Post by paulos on Jan 4, 2022 9:39:43 GMT -8
November and December are cold months here. We had a nice warm day yesterday, with a high of -5. I didn't expect many birds at the end of the year, but I was pleased to find a few new year birds and two new Cariboo birds.
In Walker Valley north of 108 Mile Ranch, I found a late Long-billed Dowitcher with my first Cariboo Dunlin in early November. I think these were the last shorebirds I saw this year.
A Lark Sparrow has been visiting a feeder in Williams Lake for a couple of months now, and I was able to see it in mid-November. This is a species I though I could only find in the Cariboo by spending lots of time in the summer staking out the dry sage-y habitats near the Fraser River around Dog Creek, but this was a nice and simple way to see a gorgeous bird.
A few weeks after finding a stopover Pacific Loon, a pair of female Red-breasted Mergansers showed up at 108 Mile Lake just as the lake was starting to freeze over in late November. For a few weeks that and Lac la Hache were the last places to find waterfowl before the cold cold winter.
The best shot I managed of a Pacific Loon.
Red-breasted Merganser in action. I posed this photo as an ID challenge on social media.
December has been a slow wind down for birds. I frequented bird feeders in 100 Mile House and Lac la Hache neighbourhoods, and tried in vain for an end-of-year Great Gray or Short-eared Owl.
Lac la Hache. I have not been able to find another Robin for weeks.
Winter does bring many Bohemian Waxwings to 100 Mile House, as well as the odd Dipper along Bridge Creek.
Part of a waxwing flock in town. A veteran Williams Lake birder actually counted these out and informed me I had 212 in this shot alone.
At Centennial Park, 100 Mile House.
Lots of Pine Grosbeaks all over. This photo from Hathaway Lake.
Our Christmas Bird count was cold (-20) with 29 species between all teams. Myself and my partner for the day found 18 species around town, at the landfill, and some back roads. Oddly, a highlight for me was finding a flock of House Finches (hard to come by in 100 Mile in the winter).
I did find a Northern Hawk Owl in late December, at the same spot where I encountered one last February (maybe a returning bird?). This is still just about my favourite bird.
Next year I'm planning to focus on a different birding area between Forest Grove and Mahood Lake to the east of here. It should provide some interesting lower-elevation habitats (maybe my first Cariboo Black-headed Grosbeak?) and some possible boreal species, most likely Magnolia Warbler. And I'm hoping for my first Boreal Owl.
My Cariboo Life List is up to 237 species now, passing my Fraser Valley total. Here is my list of 223 Cariboo species this year. I've bolded those that were new Cariboo birds for me.
