Saturday, March 14 was the last time I “went somewhere” to bird before the world shut down, and that somewhere was just down to Clear Spring Ranch on the south end of the county. The state officially went “stay-at-home” on March 26, but I’d already pretty much decided not to fight against the restrictions.
That meant that I could only bird nearby, which pretty much restricted me to the open space along Monument Branch (M) next to work, to Mary Kyer Park (K), the open space along Black Squirrel Creek (B), and whatever I happen to see while walking to those places (O). I decided to bird the snot out of the area and see what I could see. Here’s my list, beginning on Sunday, March 15 and continuing until I’m allowed to expand my horizons. After each bird, I’ll list the first date I saw it and the places I saw it. When I’ve see a bird at all four locations, it will be in bold.
Update: I’ve decided to stop tracking for this list as of 4/30. The state is beginning to open up, and I’ve already begun expanding my birding range.
- American Avocet 4/14 B
- American Coot 3/15 B
- American Crow 3/15 M, B, O, K
- American Goldfinch 4/8 O, K, M, B
- American Robin 3/15 M, B, K, O
- American Tree Sparrow 3/21 M
- American Wigeon 3/24 B
- Barn Swallow 3/24 B
- Belted Kingfisher 3/16 B
- Black-billed Magpie 3/15 M, B, O
- Black-capped Chickadee 3/15 M, K, B
- Black-crowned Night-Heron 4/17 B
- Black Phoebe 4/27 K
- Blue Jay 4/13 K, O
- Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher 4/29 M
- Blue-winged Teal 4/17 B
- Brewer’s Blackbird 4/27 K, M
- Broad-tailed Hummingbird 4/23 O, M
- Brown Creeper 3/15 M
- Brown-headed Cowbird 4/28 B
- Bufflehead 3/30 B
- Bushtit 3/21 M, B
- Canada Goose 3/15 B, K, M
- Canvasback 3/21 B
- Chipping Sparrow 4/28 B
- Cinnamon Teal 3/30 B
- Cliff Swallow 4/27 B
- Common Grackle 3/31 B, O, K
- Common Merganser 3/23 B
- Common Raven 3/15 M, B
- Common Yellowthroat 4/29 M
- Cooper’s Hawk 4/7 B
- Dark-eyed Junco 3/15 M, B
- Double-crested Cormorant 3/30 B
- Downy Woodpecker 3/15 M, K, B
- Eastern Bluebird 4/17 M
- European Starling 3/26 B, O
- Eurasian Collared-Dove 3/16 B, M, O, K
- Gadwall 3/16 B
- Great Blue Heron 3/15 B, M
- Great Horned Owl 3/29 M, B
- Green-winged Teal 3/15 B
- Horned Lark 4/5 B
- Horned Grebe 4/14 B
- House Finch 3/15 M, B, K, O
- House Sparrow 4/7 B
- Killdeer 3/27 B
- Least Sandpiper 4/17 B
- Lesser Scaup 3/15 B
- Lincoln’s Sparrow 4/15 B
- MacGillivray’s Warbler 4/29 M
- Mallard 3/15 B, K, M
- Merlin 4/14/ B
- Mountain Chickadee 3/15 M, B, O
- Mountain Bluebird 3/21 M, B, K
- Mourning Dove 4/7 B, M
- Northern Flicker 3/15 M, B, K
- Northern Rough-winged Swallow 3/15 B, M
- Northern Shoveler 3/15 B
- Orange-crowned Warbler 4/22 B, M
- Pied-billed Grebe 4/13 B
- Pine Siskin 3/15 M, K
- Prairie Falcon 4/4 M, B
- Red-breasted Nuthatch 3/15 M, B
- Redhead 3/15 B
- Red-naped Sapsucker 3/28 B
- Red-tailed Hawk 3/15 M, B, K
- Red-winged Blackbird 3/15 B, M, K, O
- Ring-billed Gull 4/4 B
- Ring-necked Duck 3/15 B
- Rock Dove 4/3 B
- Ruby-crowned Kinglet 4/14 B
- Savannah Sparrow 4/4 B
- Say’s Phoebe 3/31 M, B, O, K
- Sharp-shinned Hawk 4/15 B
- Snowy Egret 4/11 B
- Solitary Sandpiper 4/28 B
- Song Sparrow 3/15 M, B, K
- Spotted Towhee 3/15 M, K, B, O
- Spotted Sandpiper 4/30 B
- Tree Swallow 4/8 B, M
- Turkey Vulture 3/28 B, M
- Vesper Sparrow 4/28 B
- Violet-green Swallow 4/30 B
- Western Bluebird 3/15 M, B, K
- Western Grebe 4/13 B
- Western Meadowlark 4/5 B
- White-breasted Nuthatch 3/15 M, B
- White-crowned Sparrow 4/10 B, M
- White-faced Ibis 4/30 B
- Wilson’s Snipe 3/31 B, M
- Wood Duck 4/5 B
- Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay 3/15 M, B, K
- Yellow-headed Blackbird 4/5 B
- Yellow-rumped Warbler 4/7 B, K, M
As long as I’m tracking birds, I figured I may as well track animals too.
- Beaver 4/5 B
- Coyote 4/3 B
- Desert Cottontail 4/5 O, B
- Eastern Fox Squirrel 4/8 O
- Muskrat 3/28 B
- Pronghorn 3/27 O
- Rock Squirrel 3/25 B
Here’s a compilation video of some of the animals and birds I saw during March and April (not all in my neighborhood, although many of them were).