2015 Personal Highlights - A Year in Review
- Chao Wu
- Dec 31, 2015
- 16 min read
It seemed like only yesterday that we were waiting for the ball to drop to announce the entry into the New Year of 2015. The jump into new semester, the sweep across the American Southeast, the arrival of periodical cicadas near my hometown, the road trip to the American deserts, the flight to the mountains of Colorado and finally the return to Boston for sophomore year…all made my year prosperous. Undoubtedly, 2015 has offered many ups and downs across the planet as well. However, to start traditions anew, I will share some of my personal highlights within this ever short year.
(January ) I took a short trip to Perry Lake, about 30 minutes away from where I live to attempt to spot some wintering bald eagles. Unfortunately, I didn’t get too many good images of the adults, but I did manage to snag out a few sub-adults along with a Red-tailed hawk or two (and a kestrel).
(April) So I don’t actually have any good photos but I did spot my first peregrine falcon in the East. It was actually soaring right above my dorm in the Western portion of Boston U!
(May) The First Road Trip
After finals ended in early May, my parents and I took a two week road trip down through the Eastern United States and into Florida, which eventually lead to a wonderful experience within the generality of the American Southeast. Because I can probably write page after page about the amazingness of the biological diversity there, I’ll only keep it to some of my favorite highlights.
The National Zoo!
I was actually exceptionally pleased with this particular zoo. Animals look well fed and it seems the majority of the things were in order.
Eastern Screech Owl in Dyke Marsh near Alexandria!
A short visit to Shenandoah National Park!
A good start to some of the protected regions along the Eastern United States. I was a little annoyed with how much development was in the area, but the location still provided ample room for nature lovers and hikers, with a range of wildlife to support my quest for species spotting. Check out some of the trails near the visitors' center for a quick glimpse of species within Eastern Forests.
Some quick highlights here for me:
- Apparently the place has high numbers of deer...
- Sunsets!!!
- Spotted Towhee and American Redstarts
Congaree National Park
Kind of a stopgap location without a whole lot of animal life to see. It is indeed a supposed location where the possibly extinct Bachman's Warbler haunts, but that's anyone's guess. A big storm rolled through the area and slowed our boardwalk adventures, but we did get to see some lovely trees and water...and quite a few species of mosquito! Yes folks, do bring your insect repellent if you're visiting here, especially during the late spring or summer!
Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge
Ever since I watched a documentary on this location, I've wanted to visit the area! Of course, the place didn't fail to impress and most certainly jumped to one of my top wildlife refuges! It was swampy but also had fairly dry, and fire prone, pine forests dotted across a beautiful, warm landscape. Sitting right along the Georgia/Florida border, it offered a quick glimpse into the diversity of the Florida wilderness. Lots of interesting species, especially woodpeckers. I failed to see a Red-cockaded Woodpecker, which is/was a threatened endemic to the United States. However, other species, such as Pileated, Red-headed and Red-bellied Woodpeckers are extremely common in the region. Likewise, there were high numbers of insects, snakes and turtles as well....and of course alligators!
Highlights for me here:
- Eastern Kingbird
- The last time I saw wild alligators was back in 2013 in Louisiana.
- Jumping spider macro!
- Anoles lizards were common!
- One of a pair of pileated woodpeckers we saw which were residing in the swamps.
- Gators in reeds.
- Red-headed Woodpeckers are extremely common here in the pine forest, unlike many of the places I've been to in the East and Midwest
- Swampy Forests.
- Frogs!
- Dragonflies were exceptionally abundant.
- Pine forests and mockingbird.
Wakodahatchee Wetlands (Delray Beach)
I had heard of this location multiple times in birding groups across social media. However, I was very surprised as to the close proximity of some of these organisms to the boardwalk. Many of them simply walked right up to you! In terms of diversity, I believe I spotted about 29 bird species in about two hours' time. However, there were lots more to explore if you have the time to commit. One thing I was exceptionally pleased about was the high presence and number of wood storks in the region. The woodstork is often considered threatened or endangered in the US.
Highlights here:
- Lots of nesting wood storks
- Anhingas
- One of my favorite portraits of the year (Tricolored Heron)
- Some old favorites (Great Blue Heron)
- Green Iguana!
Wood Stork Video!
