Weekend Big Year: Mid-Year Update

We are now more than halfway through 2017, which also means that I’m halfway through my “Weekend Big Year”. I have so far seen 229 species, 222 of which I’ve observed in Ontario. While it is a longshot from any record (then again, maybe it is a record because this is the first “Weekend Big Year” that I’ve heard of), I am happy, and honestly quite surprised by that total. By this point last year, my life list hadn’t even reached 225. I have surpassed in 6 months (only about 8 days a month) what took me 2 years to accomplish.

Here are some highlights from the Big Year so far…

Smith's Longspur (Long Point)

Sandhill Cranes (Long Point)

Evening Grosbeak (Algonquin)

Boreal Chickadee (Algonquin)

Gray Jay (Algonquin)

Pine Grosbeak (Algonquin)

Cackling Goose (Aylmer WMA)

Brown Pelican (Virginia Beach)

Laughing Gull (Virginia Beach)

Snow Goose (Alymer WMA)

House Wren (London)

Blue-winged Warbler (Rondeau)

Black-necked Stilt (Tilbury)

Prothonotary Warbler (Point Pelee)

Dunlin (Wheatley)

Black Tern (Point Pelee)

Tree Swallow (Bruce)

Sedge Wren (Bruce)

Blackburnian Warbler (Hurkett Cove)

Purple Finch (Algonquin)

Olive-sided Flycatcher (Algonquin)

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (Algonquin)

I'm sure that the next 6 months will be just as exciting. Is 250 an attainable goal?