Catawba Valley Crazy Big Year

81 Down, 139 To Go

2012-02-25T11:06:00.001-05:00

I know I haven't posted in a while. There really hasn't been a lot to blog about. I've gotten a few species here and there, but right now we are playing the waiting game. It's that time of the year when spring migration is just about to start. I just saw, what I consider the harbinger of spring, a Red-winged Blackbird at St Stephens Park today. Other than a few winter residents, I am now pretty much just waiting on spring migrants to start heading north, so I can add to my tally.

Red-winged Blackbird. Photo by Charles Tysinger

Here is what I have seen since my last post:

72. Wild Turkey

73. Brown Thrasher

74. American Woodcock

75. Great Horned Owl

76. Northern Pintail

77. Northern Shoveler

78. Pine Siskin

79. Brown Creeper

80. Common Loon

81. Red-winged Blackbird

Overwintering Butterflies

2012-02-18T16:15:00.001-05:00

I had a feeling that this bright, sunny, 60-degree day would finally bring me some luck with a butterfly (or two!) . . . it was so quiet in the woods this afternoon that I actually heard both of these species wings fluttering when they flew around. Both of these species overwinter as adults and make appearances in sunny spots along trails during warm winter days. I sure hope they find a good hiding spot for the nasty snow/ice storm they are predicting for us tomorrow.

17 - #04420 - Polygonia interrogationis - Question Mark

The Question Mark butterfly is named for the silvery punctuation point on its hindwing. According to "Butterflies of the East Coast" by Cech and Tudor, they were once known as the Violet-tip. If you click on the photo above to make it larger, you can see the purple-y edges better. This individual has worn off its tips though as will often happen in overwintering individuals. They can usually be found in the late morning hours basking in sunny spots with males doing display flights in the afternoons. Most adults do not nectar but can be found at decaying fruit, sap, dung, and near puddles. American and Slippery Elms, Hackberries, and Nettles are among the host plants that their larva eat.

18 - #04432 - Nymphalis antiopa - Mourning Cloak

I found this beauty in the exact spot that I have found my first Mourning Cloak in for the last three years! This one was a little shy--but I got some great shots of the one in 2010. They are quite graceful fliers and wander around in territories as large as 300 square meters. Their larva eat a good variety of plants including, willows, elms, cottonwoods, aspens, birches, and hackberries. Adults partake of sap and decaying matter.

Finally . . .some February Fliers!

2012-02-18T11:46:00.000-05:00

I haven't had any luck in the month of February in finding new species to add to my Lep list---that is until today! I've had a few moths here and there but they've been the same species that I've been seeing around since early January. I was very pleased to be able to add three new species this morning bringing my total to 16 species--but no where even close to my goal of 500 for 2012.

14 - #06660 - Phigalia strigataria - Small Phigalia

15 - #10994 - Cerastis tenebrifera - Reddish Speckled Dart

The Small Phigalia above is a very similar species to my 13th species (Toothed Phigalia) The defining characteristics are that its forewing is paler, with less dark scaling than in P. denticulata, and it is faintly olivaceous (greenish) gray in color. They are very common in February and March and their larva feed primarily on American Elms.

There were also three Reddish Speckled Darts attracted to the lights on the back of the education building at Riverbend Park this morning. This wide-ranging species can be found from Newfoundland to South Carolina and west to Texas. Their larva feed on dandelions, raspberries, willows, huckleberries, Chokeberries, and Paper Birch.

16 - #10495 - Orthosia hibisci - Speckled Green Fruitworm Moth

Another common species, the Speckled Green Fruitworm Moth, is considered a pest by some to fruit trees as their larva voraciously eat the leaves and fruit of decidious trees and shrubs including: apple, crabapple, cherries, plums, poplar, maple, willow and white birch. Unlike most of the other species I've seen so far this year, they overwinter in the soil as pupa and are among the first moths to emerge in the early spring. (The others have overwintered as adults.)

Reddish Specked Dart Comparision

In the above photo, I stitched the three different Reddish Speckled Dart Moths together so you could see the slight variations in their color. The bottom right photo is the Speckled Green Fruitworm Moth with the Reddish Speckled Dart from the top left photo.

A Groundhog for Groundhog Day!

