Welcome back to the Entryway to Birding blog! We’ve finally said goodbye to 2020. It was a long, difficult year but one that, for many, was made better by birds. That’s not an assumption or an exaggeration—that’s a fact. 2020 was a record-breaking year for birds and birders in Wisconsin.
You might have gleaned some of this year's excitement by following along on this blog, but I'd encourage you to check out the 2020 Wisconsin eBird Year in Review. Read about some stunning highlights from this year—unexpected rarities, record-breaking checklist submissions, and stories from our state's thriving community of birders. It was truly an unforgettable year and Dane County was at the heart of the action.
New Year, New List
2021 starts a new year. And with it, a new year list. If you haven’t picked up on it by now, birders love keeping lists. A life list, year lists, county lists, patch lists, yard lists, and more. But on January 1 … many of those checklists roll back to zero and the bird sightings begin anew.
In birding culture, there’s something of a tradition of doing a “Big Day” in early January to see how many species you can find in one day. It's a fun and rewarding challenge—it tests your birding skills and knowledge of local habitat and gets you outside for a fun winter adventure. If you're using eBird to submit a checklist of your sightings (which we always hope you are!) you're also contributing valuable data during a time of year that isn't as heavily birded as spring, summer, and fall.
If you've been curious about challenging yourself to a Big Day, this week's Entryway to Birding blog is for you. Read on for tips to make your outing a successful one.
I forgot to take some scenic shots for the blog while I was out birding on my Big Day on Friday, so here’s a shot of my scope aimed over Lake Waubesa on Sunday instead. I went to go look for the long-tailed ducks off the Lower Yahara River Trail, and folks, now is the time to see these rare ducks! They are swimming around right under the bridge and it was easy to get close looks even without binoculars. Not sure how long this water will stay open, though, and who knows where they’ll go after that. Photo by Caitlyn Schuchhardt
I got very lucky and was able to find 50 species on January 1st. Thank goodness eBird keeps track for me cuz I kept losing count. Screenshot from my eBird Mobile App
My Big Day Challenge
I recently challenged myself to a Big Day on January 1st. As much as I love birding for simply enjoying birds and getting out in nature, I've also found that I get a thrill from the competitive aspect of something like a Big Day.
I started birding in August 2019, so 2020 was my first full year—January to December—of birding. Last year, I was invited to join some friends who are expert birders on their Big Day and got to experience the thrill of finding 49 species in one day! This year, I challenged myself to go solo and put to the test everything I've learned in the last year.
I rounded out my Big Day at 50 species (!!!) beating last year's total by a single bird. It was a thrill of a day, but it took some planning ahead.
Read on for some tips that I used to plan my Big Day and make it a success.
Tips for Planning Your Big Day
Tip #1 - Be strategic in your route
Time is of the essence on a Big Day and the last thing you want to be doing is doubling back or retracing your steps. As you choose your destinations, think about your driving route and order them as best you can in a loop, so you can leave home from one direction and return in another, picking up anything and everything you can in-between.
You might also want to plan for a "mix" in the type of birding you do along your route. Maybe a few stops are places where you get out and walk trails on foot to get those woodland birds, maybe some are destinations you stop and scan for waterfowl, and maybe some are keeping you warm and toasty in the car while you do some road birding. A variety of birding styles amid a variety of habitats will net you a variety of birds!
I did a little of all three—scoping the lakes, wandering the woods, and cruising country roads. But of all of those options, the woods were my favorite. I just love being outside in winter, trudging through the snow. It’s chilly but so worth it. If you’re still on the fence about winter birding, check out this recent Entryway to Birding post and learn how you too can be a snow birder. Photo by Caitlyn Schuchhardt
tip #2 - Do some reconnaissance in the days before
One of the biggest questions on my mind was where I might find open water along my route. My list would be sorely lacking if I didn’t get good amounts of waterfowl. But this time of year, the lake conditions can change fast and areas that were wide-open one day may be frozen over the next.
If you aren't able to visit some of your destinations ahead of time to scope them out, then eBird will be your best friend. You can check recent sightings at hotspots you plan to visit to see what other birders have reported finding. A checklist from yesterday loaded with swans and waterfowl? That means there's open water somewhere nearby! I like to read any comments mentioned too, that may say something like "scoping from boat launch" to give me an idea of how far away the birds might be. I had good luck with waterfowl at Governor’s Island (north Madison) and Marshall Park (Middleton) where there are areas of Lake Mendota that haven’t yet frozen.
Looking at recent sightings might also clue you into any unusual or infrequent birds that may be found in that area, so you can keep a specific eye out for them.
I don’t see a lot of song sparrows in winter. But I just happened to be at Governor’s Island on Thursday, the day before my Big Day, and saw a song sparrow. I looked for him again the next day since I knew he might be around—and there he was! He made sure that sparrows were well-represented on my list. Photo by Caitlyn Schuchhardt
Tip #3 - Know what rarities are in the area that you might reliably spot
The out-of-range, rare spotted towhee that is being seen regularly at Spring Trail Pond … except for Friday afternoon when I went to see him. I took this photo in late December back when he was first discovered. Photo by Caitlyn Schuchhardt
Sometimes there are rare birds that have been hanging around for days or weeks at a consistent location. Use eBird to learn if there are some “easy finds” like this where you might add a few otherwise hard-to-come by birds to your big day list.
But ... don't count on them to show up!
I was hoping to find this rare spotted towhee at Spring Trail Pond at the UW-Arboretum, where he has been being consistently seen for over a week, always in the same spot. Other people had seen him earlier in the day, but then ... poof! He decided to not show.