Green Cay Wetlands (Boynton Beach)
Similar, but larger than, Wakodahatchee Wetlands (and within a few minutes' drive of the latter). However, it was much quieter without as many nesting birds. However, there were Roseate Spoonbills here, which were special organisms within my list of life birds!
Highlights here:
- My first roseate spoonbill!
- Classic anhinga poses
- Lots of Boat-tailed grackles here
- And my favorite shot of a Red-winged Blackbird
- Great egrets
- Purple gallinule and its magnificent splendor! A life bird for me also
- Big turtles!
Ft. Lauderdale
- Incidental encounter with a gray kingbird (life bird for me)!
Everglades National Park (Two separate days)
Seas of grass to mosquito ridden creeks, the Evcrglades region was most certainly a highlight of the trip. It had its fair share of interesting species, including many natives and invasives. It wasn't necessarily the best location for seeing birds during the late spring, for many individuals have retreated to far-away locations for nesting. Likewise, much of the area of the Everglades is out of the reach of us normal folk!
Our trip in the Everglades was split into two days, with our journey to Key West in between the two days. The first day involved going to the area around the Anhinga trail, where I managed to photograph a few American crows, Red-shouldered Hawks, White Ibis and lubber grasshoppers. The second day was spend going on an airboat tour of a section of the glades, giving lovely views of the seas of grass (though not too Eco-friendly). However, it did allow for a few closer images of alligators. Afterwards, we visited the Shark Valley region, which offered an even closer view of some alligators, including a mother defending her young from another adult. Overall, I'd say it's best to come here in the winter if you're truly wanting to see avian diversity. However, summer visits still won't disappoint if you know where to look!
Highlights here:
- Osprey with fish
- Osprey on nest
- Lubber grasshopper
- Cattle Egrets
- Seas of grass
- And some reptilian company...
- Swallow-tailed Kite (a wonderful lifebird for me). Video here:
Biscayne National Park
Came here specifically to see a frigatebird, along with some mangroves.
- Successfully saw number four on my life-list: The magnificent frigatebird!
Florida Keys
Somewhat of a hot, humid day to visit the area. However, it was an interesting location for different species and sights. We also had the wonderful opportunity to see two endangered Key deer, along with Hemingway's home. There was a nice wildlife rehabilitation center in Key West that we also visted, which gave us an opportunity to witness some of the common species being aided around the Keys. As for wildlife on the island itself, Northern Mockingbirds, Laughing Gulls and Eurasian Collared Doves were probably the most common on Key West and others. There were, however, lots of chickens running wild on Key West as well! Oh, we also visited the Southernmost point...
Highlights here:
- Great White Heron
- Hemmingway's house
- Laughing Gulls.
- Mockingbirds.
- Mile 0.
- Key Deer!
Estero Lagoon
An interesting and sheltered spot allows for wildlife to live alongside humans. The pure white sand was also quite stark of a location.
Highlights here:
- Osprey and young
- Brown pelicans
- Rabbit and Cormorant
- Black Skimmer
Sanibel Island
The Ding Darling NWR was a wonderful location to see some of Southern Florida's specialties, including the Roseate Spoonbill and Reddish Egret. I also had a wonderful opportunity to photograph some Yellow-crowned Night Herons, along with some fiddler crabs and lizard. A must visit for any birder! Oh, and the mangrove forests are amazingly calming.
Highlights:
- Yellow-crowned Night Heron
- Reddish Egret
- Roseate Spoonbill
Ocala National Forest
I saw my first ever Florida scrub jay (actually a family of them) here. Continued destruction of these oak scrubs for housing has threatened this species "endemic" to the state of Florida. This is one of the most threatened species in North America and future declines are expected to occur.
- Black vultures doing their cleanup duty (video):
Great Smokies National Park
Known for its misty mountains, we stayed here for an opportunity to witness some of the common Eastern wildlife. The sights were most certainly fair, however, I'd say that many of the Eastern locations are similar in terms of wildlife and habitat. One of the more worrisome sights biologicaly was on a horseride tour of one part of the park. It was here I realized the extreme decline of hemlock within this region. Other more positive sights included a black bear, another pileated woodpecker and a wonderful Promethea moth!
General highlights here:
- Wonderful views of the Eastern montane habitats
- Singing dark-eyed junco in the higher altitudes
- Pileated woodpecker at our campground
- Snake crossing the road, which only prompted me to stop and photograph it without actually knowing the exact species...