1 Snow Goose 02-Apr-21
2 Greater White-fronted Goose 27-Apr-21
3 Cackling Goose 25-Apr-21
4 Canada Goose 02-Mar-21
5 Trumpeter Swan 13-Jan-21
6 Tundra Swan 04-Apr-21
7 Wood Duck 02-Apr-21
8 Blue-winged Teal 05-May-21
9 Cinnamon Teal 13-Apr-21
10 Northern Shoveler 12-Mar-21
11 Gadwall 12-Mar-21
12 Eurasian Wigeon 21-Mar-21
13 American Wigeon 12-Mar-21
14 Mallard 07-Mar-21
15 Northern Pintail 12-Mar-21
16 Green-winged Teal 09-Mar-21
17 Canvasback 01-Apr-21
18 Redhead 26-Mar-21
19 Ring-necked Duck 12-Mar-21
20 Greater Scaup 01-Apr-21
21 Lesser Scaup 21-Mar-21
22 Surf Scoter 20-Apr-21
23 White-winged Scoter 27-Apr-21
24 Long-tailed Duck 23-Apr-21
25 Bufflehead 07-Mar-21
26 Common Goldeneye 13-Jan-21
27 Barrow's Goldeneye 29-Mar-21
28 Hooded Merganser 12-Mar-21
29 Common Merganser 12-Mar-21
30 Red-breasted Merganser 17-Nov-21
31 Ruddy Duck 01-Apr-21
32 Ruffed Grouse 01-Mar-21
33 Dusky Grouse 02-Jul-21
34 Sharp-tailed Grouse 15-Oct-21
35 Spruce Grouse 25-Jul-21
36 Ring-necked Pheasant 15-Oct-21
37 Pied-billed Grebe 13-Jan-21
38 Horned Grebe 19-Apr-21
39 Red-necked Grebe 17-Apr-21
40 Eared Grebe 20-Apr-21
41 Western Grebe 21-Apr-21
42 Rock Pigeon 26-Feb-21
43 Eurasian Collared-Dove 23-Feb-21
44 Mourning Dove 16-May-21
45 Common Nighthawk 04-Jul-21
46 Black Swift 09-Jun-21
47 White-throated Swift 02-Jul-21
48 Calliope Hummingbird 01-May-21
49 Rufous Hummingbird 01-May-21
50 Virginia Rail 16-Apr-21
51 Sora 19-Apr-21
52 American Coot 12-Mar-21
53 Sandhill Crane 01-Apr-21
54 Black-necked Stilt 15-May-21
55 American Avocet 15-May-21
56 Black-bellied Plover 08-Sep-21
57 American Golden-Plover 08-Sep-21
58 Semipalmated Plover 17-Jul-21
59 Killdeer 14-Mar-21
60 Long-billed Curlew 23-Jun-21
61 Stilt Sandpiper 29-Aug-21
62 Dunlin 10-Nov-21
63 Baird's Sandpiper 08-Aug-21
64 Least Sandpiper 01-May-21
65 Pectoral Sandpiper 08-May-21
66 Semipalmated Sandpiper 06-Jul-21
67 Western Sandpiper 17-Aug-21
68 Long-billed Dowitcher 04-May-21
69 Wilson's Snipe 03-Apr-21
70 Wilson's Phalarope 15-May-21
71 Red-necked Phalarope 07-Aug-21
72 Spotted Sandpiper 03-May-21
73 Solitary Sandpiper 04-May-21
74 Greater Yellowlegs 01-Apr-21
75 Lesser Yellowlegs 13-Apr-21
76 Bonaparte's Gull 21-Apr-21
77 Short-billed Gull 27-Apr-21
78 Ring-billed Gull 15-Apr-21
79 California Gull 15-Apr-21
80 Herring Gull 15-Apr-21
81 Caspian Tern 21-May-21
82 Black Tern 04-Jun-21
83 Arctic Tern 03-Jul-21
84 Pacific Loon 14-Oct-21
85 Common Loon 15-Apr-21
86 Double-crested Cormorant 27-Apr-21
87 American White Pelican 12-Apr-21
88 American Bittern 23-May-21
89 Great Blue Heron 04-Apr-21
90 White-faced Ibis 21-Jul-21
91 Turkey Vulture 08-Apr-21
92 Osprey 18-Apr-21
93 Golden Eagle 01-Apr-21