Birds are like that. I heard he was back later, but by that point I had already gone too far on my route and didn't want to double-back when he wasn't reliably showing. That brings us to our next tip ...
Tip #4 - Know when to give up on a target bird
If you’re not finding it, you’re not finding it. Don’t let looking for one bird keep you from the next destination where you might find three more species to add to your list. I could have waited around all afternoon and probably seen that towhee, but that meant I might have missed the white-winged crossbills I saw fly in at Forest Hill Cemetery and I may not have had enough daylight to make it to Marshall Park where there was more open water for me to add five new waterfowl species.
Waiting for one bird would have kept me from finding six more species, so don't be afraid to give up and move on if you're not finding what you're hoping for.
A white-winged crossbill forages on the ground at Forest Hill Cemetery. These infrequent winter visitors have been seen sporadically at the cemetery over the span of several weeks now. This picture was taken by a fellow birder in early December and they are still around! Unfortunately they are flighty and fly around a lot—I only had them for my Big Day by pure luck of being there at the right place, right time. That’s why Forest Hill Cemetery was on my list of “places to stop only if I have extra time.” I was glad I did so I could have this exciting winter finch represented on my list! Photo by Megan Heneke
Tip #5 - Strike the right pace
Too fast and you’ll miss things. Too slow and you won’t make it very far. Think about how you might strike the right balance in the right places.
Hermit thrushes are an infrequent find in the winter. Most will migrate but there always seems to be a couple that overwinter. Photo by Caitlyn Schuchhardt
For example, when I stopped at Spring Trail Pond looking for the spotted towhee, I didn't immediately leave when I saw it wasn't around. I took 15 minutes to do some focused, slow birding near the back of the property where I noticed a lot of bird activity. I added white-throated sparrow, swamp sparrow, fox sparrow, and a surprise hermit thrush—a bird that popped out of nowhere after I could have sworn that I had found everything.
Conversely, I spent a lot of time driving country roads north of town in look of winter birds like rough-legged hawks, horned larks, snow buntings, and Lapland longspurs. I found the horned larks and rough-legged hawk I needed, but I just couldn't find any snow buntings or longspurs. I probably would have if I had done a more focused search and spent more time looking, but I could see myself getting lost in a birding time warp and losing hours while I looked, so I just moved on.
I was really, really excited to get such good looks at this perched rough-legged hawk—one of my favorite winter-only visitors! This is a light morph rough-legged, likely a first year bird due to it’s yellow eye and smudgy tail tip. It was a thrill to see this bird, which would fly from the pole and hover over the field as it hunted. Learn more about rough-legged hawks in our Winter Raptors 101 post. Photo by Caitlyn Schuchhardt
Tip #6 - Bring snacks! Stay hydrated!
A red-tailed hawk looks down in concern at a hangry birder who really should stop to eat lunch. Nah, just kidding, he seemed to be watching the cross-country skiers pass by right below him at Governor Nelson State Park. I kept thinking he’d fly but he wasn’t phased. Photo by Caitlyn Schuchhardt
A happy birder is a well-fueled birder. If you're planning a big day, don't forget to eat. Pack a lunch, bring plenty of snacks, don't forget to hydrate, and have a plan for when and/or where you might stop and give yourself a little breather.
Big Days can feel like a sprint, but they are really a marathon. You have to pace yourself and you've gotta be fueled. If you're going too fast or you're too hungry or not hydrated, you're more likely to get frustrated and the fun of the day will just seep away.
And make a point to fuel yourself with something that isn't pure sugar, like an embarrassing amount of Reese's peanut butter Christmas trees. You'll only end up with a headache and a sugar crash. (I may or may not be speaking from experience ...)
Tip #7 - Stop when you aren’t having fun
I saved the most important tip for last. Birding should be fun! If your big day is turning into a slog and you've found yourself cold and tired and wet from trudging through snow, don't force yourself through it just for the sake of a number. Be proud of all the birds you were able to find, soak in the joy of those sightings, and be grateful for a hobby that gets you outdoors appreciating the wonder of the world around you.
Even if I had ended my Big Day early, I would have been 100% satisfied because that morning, at my first stop at Governor’s Island, I got to witness a juvenile bald eagle attempt to go after some common mergansers. The mergansers were totally unphased. The eagle tried again for a few passes but eventually flew away empty-taloned. I don’t get to see eagles hunt like that very often so this moment alone was really special and made my day. Photo by Caitlyn Schuchhardt
Big Day Birding
There are no rules as to when you can do a Big Day—you can do one whenever you want! January Big Days are fun because your year list is missing a lot of sightings, so every new species is a special “first of year.”
But you can challenge yourself—or your friends!—to a Big Day whenever you feel like it. It’s a real test of how well you know the birds in your area and the habitat you can find them in. And the more Big Days you attempt, the better you’ll get at them. You’ll build up some birding endurance and be ready for:
and next year’s Christmas Bird Count
… or maybe you’ll think of exhausted you were at the end of a big day, and opt to partake in a Big Sit instead. That’s fine too! The competitive rush of a Big Day isn’t for everyone, but you might not know until you try.
Birding is hobby that you can endlessly shift to meet your needs. You can spice it up with some competition or simmer it down with some meditative slow birding. The one thing that’s always guaranteed, though, is that you’ll never be bored.
Not when there are birds to see.
That’s all for this week. Happy (big day) birding!
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Caitlyn is the Communications and Outreach Assistant at Madison Audubon. She’s crazy for birds because they changed her life. She’ll be back next Monday with some tips and tools for birders, new and experienced! Between now and then, she’d love to hear about the birds you’re seeing and hearing. Leave a comment below or email to drop her a line!
