Animal Log of your native fauna

[Avian]

Went birding today at the Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area. Got three lifers: Wood Duck, Long-billed Curlew, and Red-breasted Merganser

https://ebird.org/checklist/S132521325

Are wood ducks less common in Utah? I would've thought you had seen plenty after all of your birding outings.

[bmathison1972]

Went birding today at the Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area. Got three lifers: Wood Duck, Long-billed Curlew, and Red-breasted Merganser

https://ebird.org/checklist/S132521325

Are wood ducks less common in Utah? I would've thought you had seen plenty after all of your birding outings.

they are not as common here, at least not in the places I routinely visit. This hotspot I was at yesterday is a known regular location for them. I've been after the Wood Duck for a while; even when I visit places they have recently been sited at, I tend to miss them.

[Avian]

Went birding today at the Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area. Got three lifers: Wood Duck, Long-billed Curlew, and Red-breasted Merganser

https://ebird.org/checklist/S132521325

Are wood ducks less common in Utah? I would've thought you had seen plenty after all of your birding outings.

they are not as common here, at least not in the places I routinely visit. This hotspot I was at yesterday is a known regular location for them. I've been after the Wood Duck for a while; even when I visit places they have recently been sited at, I tend to miss them.

Well congratulations! Thats quite the accomplishment then. Down here they are so common I see/hear one about once a week.

[bmathison1972]

Just got back from a big birding trip in Arizona. Below is the trip report (my friend I birded with added images for some). Three of the 'lifers' are not true lifers, but rather 'eBird lifers' (my first records specifically on eBird). I grew up in Arizona, so naturally several of these are not lifers. But I did get 26 official lifers

https://ebird.org/tripreport/118479

[bmathison1972]

Three lifers today while birding at Decker Lake and along the Jordan River Parkway: Sage Thrasher, Willet, Marbled Godwit

here is the trip report from three different spots: https://ebird.org/tripreport/121474

[bmathison1972]

Forgot to update lifer alerts!

This past Sunday I got my first Brewer's Sparrow at Decker Lake:
https://ebird.org/checklist/S136481706

Last night I went to Salt Lake Cemetery to get Lewis's Woodpecker (not a lifer, but rare here) and did get a lifer in the Dusky Flycatcher:
https://ebird.org/checklist/S136837187

[bmathison1972]

Was teaching in Minnesota early this week and got in some birding. Got three lifers: Sora, Northern Waterthrush, and Blackpoll Warbler.
Here is the trip report for all spots: https://ebird.org/tripreport/130103

[BlueKrono]

@bmathison1972 Next time you're in MN I'd love to meet ya!

[NSD Bashe]

Red-winged blackbird




Woodchuck

[bmathison1972]

@bmathison1972 Next time you're in MN I'd love to meet ya!

That would be great @BlueKrono - I teach at a Global Health course at the University of Minnesota every May (usually about this time of the year). I am sure I'll be back in 2024!

[bmathison1972]

@bmathison1972 Next time you're in MN I'd love to meet ya!

That would be great @BlueKrono - I teach at a Global Health course at the University of Minnesota every May (usually about this time of the year). I am sure I'll be back in 2024!

Oh, I will be in Rochester, MN in August but not sure how much free time I will have. I plan on birding in the area, though

[bmathison1972]

Got another lifer this morning, the Common Poorwill. It was a random observation during a 9-mile run:

https://ebird.org/checklist/S138492183

[bmathison1972]

Did a lot of birding over Memorial Day Weekend. Here is a complete Trip Report encompassing four different spots. Got two lifers, Hammond's Flycatcher and Olive-sided Flycatcher:

https://ebird.org/tripreport/134796

[JimoAi]

spotted an Asian toad and a grey heron

[bmathison1972]

Was in TX for work and birded briefly. Got 5 lifers however, the Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Mississippi Kite, Cave Swallow, and two interested exotic established species, the Red-vented Bulbul and Scaly-breasted Munia:

https://ebird.org/tripreport/139619

[bmathison1972]

Just got done birding in Orange Co., CA (was there on work).

Got 88 birds, including 27 lifers. The eBird trip report there denotes lifers with a checkmark:

https://ebird.org/tripreport/147654

Other animals of interest:

FISH:
round stingray
mullet

MAMMALS:
Fox Squirrel
California Ground Squirrel

REPTILES:
Orange-throated Whiptail
Western Fence Lizard
Side-blotched Lizard

[bmathison1972]

Was in Baltimore, MD this past weekend for my annual baseball stadium trip and got some birding in. 40+ species with 8 lifers:

https://ebird.org/tripreport/149908

checkmarks denote the lifers

[bmathison1972]

Was in Austin, TX for work the last three days and birded a little. Got a lifer in the Black-bellied Whistling-Duck

https://ebird.org/checklist/S147917114

[EpicRaptorMan]

What does the term "lifer" mean in bird watching?

[bmathison1972]

What does the term "lifer" mean in bird watching?

@EpicRaptorMan - it means it's the first time 'in my life' I have seen/documented it (formally)