2012-02-05T17:12:00.004-05:00

Groundhog

Eastern Cottontail

Well, I picked up a few species this past week, including a chubby little whistle pig, aka groundhog, on the side of the road eating some fresh grass. How funny it was that I was able to see the little guy on Groundhog day! Other species for the week include an Eastern Cottontail and hundreds of Spring Peepers. The Spring Peepers were heard at two locations and their calls were so loud it was almost deafening. They are common in our area and are usually the first frogs calling during the early spring. Click on the video below to listen to the sound of their call. Spring Peepers can be active year round and during the winter they use glucose as an antifreeze to help protect their bodies from freezing! How neat is that? I took a photo of some eggs that I think are Spring Peeper eggs since I haven't heard any other species of frogs calling at this particular location.

Spring Peeper

Spring Peeper Eggs

A Slow Week

2012-01-29T17:10:00.000-05:00

The past couple of weeks have been kind of slow. I haven’t really seen a whole lot of action,but I was able to get two species. This past week, my husband and I took a walkat Riverbend Park hoping to see the river otters that live there. We didn’t see the otters but we did see alittle muskrat that jumped in the water and swam down the river. Yesterday we were killing time and decided togo look for ducks at a nearby Wildlife Access located on the CatawbaRiver. Again we didn’t find what wewere looking for but we did have a coyote cross the road in front of us. It seemed curious but wary at the same time--watchingus after it had crossed into the field. Hopefully things will pick up when springarrives!

Muskrat

Coyote

Slowly, But Surely.....

2012-01-29T16:52:00.001-05:00

I'm getting closer to my goal of 220 species of birds in the Catawba Valley. I have added 11 new species to my list since my last post.

A couple of them, namely Common Grackle and Brown-headed Cowbird, were added by watching a bird roost just a few hundred yards from my apartment building in northwest Hickory. I took a little time last week to video the birds coming into roost one evening. There are literally tens of thousands of birds roosting in this one patch of Japanese Bamboo. It's mostly Starlings and American Robins, with increasing numbers of Common Grackles and Brown-headed Cowbirds. I'm sure there are other species like Red-winged Blackbirds and likely Rusty Blackbirds mixed in, but I haven't been able to pick them out yet.

Orange-crowned Warbler Photo by Walt Kent

Also this week, I have to send out a big thanks to Walt Kent for inviting me and Monroe to his house near Lenoir, so we could pick up two new species. He has always had White-crowned Sparrows coming to his feeders, which is not that easy of a species to find in the Catawba Valley, but this month he has had an Orange-crowed Warbler to show up as well. This is a species of warbler that I may or may not see in the fall, so since he had a sure bet on one coming to his feeders, I wasn't going to take the chance on this one getting away.

New species added since my last post:

60. Common Grackle

61. Sharp-shinned Hawk

62. Purple Finch

63. Horned Lark

64. Hairy Woodpecker

65. Eastern Towhee

66. Bald Eagle

67. White-crowned Sparrow

68. Orange-crowned Warbler

70. Pileated Woodpecker

71. Brown-headed Cowbird

Shades of Gray

2012-01-27T17:13:00.001-05:00

Two new species this week . . . . . both somewhat similar in their "grayness"!

12 - #06662 - Paleacrita vernata - Spring Cankerworm Moth

This species typically flies in the early spring (February thru April) here in NC. It's larval hosts include many deciduous trees and shrubs including maples, elms, birches, and plums. This species can be confused with the Fall Cankerworm--but notice that there are no distinctly white jagged lines near the AM or PM margins.

13 - #06659 - Phigalia denticulata - Toothed Phigalia

This is another "winter" species that typically flies from December thru April here in the South. Female Toothed Phigalias are vestigial (meaning they are wingless) and send out pheromones for the boys to find them. This species is highly variable and can be confused with a few other closely related species of Phigalia. The diagnostic feature of this species is a PM line sharply-toothed near the costa and bulging inward above inner margin. Here is an interesting post about this same species for those interested in learning more.

White-spotted Cankerworm Moth

2012-01-16T09:55:00.001-05:00

11 - #6663 - Paleacrita merriccata - White-spotted Cankerworm Moth

This is the only new species I had this week. It is another cold hardy flier who generally flies in January and February here in the south. This individual was photographed on the educational building at Riverbend Park on the morning of 01/15/2012.

