My Last Bird of 2013...MacGillivray's Warbler!

5 Lifers including a MacGillivray's Warbler!

Map of Trip

115 Eastern Bluebird

116 Cooper's Hawk

117 Palm Warbler

118 House Finch

119 MacGillivray's Warbler

Off To ROCKPORT!

Owls and My Day 1 Big Year Plans

Tonight i went to look for owls with daddy, Joe and his girlfriend. my dad and I heard 2 Great Horned Owls. When they came we then heard a Screech Owl. We kept hearing it in different places. Really close then really far. him calling was so cool.we saw 4 shooting stars! i was making a song in the car and Joe thought it was a real owl!! hahah. I was a little scared in my video!

My dad, Jess, and Mayn and I are going to bird Rockport area again for day 1 of 2014. I am really excited to start!!!!

Ross's Goose Chase and Red-headed Woodpecker

Me, my dad and Grammy went to the Gloucester area. We wanted to try and find Harlequin Ducks, Iceland Gulls, and Ross's Goose. We went to a few spots and we did get to see lots of ducks and gulls! it was funny when a Great Black-backed Gull was eating a pepperoni! My dad also got real excited when he finally got a Lesser Black-backed gull finally!

Jodrey State Fish Pier, Essex County, Massachusetts, US
Niles Pond & Brace Cove, Essex County, Massachusetts, US
Good Harbor Beach, Essex County, Massachusetts, US
Cathedral Ledge, Essex County, Massachusetts, US

 Also a Gray Seal!

 After we left the ocean we went to look for the Ross's Goose. We dindt find it but my dad screamed so loud when he found a Red-headed Woodpecker. I already had seen 2 before when we went to NY. This one's head wasn't as red as the other I had seen. My dad says it was a juvenile. Lots of birders showed up and were able to see it as well. We then went to the Short-eared Owl spot. I got to see a Rough-legged Hawk and 4 Short-eared Owls. There were also hunters there shooting Canada Geese. It was sad for birders, like me. They were falling down and losing all their families and stuff.


Argilla-Northgate-Essex Rd. Fields Complex, Ipswich, Essex County, Massachusetts, US
Stackyard Road, Rowley, Essex County, Massachusetts, US

 

Also I wanted to say awesome job to Neil Hayward on his big year. because of him i wanted to start my own blog!

My little brother got the awesomest shirt for xmas from my auntie. i am getting one made too!

My lifelist is now at 113 (missing some basic birds that we cant remember but will get again) ! My Big Year starts in 3 days!! Where should we go first?!?!?!?

Cape Cod and Plymouth, Lifers!

My dad and me went to Cape Cod to find a few different birds. Redhead duck and hopefully a Eurasian Wigeon. It was raining hard the whole time we birded! We didnt get a Redhead duck but did get a Eurasian and American Wigeons. lots of lifers! We then went to Plymouth. and i got to see the Pilgrims boat and rock. My dad was trying to find a Lesser Black-backed Gull. We didn't find it but got to see an Iceland Gull! Here are my checklists and photos!

Map of trip

Salt Pond Falmouth, Barnstable County, Massachusetts, US

Siders Pond, Barnstable County, Massachusetts, US

Mill Pond, Falmouth, Barnstable County, Massachusetts, US

Plymouth Harbor, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, US

Jenney Pond, Plymouth, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, US

Santa Claws and Birds

Yesterday we went birding at the Worcester Airpot and found 0 birds!!!!!!! We then went to Wachusett Reservoir and found 6 Common Loons, Gadwalls, and Common Goldeneye. Also we got to see alot of Cedar Waxwings. they were pretty crazy cool! Ill have my dad post some photos and the checklists!

Muddy Pond/Sterling Peat, Sterling, Worcester County, Massachusetts, US

Wachusett Reservoir--South Bay, Worcester County, Massachusetts, US

Wachusett Reservoir--spruce grove, Worcester County, Massachusetts, US

When Christmas came I got a tablet and a camera from Santa. So now I can post photos that i take as well!

My Lifelist Up Till Now

My dad wanted me to show people birds that i saw in my life. i am missing some birds on here as we cant remember them all and i was not into birding. now im keeping track now. the saw-whet owl is the coolest because i got to hold it!

