenge 2026” under “Tags” at the bottom of this post.

Winter Recordings

Winter Recordings

Hermit Thrush

Hermit Thrush Perched on Wire, 2018

Total Species Recorded: 21

My Big Recording Year is off to a good start! So far I have recorded 21 species towards my goal of 100. While that may seem like I’m on pace to reach 100 within weeks, it will steadily get more difficult to add to the list.

One thing I’m finding challenging is getting the birds to cooperate. In the winter, birds can be fairly quiet, and the ones who are vocalizing frequently startle into silence upon my presence. I joke that the birds have recording anxiety, for as soon as I hold up my microphone, the bird will suddenly go quiet. Perhaps it’s because I have suddenly stopped walking and pointed an object at them, prompting the bird to be more wary of my presence.

One of my favorite stories from this past week was my time spent in Oak Grove Park in Ripon. While it was a delightful walk amongst the grove of Oak Trees, I was collecting a growing list of failed recordings, mainly due to the target bird going quiet. The starlings were also singing in full force, drowning out everything I tried to capture. I want to record a starling in my neighborhood because their specific mimicry is interesting, so I did not want to expend energy on them this trip. I ended up deleting many of these recording attempts.

After an hour of walking, we stopped in an area filled with bushes. After adjusting to our presence, the bird chatter filled the air. Townsend’s, Orange-crowned, and Yellow-rumped Warblers were chipping in the trees, a Northern House Wren scolded an encroaching wren, and Oak Titmouse were calling to each other while foraging.

One fun lesson was hearing the subtle but distinct differences between a Fox Sparrow and Hermit Thrush call. The Fox Sparrow has a smacky quality to it, like having peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth while trying to say “tsk.” The similar-sounding Hermit Thrush instead gives a “Chup” call that has a cleaner tone. It’s not often that I hear a Fox Sparrow, let alone a Fox Sparrow and a Hermit Thrush at the same time, so it was a treat to study their differences in the field.

To read more posts about this challenge, see the dedicated Bird Recording Challenge 2026 web page or click on “Bird Recording Challenge 2026” under “Tags” at the bottom of this post.

Bird Recording Challenge 2026: Day 1

Bird Recording Challenge 2026: Day 1

Day 1: January 1, 2026
Total Species Recorded: 7

After months of anticipation, 2026 is finally here! I decided to pursue a personal Big Recording Year in 2026 with a goal of recording 100 species. The recordings will only count if I upload them to eBird, and the files will be added to a growing database of sound media used for research. Not only am I giving myself a fun challenge for the year, I’m also contributing data that benefits birds.

Typically on New Year’s Day, I participate in a friendly competition with family to see who can spot the most number of birds in a single day. Those plans were dashed by unfavorable weather this year, so I focused on recordings rather than running around looking for as many birds as possible. It resulted in a calmer, more introspective day, replacing the adrenaline rush that comes with scurrying all over to get a glimpse of all the birds.

I anticipated rain today, but instead we got wind. I’m using a small microphone with a windshield to help block some of the wind sound, but it was no match for the wind that whipped through the fields today. While it would be nice to produce the “perfect” recording, I find it more important to capture an accurate call or song no matter the conditions, better reflecting the true situation.

I was more aware of various unnatural noises that may impact the recordings, such as jackets rustling, distant traffic on the freeway, or the idling car when recording during a driving-based list. These are all things that we might naturally tune out while birding, but are readily picked up by the microphone. It seems like it will be nearly impossible to find conditions where there isn’t wind or other unwanted noises, but that’s also the nature of the type of birding many of us experience and, it is worth capturing.

My favorite recording of the day was a Wood Duck call. I’m familiar with their Ooo-Wee! Ooo-Wee! call that I associate with the ducks taking flight, but the vocalization I captured this time sounded like a soft, buzzy zipper, and I almost mistook it for a Pine Siskin. Later that morning, another similarly high-pitched and whiny call made me think I was hearing an odd chicken sound, but it was a different Wood Duck! These are the learning moments I’m looking forward to with this challenge and hope that I’ll gain a more intimate understanding of various bird vocalizations.

At the end of Day 1 of this challenge, I uploaded seven recordings to two eBird lists. I have 364 days to capture 93 more recordings!