Some Surprising Finds

2012-01-13T18:39:00.001-05:00

Southern Two-Lined Salamander

This past weekend I went for a walk at Riverbend and while I was out, I decided that I would try to look for some amphibians. I didn’t think I would really find anything, but I found several little critters. The first one that I found was a Southern Two-Lined Salamander. This species is semi-aquatic, and usually is found in water during the breeding season in late spring. At other times of the year, they move onto the forest floor. This little guy must have been confused because of the warmer weather we have been having--he was found in a creek hiding under a rock, which doesn’t sound unusual, but this is January—pretty far from late spring.

The second was also a salamander—a Northern Dusky Salamander. I actually found several of these under rocks and leaves in the same creek. These are stream salamanders and they are quite abundant in our area. Their patterns and colors are EXTREMELY variable. And because they are so abundant and variable, I sometimes try to make them into another more desirable rarer species. Most of the time though, they wind up being just another Dusky *sigh*. I rule out my other more desirable species by looking at their tail shapes, body shape, and their location. Duskies usually have a light line from their jaw to their eye, they have a keeled tail, and their back legs are larger than their front.

Northern Dusky Salamander

Green Frog

In a different creek, I decided to try looking under some leaf mats and out fell a little Green Frog. This was my first live Green Frog! Unfortunately, it looked as if a raccoon or something had gotten his foot. I took some pictures and placed him back in his little hiding place.

Southern Flying Squirrel

My Lovely Daughter

On Tuesday, Lori called me and asked, “How fast can you get to Riverbend?” I knew by the sound in her voice that it was something good, and it was. It was a nest of Southern Flying Squirrels sleeping in a bird box. Flying squirrels are nocturnal and much smaller than the grey squirrels we see during the day. They love to nest in bird boxes, tree cavities, and attics. They eat lichens, corn, bird seed, and they love moths (sorry Lori!). I gently tapped on the nest box and one came out. It was so cute! As I was taking pictures of the squirrel that was outside the box, I noticed the bedding inside the box was moving. I’m not sure if it was another adult, or if it was babies. I didn’t want to bother them too much, so I didn’t peek inside. It wouldn’t be uncommon for them to already be reproducing. I say that because I am also a Licensed Wildlife Rehabber and last year I received calls from people finding baby squirrels in February. And another Rehabber that I know had pinkie baby squirrels just last month!

Upland Chorus Frog

Today Jan.12, I went to Burke County with Dwayne and Lori to help Dwayne find some Geese that he needs for his Big Year. As I was dropping Ms. Lori back at her home we heard a chorus of Upland Chorus Frogs singing from the woods next to her house. It sure was a lovely sound! So far, I have seven species marked off my list. Only 68 more to go!

Talk About A Wild Goose Chase.....

2012-01-12T21:43:00.001-05:00

Ross's Goose

Well that's pretty much what this week has been...literally!! First I found a Ross's Goose that I can't count because it was in Wilkes County (which is outside our count area). It's still a cool bird, so I thought I would throw it in here just so y'all could see it.
That was on Tuesday (1-10-12). Tuesday night I get the NC ebird rarity report and there is a report of 3 Greater White-fronted Geese in Burke County on it. Well, I just couldn't wait until the next morning to run over there and see them. The next morning, wouldn't you know it, the sky opened up and it poured down rain as I got to the Silver Creek Plantation Country Club just west of Morganton where the geese were report to be. I found the pond where the geese were said to be. There were geese there, just not the Greater White-fronted Geese. All I saw through the pouring rain were Canada Geese, BUT there were 3 "Canada" Geese that caught my eye. They looked a lot smaller than the other Canada Geese. I thought to myself, "Could those be Cackling Geese?" The rain really start to pour then, so I thought I would just wait until Thursday morning to go back since the weather was supposed to be much nicer. On Thursday morning I, along with 2 of my fellow Crazy Year cohorts Lori Owenby and Alisha Stamey, went back to the Country Club. We made our way back down the golf cart path to the wetlands next to the pond where I had seen the geese the day before. As I scanned the 120+ Canada Geese there stood the 3 Greater White-fronted Geese that had been reported earlier. As we looked around we also found the 3 small "Canada" Geese that I had seen the day before. After studying them for a little bit, we decided that sure enough, they WERE Cackling Geese!!

