How many of you are bird watchers?

[Tattu]

Another bird watcher here although I would also consider myself to be fairly casual. I think overall I have a stronger interest in herping but I consider myself just as a generic naturalist. Lol I will focus on birds for awhile then suddenly switch to herps for a few months, then back to birds, and now I am thinking about doing some snorkeling and possibly getting scuba certified. So I am all over the place.

That sounds a lot like me! I was really into birdwatching until around March, but I lost interest once spring arrived. I still take my camera out occasionally, but I need to get back into it more seriously. With winter visitors arriving soon, I won't have any excuses left! I also had a long-running interest in freshwater fish and, at one point, kept three tanks, all set up to mimic different habitats from the Amazon tributaries. As much as I miss it, that hobby takes a lot of time and effort. Plus, my wife wouldn't be thrilled about me filling up what little space we have left! These days, dinosaur toys and action figures are what take up most of my time.

[GnastyGnorc]

Another bird watcher here although I would also consider myself to be fairly casual. I think overall I have a stronger interest in herping but I consider myself just as a generic naturalist. Lol I will focus on birds for awhile then suddenly switch to herps for a few months, then back to birds, and now I am thinking about doing some snorkeling and possibly getting scuba certified. So I am all over the place.

That sounds a lot like me! I was really into birdwatching until around March, but I lost interest once spring arrived. I still take my camera out occasionally, but I need to get back into it more seriously. With winter visitors arriving soon, I won't have any excuses left! I also had a long-running interest in freshwater fish and, at one point, kept three tanks, all set up to mimic different habitats from the Amazon tributaries. As much as I miss it, that hobby takes a lot of time and effort. Plus, my wife wouldn't be thrilled about me filling up what little space we have left! These days, dinosaur toys and action figures are what take up most of my time.

Same I have a few snakes and for a while dreamed I would have a huge reptile room with huge enclosures but now I am having to take serious inventory on what I want to keep for space and money reasons. And also the more animals or set ups someone has makes it more difficult to get outside frequently or go to cool places where you can actually see things in the wild.

[Mellow Stego]

So a few years ago my wife made friends with a Roadrunner while yard working at her parents. The Roadrunner loved the grubs she was digging up so it was out there with her every time she was out there.
She got some amazing pictures of it during that time. Now I just need to find them.

[Halichoeres]

I was in Chicago (well, Oak Brook) for two days for a quick work trip but managed to pickup a lifer in the American Tree Sparrow:

https://ebird.org/checklist/S201713452

@Halichoeres - it dawned on me too late I should have told you I was coming. Oh well, if all goes well, I will be in Chicago (proper) next July for work.

Oak Brook is a hike for me (haven't owned a car in 15 years), but definitely let me know when you're in Chicago!

[EmperorDinobot]

Well, I am on a budget, cannot go past $500. Is a Nikon D3500 acceptable for taking pictures of birds, people, trees, places, the evil cat next door, dinosaur toys?

It's a beginner camera for a beginner photographer.

[Ajax88]

Well, I am on a budget, cannot go past $500. Is a Nikon D3500 acceptable for taking pictures of birds, people, trees, places, the evil cat next door, dinosaur toys?

It's a beginner camera for a beginner photographer.

If 500 is your max, I would highly suggest picking up a refurbished D7200. They are available for ~400 bucks online. It's a beast of a camera for the price point, and many true pros use it. I have been rocking one for the last 6 years and only had to replace it once after three separate hard drops onto concrete! Remember though, the lens is always the most important part of a camera. I would suggest a 150-600mm lens if birds are your main target, a 70-300mm if general purpose photography is more desired with some birds still on the table.

A couple of my favorite shots with this body!

[Tattu]

Well, I am on a budget, cannot go past $500. Is a Nikon D3500 acceptable for taking pictures of birds, people, trees, places, the evil cat next door, dinosaur toys?

It's a beginner camera for a beginner photographer.

The Nikon is certainly a great choice at that price point. But I would also suggest looking into the micro four third world. If you are not interested in capturing birds in flight, some of the older models like the Lumix G9 or even the G85 would work fairly well. And of course there's always Olympus/OM Systems. You can snag a flagship-level camera (used) for ~500 USD easily.

[Zephyr2007]

Canon 7D Mark II with a 100-400mm lens was for a long time a standard for bird photography. Most bird guides and tour participants would carry this model. I had a Nikon with a 300mm lens for a long time before that, but it never quite reached far enough. Shots were OK if the subject was very close, or I needed to document something.

Carlos's Bird Photography on eBird

Carlos

[GnastyGnorc]

Canon 7D Mark II with a 100-400mm lens was for a long time a standard for bird photography. Most bird guides and tour participants would carry this model. I had a Nikon with a 300mm lens for a long time before that, but it never quite reached far enough. Shots were OK if the subject was very close, or I needed to document something.

Carlos's Bird Photography on eBird

Carlos

This is the canon body I am using but have a 300 mm f4 lens. I can get it to work on medium to large size birds pretty well. But small birds it's hard. Not impossible though just means you have to work for the shot a little more. I would love to upgrade eventually.