To read more posts about this challenge, see the dedicated Bird Recording Challenge 2026 web page or click on “Bird Recording Challenge 2026” under “Tags” at the bottom of this post.

Big Recording Year in 2026

Big Recording Year in 2026

Time starts to fly this time of the year. Holidays come at us with blinding speed – when one ends, another is peering around the corner. Appointments, projects, and commitments get squeezed into the remaining months of the year. Before you know it, a new year is upon us, hopefully providing a much-needed reset from the flurry of activities.

For me, the new year brings new opportunities for birding. I like to set goals to drive new life into birding activities, and to hopefully learn a bit more along the way.

Some birders like to pursue a Big Year where they tally up as many bird species as possible during an entire year. I participated in a county Big Year competition in 2023 – a thrilling and exhausting experience that I will honestly be hesitant to repeat. This year, my goal is to do an individual Big Year by competing with myself, but the rules will be a bit different. I plan to do a Big Recording Year.

I’ve become more interested in recording bird vocalizations since lugging a heavy camera around for photography can be cumbersome. I have a lightweight microphone that plugs into my cellphone and is easy to deploy. It’s been particularly useful in areas where a visual on a bird is difficult and vocal IDs are the main focus, such as in the mountains with the birds hanging out at the tops of the towering trees.

Recording birds also doesn’t have the same popularity as photography, meaning that my recordings will be that valuable for research. Each recording attached to an eBird checklist will be automatically added to the Macaulay Library collection.

My goal is to record 100 bird species during 2026. I did a quick run through of the birds I’ve seen this year and estimated that 98 species could be reasonably recorded, although by no means a guarantee. So theoretically 100 should give me a gentle challenge.

Some advanced planning will help with tackling this goal. Identifying a list of target birds and when they are present in my home town will be a good first step. I’ll want to first tackle birds that are more difficult to get. For example I can record the California Scrub-Jays and Anna’s Hummingbirds in my backyard year-round on any given day, but the window to record a Bullock’s Oriole will be during spring migration and when it sings its heart out to attract a mate. The summer is usually quiet and too hot to go out birding, so I will need to account for that.

There’s a lot to do before the year comes to a close, but I’m looking forward to this year-long goal!

Big Year Wrap-Up 2023

Big Year Wrap-Up 2023

Tundra Swans

Three Tundra Swans fly by against a gray background

Last year I embarked on an incredible journey – my first Big Year competition, sponsored by the San Joaquin Audubon Society. The Big Year is a competition to see as many bird species as possible in one year, and in this case we would be competing within county borders. It proved to be a great way to meet the local birders and to get to know the birding spots here, which was a perfect set-up for newcomers such as myself.

Franklin's Gull

Franklin’s Gull flying while a Ring-billed Gull sleeps. The Franklin’s Gull took multiple attempts to find.

During the year, I experienced many beautiful moments of awe, of being lured into the spell of a rare bird popping by for a day or two. With every rare bird report, I could count on seeing a familiar group of birders later that day as we all rushed out to find the bird. I enjoyed the conversations and friendships that followed.

Because of the Big Year, I went out of my comfort zone by exploring new areas and landed several “lifers” (a bird I’ve never seen before) as a result. I also paid more attention to the birds around me, which undoubtedly aided in my discovery of a Costa’s Hummingbird making my backyard its home. It’s these experiences that I will treasure long after the Big Year is done.

In the end, my husband and I received first place for team effort! We were tied for third in the intermediate category, and placed sixth overall. Not bad for newcomers that were just getting acquainted with an area.

Cooper's Hawk

Cooper’s Hawk spreading its wing to defend against a squirrel (not pictured), 2023

A bucket list item is checked. A new year begins. Now what? After a year of grinding, suddenly I’m left with a feeling of uncertainty of how to bird “normally.” I’ve been focusing on my backyard and observing the bird drama. White-crowned Sparrows establishing a pecking order within their foraging unit, Anna’s Hummingbirds aggressively defending their feeder, and battles between jays and mockingbirds for the prime spot in a tree. There’s been so much to explore within my own backyard, and for now that is bringing me the peace and relaxation I need to wind down from 2023.