BIRDS – My 2006 Nature Checklist
I decided to split up my 2006 Nature Checklist into 5 different categories; Butterflies & Skippers, Amphibians, Reptiles, Mammals and Birds! The birds are the next family of critters which I will be reporting on my findings here in 2006 in Western New York State. Since the list has 159 birds listed and so large, I decided to break it down to the 69 non-passerines and 90 passerines.
This has been such a fun year with the birds, I have NO idea where start and decided to leave everything up to the numerous pictures that I have taken! But, I would like to thank all of my volunteers and banding assistants who helped make this another successful year at the banding station.
Here is my list of non-passerines which I have listed in taxonomic order by common name (I would be happy to send you their Latin name for any species in question):
| 1. Canada Goose | 36. Red-shouldered Hawk |
| 2. Tundra Swan | 37. Broad-winged Hawk |
| 3. Woodduck | 38. Red-tailed Hawk |
| 4. Gadwall | 39. Rough-legged Hawk |
| 5. American Wigeon | 40. American Kestrel |
| 6. American Black Duck | 41. Merlin |
| 7. Mallard | 42. Peregrine Falcon |
| 8. Blue-winged Teal | 43. American Coot |
| 9. Northern Shoveler | 44. Killdeer |
| 10. Northern Pintail | 45. Greater Yellowlegs |
| 11. Green-winged Teal | 46. Spotted Sandpiper |
| 12. Ring-necked Duck | 47. Wilson’s Snipe |
| 13. Lesser Scaup | 48. American Woodcock |
| 14. Long-tailed Duck | 49. Bonaparte’s Gull |
| 15. Bufflehead | 50. Ring-billed Gull |
| 16. Common Goldeneye | 51. Herring Gull |
| 17. Hooded Merganser | 52. Great Black-backed Gull |
| 18. Common Merganser | 53. Rock Pigeon |
| 19. Red-breasted Merganser | 54. Mourning Dove |
| 20. Ring-necked Pheasant | 55. Black-billed Cuckoo |
| 21. Ruffed Grouse | 56. Yellow-billed Cuckoo |
| 22. Wild Turkey | 57. Eastern Screech Owl |
| 23. Common Loon | 58. Great Horned Owl |
| 24. Pied-billed Grebe | 59. Barred Owl |
| 25. Horned Grebe | 60. Northern Saw-whet Owl |
| 26. Red-necked Grebe | 61. Chimney Swift |
| 27. Double-creasted Cormorant | 62. Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
| 28. Great Blue Heron | 63. Belted Kingfisher |
| 29. Green Heron | 64. Red-bellied Woodpecker |
| 30. Turkey Vulture | 65. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker |
| 31. Osprey | 66. Downy Woodpecker |
| 32. Bald Eagle | 67. Hairy Woodpecker |
| 33. Sharp-shinned Hawk | 68. Northern Flicker |
| 34. Cooper’s Hawk | 69. Pileated Woodpecker |
| 35. Northern Goshawk | |
| . |
Here is my list of passerines which I have listed in taxonomic order by common name (I would be happy to send you their Latin name for any species in question):
| 70. Eastern Wood-pewee | 115. Magnolia Warbler |
| 71. Acadian Flycatcher | 116. Black-throated Blue Warbler |
| 72. Alder Flycatcher | 117. Yellow-rumped Warbler |
| 73. Willow Flycatcher | 118. Blackthroated Green Warbler |
| 74. Least Flycatcher | 119. Blackburnian Warbler |
| 75. Eastern Phoebe | 120. Yellow-throated Warbler |
| 76. Great Crested Flycatcher | 121. Pine Warbler |
| 77. Eastern Kingbird | 122. Prairie Warbler |
| 78. Northern Shrike | 123. Palm Warbler |
| 79. Blue-headed Vireo | 124. Blackpoll Warbler |
| 80. Red-eyed Vireo | 125. Cerulean Warbler |
| 81. Blue Jay | 126. Black-and-white Warbler |
| 82. American Crow | 127. American Redstart |
| 83. Common Raven | 128. Ovenbird |
| 84. Horned Lark | 129. Northern Waterthrush |
| 85. Tree Swallow | 130. Mourning Warbler |
| 86. Northern Rough-winged Swallow | 131. Common Yellowthroat |
