All About Birding

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birding
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Author

Yunyi Ru

Published

January 8, 2025

Bald Eagle and Killdeer, Blackwater Natural Wildlife Reservoir, Cambridge MD, Jan ’25

Bald Eagle and Killdeer, Blackwater Natural Wildlife Reservoir, Cambridge MD, Jan ’25

Introduction

I love birding! Welcome to my personal birding records.

You can see birds I’ve sighted all around the world at bird list (including an interactive map) and all my favorite birding destinations at places I went for birding. Links and resources are also provided.

Note: Only wild birds were recorded. All photos taken by me (most with Sony WX800).

The next bird I want to see is: Blue Jay, because it’s the symbol of the Johns Hopkins community.

“Watch Them Fly Above Your Head” - Bird List

My Bird List

Picture Common Name Scientific Name Last Seen Family Random Comments
Brant branta bernicla Jan ’24, New York NY Waterfowl can be identified by white neckline
Canada Goose branta canadensis Jan ’25, Cambridge MD Waterfowl countless of them in blackwater NWR
Bar-headed Goose anser indicus Dec ’19, Lhasa Tibet Waterfowl Seen with ruddy shelduck in the pond behind Potala palace
Ruddy Shelduck tadorna ferruginea Dec ’19, Lhasa Tibet Waterfowl NA
Black Swan cygnus atratus Feb ’23, Suzhou Jiangsu Waterfowl juvenile
Tundra Swan cygnus columbianus Jan ’25, Cambridge MD Waterfowl small part of yellow on bills
Mallard anas platyrhynchos Jan ’25, Cambridge MD Waterfowl sometimes mixed with domestic ducks
Mandarin Duck aix galericulata June ’23, Beijing Waterfowl juvenile, identified by dotted webbings
Hooded Merganser lophydytes cucullatus Jan ’25, Cambridge MD Waterfowl go around in couples
Great Cormorant phalacrocorax carbo July ’19, Kyoto Japan Cormorants and Anhingas NA
Double-crested Cormorant nannopterum auritum Oct ’23, Baltimore MD Cormorants and Anhingas NA
NA Brandt’s Cormorant urile penicillatus July ’24, Cannon Beach OR Cormorants and Anhingas NA
Little Grebe tachybaptus ruficollis May ’21, Suzhou Jiangsu Grebes called ‘little PT’ in Chinese birding community - too hard to write
NA Tufted Puffin fratercula cirrhata July ’24, Cannon Beach OR Alcids NA
NA Common Murre uria aalge July ’24, Cannon Beach OR Alcids NA
Brown Pelican pelecanus occidentalis July ’24, Cannon Beach OR Pelicans NA
American Herring Gull larus smithsonianus Jan ’24, New York NY Gulls, Terns, Skimmers winter coat
Laughing Gull leucophaeus atricilla Oct ’23, Baltimore MD Gulls, Terns, Skimmers winter coat
Ring-billed Gull larus delawarensis Jan ’25, Cambridge MD Gulls, Terns, Skimmers NA
California Gull larus californicus July ’24, Cannon Beach OR Gulls, Terns, Skimmers NA
Glaucous-winged Gull larus glaucescens July ’24, Seattle WA Gulls, Terns, Skimmers juveniles were seen eating a starfish - sadly they failed.
Caspian Tern hydroprogne caspia July ’24, Seattle WA Gulls, Terns, Skimmers NA
Whiskered Tern chlidonias hybrida Aug ’22, Suzhou Jiangsu Gulls, Terns, Skimmers NA
Eurasian Crag-Martin ptyonoprogne rupestris June ’23, Datong Shanxi Martins and Swallows NA
Killdeer charadrius vociferus Jan ’25, Cambridge MD Shorebirds NA
Wilson’s Snipe gallinago delicata Jan ’25, Cambridge MD Shorebirds NA
Great Blue Heron ardea herodias Jan ’25, Cambridge MD Herons, Ibis, and allies kinda everywhere
Gray Heron ardea cinerea July ’19, Kyoto Japan Herons, Ibis, and allies NA
Great Egret ardea alba Mar ’22, New Orleans LA Herons, Ibis, and allies NA
Little Egret egretta garzetta Nov ’21, Suzhou Jiangsu Herons, Ibis, and allies NA
