2021: New Year, New List

     The new year is an exciting time because your bird year list starts a new! Mine got off to a late start as we learned we got some COVID exposure, but thankfully in taking the right steps of utilizing masks and not gathering inside, I stayed away from birding until we could get tested and find out we were all negative in our household.

    So my year list began in Brooklyn going to Green-Wood, Floyd Bennett Field, Marine Park, Sheepshead Bay, and Coney Island over my Friday-Saturday-Sunday last week and racking up 51 species. I got to start my year list with Kestrel and that made the start to my new bird year that much sweeter.

How interesting is this red-tail hawk, molting into its adult tail plumes! The other birds were not as excited as I was to see this red tail.

I was so intrigued by the pine siskins, landing on one specific spot on this sweetgum, eating moss/lichen? It's in its mouth! Many were gathered in this little spot and other would join in and pick at this specific spot. I wonder if there were insects or a water source. It was very interesting.

As Kestrel napped, I craned my neck to inspect every dangling finch on the sweetgum branches above. Because you never know what is in the mix...

Then I finally saw it and got this awesome picture. A common redpoll! A great bird to have on my first ebird list of the year! Also a bird I was hoping to see and we found it! 

On Saturday, I joined a friend for birding, but before meeting them I took a quick jaunt around Floyd. Was delighted by some runway horned larks.

At Marine Park, a lovely little tree sparrow gave us some nice looks at it on the main loop trail. They are just so darn cute.

Corvids are so smart and usually smart enough to keep away from people. This one thought seemed quite forgiving of our presence, just hanging out giving us some nice close good looks. Always appreciate a charismatic and kind crow.

On Sunday, before going in to work at the aquarium, I did some bird spotting from the Coney Island Pier. I got my Kings County Common Eider, I saw 4, in fact! I also enjoyed some scoters vocalizing their squeaky ridiculous calls.

Then I saw this common loon, who was practically under the pier. It is missing part of its upper mandible, clearly marking it as one tough cookie.

And then it proved just that, as it dove and resurfaced with a crab. The gulls went insane for it, but the loon dove and dove, and then just swallowed the thing whole.

So still an entire year lies ahead, and we shall see what motherhood brings as I attempt to continue birding and being a mom and tackling life. After 2020 with pregnancy, giving birth in the height of a pandemic, working from home while parenting, and birding with my daughter, all I can say is, try me, 2021...