Ohio Birding Big Year - 2002

as of December 31, 2002

“X" marks birds seen. Blank indicates species still needed. Light green (maybe this looks like ivory on your screen? …whatever…) indicates species needed by all of us (Greg Miller, Dan Sanders, Troy Shively, Kent Miller, and Ben Morrison).

Non-Review Species Needed........G.Miller..Sanders..Shively.K.Miller.Morrison.Combined
Red-throated Loon.........................................X........X........X........X
Red-necked Grebe........................X........X..........................X........X
Eared Grebe.............................X........X.................X........X........X
American White Pelican..................X........X........X..........................X
Greater White-fronted Goose.............X........X........X..........................X
Snow Goose..............................X........X........X.................X........X
Brant............................................X...................................X
Eurasian Wigeon.......................................................................
Harlequin Duck...................................X...................................X
Golden Eagle..........................................................................
Northern Goshawk........................X........X........X.................X........X
Merlin...........................................X........X........X........X........X
King Rail........................................X........X.................X........X
American Avocet.........................X........X........X..........................X
Willet..................................X........X........X..........................X
Marbled Godwit..........................X........X........X.................X........X
Whimbrel..............................................................................
Buff-breasted Sandpiper.................X........X........X..........................X
Long-billed Dowitcher............................X........X........X........X........X
Purple Sandpiper........................X........X........X.................X........X
Red-necked Phalarope....................X........X.................X........X........X
Red Phalarope.........................................................................
Pomarine Jaeger.......................................................................
Laughing Gull...........................X........X........X..........................X
Franklin's Gull..................................X...................................X
Little Gull.............................X.................X........X........X........X
Sabine's Gull.........................................................................
Barn Owl................................X........X........X.................X........X
Barred Owl..............................X........X........X.................X........X
Chuck-will's-widow......................X........X........X..........................X
Whip-poor-will..........................X........X........X.................X........X
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker................X........X........X........X.................X
Olive-sided Flycatcher...........................X..........................X........X
Northern Shrike..................................X........X........X........X........X
Bell's Vireo............................X........X........X.................X........X
Connecticut Warbler..............................X.................X........X........X
Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow....................X........X..........................X
Le Conte's Sparrow....................................................................
Blue Grosbeak...........................X........X........X.................X........X
Dickcissel..............................X........X........X.................X........X
Western Meadowlark......................X........X........X..........................X
Brewer's Blackbird......................X........X........X........X.................X
Red Crossbill.........................................................................
Common Redpoll...................................X.................X.................X
Evening Grosbeak......................................................................
Total Non-Review Species Needed........21.......11.......18.......36.......27........9
Total Non-Review Species Seen.........270......280......273......255......264......282
Total Review Species Seen..............15.......15.......17........8........9.......19
Total Ohio Year List..................285......295......290......263......273......301

Greg Miller
home 614-761-7683
cell 614-783-8670
email hawkowl@yahoo.com

Dan Sanders
home 614-761-3357
email dsanderling@yahoo.com

Troy Shively
home 937-593-0326
school 937-775-1986
email troyph@hotmail.com

BASIC OHIO BIG YEAR STRATEGY
A non-review list species is a bird that has been recorded in Ohio [on average] at least 2 times per year or more in the state over the last 10 years. There are 291 non-review list species on the current checklist. A basic big year strategy is to reduce the number of non-review list birds to single digits and to see as many review list species as possible.

For instance, if a birder sees all but 5 non-review list birds and has the fortune of recording 14 review list species in one year, the grand total would be 300.

 
 291 Total non-review list birds
- 5 not seen
 ---
 286 Total non-review list birds seen
+ 14 Review list birds seen
 ---
 300 Total species seen in Ohio for the year
 ===

Unfortunately, a more likely scenario for a very good year looks like this:

 
 291 Total non-review list birds
- 10 not seen
 ---
 281 Total non-review list birds seen
+ 10 Review list birds seen
 ---
 291 Total species seen in Ohio for the year
 ===

And, of course, there's years with plenty of chases and a host of "near misses" and it's a bad year for shorebirds, gulls, or waterfowl [or all of the above]:

 
 291 Total non-review list birds
- 18 not seen
 ---
 273 Total non-review list birds seen
+ 9 Review list birds seen
 ---
 282 Total species seen in Ohio for the year
 ===

As you can see from the above list of remaining Ohio non-review list birds needed by each of us, the goal of 300 species in one year is extremely difficult. The rest require a certain degree of luck, especially for any given year. Additionally, as many as 30 review list birds may occur in Ohio in any particular year, but seeing even 15 of those by any single individual is a real stroke of luck.