Bird Nerds January Update

January marked our second full month of The Bird Nerd Project. We started on Thanksgiving 2024 and will continue for 11 months, wrapping up on Thanksgiving 2025. This was also the first month where we collected and published scores.

January Standings:

Don – 77 birds, score of 91.5
Joe (me) – 67 birds, score of 78.5
Vincent – 19 birds, score of 21
Jon – 8 birds, score of 8.5
Jun – 5 birds, score of 5
Dominic – 4 birds, score of 3

Don won Best Photo for his perfect shot of a black phoebe. This was especially notable because many of us have struggled to get a sharp photo of this common but elusive bird. Most of our attempts have resulted in blurry black smudges, as the phoebe rarely lets us get close. Don got lucky—his bird posed. Don also upgraded his Peregrine Falcon.

I had two notable moments this month. First, I photographed a white pelican with a tagged wing—a personal first. Second, I captured a lifer at the Fullerton Arboretum: a Townsend’s Warbler. I think I may have seen one before, but with my color vision problems, I can never be sure. Having a clear photo helps with species verification. This particular bird practically bounced off my forehead while chasing gnats before landing on a branch just a few yards away. I was lucky.

Vincent visited a nature preserve in San Jacinto, where he captured a turkey vulture, loggerhead shrike, northern harrier, and an American kestrel, along with a few other birds—all in a single visit.

Jon managed to record video of an osprey carrying a fish at a small pond in Cerritos.

Dominic had a successful outing at Hermosa Beach, where he captured a banded gull and a snowy plover.

I have the advantage of being retired, which gives me more time for birding. That said, Don is holding his own despite working full-time. I expect the others to start catching up as spring arrives, bringing longer days and more opportunities to get outside.

In other news, a Cooper’s hawk visited my yard, scaring off all the smaller birds. The following day, an American kestrel showed up. I managed to get a photo of the hawk but missed the kestrel. One of the two enjoyed a dove for dinner, leaving behind the evidence for me to clean up.