94 Northern Harrier 21-Mar-21
95 Sharp-shinned Hawk 08-Apr-21
96 Cooper's Hawk 12-Apr-21
97 Bald Eagle 12-Jan-21
98 Broad-winged Hawk 11-Sep-21
99 Red-tailed Hawk 07-Mar-21
100 Rough-legged Hawk 24-Feb-21
101 Great Horned Owl 22-Mar-21
102 Northern Hawk Owl 22-Feb-21
103 Northern Pygmy-Owl 13-Jan-21
104 Barred Owl 18-Sep-21
105 Long-eared Owl 10-Apr-21
106 Northern Saw-whet Owl 10-Apr-21
107 Belted Kingfisher 15-Apr-21
108 Red-naped Sapsucker 16-Apr-21
109 Red-breasted Sapsucker 23-Jun-21
110 Lewis's Woodpecker 08-Jul-21
111 American Three-toed Woodpecker 29-Aug-21
112 Black-backed Woodpecker 27-Feb-21
113 Downy Woodpecker 12-Jan-21
114 Hairy Woodpecker 12-Jan-21
115 Pileated Woodpecker 14-Jan-21
116 Northern Flicker 13-Jan-21
117 American Kestrel 12-Mar-21
118 Merlin 28-Mar-21
119 Peregrine Falcon 06-Apr-21
120 Olive-sided Flycatcher 21-May-21
121 Western Wood-Pewee 15-May-21
122 Alder Flycatcher 04-Jun-21
123 Willow Flycatcher 18-May-21
124 Least Flycatcher 18-May-21
125 Hammond's Flycatcher 03-May-21
126 Dusky Flycatcher 05-May-21
127 Pacific-slope Flycatcher 03-Jun-21
128 Say's Phoebe 04-May-21
129 Western Kingbird 25-May-21
130 Eastern Kingbird 25-May-21
131 Cassin's Vireo 09-May-21
132 Warbling Vireo 01-May-21
133 Red-eyed Vireo 04-Jun-21
134 Northern Shrike 13-Jan-21
135 Canada Jay 14-Jan-21
136 Steller's Jay 21-Feb-21
137 Blue Jay 21-Mar-21
138 Black-billed Magpie 24-Feb-21
139 Clark's Nutcracker 15-Oct-21
140 American Crow 12-Jan-21
141 Common Raven 12-Jan-21
142 Black-capped Chickadee 12-Jan-21
143 Mountain Chickadee 13-Jan-21
144 Chestnut-backed Chickadee 02-Sep-21
145 Boreal Chickadee 25-Jul-21
146 Horned Lark 26-Mar-21
147 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 08-Apr-21
148 Tree Swallow 01-Apr-21
149 Violet-green Swallow 06-Apr-21
150 Bank Swallow 07-May-21
151 Barn Swallow 01-May-21
152 Cliff Swallow 01-May-21
153 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 04-Apr-21
154 Golden-crowned Kinglet 06-Apr-21
155 Red-breasted Nuthatch 13-Jan-21
156 Brown Creeper 27-Feb-21
157 Pacific Wren 10-Apr-21
158 Marsh Wren 03-Apr-21
159 American Dipper 22-Feb-21
160 European Starling 13-Jan-21
161 Gray Catbird 04-Jun-21
162 Mountain Bluebird 12-Mar-21
163 Townsend's Solitaire 10-Mar-21
164 Varied Thrush 15-Mar-21
165 Veery 18-Jun-21
166 Swainson's Thrush 04-Jun-21
167 Hermit Thrush 30-May-21
168 American Robin 09-Mar-21
169 Bohemian Waxwing 12-Jan-21
170 Cedar Waxwing 04-Jun-21
171 House Sparrow 14-Mar-21
172 American Pipit 18-Apr-21
173 Evening Grosbeak 07-Mar-21
174 Pine Grosbeak 13-Jan-21
175 Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch 11-Apr-21
176 House Finch 12-Mar-21
177 Purple Finch 16-Apr-21
178 Common Redpoll 21-Feb-21
179 Red Crossbill 27-Feb-21
