Nature Note: A Naturalist's Travels Through Nature

Hello all! Just a quick update before I do a more fully fledged one later in the week. I have arrived safely in New Jersey and am so excited to start my new job here. So far, I've seen a lot of Turkey Vultures ( Cathartes aura ), a few Eastern Bluebirds ( Sialia sialis ), and a Yellow-rumped Warbler ( Setophaga coronata ). When I get a better feel for the area, then I'll give a fuller report and that will also allow me to use my new camera (better zoom, clearer images, and more features for me to figure out!) Until then, I look forward to showing y'all the wilds of New Jersey. Have a great week and as always, happy birding ^_^.

So having looked through my bird lists and tabulating my chances for this year, I've concluded that unless a shit-ton (actual word, just ask any Mainer) of rarities show up on the Atlantic Coast this year, my chances of reaching 400 species on my life list are quite unlikely. So instead I'm shooting for 350 species instead. Still impressive and more achievable especially with the potential to see some more southerly warbler species in the warmer months of the year. I'm also excited for spring migration which means shorebirds, neotropical migrants, and the true harbinger of spring, the Eastern Phoebe ( Sayornis phoebe ). I'll be spending a good chunk of the year in New Jersey which gives me tactical advantage in visiting places like Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in NY, the Pine Barrens of NJ, and the Chesapeake Bay to the south. Below is a list of the top twenty Mid-Atlantic/Southern species I'd like to see while I'm down there. If you guys have tips for where to...