My BIGBY List

Birding goes green!

The BIGBY (BIg Green Big Year) challenge is the brainchild of Richard Gregson, of Baie d’Urfé, Québec. In essence its goal is to see as many species of birds in one year using only green methods of transportation – that is, no gasoline-powered combustion engines.

My list below encompasses all the species I see in 2009, but BIGBY species are marked in green. I have a feeling that most species on this list will be in green. I rarely go anywhere else, and while here at home nearly all my birding is done on foot or by our little electric-powered boat. The list will be in taxonomic order.

I am hoping for 150 BIGBY bird species this year. We’ll see how I do!

———————-

Species for 2009

Common Loon
Double-crested Cormorant
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Mallard
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Ring-necked Duck
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Great Blue Heron
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Turkey Vulture
American Kestrel
Ruffed Grouse
Wild Turkey
Killdeer
American Woodcock
Wilson’s Snipe
Ring-billed Gull
Mourning Dove
Rock Pigeon
Great Horned Owl
Barred Owl
Belted Kingfisher
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Least Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Yellow-throated Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Blue Jay
Common Raven
American Crow
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Barn Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
House Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
American Robin
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Bohemian Waxwing
Nashville Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Pine Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Northern Waterthrush
Eastern Towhee
American Tree Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Snow Bunting
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Eastern Meadowlark
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Baltimore Oriole
Purple Finch
Common Redpoll
Hoary Redpoll
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow

Last update: May 4/09
Total species to date: 88
Total BIGBY species: 81

Milestones:
50 BIGBY species: House Sparrow
100 species total:
100 BIGBY species:

———————-

Other 2009 Species

Mammals
Raccoon
White-tailed Deer
Gray Squirrel
Red Squirrel
Chipmunk
Porcupine
Muskrat
Mink
Bobcat (territorial scratches)
Coyote (howling)

Herpetiles
Garter Snake
Ribbon Snake
Turtle (unidentified)
Spring Peeper
Striped Chorus Frog
Wood Frog
Leopard Frog
Gray Treefrog
American Toad

Fish
Northern Pike

Noteworthy Moths
(I don’t have space to list everything; these are uncommon or lifers)
Morrison’s Sallow – first moth of spring!
Scarce Infant – extremely rare and generally restricted to boreal habitats
Mustard Sallow
Citrine Sallow
Bailey’s Pinion
Singed Pinion
Triple-spotted Pinion
Roland’s Sallow
Stout Spanworm
Chosen Sallow
Figure-eight Sallow
Hazel Zale
Common Oak Moth
Eyed Baileya
Yellowhorn

Other Noteworthy Invertebrates
(trying to list all observed inverts here would drive one crazy)
Mourning Cloak – first butterfly of spring!
Twice-stabbed Ladybeetle – native