My Little Big Year - Birding GRP 2016

My Little Big Year

at the Glendale Recharge Ponds

2016

 

One of mine and hubby's favorite places to bird is the Glendale Recharge Ponds (GRP) - plus it's right down the road from where we live.  But, not during summer as I have a heat intolerance (I know, I live in AZ), so we go up north to bird during that time when we can.  Anyway, the wide range of species there is truly amazing - including rarities!  We've been going to the GRP for 1 year (had no idea it was there!) and haven't even seen all that is possible.  That inspired me to have a goal, which I'm calling My Little Big Year at the GRP and decided to share on my blog.

This page will include all the species I've seen at the GRP in 2016, which started January 17th.  I maintain a Life List and other birding journals (books, eBird and excel) to keep track of a variety of statistics, but I'll keep this updated list short and sweet.

I wish I could bird more often, but am happy with what I'm able to do - for now.  If I could, I would go birding daily!  However, after September we'll be able to venture out even more since Mark will finally be done with school (happy dance).

With that said, I have set my goal at the GRP for 150 species.  I would like to shoot for more, but this is a good start.  And who knows, maybe I'll exceed that goal, but we'll see.  I have other goals that I want to achieve as well, but this seemed like a good starting point.  

Species seen:
Northern Pintail
Bufflehead
Common Merganser
Ruddy Duck

Western Grebe

Great Blue Heron
Snowy Egret
Osprey
American Coot
Black-necked Stilt
Least Sandpiper
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Mourning Dove
American Kestrel
Black Phoebe
Say's Phoebe
House Sparrow
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Northern Shoveler
Neotropic Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Egret
Northern Harrier
American Avocet
Greater Yellowlegs
Long-billed Dowitcher
Peregrine Falcon
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Curved-billed Thrasher
European Starling
Yellow-rumbed Warbler (Au)

Greater White-fronted Goose

Cinnamon Teal

Green-winged Teal

Canvasback
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Killdeer
Lesser Yellowlegs
California Gull

White-winged Dove

Anna's Hummingbird

Cliff Swallow
Mallard
Lesser Scaup
Great-tailed Grackle

House Finch

Northern Mockingbird

Abert's Towhee

Red-winged Blackbird

Gambel's Quail

Belted Kingfisher

Gila Woodpecker

Verdin
Canada Goose
Ring-necked Duck
Eared Grebe
Western Sandpiper
Wilson's Phalarope
Blue-winged Teal
Pied-billed Grebe
Franklin's Gull
Great Horned Owl
Horned Lark
American Pipet

Redhead

Semipalimated Plover
Solitary Sandpiper
Burrowing Owl
White-faced Ibis
Lazuli Bunting
Indigo Bunting
Brown-headed Cowbird
Sanderling
Bonaparte's Gull
Caspian Tern
Green Heron
Spotted Sandpiper
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Western Kingbird
Bank Swallow
Hermit Thrush
Common Yellowthroat
Lark Sparrow
Lesser Goldfinch
Long-billed Curlew
Forster's Tern
Rock Pigeon
Western Wood-Pewee
Barn Swallow
Black-tailed Gnatcatcher
Orange-crowned Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
Chipping Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Greater Roadrunner
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Brewer's Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Green-tailed Towhee
Ash-throated Flycatcher
Bullock's Oriole

 

5/14/16 last visit 

 

Total Species: 109

Goal: 150

Need: 41