2024 - Year in Review

As 2024 winds to a close, I'm happy to say I observed a total of 264 bird species this last year (beating 2023 by 21), with 17 of those species being "lifers" or the first time I'd recorded them.

One of those was this Crested Caracara seen along a road.

I made a special trip to see Florida Scrub-Jays, which I wrote about here.

The "rarest" bird sighting was probably this Piratic Flycatcher, which I also wrote about here.

This is a Chuck-Will's-Widow perfectly camouflaged against the ground.

I have missed several opportunities to see Cerulean Warblers, but lucked out this year when one showed up in Brooklyn.

2024 was the year to finally record my first Whimbrel.

This is a Common Myna who took up residence in the parking lot of a Chipotle in Florida a few years ago. He is likely an escaped pet, but he now owns the parking lot and people go pay homage to him regularly. I was one of his admirers this year.

Sometimes, the photos don't really work out, but the experience is still worthwhile. Such was the case with these American Flamingos who dropped in at Merritt Island in Florida. They were among many Flamingos who went exploring North America this last year after being displaced by storms. 

These Flamingos were hanging out with Cormorants and White Pelicans on a distant island. Despite being far away, they were instantly recognizable. This was my first time seeing them in the wild.

If you get out your magnifying glass, you will see a Cormorant and Brown Booby perched together on this sign in Tampa Bay. The Booby (on the right) has a distinctive white belly and a dark head.

This photo (squint hard) shows three Brown Boobies together on a sign in the same area of the bay. One of my goals this next year is to get better views and photos of these birds. These pics were taken from a gazillion miles away and heavily cropped. Scope views were not much better than this.

Other birds first recorded in 2024:

• Long-Eared Owl
• Glaucous Gull
• Swallow-Tailed Kite
• Brown-Headed Nuthatch
• Kentucky Warbler (a nemesis bird, only confirmed for me this year)
• Bicknell's Thrush
• American Golden Plover
• Greater White-Fronted Goose

Observing birds for the first time is always exciting, but there are also experiences that just stand out. This year, seeing a White Pelican in New York Harbor was really special. The odds were slim and the weather was bad, but my friend and I had a memorable time riding the Staten Island ferry back and forth in an attempt to see the bird and our efforts were rewarded.

Of course, no year would be complete without documenting the Tompkins Square Red-Tailed Hawk family. I put in a lot of work this year, not missing a day for weeks, and it never gets old. Christo and Amelia are due to start their new nesting season in a few weeks, and I am ever grateful to be able to continue observing their activities.

May 2025 bring good birding experiences to everyone.