(Forgot)
97Dark-eyed Junco
98Mourning Dove

1	Pink-footed Goose
2	Snow Goose
3	Canada Goose
4	Mute Swan
5	Tundra Swan
6	Wood Duck
7	Mallard
8	Northern Shoveler
9	Bufflehead
10	Common Goldeneye
11	Hooded Merganser
12	Common Merganser
13	Ruddy Duck
14	Wild Turkey
15	Brown Pelican
16	American Bittern
17	Great Blue Heron
18	Great Egret
19	Little Blue Heron
20	Tricolored Heron
21	Black-crowned Night-Heron
22	Black Vulture
23	Turkey Vulture
24	Osprey
25	Northern Harrier
26	Bald Eagle
27	Red-shouldered Hawk
28	Broad-winged Hawk
29	Red-tailed Hawk
30	American Coot
31	Northern Lapwing
32	Killdeer
33	Spotted Sandpiper
34	Sanderling
35	Black-headed Gull
36	Ring-billed Gull
37	Herring Gull
38	Iceland Gull
39	Rock Pigeon
40	Eastern Screech-Owl
41	Great Horned Owl
42	Northern Hawk Owl
43	Barred Owl
44	Short-eared Owl
45	Northern Saw-whet Owl
46	Ruby-throated Hummingbird
47	Belted Kingfisher
48	Red-headed Woodpecker
49	Red-bellied Woodpecker
50	Downy Woodpecker
51	Hairy Woodpecker
52	Northern Flicker
53	American Kestrel
54	Merlin
55	Monk Parakeet
56	Gray Jay
57	Blue Jay
58	American Crow
59	Common Raven
60	Horned Lark
61	Tree Swallow
62	Black-capped Chickadee
63	Boreal Chickadee
64	Tufted Titmouse
65	Red-breasted Nuthatch
66	White-breasted Nuthatch
67	House Wren
68	Carolina Wren
69	Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
70	Golden-crowned Kinglet
71	American Robin
72	Gray Catbird
73	Brown Thrasher
74	Northern Mockingbird
75	European Starling
76	Cedar Waxwing
77	Snow Bunting
78	Yellow Warbler
79	Pine Warbler
80	Yellow-rumped Warbler
81	Eastern Towhee
82	American Tree Sparrow
83	Chipping Sparrow
84	Savannah Sparrow
85	Song Sparrow
86	Swamp Sparrow
87	White-throated Sparrow
88	White-crowned Sparrow
89	Northern Cardinal
90	Red-winged Blackbird
91	Common Grackle
92	Boat-tailed Grackle
93	Baltimore Oriole
94	Pine Grosbeak
95	American Goldfinch
96	House Sparrow

My Trip North For a Northern Hawk-Owl and Gray Jays

I woke up early at 4 in the morning yesterday to go with my daddy, Jessica Johnson, Joe Bourget, Mayn Hipp, and my grammy. I got ready and went on a 3 1/2 hour drive to way up in Waterbury Vermont (Waterbury Center, 137 Gregg Hill Road, Washington County, Vermont, US). We found Common Ravens. We found Snow Buntings (Toad Pond - Charleston (22 acres), Orleans County, Vermont, US eBird Checklist) and a Bald Eagle. And we saw a store that sold everything. and guns!

Trip Map

 When we got there I was able to look through a scope and see the Northern Hawk-Owl. It was awesome. It's body to me looked like a hawk and its head looked like an owl. we got a little closer to it while it was on a tree so I could see better and it was there for a long time. We then drived to a different place. (Wenlock WMA, Ferdinand, VT Moose Bog, Wenlock WMA, Essex County, Vermont, US eBird Checklist), Right when we got out of the car 2 Gray Jays flew into a tree close to us. We had food for them but they didnt come down and get it. when we were walking in the woods we saw some moose tracks. We found a Boreal Chickadee. we didnt see a Spruce Grouse or a Black-backed Woodpecker. my daddy wasnt happy about that. then we went home and when i got food in the car i fell asleep before i even started to eat it. my daddy will now post pictures on here and our checklists. My daddy also said that we got Red-breasted Nuthatches to. we also made it on the news up there! Northern Hawk-Owl News Story.  i cant wait for my big year to come!!

thank you for reading this message!

this is where we saw the Hawk-Owl

 Gray Jay

 Boreal Chickadee

 Northern Hawk-Owl

Iceland Gull and Some Thank You's

For the last week me and my dad saw 2 Iceland Gulls in our town. It is relly good  for me. I new it because it had a white wings while the other gulls have black wings. It lives up in the arctic near Santa in the summer and comes down south in the winter. This is a life bird for me. I got to see it in my dads scope as it sat on a rock. Other birds that I seen there that were really cool was a Ruddy Duck and Common Goldeneye.

Thank you to everyone that has donated some books to me. i really like that, you're really nice people. and my dad said he has gotten lots of messages saying good luck to me! I am relly excited to start my big year!

My ebird checklist

Iceland Gull checklist

Some photos my dad took

A Little About Me...

My name is Owen Lawson  I am 6 years old.  My dad birds and likes to take photos. My favorite bird is a Great Grey Owl. In 2014 I will do a Big Year and  try to see as many birds as I can with the help of my dad. My dad will help me go on my adventures and update my blog with photos, checklists and proper spelling, bird names and locations. I hope you enjoy and thank you!