The Art of Listing: A Big Year Quest in NY

Update: New Photographs!

Update: Brad makes it to 300!

What does a birder do when he (or she) has graduated from little brown jobs to peeps and age-classing juvenile gulls? In New York, he sets about a big year where he attempts to see 300 species in 365 days.

White-winged Crossbill by Brad Carlson

While the New York State Avian Records Committee (NYSARC) recognizes at least 470 bird species representing 19 orders and 63 families of birds, seeing 300 in one calendar year requires intense focus and tons of time studying records, chasing rarities, and visiting prime birding locations during each season.

Having kept a list or two and undertaken more than one wild dash to search for a rare bird, I’m intrigued by the art and sport of listing.  So when I heard a local birding friend, Brad Carlson, was going for 300 this year, I asked him about what inspired his goal and how his quest is going so far:

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INTERVIEW WITH BIRDER BRAD CARLSON OF ROCHESTER, NY

Thanks for sharing details of your big year, Brad.  Why are you going for a big year?

Attempting to see 300 species of birds in New York is not unprecedented, nor what I would consider extremely difficult, but it takes a lot of time and effort. I typically see between 260 – 270 species in New York each year. This involves lots of local birding and a casual trip or two to Long Island and/or the Adirondacks.

In order to see 300 species, I literally need to see every species that breeds, migrates through, or wonders into upstate New York, as well as make at least one serious birding trip to Long Island (for coastal species) and the Adirondacks (for boreal specialties).

How long have you been birding in New York?

I have been birding with my Dad and brother around the Rochester area since I was a little boy…before I remember. I started keeping a list when I was 12 years old.

How many species have you seen so far?

As of August 19, I am close with 299 species for the 2009 calendar year. I don’t expect any problems achieving the 300 species target at this point, so now I will try to see as many species as possible.

What species are on your target list to hit 300?

During the rest of August I will focus on the shorebird species I have missed to date, as well as the fall migration of Common Nighthawk which I missed in spring. After that, it is hit or miss as I try for some less common fall/winter species.

Snowy Owl by Brad Carlson

How many times a week do you bird? What do you do each week to help you meet your goal?

My birding varies dramatically depending on the month of the year, weather conditions, and whether or not a rarity has been reported that I would like to “chase.” Early in the year, I set a goal to see 100 species for the month of January. I went birding a few days per week and ended the month with 105 NY species.

I did almost no birding in February and March. In April and May I tried to bird as much as possible. Now in mid-summer, I have been going a couple of weeks between outings, but that is changing as fall migration starts.

To maximize my efforts, I review my historical records for the optimal dates and locations to look for species. I also check the various New York list serves for sightings every day. 

What’s the farthest you’ve traveled so far to add birds to your list?

For the first time in my life, I have traveled to all corners of New York state to track down birds.

I birded the extreme northwest corner of the state at Fort Niagara to see Black-headed Gull, and then 9 1/2 hours away to the extreme southeast to bird at Montauk Point on Long Island.  [Editor's note: check out what chasing the Black-headed Gull with Brad was like.]

To the northeast, I birded the north side of the Adirondacks in Bloomingdale Bog. 

To the southwest, I traveled to Allegany State Park at the Pennsylvania border to find breeding Yellow-throated Warblers.  I also traveled to Lake Chautauqua to see the White Pelicans that were there (Editor’s note: also see my post on these pelicans), only to have this species show up closer to home on Braddock Bay weeks later!

Describe a few of your favorite birding experiences this year.

In January, I hosted one of the rarest birds I have seen all year in New York, and it was in my own yard. A Yellow-headed Blackbird came to our feeders for nine (9) days. This made 20+ years of feeding birds all worthwhile. That was special for me on a personal level since it was at my house. Many birders came to see it.

Yellow-headed Blackbird by Brad Carlson

On Long Island, birding friend Doug Daniels and I enjoyed an unexpected phenomenon at Montauk Point. We watched over 3,000 Cory’s, Greater, Manx and Sooty Shearwaters, and ~50 Wilson’s Storm-petrels flying and sitting on the water close to shore. Most birders are lucky to see them bobbing up and down from a boat on a pelagic trip 50 miles out to sea, so we were fortunate to enjoy this near-shore experience.

Dominic Sherony, Doug Daniels and I were able to see a male Spruce Grouse in the Adirondacks. This is one of the rarest breeding species in New York, with less than 100 birds remaining and it’s population is continuing to decline.

Just yesterday, Dominic and I spotted a Western Sandpiper at Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge. That bird put me at 299!

White-eyed Vireo by Brad Carlson

How many other birders have achieved 300 species in New York?

I have no idea, but I expect that avid birders from down state (those that get out 2-3 times per week) may achieve this goal every year. It is more difficult to see 300 species in and or from upstate NY  without easy access to the coastal species, and the numerous rarities that end up on or close to the coast.

Once you hit the magic 300, what happens next? Are you inducted into a secret society? Do you throw a party? Stop bird watching? Own braggin’ rights? : )

I will get some personal satisfaction from achieving my goal, but most importantly I had a lot of fun along the way. This kind of objective also triggers you to meet many nice people and to see many interesting places throughout the year. There is no fame or glory that comes with it, and I don’t expect to repeat this objective any time in the near future. Next year, I suspect I’ll continue to do casual local birding, but will focus my efforts on any of the species that I do not see in New York in 2009.

Thanks, Brad. Your added photos enhance the post. Good luck getting to 300, and be sure to update us when you do. 

300 UPDATE!:  Shorebirds continue to reap rewards. On August 25th, Brad saw his 300th and 301st birds, including a Red-necked Phalarope and a White-rumped Sandpiper. Since then, he’s gone on to spot American Golden Plover, Baird’s Sandpiper, Marbled Godwit, Sabine’s Gull, Common Nighthawk, Wilson’s Phalarope, and Black Kittiwake. And he ain’t done yet. He’s hoping to see another ten or so by the end of the year.

Congratulations on your 300+, Brad! 

Imagine the flip side for a moment: having four whole months left in the year, but knowing that there’s ONLY TEN species left that you haven’t seen. It makes my modest NY list, numbering somewhere over 100, seem perfectly okay. Lots of potential that way!

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I’m collecting stories. If you or someone you know has gone for a big year in New York, send me a name and contact info at laurakamms {at} gmail {dot} com. For now, check out Corey Finger’s posts on his big year in 2007 on the 10000birds.com website.

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