My Bird List--UPDATED

My Selected Checklist of Raptors et al I've Seen in the Wild (does not, therefore, include falconry shows, raptor rescue organizations, etc.) 

2018
1/11/18, point: Short-eared owl; marsh: 2 Snowy Owls (one attacking clapper rail), Iceland Gull
1/8/18, hospice: Bald eagle (eating lunch on ice)

2017
12/22/17, point:  Northern Harrier
12/6/17, airport: Snowy Owl
12/3/17, beach:  SNOWY OWL!!!!
11/28/17, highway: 1 bald eagle overhead
week of 8/13:  Hog Island, Muscungus Bay, Maine:  bald eagle, loon, cormorant, eider, surf scoter, white-winged scoter black guillemot, common tern, ruby-crested kinglet, American goldfinch, chickadee, puffin, sand piper, laughing gull, herring gull, ruby-throated hummingbird, blue jay.

2016
12/14/16, marsh:  SNOWY OWL!!!!!
12/4/16:  river:  Bald Eagle diving in river and rising out again
9/16/16, park:  5 turkey vultures, osprey, Red-tailed Hawk, Monk Parakeets
9/15/16, park:  juvenile Bald Eagle, osprey, Red-tailed Hawk, Monk Parakeets, European starlings
9/12/16, park:  ospreys (one with a fish!), accipiters, Red-tailed Hawk, Monk Parakeets
9/10/16, park:  5 turkey vultures, ospreys, accipiters, Monk Parakeets
8/28/16, Greenwich hawk watch:  turkey vultures, accipiters playing with vultures,
4/21/16, historic house:  Northern Harrier
4/16/16, Canton CT "owl prowl":  Barred Owl in a tree; heard lots of calls later
2/29/16, point:  Snow Buntings, 2 American Tree Sparrows
2/29/16, marsh:  Mute Swan
2/22/16, marsh:  Snowy Owl on a log about 300 yards out


2015
10/2/15, backyard:  accipiter going after squirrel
2/16/15, river:  Bald Eagle
2/3/15, tree near sidewalk: Red-Tail Hawk


Before 2015
11/15/14, BI:  3 Saw Whet Owls (Nature Conservancy tagging); Northern Harrier along the beach
10/14/09, side of the road in Texas at night:  Barn Owl

MNEMONICS

Northern Cardinal--birdie-birdie-birdie or cheer-cheer-cheer

White throated sparrow--Old Sam Peabody Peabody Peabody

Nashville Warbler--see-bit-see-bit-see-bit-see-see-see-see

Common Loon--who-who-ha-ha-ha

Blue Jay--jeer

RWBB--kon-ka-ree

Song sparrow--note, note, trillllllll, note  (field sparrow also has trillllll--bouncing ball coming to a stop)

American Robin--cheerily, cheerily, cheer up

Chipping Sparrow--trill

Mountain chickadee--chick-a-dee dee dee

Common Yellowthroat--whichety-whichety-whichety

Blue-winged warbler--bee buzz

Indigo Bunting--what? what? where? where? see it? see it?

NORTHEAST:

American goldfinch--potato chip, tee-yee

American robin--cheerily, cheer up, cheer up

Blue Jay--jeer!

Eastern Phoebe--fee-be

Gray Catbird--chek chek (but doesn't usually repeat)

Indigo Bunting--what? what? where? where? see it? see it?

Mourning Dove--coo-OO-oo

Red-bellied Woodpecker--kwirr, kwirr or cha cha

White-throated sparrow--Old Sam Peabody or Oh sweet Canada

Yellow Warbler--sweet sweet sweet I'm so sweet


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FIELD MARKS--Common Easter birds:

• American Crow: all black
• American Goldfinch:  black and yellow bird; short bill and black cap
• American Robin: grey-brown with orange underparts and dark head
• American Tree Sparrow:  rusty cap and eyeline; overall, rusty brown
• Baltimore Oriole: dark head, orange underparts, white stripe on wing
• Black-capped Chickadee: white cheeks with black cap and nape, grey wings
• Blue Jay: strikingly blue, black and white with crest
• Brewer's blackbird: yellow eye but all black otherwise
• Brown-headed cowbird: females are all brown; males have black bodies
• Carolina chickadee: black cap and nib with white cheek
• Carolina Wren:  tail cocks upwards
• Chipping Sparrow: black line through the eye with rusty crown
• Common Grackle: iridescent head and long beak
• Common Ground Dove: sandy brown doves with round wings
• Common Raven:  massive and entirely black
• Common Redpoll:  streaky brown feathers, black feathers around yellow bill, red forehead patch
• Cooper's Hawk: 
• Dark-eyed junco: pink bill, black body and white underbelly
• Downy woodpecker: only small red patch on males, small beaks comparatively
• Eurasian Collared Dove
• European starling: splotches, yellow beaks, black or iridescent
• Evening Grosbeak: yellow and black with white wing patch, dark head with yellow eyebrow
• Field Sparrow: white eyering, reddish cap and reddish line from eye
• Fox Sparrow: overall rust with splotchy chest, some grey on head
• Hairy Woodpecker: checkerboard wings, two white stripes on head, male red patch on head
• House Finch: streaky brown and black body and tail, red face and breast for male
• House Sparrow: chunky shape
• Mourning Dove: small head, pointed tail, black mark on cheek
• Northern Cardinal
• Northern Flicker:  brownish with white rump patch
• Pileated Woodpecker: big red crest, large birds, black and white striped face
• Pine Siskin: streaky birds with subtle yellow tails (notched)
• Pine Warblers: yellowish birds with olive backs, two white wingbars
• Purple Finch: male has pink-red head and breast; streaky breasts, dark throat line
• Red-bellied Woodpecker: red cap, pale-ish overall
• Red-breasted nuthatch: black cap and stripe with strong white eyebrow; rusty bellies
• Red-headed Woodpecker: red head, white breast and wing patch
• Red-winged blackbird: red patch on males; females are strikingly striped
• Rose-breasted Grosbeak: males have red chevron; females are brown streaked with white eyebrow
• Sharp-shinned Hawk:  rounded wings
• Song sparrow: streaky brown and white, some grey on heads
• Tufted Titmouse: grey crest and stout bill, peach on flanks, black forehead
• White-breasted nuthatch: black cap and frosty face and underparts
• White-crowned sparrow:  very bold black and white head stripes, otherwise pale grey
• White-throated sparrow: striking head pattern with yellow patch
• White-winged dove--black "comma" on cheek and white wing patch
• Yellow-bellied sapsucker:  red crest and throat, white stripe on wings