Big January Birding Fun

Lesser Goldfinch in my Tucson Backyard January 2008

When I first started to get serious about birding and blogging I was encouraged by a fellow blogger named Larry from the Brownstone Birding Blog.  Not only was he one of the first people to comment on my first blog, Sycamore Canyon, he was also the person who got me started on doing a Big January. Part of the challenge he gave us in that first year of 2008 was to enter our data into eBird. Though I had participated in The Great Backyard Bird Count and Project Feederwatch, I had not yet tried eBird. That January I did and I was amazed at how much fun it was to have all my lists in one location, separated by date, location, county and state. I quickly became an eBird enthusiast. I have also played the Big January Game every year since.

Female Great-tailed Grackle January 2008 Tucson, AZ

Big January is played by counting all the bird species you can see in your own state starting at midnight of January 1^st  through Midnight of January 31^st. You can count birds anywhere and everywhere in your own state and, if you want to, you can have a friendly competition with other birds from other states, or just with yourself. However, by submitting your bird counts to eBird, you not only have fun, you also help the birds!

Here are some of the highlights from my previous Big Januarys: 

Great Egret in Christopher Columbus Park Tucson, AZ 2008

Costa's Hummingbird January 2008 Tucson, AZ

Kathie birding at the Ina Road Wetlands January 31, 2008

Whitewater Draw January 2009

One of my favorite birding places in Arizona is Whitewater Draw. Every winter thousands of Sandhill Cranes gather here to overwinter and often snow geese join them with a couple of Ross' geese thrown in.

Chestnut-sided warbler January 2009 Sabino Canyon, AZ

Sabino Canyon in Tucson is another favorite spot and in January of 2009 I was with three other birders from Tucson Audubon doing a bird survey where we spotted this Chestnut-sided warbler in the willows above the dam. It is these unexpected surprises that make birding so much fun! (I know the photo is fuzzy but it is proof I saw the bird!)

Townsend's Warbler January 2009 Madera Canyon, AZ

If you are ever in Southeast Arizona, you must visit Madera Canyon. All my visits to Madera Canyon have added greatly to my Big January Lists in the years that I lived in Arizona.

Northern Pintail Reid Park January 2009 Tucson, AZ

Of course, Reid park in central Tucson has helped me out also!

Scaled Quail January 2010 Corona de Tucson, AZ

But often I can find some of the best birds right in my own neighborhood, like this Scaled Quail I found at a friend's house in my Corona de Tucson neighborhood of Sycamore Canyon!

Leucisitic Vermilion flycatcher January 2010 Sweetwater Wetlands, Tucson, AZ

January 2010 brought a big surprise when I spotted this Leucisitic Vermilion flycatcher at Sweetwater Wetlands in Tucson.

Mexican Jay January 2010 Madera Canyon

Red-breasted Nuthatch Andover yard 2011

In January of 2011 we had snow storm after snow storm after snow storm! I never shoveled so much snow in my life! However, all that snow drove the one and only Red-breasted Nuthatch I saw all year in Massachusetts into my yard and to my suet feeder. The photos I took verify that I actually saw it! Otherwise I might doubt it myself! I never saw another in Massachusetts all year!

Red-bellied Woodpecker January 2011 My Andover Yard

Carolina Wren January 2011 Andover Yard

Cooper's Hawk January 2011 Andover Yard

Mute Swan January 20ll Turner Falls, MA Power Canal

With all that snow and the accompanying freezing temperatures we had to drive to places that had open water to see ducks and other waterfowl. So one day Gus and I took a drive out Route 2 to Turner Falls along the Connecticut River where this Mute Swan was just one of several birds we saw that day. 

Swamp Sparrow January 1, 2012 Stirling Street Bog, Andover, MA

I was not sure that I was going to do a Big January this year. I thought of just letting this one ride, but then when I saw Larry post that he was going to do one also, I could not resist. As I started to record the data from the first day of January it got me wondering how I fared in other years. I decided to do a little research and see what I could come up with. The first three years I participated I lived in Arizona where the weather was fine and the birding was easy. Then, late I the fall of 2010 we moved here to Andover, Massachusetts where it was a whole new territory and a whole new game. That January of 2011 we had record snow fall. Add to that I was just beginning to bird in this state and learn where to find various species. As a result, my big January from last year pales in comparison to the year before. I have posted the results below. I hope it will spur you on to your own Birding Fun and in case you are interested, it is not too late to join this year’s game!

My Big January Totals

• 2008 Arizona 89 species
• 2009 Arizona 107 species
• 2010 Arizona 113 species
• 2011 Massachusetts 55 species
• 2012-click here to see the current list 

If you are wondering how eBird uses all that data, well, they just had an article published by a peer-reviewed online journal the Public Library of Science. You can read that article here: eBird PloS Biology

And if you are not quite up to a Big January count yet, then, let me encourage you to participate in this year’s Great Backyard Bird Count in February. It is not only easy; it is four days of Birding Fun!