| 87. Cliff Swallow | 132. Hooded Warbler |
| 88. Barn Swallow | 133. Canada Warbler |
| 89. Black-capped Chickadee | 134. Scarlet Tanager |
| 90. Tufted Titmouse | 135. Eastern Towhee |
| 91. Red-breasted Nuthatch | 136. American Tree Sparrow |
| 92. White-breasted Nuthatch | 137. Chipping Sparrow |
| 93. Brown Creeper | 138. Field Sparrow |
| 94. Carolina Wren | 139. Fox Sparrow |
| 95. House Wren | 140. Song Sparrow |
| 96. Winter Wren | 141. Swamp Sparrow |
| 97. Golden-crowned Kinglet | 142. White-throated Sparrow |
| 98. Ruby-crowned Kinglet | 143. White-crowned Sparrow |
| 99. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher | 144. Dark-eyed Junco |
| 100. Eastern Bluebird | 145. Northern Cardianl |
| 101. Veery | 146. Rose-breasted Grosbeak |
| 102. Gray-cheeked Thrush | 147. Indigo Bunting |
| 103. Swainson’s Thrush | 148. Bobolink |
| 104. Hermit Thrush | 149. Red-winged Blackbird |
| 105. Wood Thrush | 150. Eastern Meadowlark |
| 106. American Robin | 151. Common Grackle |
| 107. Gray Catbird | 152. Brown-headed Cowbird |
| 108. European Starling | 153. Baltimore Oriole |
| 109. Cedar Waxwing | 154. Purple Finch |
| 110. Blue-winged Warbler | 155. House Finch |
| 111. Nashville Warbler | 156. Pine Siskin |
| 112. Northern Parula | 157. American Goldfinch |
| 113. Yellow Warbler | 158. Evening Grosbeak |
| 114. Chestnut-sided Warbler | 159. House Sparrow |
| . |
I can’t wait to see what birds in 2007 will bring me.
Mon@rch's Nature Blog 
Oh my! Where do I start? This is a beautiful post starting with the beautiful hummingbird and the common merganser babies – sooooo cute – you take such wonderful photos (are you sick of hearing that from me yet)? Do you still get excited when you see birds year after year? It must be like seeing an old friend again! Thanks for sharing your beauty!
7 January 2007 at 9:03 pm
Nice list! I’ve decided I should actually keep track of the birds I see this year (I sort of did in 2006). I use http://www.ebird.com to record my birds.
The shot of the hummingbird is fantastic. I bet the person holding it had to be extra careful!
7 January 2007 at 9:37 pm
That cuckoo shot is something – for the many I’ve seen, I’ve never had such a nice look. The red around the eye is quite a surprise!
7 January 2007 at 10:37 pm
@ Pam – I never get sick of hearing from you or anyone else! Yes, I got very excited over seeing American Robins today! Thanks for such kind words on my pictures, they were some of my better ones this year! You probably see 4 pictures out of 100 that I take!
@ Matt – I use e-bird also but don’t post ever bird I see on there! I do have a checklist that I made which is where I keep track of my first of the year for each species. hmm, that reminds me, I have not updated e-bird with my notebook birds since November!!
@ Laura – that was one of the Cuckoo’s that I banded last year! I still kick myself for not photographing the Yellow-billed Cuckoo that I banded in 2005 (was so excited, didn’t even think about taking its picture)!
Thanks everyone
7 January 2007 at 11:06 pm
What a great year list, and lovely photos as well! Here’s to a bird’y 2007 🙂
8 January 2007 at 11:03 am
Thanks so very much Adam! Right back at you, good luck with 2007!
8 January 2007 at 7:30 pm
Wow Tom-that hummer is amazing a fabulous photo I ADORE it!
What a great list hmmmmmmm ebirds eh? I’ll have to check that out since I’m going to be starting a list….I am…..really!
9 January 2007 at 8:33 am
Thanks Marg, I have many others in my photostream! Enjoy keeping your year list!
9 January 2007 at 9:34 pm