[EmperorDinobot]

It really ua fir general purpose. The idea is to use my animals for practice, learn on our own, watch some yt coursesm and go out in the wild. We get raccoons, squirrels, and at least 6 types of birds on our backyards. We will also be taking pictures of flowers and plant life. People, events, etc. Let's see if Cybermonday works out for us. We will be more at peace come Januarym so it's gonna be an x-mas presnt. I'll stick with the DS7200, find a refurbished one. I suppose I can tell them to change the lens, or doea it come prebuilt?

[Ajax88]

It really ua fir general purpose. The idea is to use my animals for practice, learn on our own, watch some yt coursesm and go out in the wild. We get raccoons, squirrels, and at least 6 types of birds on our backyards. We will also be taking pictures of flowers and plant life. People, events, etc. Let's see if Cybermonday works out for us. We will be more at peace come Januarym so it's gonna be an x-mas presnt. I'll stick with the DS7200, find a refurbished one. I suppose I can tell them to change the lens, or doea it come prebuilt?

Usually the body comes without a lens if you are buying refurbished or used. But you can find older model Nikon AF 70-300mm lenses for ~100 dollars pretty easily online, just make sure it says AF in the name. No need to shell out more $$$ than that for the newer models with minor improvements.

[EmperorDinobot]

I do not think we are ready to be perfectly honest. I know very little on the subject. I personally think her phone's camera is more than enough. It takes better pictures than this garbage phone, even though this is newer.


But thanks for the information. I am going to keep looking. I just don't want something that is overly complicated for me, and she's going to ask me every little thing.

[Halichoeres]

@Ajax88 great shots!

[Shane]

So I just got back from a holiday trip that basically took me up and down the entire length of Florida. I was visiting family and such for Christmas, but also took a camping trip with my girlfriend in Everglades National Park, and got to stop at some pretty great spots along the way to see a whole bunch of cool birds (and other critters) including some lifers.

First, on the drive down from Jacksonville:
- Crested Caracara - seen between Vero Beach and West Palm Beach
- American Kestrel - several on the power lines in the Vero Beach area

Once we got in the park and settled in, we saw at the campsite:
- Northern Cardinal - one of these even came down into our campsite and landed on our chairs! (probably looking for seeds or bits of food)
- Gray Catbird
- Belted Kingfisher

Anhinga Trail / Royal Palm area - this is a boardwalk area with a ton of cool wildlife and birds:
- Anhinga
- Double-Crested Cormorant
- Great Blue Heron
- Great Egret
- Green Heron
- Tricolor Heron
- Purple Gallinule - saw probably half a dozen of these at the Anhinga Trail, it's one of the best places to spot them, we saw adults and juveniles, which was very cool

Nine Mile Pond - this is an area that includes three large ponds and a nine mile long canoe/kayaking trail. I usually stick to the three ponds, which is what we did this time. The area used to be home to dozens of alligators; however, about 25 years ago during a visit I noticed a 7 or 8 foot American Crocodile, and every subsequent time I'd visit I'd see the same crocodile (getting bigger), while the amount of alligators began to dwindle. Later I'd see photos of this crocodile go viral with the nickname "Croczilla" so I was excited to see if it was still there. While we didn't see any alligators, we did ultimately spot Croczilla, and it was MASSIVE, one of the largest animals I've ever seen in the wild up close, easily 14 feet long. So that was great. On the bird front:
- Bald Eagle - this was spotted amongst some circling vultures by my girlfriend
- Short-tailed Hawk - LIFER. I'd always had my eyes peeled for Short-tailed Hawks, they only really live in the southern tip of Florida in the United States and there are only believed to be around 500 birds (they're more plentiful in Central/South America). But we saw one circling above the pond, it was white below with dark edges on its wings and a hooded dark feathered head. So that was cool. I had believed I'd seen them before but was never positive; this was the most confirmable sighting I'd ever had.

West Lake - a large body of water near the southern end of the park. There was a huge gathering of ducks here, and thankfully lots of birders observing them that could help me ID them since ducks are not my forte:
- Ruddy Duck - LIFER
- Scaup - LIFER
- American Widgeon - LIFER

Flamingo - this is the area at the southern end of the park on Florida Bay, there's a visitor's center/musem, shop, restaurant, lodge, campground and marina. It's mostly salt water so it's the best place in the park to spot crocodiles, and indeed we saw several there. We also saw manatees, needlefish, and red drums rolling in the shallows. For the birds:
- Red-breasted Merganser - LIFER. Saw a female swimming in the marina
- Brown Pelican
- Osprey - though there's no shortage of Ospreys in Florida or in the Everglades, there's a large nest right at the marina, on the loch where the river meets the bay. It's very close to the ground and the Osprey are very easy to observe.

