ONE Hundred!!!!!!!! AND... #94 - #108

Oh how sweet it is! My #100th life bird (and 2010 goal) has come and gone today in a flurry of shorebird and water fowl wonderfulness. Today's arena of Avian adventure?? Pipe Creek in Sandusky, Ohio. Nestled in the fringes of Sandusky bay and just across the water from the infamous Cedar Point, Pipe Creek is a well tended wildlife area with several impoundments in which to view our feathered friends. All together, with the help of my decorated birding buddy Greg Miller, I added 15 new life birds to my list between 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM.

Terns in flight over Pipe Creek (Cedar Point in the background):



It was an absolutely beautiful day to be outside with a cool breeze blowing from the north and temperatures in the high 60's to low 70's this morning. We didn't need to go further than division B because the birds were so plentiful. So here they are in listed order, my march to (and past) 100!!

Up first, the duck with bill to spare, The Northern Shoveler:


Northern Shoveler, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Sticking out like a sore thumb, in white plumage and notorious swimmin' and dippin', the Red-necked Phalarope:



The Killdeer look-alike less one stripe, the Semipalmated Plover:


Semipalmated Plover, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Looking like a mongrel mutt in off season plumage, the Black-bellied Plover:


Black-bellied Plover, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Standing tall among his compatriots, the Greater Yellowlegs:


Greater Yellowlegs, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Standing out in size and blazing "beakage", the Caspian Tern:


Caspian Tern, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Coming in strong at number 100 (place fireworks here) , the Common Tern:


Common Tern, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Wait, that's not a small Great Egret, that's a Snowy Egret:


Snowy Egret, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

With that striped-eye appeal, the Forster's Tern:


Forster's Tern, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

The always understated, black-legged, Baird's Sandpiper:


Baird's Sandpiper, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

The bird with the deep-dipped dip, the Stilt Sandpiper:


Stilt Sandpiper, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Flying with a flash of white and blue, the Blue-winged Teal:


Blue-winged Teal, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

The not-quite-so-blue, white variant, frog-eatin', Little Blue Heron:


Little Blue Heron, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

The duck with the big head, the Hooded Merganser:


Hooded Merganser, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

And finally, the all-over-the-place-at-McDonald's, Ring-billed Gull:


Ring-billed Gull, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology


Yes, we bid a fond farewell to the days of double digits and plod ever forward into the gilded halls of 100+ lifers. Our new goal we can now reveal - 150 birds by 2011??? We shall see! Muhahahahahahahahahahahahahah ha ha ha ha ........ Yes, bird watching does things to your brain.

Bird on!


View Pipe Creek Birding (8/16/10) in a larger map


Photo Credits:

Northern Shoveler - J.M.Garg
Red-necked Phalarope - Teddy Llovet
Semipalmated Plover - D. Gordon E. Robertson
Black-bellied Plover - Tim Bowman
Greater Yellowlegs - Mike Baird
Caspian Tern - Dick Daniels
Common Tern - Andreas Trepte
Snowy Egret - Mike Baird
Forster's Tern - Alan Vernon
Baird's Sandpiper - Marlin Harms
Stilt Sandpiper - Len Blumin
Blue-winged Teal - http://www.naturespicsonline.com
Little Blue Heron - Len Blumin
Hooded Merganser - Len Blumin
Ring-billed Gull - Mdf