- Another bear encounter (video):
Mammoth Cave National Park
We had a quick tour of the cave, but much of it was too dark for good photography. A few dim images, along with a luna moth, were probably highlights of the location. Likewise, the temperatures at night dropped to the high 30's, which was extremely frigid for us! There were some calling barred owls at night, though! Also, around the late night hours, a deer walked up next to my tent and scared the crud out of me with its shadow!
Thus, after Mammoth Cave, the first road trip comes to an end. However, to keep things fresh, I've compiled some of my favorite moments from the first road trip into a mini-documentary style video:
(June) Periodical Cicada "Invasion!"
- 2015 is the emergence of the Brood IV periodical cicadas (Magicicada sp.) here in Kansas. I had the wonderful opportunity to collect and document their presence here in Northeastern Kansas.
Video of Emergence:
(Late June to Early July) ROAD TRIP II to the American Southwest
Our second road trip of this particular year was one I have anticipated for an exceptionally long time now. The desert Southwest is well known for great biological diversity and I couldn't resist a visit to see such diversity for myself. We basically started in Kansas and headed East through Colorado, down into Arizona (from North to South), East across New Mexico, and finally back Northeast to Kansas. Overall a very pleasant journey despite the heat!
Great Sand Dunes National Park
Sand everywhere! Interesting collection of dune structures and an extremely varied habitat of grassland and pinyon forest surrounding the environment. Lots of mosquitoes in the area, but it was honestly worth it to witness the sights of the desert lands...
Highlights here:
- First pine siskin during the summer!
- Spotted towhee, my first ever photo!
- Finally got an image of one of my nemesis birds - the Black-billed Magpie (this also is one of my favorite images):
- Scrub jays everywhere at our campground. I wanted to see a pinyon jay but they never showed.
- My first ever sighting and image of a Say's phoebe, which was also hanging out near our campground
Mesa Verde National Park
Area was known for many ruins and old structures built by past natives. In combination with a potential diversity of wildlife, this was definitely a worthy stop!
- Lesser Goldfinch
- Some interesting lizards I need to get identified eventually.
- Decided to go an a arduous hike with my father
- Petroglyphs - This was what we hiked to actually go see (along with the pinyon jay)
Goosenecks State Park
- Nothing compared to Horseshoe Bend, but still worth the stop to do some thinking.
Monument Valley
- Took a few photos of the population destination while driving
Page, Arizona and Antelope Canyon
Having to camp in 95 degree weather was not exactly the most fun of experiences. However, I will say that the sights the next day were most certainly worthy of this annoyance!
- Campground Exploration!
- Antelope Canyon Tour and other amazing photograph opportunities!
Grand Canyon Again
We decided to stop by on our way down to Southern Arizona. Tried my best to find a California condor and a pinyon jay but failed. I did manage to see some interesting sights, however. Always a wonderful stopover considering you can get views of the canyon relatively close to the entrance. We only stopped at Desert View this year to save time.
Highlights here:
- Blurry image of a lifebird, the Zone-tailed Hawk
- Saw my first Black-throated Gray Warbler (no good photo)
- Raven Calling
- A lone raven sitting on the edge!
Petrified Forest National Park
Now I have to say that this was definitely an interesting spot. Not only were there petrified wood stumps and logs, there were also nice views of a multicolored desert (painted desert). I'd say the place is worthy of a visit for it doesn't have as many visitors as some of the more popular National Parks in the generalized region.
Highlights here:
- Raven calling into the hot, dry desert
- Western kingbirds by the visitor's center
- Cacama sp. of cicada calling from the grasses and bushes
- Some trees turned to stone
- The Painted Desert
McDowell Sonoran Preserve - Gateway
Located just on the edge of Scottsdale, AZ, the location provides unbelievably great views of Saguaro cactus and various species of birds. Definitely enjoyed my stay here despite the 110 degree weather.
Highlights here:
- Gila woodpecker - first time seeing this one! It also was one of my top life birds.
- Gilded flicker - also the first time seeing this one
- Cactus wren, the Arizona state bird
Scottsdale/Mesa/Tempe/Phoenix Area
We actually witnessed a dust storm...oh fun. It is a mildly common occurrence for the folks here. However, for me, it was certainly a new experience. Unfortunately, I didn't really get any "good" images. The storm dropped by when we were having dinner Mesa.