180 White-winged Crossbill 07-Aug-21
181 Pine Siskin 13-Jan-21
182 American Goldfinch 05-Mar-21
183 Lapland Longspur 26-Mar-21
184 Snow Bunting 16-Apr-21
185 Chipping Sparrow 14-May-21
186 Clay-colored Sparrow 19-May-21
187 Lark Sparrow 14-Nov-21
188 American Tree Sparrow 27-Mar-21
189 Fox Sparrow 23-Jun-21
190 Dark-eyed Junco 09-Mar-21
191 White-crowned Sparrow 18-Apr-21
192 Golden-crowned Sparrow 07-May-21
193 Harris's Sparrow 30-Oct-21
194 White-throated Sparrow 31-May-21
195 Vesper Sparrow 30-Apr-21
196 Savannah Sparrow 19-Apr-21
197 Song Sparrow 14-Jan-21
198 Lincoln's Sparrow 22-Apr-21
199 Swamp Sparrow 04-Jul-21
200 Spotted Towhee 21-Mar-21
201 Yellow-headed Blackbird 14-Apr-21
202 Bobolink 25-May-21
203 Western Meadowlark 19-Mar-21
204 Bullock's Oriole 16-May-21
205 Red-winged Blackbird 13-Jan-21
206 Brown-headed Cowbird 29-Apr-21
207 Rusty Blackbird 09-Oct-21
208 Brewer's Blackbird 13-Apr-21
209 Northern Waterthrush 23-May-21
210 Tennessee Warbler 23-Jun-21
211 Orange-crowned Warbler 23-Apr-21
212 Nashville Warbler 04-Jun-21
213 MacGillivray's Warbler 23-May-21
214 Common Yellowthroat 16-May-21
215 American Redstart 23-May-21
216 Magnolia Warbler 23-Jun-21
217 Yellow Warbler 09-May-21
218 Blackpoll Warbler 23-Jun-21
219 Yellow-rumped Warbler 13-Apr-21
220 Townsend's Warbler 19-May-21
221 Wilson's Warbler 03-May-21
222 Western Tanager 09-May-21
223 Lazuli Bunting 11-Jun-21
2 Greater White-fronted Goose 27-Apr-21
3 Cackling Goose 25-Apr-21
4 Canada Goose 02-Mar-21
5 Trumpeter Swan 13-Jan-21
6 Tundra Swan 04-Apr-21
7 Wood Duck 02-Apr-21
8 Blue-winged Teal 05-May-21
9 Cinnamon Teal 13-Apr-21
10 Northern Shoveler 12-Mar-21
11 Gadwall 12-Mar-21
12 Eurasian Wigeon 21-Mar-21
13 American Wigeon 12-Mar-21
14 Mallard 07-Mar-21
15 Northern Pintail 12-Mar-21
16 Green-winged Teal 09-Mar-21
17 Canvasback 01-Apr-21
18 Redhead 26-Mar-21
19 Ring-necked Duck 12-Mar-21
20 Greater Scaup 01-Apr-21
21 Lesser Scaup 21-Mar-21
22 Surf Scoter 20-Apr-21
23 White-winged Scoter 27-Apr-21
24 Long-tailed Duck 23-Apr-21
25 Bufflehead 07-Mar-21
26 Common Goldeneye 13-Jan-21
27 Barrow's Goldeneye 29-Mar-21
28 Hooded Merganser 12-Mar-21
29 Common Merganser 12-Mar-21
30 Red-breasted Merganser 17-Nov-21
31 Ruddy Duck 01-Apr-21
32 Ruffed Grouse 01-Mar-21
33 Dusky Grouse 02-Jul-21
34 Sharp-tailed Grouse 15-Oct-21
35 Spruce Grouse 25-Jul-21
36 Ring-necked Pheasant 15-Oct-21
37 Pied-billed Grebe 13-Jan-21
38 Horned Grebe 19-Apr-21
39 Red-necked Grebe 17-Apr-21
40 Eared Grebe 20-Apr-21
41 Western Grebe 21-Apr-21
42 Rock Pigeon 26-Feb-21
43 Eurasian Collared-Dove 23-Feb-21
44 Mourning Dove 16-May-21
45 Common Nighthawk 04-Jul-21
46 Black Swift 09-Jun-21
47 White-throated Swift 02-Jul-21
48 Calliope Hummingbird 01-May-21