Driving back up north on the highway with a stop at my parents' place:
- Sandhill Crane
- Pied-billed Grebe

Stick Marsh in Fellsmere - This is a water management / conservation area that I like to visit with my dad that is home to tons of animals including many birds. We saw alligators and turtles and lots of birds, including bald eagles, ospreys and numerous herons (tricolor, green, great blue, as well as the ones listed below):
- American Bittern - I had seen these before in the Everglades but they're always a treat to spot. This one was flying by so we didn't have to worry about spotting it amongst the sawgrass camouflaged.
- Little Blue Heron
- Snowy Egret
- Glossy Ibis
- Red-shouldered Hawk
- Northern Harrier - spotted a juvenile circling around, one of the most reliable spots to see Harriers.
- Limpkin
- Vermillion Flycatcher - LIFER. A brilliant red bird, never saw one before.
- Eastern Phoebe
- Common Moorhen and American Coot - there were TONS of coots and moorhens in huge flocks on the water.
- Wood Duck - LIFER. Somehow I've never seen a Wood Duck before that day, but I spotted one amongst the coots and moorhens.
- Roseatte Spoonbill - while they often nest in this area, it was a bit too early for nesting season. Still, I saw one flying by as we left.

Drive home - as I made my way back up north I still managed to spot some neat stuff, including more bald eagles and red-shouldered hawks, plus:
- American White Pelican - saw one flying over the highway, I've seen them before but it's rare to see them in the middle of the state, away from the coast. It's always striking how large they are compared to brown pelicans.
- Wild Turkey - saw a couple scooting across a field.

Overall a very successful trip, And I was glad to get back to the Everglades (I hadn't been in around a decade or so). I recommend everyone get down there at least once if you can, it really is like nothing else (just make sure to go during the colder months when the sun and mosquitos aren't so bad).

[Zephyr2007]

Every year for the past five years, I fly down to Miami for about ten days to visit family and help with the Christmas Bird Counts in the area. I am the compiler for the Homestead CBC and participate in the Kendall + Long Pine Key (Everglades) counts.

I saw 123 species between the three circles plus a day of birding with a friend. It really is so amazing to bird down there in the winter!

Highlights included 18 species of warbler, Chuck-will's-widow, Eastern Whip-poor-will (3), Purple Gallinule, Limpkin, Short-tailed Hawk (5), Swainson's Hawk (2), Burrowing Owl (2), Vermilion Flycatcher, Bell's Vireo, Yellow-breasted Chat, and Painted Bunting (9).

Full trip report below, with map and a full list of species:

Christmas Bird Count eBird Trip Report 2024

Carlos

[Joliezac]

Wow awesome sightings! I visit Jupiter Fl every year with family. Although we spend most of our time in the water snorkeling so I haven't been able to see too many birds. I've always wanted to spot a crested caracara. I've been to the Everglades once when I was little, I'd love to visit again.

Sounds like you had a great trip!

[bmathison1972]

Very nice, Z @Zephyr2007

I just sent an email to my birding friends. Here is a cut and paste of it that recaps my year:

howdy birding buddies!

2024 is over, my fourth year 'officially' birding. Surprisingly, it was another record year, with 308 species, up 5 (I think) from last year. Highlights were visiting nine other states and getting some epic birding with Graham in CA and Quinn (twice, including my big b-day extravaganza) in UT.

I ended up with 56 lifers!

I added VA, NV, LA, IL, and WI as new states, and heavily beefed up FL and CA. Also birded in UT (of course), MN (twice), and GA.

Not sure what 2025 will bring, still need to get all my work travel situated but looking at southern Florida (March, maybe), Minneapolis (May), Rochester MN (August), Los Angeles (June), Chicago (July, maybe). I think my annual baseball stadium trip will be to Philadelphia and we are probably also going to catch the Athletics in their temporary home in Sacramento, where my big target bird will be the Yellow-billed Magpie!

Happy New year and here's to good birding in 2025!

[Gwangi]

My birding is pretty casual and local so I would never get 56 lifers in a single year. I also use a physical birding journal instead of eBird or other computer programs to log my sightings so I'm unsure of how many lifers I got in 2024. I would have to flip through the book and count them. I would like to dedicate more time to birding in 2025 this year, and maybe finally buy a quality spotting scope, it would certainly make it easier to spot all the seabirds overwintering out on the ocean. My last lifer of 2024 was a surf scoter (Melanitta perspicillata) sighted on December 30th. Nothing like wrapping the year up with a cool sea duck!

[Shane]

Wow awesome sightings! I visit Jupiter Fl every year with family. Although we spend most of our time in the water snorkeling so I haven't been able to see too many birds. I've always wanted to spot a crested caracara. I've been to the Everglades once when I was little, I'd love to visit again.

Sounds like you had a great trip!

Jupiter is a little bit on the south end of caracara range I think; my usual sightings have been in the Vero Beach area, north of Lake Okeechobee, or otherwise along State Road 60.

I've lived in Florida all my life and didn't see my first caracara til I was well into my 30s. I think they're one of those birds that isn't really as hard to find as it seems, you just need to be in the right area.

[Ajax88]

I managed 170 lifer birds this past year! Mostly from Costa Rica and Alaska. It was my biggest birding year ever, can't wait to see more cool stuff in 2025!