Saguaro National Park and Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum - Tucson, Arizona
I had some of the greatest experiences within these two places, located relatively close to each other and on separate days. I've decided to stick them together into one section. The birding was wonderful and the scenery was absolutely stunning. Ever since I was a kid, I had wanted to see a rainstorm in the desert. This summer, that wish was fulfilled as we managed to witness a downpour move in across the dry sands.
Highlights here:
- Desert and rain
- Pyrrhuloxia!
- Anna's hummingbird
- Coati, a relative of the raccoon
- Coyote doing its thing!
- Desert cotton, I believe
- Western Diamondback Rattlesnake crossing road. Quite a fun experience for me to witness some local fauna (Video):
- More scenery of Saguaro cactus forests
- Canyon towhee (another lifebird)!
- Ash-throated Flycatcher (feeding from the Saguaros)
- Burrowing owl
- Mojave rattlesnake (I believe)
Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge - Arivaca Cienega
I like to call this location a biologist's dream. It consists of semi-arid grassland and brush which surround an oasis with water! As you would imagine, such location draws in an unbelievably high amount and variety of wildlife and biodiversity, including many species of Mexican original. As a side note, I spotted quite a few new birds, including the gray hawk, tropical kingbird and brown-crested flycatcher. I also heard a pair of Yellow-billed Cuckoos in the vegetation, but didn't see them. The Yellow-billed Cuckoo is often considered threatened in the West and Southwest. Many of these sightings I didn't manage to get photographs, unfortunately.
Highlights here:
- Javelinas (Peccary) are hog-like mammals which reside in the Southwest. They were originally found in South and Central America but have since migrated North into the United States. Of course, I was really excited to see them.
- Vermilion Flycatcher
- Wonderful Scenery
- Bronzed Cowbird (another lifebird)
- Cassin's Kingbird
Chiricahua National Monument
After leaving Tucson (the day after visiting Arivaca), my family and I traveled to the Chiricahuas to see the Mexican jay and bridled titmouse, both of which I saw. The location is very well known for its interesting rock pinnacles, along with the fact that it is one of the most well-watered ranges within Madrean Archipelago. Because of these isolated, island-like mountain groups, these places are often called sky islands! This stop was also a stopgag location to push my luck on seeing an Elegant Trogon, which failed. Oh well, there's always next time! For the record, the Elegant Trogon is one of the most sought-after species here in Southern Arizona for birdwatchers.
General Highlights here:
- Pine-oak valleys
- Mexican Jays
- Acorn Woodpecker
White Sands National Monument
Okay, my dad probably liked this place more than I did but I do admit the almost extra-terrestrial feel to the location with its gypsum sands!
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
We stayed here pretty late to view the bat flight program, which was wonderful to see thousands upon thousands of Mexican Free-tailed Bats exit the caverns (no photography allowed, though). It was also wonderful to see some other forms of wildlife, including a few species of lizards along with another potpourri of birds, specifically near Rattlesnake Springs. And of course, he hike INTO the cave itself was qute delightful!
Personal Highlights:
- Vermilion Flycatcher
- Hadoa inaudita Cicada
- Wonderfully clear water
- The cave entrance with hundreds of cave swallows
- Summer tanager hiding in the trees
- Blue Grosbeak and his magically bright plumage
(Late July) Four Day "Road Trip" to the Colorado Rockies
In late July, my parents and I, along with a friend (you know who you are \(-_-)/ ), visited the subalpine and alpine peaks of the Colorado Rockies. This resulted in the opportunity for me to see some of my favorite high-altitude birds. It was also on this trip that I managed to see my first Pinyon Jay (didn't photograph it). Overall, the temperatures were lovely and it was most certainly a great escape from the heat of Northeastern Kansas, if only for a few days.
We started off day one driving to Rocky Mountain National Park, stopping by Lyons, CO to try my attempt at seeing Pinyon Jay, which I succeeded in spotting, but not photographing. We then stopped at Estes Lake to do a quick hike to get used to the higher elevations. There were large numbers of waterfowl here, but nothing too special. The most interesting species I spotted here was probably a spotted sandpiper. I also heard and saw, for a fraction of a second, a Belted Kingfisher, which was rattling in the brush. Afterwards, we camped at Glacier Basin Campground for the night. Oddly enough, we spotted a large number of birds here, including the Gray Jay, Williamson's Sapsucker, Mountain Bluebird and Chipping Sparrow. Ground squirrels were also exceptionally abundant here. Luckily, the night temperatures were not too severely low.
