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"Bird of the Year," a New Year's Day game


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I first read about “Bird of the Year†thirteen or so years ago, in Lyanda Lynn Haupt’s paean to birding, Rare Encounters with Ordinary Birds. She writes:

 

There is a game birders play on New Year’s Day called “Bird of the Year.†The very first bird you see on the first day of the new year is your theme bird for the next 365 days. It might seem a curious custom, but people who watch birds regularly are always contriving ways to keep themselves interested. This is one of those ways. You are given the possibility of creating something extraordinary — a Year of the Osprey, Year of the Pileated Woodpecker, Year of the Trumpeter Swan. This game is an inspiration to place yourself in natural circumstances that will yield a heavenly bird, blessing your year, your perspective, your imagination, your spirit. New year, new bird.

 

After her breathless anticipation, Haupt is confronted with… an Eastern Starling, or “sky-rat.â€

 

The Year of the Eastern Starling. Inauspicious, yes, but not without its charms, according to Haupt.

 

Before heading to bed on New Year’s Eve, I ensure that all of the feeders are topped off and that corn and nuts are scattered for the squirrels. (As this seasoned backyard birder knows, there are no squirrel-proof feeders. Cheap feed scattered away from the feeders will (mostly) keep those furry nuisances away from the birds and the more expensive seed, though.) Some years, I hang a Post-It on the big window to remind everyone to note his or her first bird.

 

What will it be?

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How fun!   I think we have that book; I should look for it.  We love birds, and have a couple of feeders.   I will try to remember to look out tomorrow morning and see what my bird is.

 

I like the idea of "bird of the year" better than "word of the year."  :-)  

 

 

 

(No offense to word of the year people.  Just never worked for me.)

 

 

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I love this idea, but I can guarantee that unless someone walks me blindfolded to the car, and drives me blindfolded to somewhere exotic, my first bird will be an Indian Myna.

 

In the link, it's tagged under 'birds behaving badly', and I could run with that...

 

If it's not a Myna, it will be a Bulbul.

I hope it's the Bulbul! Probably it's boring to you, but to my eyes it is so exotic and beautiful! :)

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Year of the Silver-Laced Wyandotte.

She was my first out of the coop at the crack of dawn on this New Year's Day 2017.

It's usually our Coronation Sussex out first, but she's gone broody.

 

The wild birds were all singing, but I don't recall looking at any. My eyes were half closed. It was only 4.30am.

 

Silver-laced Wyandotte is my avatar  :001_smile:

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Mine will surely be a sparrow. Not a nice one, with a fancy name either.

 

Marbel, if it is a mourning dove perhaps you can figure out its nature and then note them from year-to-year. Don't they nature for life?

 

I agree with Sadie, the only way I could get excited about this would be if someone would enthusiastically offer to blindfold me and take me to the nature center nearby. Maybe if I actually stayed up late my "bird" would be a bat. That would be pretty interesting!

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Mine will surely be a sparrow. Not a nice one, with a fancy name either.

 

Marbel, if it is a mourning dove perhaps you can figure out its nature and then note them from year-to-year. Don't they nature for life?

 

I agree with Sadie, the only way I could get excited about this would be if someone would enthusiastically offer to blindfold me and take me to the nature center nearby. Maybe if I actually stayed up late my "bird" would be a bat. That would be pretty interesting!

 

I'm sorry but I have no idea what this means.   

 

Mourning doves seem like stupid birds to me.  Those tiny pin heads on that body.   Yes, I'm showing my bird bias.

 

:-)  :-)

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I'm sorry but I have no idea what this means.   

 

Mourning doves seem like stupid birds to me.  Those tiny pin heads on that body.   Yes, I'm showing my bird bias.

 

:-)  :-)

 

Marbel, if it is a mourning dove perhaps you can figure out its nature and then note them from year-to-year. Don't they nature for life?

 

I'm thinking "nature" was the autocorrect for "mate"...

 

Every time I see a mourning dove I wonder to myself, how is it that you are still alive?  They are sooo slow compared to other birds.  Mourning doves can't even build proper nests, bless their hearts.

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I'm thinking "nature" was the autocorrect for "mate"...

 

Every time I see a mourning dove I wonder to myself, how is it that you are still alive?  They are sooo slow compared to other birds.  Mourning doves can't even build proper nests, bless their hearts.

 

Ah!  Of course!  

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I love this idea!! I'm actually reading her book, Urban Bestiary right now (on my phone and can't do italics or underline or anything! First time I've noticed that), and I'm excited to learn she has other books out.

I will see a sparrow or finch, perhaps a crow. They're all okay with me.

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Mine will be a sparrow, house finch or starling. Or worse a grackle. Ugh! 

But maybe I will get at least a chickadee or cardinal. The chickdees are so friendly. Ds has a stuffed one that makes real calls and the ones at the feeder answer back to it! 

 

My favorite birds in our yard are the Carolina wren (who doesn't come to the feeders much) and the dark-eyed juncos (winter visitors). Not exotic or rare or beautiful, but my favorites nevertheless. Goldfinches and hummers too in the summertime. What are your backyard favorites?