Greater White-fronted Goose

Cackling Geese in the middle of 2 Canada Geese

Up until 8 or 9 years ago, small Canada Geese were just subspecies of Canada Geese. Then the AOU (American Ornithological Union) designated the 2 smallest subspecies of Canada Geese as full species and called them Cackling Geese. So thanks to that, I get another species for my list and Lori and Alisha got 2 life birds today, not just one. By the way, a "life bird" is a species that you have never seen before. Since I had seen both Greater White-fronted and Cackling Geese before, they were not life birds for me, but they were VERY good additions to my Big Year, as I was not expecting to get either of those.

Here are my addtions to my list this week so far:

52. Barred Owl

53. White-breasted Nuthatch

54. Fish Crow

55. Greater White-fronted Goose

56. Cackling Goose

57. Canada Goose

58. Hooded Merganser

59. Bufflehead

January Moth-apolooza!

2012-01-08T14:10:00.002-05:00

I cannot believe what a lucky girl I am to have already found 10 species of moths in JANUARY! I really thought I'd be lucky to get two or three species this month. I guess the relatively warm weather we've been having can be credited for my success. I did see a sulphur (a butterfly) earlier this week too--but it was flying too fast in the opposite direction for me to be able to identify it to species!

2--#9944 – Metaxaglaea viatica – Roadside Sallow Moth

I had two of this GORGEOUS species on 01/07/2012. They were attracted to my porch light. This species has lots of records from late fall through early spring--but this is the first time I've ever seen them!

3--#3540 – Acleris logiana – Black-headed Birch Leaffolder Moth

I had this little fella on 01/02/2012 on the educational building at Riverbend Park in Catawba County. This species occurs wherever Birch is present. It is a highly variable species and is sometimes hard to identify. Their larvae roll themselves up inside the leaf of a birch and feed until they are ready to pupate. Adults are known to hibernate in winter and are attracted to lights.

4--#5079 – Udea rubigalis – Celery Leaftier Moth

This species can be a pest on garden plantings as their foodplants are beans, beets, celery, and spinach. I saw this individual at my porch light on 01/07/2012.

5--#6586 – Iridopsis defectaria – Brown-shaded Gray Moth

This is one of my favorite moth species--maybe because they are rather common and I know it instantly. I love the intricate patterns . . . This one was seen at St. Stephens Park on 01/08/2012 and was attracted by the blacklight I had in the window. They feed on oaks, poplars, sweet cherry, and willows.

6--#7416 – Costaconvexa centrostrigaria – Bent-line Carpet Moth

I saw this individual on 01/02/2012 on the educational building at Riverbend Park. It is easily recognizable from the PM line that ends abruptly midway across the wing. They like open wet areas where their foodplants--knotweeds & smartweeds--grow. I had another individual of this species this morning at St. Stephens Park (01/08/2012).

7--#7474 – Eupithecia miserulata – Common Eupithecia Moth

This is another VERY common moth--maybe even the most common one I see here in the Catawba Valley! The Eupithecias as a whole can be intimidating to identify--but once you know to look for those teeny-tiny white splotches under the larger black spots--you've got this one nailed! They feed on a variety of foodplants including asters, clovers, coneflowers, junipers, oaks, cherries, and willows.

8--#8465 – Hypena scabra – Green Cloverworm Moth

Yet another common species that feeds on crops! Their caterpillars prefer to munch on alfalfa, beans, clover, ragweed, raspberries, and strawberries. This one was seen at my home on 01/07/2012 and was lured by my "wine rope". (I soaked several pieces of cotton rope in some of my uncle's homemade Peach wine . . .) This species can be seen all year as they have at least three generations annually.

9--#9688 – Galgula partita – Wedgling Moth

I had two of these overnight--one last night (01/07/2012) at home and one this morning attracted to a blacklight at St. Stephens Park. Both were females (males are a deep maroon color). This species feeds on Oxalis (Wood Sorrel) species--so no wonder why they are common around here!

10--#9941 – Sericaglaea signata – Variable Sallow Moth

Interestingly, the only place I've seen these Variable Sallows is in my own yard! I've recorded them each of the last three years here--but I haven't found any anywhere else that I've looked. Perhaps it is the huge Basswood tree is growing in my creek bottom . . . but they also feed on cherries and oaks. They only have one generation per year and overwinter as adults. You can tell this one had a little wear on its scales--but overall it was still in great shape.

I've got a few more photos to identify from last night . . . so I may have a couple more species to add!