On day Two, we hiked the Bear Lake trails all the way up to Emerald Lake, getting quite a few photographs and sights along the way. We also spotted more Gray Jays along with some Steller's Jays on our way to the top. It actually took us the entire way to the top of Emerald Lake at 10,110 feet above sea level, literally at the treeline, that we spotted our first group of Clark's Nutcrackers (my favorite high elevation bird). The noisy birds stayed with the lot of us at the top of the lake, waiting for handouts. Eventually, a Gray Jay and a Red Crossbill joined them. After staying up there for a few minutes, we eventually trekked back down to the lower elevations and back to the Glacier Basin Campground. Overall, the trail up to Emerald Lake was moderately difficult (the worst part was the last stretch). It was also here that I spotted a trio of Williamson's Sapsuckers along with a pair of Pygmy Nuthatches with the latter being flushed up by a young Broad-tailed Hummingbird.
On Day Three, we left our Campground and traveled high up into the alpine regions of RMNP. We stopped at two locations along the Trail Ridge Road. It was also on this sunny day that we spotted our first mountain bighorn sheep. The two males stood boldly along the alpine regions, feeding from various grasses. We also managed to spot dozens of elk, but they were far off in the distance. For me personally, I was exceptionally happy to spot my first pika, a little rabbit-like mammals of high mountains, along with an American pipit, which found this high altitude's conditions similar to those of more Northernly regions. Oh, and there were also lots of marmots as well! When visiting this location, make sure to pace! Air pressure is lower and one is extremely likely to fatigue. Also, please stay on the trails unlike some kids...
That night, we stayed at a new campground near Grand Lake. We hoped to see a moose, but ultimately failed. However, we did get some nice food at Grand Pizza!
Day Four wasn't too spectacular for it was our drive home. However, we did manage to spot a few White Pelicans and mule deer. We also stopped for Dim Sum in Denver.
Highlights on this trip:
- Cedar Waxwing! I've never actually seen one during the summer before now.
- Western bluebirds in pinyon juniper forest
- Osprey with fish
- Broad-tailed Hummingbird
- First gray jays!
- Return of the Clark's Nutcracker, my favorite high altitude bird species
- WIlliamson's Sapsuckers
- Pygmy Nuthatch
- Mountain Bluebirds
- Mountain Bighorn Sheep! Photo taken at Rock Cut well over 12,000 feet above see level.
- Alpine tundra
- Lincoln's sparrow spotted at Grand Lake
(Late August) New York!
As the fall semester neared, we decided to stop by New York as a final hurra to finish off the summer before my parents dropped me off in Boston. We stopped at Staten Island, where I got an opportunity to do some quick "gulling" near Great Kills Park. It was also here that I managed to see my first American Oystercatcher. We later camped on Staten Island for one night before heading off to Central Park and the American Museum of Natural History the next day.
Highlights on this journey:
- Staten Island salt marshes and coasts
- Horseshoe crab
- Herring Gull with crab
- Great Black-backed Gull
- Double-crested Cormorants
- Thousands of tree swallows!!!
- American Natural History Museum
- Central Park
- Pale Male's nest
(September to December) Boston!
As the semester began, my time exploring was pretty restricted. So, I'll just post some highlights of the few months. Aside from generalized highlights, I also had some wondeful personal, academic achievements and opportunities. However, for the sake of time and privacy, I'll leave some out! Here are some interesting snapshots!
General Highlights:
- Seeing a hooded merganser
- Seeing a ruddy duck
- Seeing a solitary sandpiper
- Northern Waterthrush
- Green-winged Teal
- American Wigeon
- American Black Duck
- Warbling Vireo (Or possibly Philadelphia)
- The trip led by our TFs to Harvard Forest
- Accepting my opportunity to become a Learning Assistant for next year's introductory biology course
- Finishing planning for my research project (due to begin next spring)!
- And finally, a Red-tailed Hawk outside my dorm the day I was leaving Boston for winter break!
Overall, the year has been pretty productive, with lots of new sights, sounds and opportunities. As a side note, the total bird count species-wise comfortably is sitting at 211, which I am more than happy with. As 2015 etches closer to an end, I hope 2016 would bring further adventures and joys to not only myself, but to everyone who has become part of my friends, peers and family...and likewise to others beyond...
Comments