The end of July is a quiet time for birding. Migration north is long past. Migration south is barely beginning for some shorebirds. Nesting season is over and fledglings are almost full grown. Some birds are still singing, but in general the woods are quiet. The hottest days of summer are here or soon to arrive. Not dead, but really quiet.
Planning is underway for my next and penultimate trip on my 50/50/50 Adventure. Birding is scheduled with some wonderful assistance from local birders in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa and Nebraska. I leave in 48 days and yes I am counting. If the weather and birds cooperate, that will leave just three states to complete the adventure in all 50 states. Sometime in October or November visits to Kansas, Arkansas and Oklahoma should do it. Preliminary planning has begun for that trip as well. As I wait for those journeys, I have reflected on the amazing times along the way – the terrific people, the great places and the wonderful birds.
So far on the “count” days in the 42 states visited, I have seen 492 species, 463 if I exclude Hawaii. Including additional non-count days on those trips those numbers increase to 629 and 630 respectively. I have not kept track but despite camera malfunctions in Arizona and Louisiana, I expect I have photographs of between 580 and 600 species from all of the trips.
I often am asked about “favorite” or “best” birds from my trips. There have been so many wonderful birds that such choices are probably unfair. Thinking about it, however, I came up with a list of favorite or best photos for each of the states. Sometimes the choice was made because of the rarity of the bird, other times simply because I like the species or the photo. What follows is a collection of those chosen photos. One is included for every state from the count day itself. If a second appears, it is from a different day on the same trip, selected using the same criteria. Fifty seven species in all – one for each of the 42 states and another 15 – one each from 15 states – photos or birds that had special meaning to me. The latter are always the second photos for the state.
In a few more months I hope to have additional photos for the remaining 8 states.
Alabama – Snowy Plover
Alaska – Spectacled Eider/Short Tailed Albatross
Arizona – Rufous Capped Warbler/Montezuma Quail
Arkansas (Stay Tuned)
California – Nazca Booby/Yellow Footed Gull
Colorado – Scaled Quail/Greater Prairie Chicken
Connecticut – Yellow Throated Vireo
Delaware – Clapper Rail/Seaside Sparrow/
Florida – Bananaquit/Swallow Tailed Kite
Georgia – Sedge Wren
Hawaii – I’iwi/Red Billed Leiothorix
Idaho – Common Nighthawk
Illinois – Chestnut Sided Warbler
Indiana – Bobolink
Iowa (Stay Tuned)
Kansas (Stay Tuned)
Kentucky – Great Horned Owl
Louisiana – Yellow Rail
Maine – Yellow Bellied Flycatcher/Atlantic Puffin
Maryland – Swainson’s Warbler
Massachusetts – Black Scoters
Michigan – Kirtland’s Warbler
Minnesota (Stay Tuned)
Mississippi – Yellow Crowned Night Heron
Missouri – Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Montana – Lincoln’s Sparrow/Western Tanager
Nebraska (Stay Tuned)
Nevada – Lucy’s Warbler
New Hampshire – Purple Sandpipers
New Jersey – Cape May Warbler/Gull Billed Tern
New Mexico – Sandhill Cranes/Black Rosy Finch
New York – White Eyed Vireo
North Carolina – Least Tern/Fea’s Petrel
North Dakota (Stay Tuned)
Ohio – Connecticut Warbler/Baltimore Oriole
Oklahoma (Stay Tuned)
Oregon – Red Shouldered Hawk
Pennsylvania – Black Billed Cuckoo
Rhode Island – Blue Winged Warbler/
South Carolina – Little Blue Heron
South Dakota (Stay Tuned)
Tennessee – Summer Tanager
Texas – Whooping Crane/Ferruginous Pygmy Owl
Utah – Flammulated Owl/White Faced Ibis
Vermont – Philadelphia Vireo
Virginia – Red Headed Woodpecker
Washington – Buller’s Shearwater
West Virginia – Prothonotary Warbler
Wisconsin – Blackburnian Warbler
Wyoming – Red Naped Sapsucker
Love this photo/blog, Blair! FYI: your Ibis isn’t associated with a State. Surprised the Connecticut Warbler wasn’t included!
Cheers, Ann Marie
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Thanks – added the Ibis name to Utah and the Connecticut Warbler is there – Ohio…
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just amazing and so many great photos congrats Blair and thanks for sharing
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Reblogged this on dreamweaver333.
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Thank you for sharing these wonderful bird portraits. I hope your future travel plans will go according to plan.
Best wishes,
Tanja
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Thank you. I have never birded in Germany. Enjoyed your post.
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Thank you for taking a look at my post. I have never birded in 42 (soon 50) states–am envious! 😊
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