Off To A Good Start

2012-01-08T12:59:00.006-05:00

Immature male Rufous Hummingbird Hickory, NC

One week into my Catawba Valley Big Year and I am now up to 51 species of birds. As you will remember, the next month or so should be the easy part--getting the very common birds that are found around bird feeders and just flying around everywhere. My first bird of the year was a Blue Jay that I heard calling before I got out of bed on New Year's Day morning.

Best bird so far I would say would have to be the Rufous Hummingbird coming to a feeder at the home of Beverley Brooks in Hickory (pictured right). Second would have to be the pair of Greater Scaup (it's a duck species for my non-birding friends) we found on Lookout Shoals Lake. I'm really hoping for some major cold fronts in the next couple of weeks to push down some better ducks from up north.

Eurasion Collared-Dove in Hiddenite, NC

One of my better species that I got just today is the Eurasian Collared-Dove. We are lucky (or unlucky depending on the way one looks at it) here in the Catawba Valley to have an established population of EC Doves in Conover. They have been there since at least 1998. This is a species of Dove that is native to Eurasia (duh!!). They are believed to have gotten to the US from captive birds in the Bahamas that escaped during a hurricane and flew over to Florida in the 1980's. They have since spread across much of the US. In NC, they are mainly a coastal species and at one time, the Conover colony was the only population in the western part of the state. They can now also be found in several different locations through out the Catawba Valley such as Taylorsville, Newton, Hickory, Hiddenite and Longview.

So, here is my list of birds I've seen so far. Let's hope that some cold weather will help bring in some different birds over the next couple of weeks.

Mallard
Gadwall
Greater Scaup
Pied-billed Grebe
Great Blue Heron
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Cooper's Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
American Coot
Killdeer
Bonaparte's Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Mourning Dove
Rufous Hummingbird
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Eastern Phoebe
Loggerhead Shrike
Blue Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
Winter Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Eastern Bluebird
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
American Pipit
Cedar Waxwing
Pine Warbler
Field Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Cardinal
Eastern Meadowlark
House Finch
American Goldfinch

Number of Species: 51

2012-01-03T18:43:00.000-05:00

Last but not least the botanist speaks! According to the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program there are 5774 species of native plants in the state of North Carolina. Obviously, due to the large number of species, their seasonality, and limited time I will not be able to do a complete species list in each area we explore. However, I will make a list of as many species as I can, but I plan to focus primarily on the lower vascular plants. I have always had a fondness for ferns so here is my chance to become an “expert”. So I braved the cold today and went out in search of my first fern. Luckily I didn’t have to go far before I saw an Ebony Spleenwort, Asplenium platyneuron, a common evergreen fern found through-out North Carolina. Thus my Crazy Big Year list begins. I am looking forward to this year of exploring and discovery. I could not think of a better way to spend my time than with good friends out in the woods being total science geeks. Nothing gets better than this!

Seek and You Will Find....

2012-01-01T09:35:00.003-05:00

Well, today marks the first day of the Crazy Big Year of 2012. I will be trying to find as many species of amphibians, reptiles, and mammals as I can in the Catawba Valley. Although, I enjoy watching and learning about all forms of life, herps and mammals interest me the most--maybe because they offer such a challenge in actually finding them. A challenge that may prove to be quite difficult for some species. A lot of the animals offer only a short window of opportunity and some have such specialized habitats that it will be nothing short of a miracle if I do find them. Take for example, the Ravine Salamander--it is found within a small portion of our count area, but only on ravines and slopes in hardwood forests with rock outcrops. Really? Could it be any more difficult? I figure I will spend most of my time looking at maps trying to find suitable habitats. Not that I’m complaining, that’s part of the challenge. I was just talking to Lori yesterday about what I thought my first species for the year would be and I was right! I know this will come as a shock to all, but on my way to work this morning, I had an Eastern Grey Squirrel! I hope that everyone involved is as excited as I am. I think this is going to be quite an adventure and an awesome Big Year!

My First Moth of 2012

2012-01-01T09:10:00.000-05:00

I really had no expectations of finding a moth today! But some moths DO fly in the winter on mild nights and this is one of those species. I found this guy hanging out on the back window of the education building at Riverbend Park in Conover, NC. I'm going to try to entice some different species this evening with a piece of cotton rope dipped in fermented red wine . . . hopefully it'll turn up something good!

