EZBird: 2010 Big Year

In 2010 I checked off a long-time “bucket list” goal of doing a big year in California. For you non-birders, this means that I tried to see as many species of birds as possible during 2010 within the State. I ended the year with 444 species.

As far as I know, my total was the highest in the last decade in California and reasonably good by historical standards, but it is well below the mind-boggling all-time record of 480 by Andrew and Vernon Howe in 1996. I didn’t leave a lot on the table, so their 480 impresses the heck out of me. I birded daily except for March through mid-June due to a work-induced hiatus. I actually managed to work ~20 hours per week for most of the remainder of the year, mostly on the phone while driving or from my computer.

My non-birding friends found some aspects of my big year experience humorous, interesting and/or offensive, including:

over 32,000 miles driven
18 round-trips between Northern and Southern California
2 trips / 4 mostly rainy days spent looking for the Brown Shrike in Arcata
14 unsuccessful trips to La Mirada Creek Park to look for Dusky-capped Flycatcher (I got it on my 15th trip. I have no plans to ever visit LMCP again.)
I visited all of the 58 counties in California at least once this year
I submitted checklists for 515 locations.
I camped out or slept in my car about 45 nights

A Big Year is an intensely personal learning experience. Of course I learned a lot about birds, but the highlight of the year was the opportunity to explore almost every inch of this beautiful and amazing state. Every corner of the state hides fascinating, beautiful spots. I love them all, but some come to mind as the most beautiful or interesting: Arcata, Slab City, Ft Bidwell, Orick, Crescent City, Yuma, Three Pines, Mercey Hot Springs, Suisun, Markleyville, Galileo Hill, Pt Arenas.

Of course I ended the year having missed some “easy” birds. I missed 65 of the 498 countable species reported in California this year. I missed 14 pelagic (i.e. deep water ocean) species -- I didn't get out to sea much this year. My March-June break probably cost me about 10-15 species only seen this year as spring migrants as well as some commoner species that are most easily found at that season. Roughly 5-10 species were observed only in places to which there is no public access, such as Southeast Farallon Island. I also just missed some common species simply because I wasn't in the right place at the right time.

I developed a deep appreciation for the power of eBird. www.eBird.org is an important and powerful tool for capturing status and distribution data. I believe we are just scratching the surface of what that database will eventually become as a tool for conservation and science. BirdsEye was a great tool for planning my trips using eBird data. As some of you know, I have just purchased an ownership stake in BirdsEye and hope to help them make the most of eBird.

Feel free to flame me for the irony of my excessive use of fossil fuels.

Appendix I: The following is a rough accounting of the all-time records for big years in California, courtesy of Andrew Howe with some edits by me:

Name (year) - adjusted total counting species splits [total recorded at the time]

1. Vernon Howe (1996) - 480 [476]

2. Andrew Howe (1996) - 479 [475]

3. Roy Poucher (1996) - 475 [471]

4. Guy McCaskie (1977) - 467 [446]

5. Don Roberson (1977) - 464 [443]

6. Donna Ditmann (1977) - 462 [441]

6. Elizabeth Copper (1977) - 462 [441]

7. Doug Morton (1977) - ?

8. Rich Stallcup (1974) - 455 [450]

8. Louis Bevier (1977) - 455 [434]

8. ? birder tied with Stallcup & Bevier (1977) - 455 [434]

11. Doug Shaw (1998) - 454 [?]

The following individuals have had big years in California above 440. There are probably more I am missing:

Bob and Barbara Brandriff ?

Dick Norton -- (1998) 446 Note: Dick has been over 400 every year since 1996!

Doug Shaw (1997) - 445 [?]

David Bell (2010) - 444 [444]

Tom Wurster & Liga Auzins (1998?) 443 -- land only

Michael Feighner ?

Todd McGrath ?

The following is a list of the birds I saw this year in California that are countable [As you may know, birders are picky about which birds “count” and which don’t: wild birds that are native or well-established in the judgement of the California Bird Records Committee count; Peacocks and barnyard geese in a park do not.]

Alphabetic Taxonomic

Location

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

2010 Big Year

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