Birds

A Big Year Update

Thomas Moore

02 Jan 2024 — 2 min read

As I mentioned before, I fudged the start of my big year a bit (by about four days or so) because I was going to be on Jekyll Island—a decision I have zero regrets about after having returned.

In total, I saw 54 different species of birds (the 55th mentioned above popped by my window this morning).

Here’s a complete list that I’ll update throughout the year.

In lieu of listing them all, here are some highlights:

Clapper rail - the best way to find a clapper rail is to walk along a marsh and look at every single reed until one turns out to be a clapper rail.

White-eye vireo - over here looking like it’s wearing sunglasses from the eighties. How could you NOT like this bird?

Roseate spoonbill - the bird with a stunningly beautiful color and absolutely goofy bill.

Swamp sparrow - of all the sparrows, this one is most certainly a sparrow. I love it.

I also got three lifers (birds I previously hadn’t seen before)!

Black scooter
Lesser scaup
Red knot

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In lieu of listing them all, here are some highlights:

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the smallest sprout

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Shrugging off the Listlessness of Summer

The Uncertainty of Bird Watching