My third Big Year ended the day before Easter. I added a lot of new species in the last few weeks due to a birding trip I took to Texas. While I flew in to Houston, most of my birding was done on the Bolivar Peninsula and High Island, Texas.
High Island is a salt dome which rises about 25 feet above the Gulf of Mexico. It is the highest spot around, and is seen by many species as the first land spotted on their migration north over the Gulf of Mexico. When there is a north wind, many migratory species land right at High Island because that is the first land they see. The land further out on the Bolivar Peninsula is so close to sea level that most of the buildings are up on high stilts to avoid the storm surge.
Here is the list of birds that I added to my Big Year list on the trip:
April 11, 2022
121. Great-tailed Grackle - High Island, Texas
122. Boat-tailed Grackle - High Island, Texas
123. Carolina Wren - High Island, Texas
124. Black Vulture - High Island, Texas
125. Roseate Spoonbill - High Island, Texas
126. White Ibis - High Island, Texas
127. Black-crowned Night Huron - High Island, Texas
128. Tricolored Huron - High Island, Texas
129. Snowy Egret - High Island, Texas
130. Great Egret - High Island, Texas
131. Anhinga - High Island, Texas
132. Common Gallinule - High Island, Texas
133. Blue-Winged Teal - High Island, Texas
134. Brown Pelican - Gulf of Mexico, Bolivar Peninsula, Texas
135. Laughing Gull - Gulf of Mexico, Bolivar Peninsula, Texas
April 12, 2022
136. Black-necked Stilt - Gulf of Mexico, Bolivar Peninsula, Texas
137. American Avocet - Gulf of Mexico, Bolivar Peninsula, Texas
138. Stilt Sandpiper - Gulf of Mexico, Bolivar Peninsula, Texas
139. Sanderling - Gulf of Mexico, Bolivar Peninsula, Texas
140. Willet - Gulf of Mexico, Bolivar Peninsula, Texas
141. Least Tern - Gulf of Mexico, Bolivar Peninsula, Texas
142. Neotropical Cormorant - Gulf of Mexico, Bolivar Peninsula, Texas
143. Cattle Egret - Bolivar Peninsula, Texas
144. Cave Swallow - Bolivar Peninsula, Texas
145. Whimbrel - Gulf of Mexico, Bolivar Peninsula, Texas
146. Northern Mockingbird - Bolivar Peninsula, Texas
147. Ruddy Turnstone - Gulf of Mexico, Bolivar Peninsula, Texas
148. Gray Catbird - Bolivar Peninsula, Texas
149. White-eyed Vireo - Bolivar Peninsula, Texas
150. Reddish Egret - Gulf of Mexico, Bolivar Peninsula, Texas
151. Wilson's Plover - Gulf of Mexico, Bolivar Peninsula, Texas
152. Black-bellied Whistling Duck - Gulf of Mexico, High Island, Texas
April 14, 2022
153. Yellow-crowned Night Heron - High Island, Texas
154. Lesser Yellowlegs - High Island, Texas
155. Little Blue Heron - High Island, Texas
It was another successful Big Year. I saw a lot of great species in my home state of Minnesota, but also had two amazing birding trips. The first one to Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota near the beginning of my Big Year, and the last one was to Texas at the end of the Big Year. I recommend all the places I visited to look for birds.
Theodore Roosevelt National Park gave me many of the species of the western United States, without having to drive too far. The birds, other animals, and scenery were all amazing.
Minnesota has three major biomes, the hardwood forest, the boreal forest, and the prairie. I visited all three in my Big Year.
The Bolivar Peninsula and High Island areas of Texas were amazing. I added a huge number of birds to my Big Year and Life lists. The people of Houston Audubon were absolutely amazing. I have rarely met a nicer, more helpful group of people in any of my life's travels. Due to their support and incredible bird sanctuaries, I saw many more species than I would have otherwise.
All three of my Big Years were all amazing learning experiences. I recommend doing a Big Year to anyone who is serious about birding.
Happy Birding!
