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U.S.A. -- VIRGINIA

Big Day (Bird Race)

28 November 1998

by David Pashley

Big Day Statistics:

Although “poorly planned and sloppily executed”, this total easily tops the old VA November high of 38, and bettered the one of a few weeks earlier.  The team believes that anyone doing a good job and actually looking for birds in some woods should be able to hit 100 at this time of year.

Species observed:

Common Loon (Gavia immer)
Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus)
Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus)
Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus)
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)
Great Egret (Ardea alba)
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)
Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor)
Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)
Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)
Snow Goose (Chen caerulescens)
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)
American Black Duck (Anas rubripes)
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata)
Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata)
Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)
Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator)
Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis)
Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus)
Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii)
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)
Merlin (Falco columbarius)
Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus)
Clapper Rail (Rallus longirostris)
American Coot (Fulica americana)
Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)
American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus)
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)
Willet (Catoptrophorus semipalmatus)
Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres)
Sanderling (Calidris alba)
Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla)
Purple Sandpiper (Calidris maritima)
Dunlin (Calidris alpina)
Laughing Gull (Larus atricilla)
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)
Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus)
Forster's Tern (Sterna forsteri)
Rock Dove (Columba livia)
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)
Belted Kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon)
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula)
Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis)
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)
Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)
Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Dendroica coronata)
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla)
Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca)
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)
White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)
Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna)
Boat-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus major)
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)
House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus)
American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis)
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)