 

 

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I do this, but have adapted it to suit the fact that I would have the same bird every year if it were always the first bird I see on January 1. So, I take the bird I see the most of on the first day I go out birding in the new year (usually in the first week of the year).

 

2016 was the year of the kestrel for me.

Edited by Seasider
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Mine will be a sparrow, house finch or starling. Or worse a grackle. Ugh! 

But maybe I will get at least a chickadee or cardinal. The chickdees are so friendly. Ds has a stuffed one that makes real calls and the ones at the feeder answer back to it! 

 

My favorite birds in our yard are the Carolina wren (who doesn't come to the feeders much) and the dark-eyed juncos (winter visitors). Not exotic or rare or beautiful, but my favorites nevertheless. Goldfinches and hummers too in the summertime. What are your backyard favorites?

 

I love this thread!

 

We are absolutely spoilt here for backyard birds (Queensland, Australia). We keep a bird-spotting guide by our back door.

 

On any given day we can have rainbow lorikeets, kookaburras, sulfur-crested cockatoos, galahs, palehead rosellas, king parrots, greenies (scaly-breasted lorikeets), corellas etc. We also get magpies, butcher birds, willy wagtails, apostle birds, friar birds, crows, mynas, fairy wrens, finches and more. Occasionally we'll spot a kingfisher by our pool. They are really lovely.

 

And on those extra special few weeks each year we have the beautiful yellow-tailed black cockatoos come and visit. They rip at the bark on our acacia trees. It is oh-so-cool.

One year I spotted two red-tailed blacks. Wow, that was super-special. But I've only ever seen them that once.

 

One reason we love our chookies so much is that we adore birds and chickens are one way to own birds without caging them. Our chickens are free-range in a large, fenced yard. Perfect.  :001_smile:

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Ooh, and I must add one more thing for the bird-lovers here.

 

Are any of you as obsessed with the live Eagle-cam as I am? Harriet and her mate M15 have one hatched eaglet so far! The second egg is due to hatch soon.

 

http://www.dickpritchettrealestate.com/eagle-feed.html 

 

See that thing along the left edge of her nest - that's a fish that her mate M15 brought her  :001_wub:

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Okay, one more thing because I am a bit bird-obsessed.

I love that we occasionally spot a tawny frogmouth. They are so cool. They look a bit owl-like, but they aren't owls.

One night recently I was picking my husband up from the bus stop and there was a tawny frogmouth in the middle of the road. It looked like a juvenile and it didn't move as I was driving closer. I stopped in the middle of the road while my husband jumped out and shoo-ed it to safety. 

 

We are very, very spoilt for wildlife here, but we appreciate it all. So, so lucky to live here.

 

I'll try not to hog this thread any longer ....

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Ooh, and I must add one more thing for the bird-lovers here.

 

Are any of you as obsessed with the live Eagle-cam as I am? Harriet and her mate M15 have one hatched eaglet so far! The second egg is due to hatch soon.

 

http://www.dickpritchettrealestate.com/eagle-feed.html 

 

See that thing along the left edge of her nest - that's a fish that her mate M15 brought her  :001_wub:

I don't know why that link didn't work for me but I saw this the other day through my sister posting it elsewhere. Cool stuff.

 

My first bird will likely be a Carolina wren, American robin, or a sparrow. I've seen robins here all fall and winter. It is not going to get too cold here this time. 

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And on those extra special few weeks each year we have the beautiful yellow-tailed black cockatoos come and visit. They rip at the bark on our acacia trees. It is oh-so-cool.

One year I spotted two red-tailed blacks. Wow, that was super-special. But I've only ever seen them that once.

 

Wow!!!

 

We have Superb Fairy Wrens and a pair of New England Honeyeaters visit each year. The latter scared the daylights out of me year before last, by flying straight at my head after a mozzie. :svengo:

 

 

We used to have Tawny Frogmouths most years where I grew up. They've really got that "I'm a tree branch" thing down pat.

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My first bird of the year was a fat fox squirrel robbing my feeder. I'm not sure what that signifies other than I need more squirrel proof feeders. It's kind of a funny morning--usually birds are all over the place, but it's kind of misty and cool, and they seem to be staying in the cedar trees today.

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I as began to prep our turkey over the kitchen sink this morning, there were 14 goldfinches on a rosemary bush just outside the window. So, the year of the goldfinch begins.

 

To keep things in perspective and be more accurate, it is the year of the LESSER goldfinch.

Edited by nrg
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Mine was a goldfinch. I knew it would be, because they've been at my feeders daily for over a month. These aren't the pretty bright yellow ones. They're either females or winter (non-breeding) males. And they won't be around much longer. I was hoping for a local, like a cardinal or a red-bellied woodpecker. With my luck if I did get a year-round bird it would be a mourning dove. They congregate on the ground and eat what falls off the feeders. Or it could have been a red-shouldered hawk. I guess I should be happy it was cute little birds. 