49 Rufous Hummingbird 01-May-21
50 Virginia Rail 16-Apr-21
51 Sora 19-Apr-21
52 American Coot 12-Mar-21
53 Sandhill Crane 01-Apr-21
54 Black-necked Stilt 15-May-21
55 American Avocet 15-May-21
56 Black-bellied Plover 08-Sep-21
57 American Golden-Plover 08-Sep-21
58 Semipalmated Plover 17-Jul-21
59 Killdeer 14-Mar-21
60 Long-billed Curlew 23-Jun-21
61 Stilt Sandpiper 29-Aug-21
62 Dunlin 10-Nov-21
63 Baird's Sandpiper 08-Aug-21
64 Least Sandpiper 01-May-21
65 Pectoral Sandpiper 08-May-21
66 Semipalmated Sandpiper 06-Jul-21
67 Western Sandpiper 17-Aug-21
68 Long-billed Dowitcher 04-May-21
69 Wilson's Snipe 03-Apr-21
70 Wilson's Phalarope 15-May-21
71 Red-necked Phalarope 07-Aug-21
72 Spotted Sandpiper 03-May-21
73 Solitary Sandpiper 04-May-21
74 Greater Yellowlegs 01-Apr-21
75 Lesser Yellowlegs 13-Apr-21
76 Bonaparte's Gull 21-Apr-21
77 Short-billed Gull 27-Apr-21
78 Ring-billed Gull 15-Apr-21
79 California Gull 15-Apr-21
80 Herring Gull 15-Apr-21
81 Caspian Tern 21-May-21
82 Black Tern 04-Jun-21
83 Arctic Tern 03-Jul-21
84 Pacific Loon 14-Oct-21
85 Common Loon 15-Apr-21
86 Double-crested Cormorant 27-Apr-21
87 American White Pelican 12-Apr-21
88 American Bittern 23-May-21
89 Great Blue Heron 04-Apr-21
90 White-faced Ibis 21-Jul-21
91 Turkey Vulture 08-Apr-21
92 Osprey 18-Apr-21
93 Golden Eagle 01-Apr-21
94 Northern Harrier 21-Mar-21
95 Sharp-shinned Hawk 08-Apr-21
96 Cooper's Hawk 12-Apr-21
97 Bald Eagle 12-Jan-21
98 Broad-winged Hawk 11-Sep-21
99 Red-tailed Hawk 07-Mar-21
100 Rough-legged Hawk 24-Feb-21
101 Great Horned Owl 22-Mar-21
102 Northern Hawk Owl 22-Feb-21
103 Northern Pygmy-Owl 13-Jan-21
104 Barred Owl 18-Sep-21
105 Long-eared Owl 10-Apr-21
106 Northern Saw-whet Owl 10-Apr-21
107 Belted Kingfisher 15-Apr-21
108 Red-naped Sapsucker 16-Apr-21
109 Red-breasted Sapsucker 23-Jun-21
110 Lewis's Woodpecker 08-Jul-21
111 American Three-toed Woodpecker 29-Aug-21
112 Black-backed Woodpecker 27-Feb-21
113 Downy Woodpecker 12-Jan-21
114 Hairy Woodpecker 12-Jan-21
115 Pileated Woodpecker 14-Jan-21
116 Northern Flicker 13-Jan-21
117 American Kestrel 12-Mar-21
118 Merlin 28-Mar-21
119 Peregrine Falcon 06-Apr-21
120 Olive-sided Flycatcher 21-May-21
121 Western Wood-Pewee 15-May-21
122 Alder Flycatcher 04-Jun-21
123 Willow Flycatcher 18-May-21
124 Least Flycatcher 18-May-21
125 Hammond's Flycatcher 03-May-21
126 Dusky Flycatcher 05-May-21
127 Pacific-slope Flycatcher 03-Jun-21
128 Say's Phoebe 04-May-21
129 Western Kingbird 25-May-21
130 Eastern Kingbird 25-May-21
131 Cassin's Vireo 09-May-21
132 Warbling Vireo 01-May-21
133 Red-eyed Vireo 04-Jun-21
134 Northern Shrike 13-Jan-21
135 Canada Jay 14-Jan-21
136 Steller's Jay 21-Feb-21
137 Blue Jay 21-Mar-21
138 Black-billed Magpie 24-Feb-21