1 - Alsophila pometaria - Fall Cankerworm Moth - Hodges#6258

Alsophila pometaria - Fall Cankerworm Moth - female laying eggs

This species flies from late fall through early winter in our area and likes wooded areas. Their caterpillars feed on Elms, Ashes, Maples, Hackberries, Oaks, Walnuts, Willows, and members of the Rose family. Needless to say, they aren't picky eaters and that is part of the reason they are so abundant. An interesting note about this species is that the females are wingless and don't even really look like moths! She emits a pheromone to attract the males and they come to her! And it has been reported that females in at least some populations are able to reproduce parthenogenetically (without mating). Edit: I found two females laying eggs on the eaves of my house around 7 pm on 01/01/2012 and took the above photo.

Spiders among us

2011-12-31T16:09:00.004-05:00

As both Lori and Dwayne have said, this ‘Big Year’ will be exciting and eventful.

Unfortunately, I will not be able to give a species goal for spiders. There are just too many un-described species out there waiting for me to find. In just a 2 acre site in Jackson County, there were 108 spider species, with 4 being brand new to science. The Catawba Valley area encompasses 1666 square miles of suitable spider habitat. Current estimates say that there are over 40,000 spider species, and looking at the literature of what we DO know for this area; the Catawba Valley area has NOT been explored with any rigor for overall spider diversity.

The number of ecosystems available for these little guys will make for a VERY interesting survey.

I plan on photographing as many of my ‘collections’ as possible. I truly believe that education is the key to people overcoming their learned fear all things eight legged and furry.

Emily--

My Big "LEP" Year Goals

2011-12-31T14:54:00.001-05:00

Silvery Checkerspots

Like Dwayne, I am excited about embarking on this ambitious journey over the course of 2012! I will be counting as many species of butterflies and moths--who make up the the insect Order Lepidoptera (or "lep" for short)--as I can possibly find. I will also be looking for caterpillars because without them there would be no adult leps! My goal is to find 500 species. This may seem like an outrageous number to some--but North America is home to over 12,000 species of leps and I think I can easily reach this number with a little effort. My friend, Merrill Lynch, did a big moth year in 2010 in his yard in Wautaga County, NC and tallied 632 species! And that was just in his YARD! I have four whole counties to work with--for a total of 1666 square miles!

Calloway Peak

Our highest elevation is 5,920 feet on the eastern slopes of Calloway Peak (part of the Grandfather Mountain ridge) in Caldwell County and our lowest is at 705 feet along the shore of Lake Norman in Catawba County. There are so many varied and unique habitats and ecosystems in between that I hope 500 is only a drop in the bucket to what my real outcome will be! Here's looking forward to the next year of learning, seeking, and having fun in nature!

Mudflats at Mountain Creek on Lake Norman

And so it begins......

2011-12-31T10:22:00.006-05:00

I got the idea for doing a "local" big year from a fellow birder in the Triangle area of NC. I thought, "Hmm, that sounds fun." I've always wanted to do a big year, but knew I didn't have the time or money to do a state or country big year.

I guess I need to explain what a big year is. A big year in birding is when you go out and find as many species of birds as you can in one calender year. Since this is a local big year, I, along with my good birding friend Monroe Pannell, will be trying to find as many species of birds as we can in the Unifour area. The Unifour, for those outside of the Hickory, NC area, is what the locals call the four counties surrounding Hickory. They include Catawba, Alexander, Caldwell and Burke Counties. This area is also known as the Catawba Valley, and thus the Catawba Valley Crazy Big Year. The crazy part comes from the fact that some other friends of mine are doing big years with things like Butterflies, Moths, Spiders, Herps, Mammals, plants and so on. So it will really be like a year long bio blitz for the area. I have set my goal at 220 species of birds. I think it's doable, but it will take some work.
So it will begin tomorrow, when I should start getting all the "normal" easy birds that come to feeders and the ones you see pretty much everyday. After about a month of that, things start getting harder. I will have to start really looking for certain species in their normal habitats. I will also have to hope for really good luck on some rare birds to show up in our area too.
I hope you will check-in with us here from time to time to see how our adventure is going. I hope to blog at least once a week, if not a little more, to let you know how things are going and hopefully have some nice stories to tell.

So, sit back and enjoy our Catawba Valley Crazy Big Year!!!!!!