 

 

 

 

Watch me end up with a brown-headed cowbird 

 

We call them the Walmart birds, because they always seem to be in the parking lot of our Walmart. 

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Mine is a White-Breasted Nuthatch.

 

I'm very happy with that. 2016 was a horrible year for me in many ways. 2017 (hopefully) will be better but is also bringing some huge changes in my life. I love that Nuthatches walk head-first down a tree with no problem -- they make me smile every time I see them do that. So, I will take that as a sign that I can walk through life in a different way & it will be fine -- & I can even do it with a smile on my face. :)

Edited by Stacia
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I love this idea, but I can guarantee that unless someone walks me blindfolded to the car, and drives me blindfolded to somewhere exotic, my first bird will be an Indian Myna.

 

In the link, it's tagged under 'birds behaving badly', and I could run with that...

 

If it's not a Myna, it will be a Bulbul.

 

Mine will be a cardinal or a sparrow without the blindfold.  Probably a cardinal since they seem to love the forsythia bushes right outside the kitchen window.

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I as began to prep our turkey over the kitchen sink this morning, there were 14 goldfinches on a rosemary bush just outside the window. So, the year of the goldfinch begins.

 

To keep things in perspective and be more accurate, it is the year of the LESSER goldfinch.

If you wanted to, though, it could technically be the year of the turkey for you [emoji6]

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Read up on vultures. They are actually an interesting bird and get a bad rap.

 

Sure, they urinate all over themselves to keep cool and vomit foul half-digested meat in self-defense.  (I'm talking specifically of turkey vultures, very common in my area)

 

Carrion beetles and blow flies live interesting lives too, but that doesn't mean I'd enjoy having one as my inspirational animal for the coming year.

 

The first bird I am fairly confident I could identify from afar was a downy woodpecker.  This wasn't the very first bird I saw moving around so I don't know if it counts.

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Mine is a White-Breasted Nuthatch.

 

I'm very happy with that. 2016 was a horrible year for me in many ways. 2017 (hopefully) will be better but is also bringing some huge changes in my life. I love that Nuthatches walk head-first down a tree with no problem -- they make me smile every time I see them do that. So, I will take that as a sign that I can walk through life in a different way & it will be fine -- & I can even do it with a smile on my face. :)

 

I am a little jealous; nuthatches are my favorite birds.  Their toy trumpet-like calls never fail to make me happy!

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I'm sorry but I have no idea what this means.

 

Mourning doves seem like stupid birds to me. Those tiny pin heads on that body. Yes, I'm showing my bird bias.

 

:-) :-)

Sorry, Cecropia was right, nature= mate. Autocorrect gets me every time.

 

Not only do they have little heads, but doves in general always squeak so much as they fly!

 

As predicted, this will be a year of the non-descript sparrow. An "LBB" (little brown bird) year for me.

Edited by SusanC
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Does the Cardinal shaped candy on the counter count. ;)

 

The first bird I saw at the feeder this morning was one I have not been able to identify....small like a wren or titmouse, longer beak of an insect eater, tail up more than out or down, a soft green/yellow color. She (?) was happily working on the suet feeder. I can't find her coloring and shape together in my bird book--it's driving me crazy.

 

I liked that she is small and unassuming with some mystery, and busy working.

 

So...the year of the cute green/yellow bird...

 

 

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Does the Cardinal shaped candy on the counter count. ;)

 

The first bird I saw at the feeder this morning was one I have not been able to identify....small like a wren or titmouse, longer beak of an insect eater, tail up more than out or down, a soft green/yellow color. She (?) was happily working on the suet feeder. I can't find her coloring and shape together in my bird book--it's driving me crazy.

 

I liked that she is small and unassuming with some mystery, and busy working.

 

So...the year of the cute green/yellow bird...

 

Pine warbler?

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Well the first 6 times I looked out a window there were no birds at all, so I was wondering if this year was going to be a lonely one for me. LOL

 

Then I saw a little bit of a bird scurry off a distant branch before I could see what he was, but due to size and affect, I think he was a finch.  The first bird I could definitely say for sure, was a Blue Jay that lighted past my window just now as I am typing this.  

 

So....I don't know, go with the guess on the first one.....or the confident second one? 

 

To me finches are a bit scatter brained and go from one thing to another, without much concern. 

Jays are beautiful but a bit bullish too. They kind of take over everything and aren't too keen on sharing.

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Read up on vultures. They are actually an interesting bird and get a bad rap.

Turkey vultures have a fascinating natural history! An acquaintance of mine is a field biologist actually working on a book about them.

 

This morning my busy feeders had these visitors, which I saw as I washed the morning dishes:

 

Cardinals

Juncos

Downy woodpeckers

Blue jays

Chickadees

Tufted titmouse(s - I guess titMICE, then!)

A little tribe of house finches

A yellow shafted flicker

House sparrow

American crow flyover

 

I am actually about to go out birding, hope to know my bird of the year by dusk.

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