139 Clark's Nutcracker 15-Oct-21
140 American Crow 12-Jan-21
141 Common Raven 12-Jan-21
142 Black-capped Chickadee 12-Jan-21
143 Mountain Chickadee 13-Jan-21
144 Chestnut-backed Chickadee 02-Sep-21
145 Boreal Chickadee 25-Jul-21
146 Horned Lark 26-Mar-21
147 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 08-Apr-21
148 Tree Swallow 01-Apr-21
149 Violet-green Swallow 06-Apr-21
150 Bank Swallow 07-May-21
151 Barn Swallow 01-May-21
152 Cliff Swallow 01-May-21
153 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 04-Apr-21
154 Golden-crowned Kinglet 06-Apr-21
155 Red-breasted Nuthatch 13-Jan-21
156 Brown Creeper 27-Feb-21
157 Pacific Wren 10-Apr-21
158 Marsh Wren 03-Apr-21
159 American Dipper 22-Feb-21
160 European Starling 13-Jan-21
161 Gray Catbird 04-Jun-21
162 Mountain Bluebird 12-Mar-21
163 Townsend's Solitaire 10-Mar-21
164 Varied Thrush 15-Mar-21
165 Veery 18-Jun-21
166 Swainson's Thrush 04-Jun-21
167 Hermit Thrush 30-May-21
168 American Robin 09-Mar-21
169 Bohemian Waxwing 12-Jan-21
170 Cedar Waxwing 04-Jun-21
171 House Sparrow 14-Mar-21
172 American Pipit 18-Apr-21
173 Evening Grosbeak 07-Mar-21
174 Pine Grosbeak 13-Jan-21
175 Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch 11-Apr-21
176 House Finch 12-Mar-21
177 Purple Finch 16-Apr-21
178 Common Redpoll 21-Feb-21
179 Red Crossbill 27-Feb-21
180 White-winged Crossbill 07-Aug-21
181 Pine Siskin 13-Jan-21
182 American Goldfinch 05-Mar-21
183 Lapland Longspur 26-Mar-21
184 Snow Bunting 16-Apr-21
185 Chipping Sparrow 14-May-21
186 Clay-colored Sparrow 19-May-21
187 Lark Sparrow 14-Nov-21
188 American Tree Sparrow 27-Mar-21
189 Fox Sparrow 23-Jun-21
190 Dark-eyed Junco 09-Mar-21
191 White-crowned Sparrow 18-Apr-21
192 Golden-crowned Sparrow 07-May-21
193 Harris's Sparrow 30-Oct-21
194 White-throated Sparrow 31-May-21
195 Vesper Sparrow 30-Apr-21
196 Savannah Sparrow 19-Apr-21
197 Song Sparrow 14-Jan-21
198 Lincoln's Sparrow 22-Apr-21
199 Swamp Sparrow 04-Jul-21
200 Spotted Towhee 21-Mar-21
201 Yellow-headed Blackbird 14-Apr-21
202 Bobolink 25-May-21
203 Western Meadowlark 19-Mar-21
204 Bullock's Oriole 16-May-21
205 Red-winged Blackbird 13-Jan-21
206 Brown-headed Cowbird 29-Apr-21
207 Rusty Blackbird 09-Oct-21
208 Brewer's Blackbird 13-Apr-21
209 Northern Waterthrush 23-May-21
210 Tennessee Warbler 23-Jun-21
211 Orange-crowned Warbler 23-Apr-21
212 Nashville Warbler 04-Jun-21
213 MacGillivray's Warbler 23-May-21
214 Common Yellowthroat 16-May-21
215 American Redstart 23-May-21
216 Magnolia Warbler 23-Jun-21
217 Yellow Warbler 09-May-21
218 Blackpoll Warbler 23-Jun-21
219 Yellow-rumped Warbler 13-Apr-21
220 Townsend's Warbler 19-May-21
221 Wilson's Warbler 03-May-21
222 Western Tanager 09-May-21
223 Lazuli Bunting 11-Jun-21