Eurasian Moorhen gallinula chloropus Nov ’21, Suzhou Jiangsu Rails, Gallinules, and allies symbol of DKU community!
Eurasian Coot fulica atra Jan ’23, Suzhou Jiangsu Rails, Gallinules, and allies NA
Rock Pigeon columbia livia Oct ’24, Baltimore MD Pigeons and Doves NYC pigeons are horribly fat
Spotted Dove spilopelia chinensis Nov ’20, Suzhou Jiangsu Pigeons and Doves dubbed ‘the most delicious friend of hawks’
Turkey Vulture cathartes aura Jan ’25, Cambridge MD Vultures, Hawks, and Allies if you go on a road trip they are always there
Bald Eagle haliaeetus leucocephalus Jan ’25, Cambridge MD Vultures, Hawks, and Allies can be differentiated from turkey vulture while flying by their white tails
Red-tailed Hawk buteo jamaicensis Jan ’22, Durham NC Vultures, Hawks, and Allies NA
Downy Woodpecker dryobates pubescens Jan ’25, Cambridge MD Woodpeckers very small
American Crow corvus brachyrhynchos Jan ’25, Baltimore MD Jays, Magpies, Crows, Ravens NA
Large-billed Crow corvus macrohynchos Mar ’23, Lijiang Yunnan Jays, Magpies, Crows, Ravens NA
NA Common Raven corvus corax Nov ’24, Baltimore MD Jays, Magpies, Crows, Ravens ‘quoth the raven, nevermore’ - quoth someone who died in Baltimore.
Red-billed Blue-Magpie urocissa erythroryncha Mar ’23, Lijiang Yunnan Jays, Magpies, Crows, Ravens NA
Azure-winged Magpie cyanopica cyanus Feb ’23, Suzhou Jiangsu Jays, Magpies, Crows, Ravens NA
Long-tailed Shrike lanius schach Feb ’23, Suzhou Jiangsu Shrikes ‘butcher bird’ - in me the tiger sniffs the plum blossoms
American Robin turdus migratorius Mar ’24, Baltimore MD Thrushes NA
Eastern Bluebird sialia sialis Mar ’22, Durham NC Thrushes NA
Hermit Thrush catharus guttatus Jan ’25, Cambridge MD Thrushes NA
Northern Mockingbird mimus polyglottos Jan ’25, Cambridge MD Catbirds, Mockingbirds, and Thrashers NA
White-browed Laughingthrush pterohinus sannio July ’20, Chengdu Sichuan Laughingthrushes and allies NA
White-breasted Nuthatch sitta carolinensis Mar ’22, Durham NC Nuthatches NA
Carolina Wren thryothorus ludovicianus Jan ’25, Cambridge MD Wrens NA
Ruby-crowned Kinglet corthylio calendula Mar ’22, Durham NC Kinglets NA
White Wagtail motacilla alba Mar ’23, Lijiang Yunnan Wagtails and Pipits tail points up and down endlessly
White-throated Sparrow zonotrichia albicollis Oct ’24, Baltimore MD New World Sparrows found dead around MICA, sadly
House Sparrow passer domesticus May ’24, Boston MA Old World Sparrows white neckline
Eurasian Tree Sparrow passer montanus Nov ’19, Suzhou Jiangsu Old World Sparrows black cheek
House Finch haemorhous mexicanus Mar ’22, Durham NC Finches, Euphonias, and allies NA
Northern Cardinal cardinalis cardinalis Jan ’25, Cambridge MD Cardinals, Grosbeaks, and allies cutest and most iconic bird in the u.s.a.
European Starling sturnus vulgaris Mar ’24, Baltimore MD Starlings and Mynas NA

Birding Around the World: Interactive Map

Click on the map to see pictures of birds! Urban sites marked in pink while rural sites marked in green.

“Birdin’ U.S.A.” - Places I Went For Birding

Baltimore, MD: Inner Harbor

Inner Harbor, Oct 2023

Inner Harbor, Oct 2023
  • Type: Urban | Shore
  • First Visited: Aug 2023
  • Last Visited: Dec 2024
  • Birds: Canada Goose, Double-crested Cormorant, Laughing Gull, Mallard, Ring-billed Gull, Rock Pigeon
  • Comments: From inner harbor to harbor east, the waterfront of downtown Baltimore is a great place to watch gulls & various kinds of waterfowls.
  • Link: /

Cambridge, MD: Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, Jan 2025

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, Jan 2025
  • Type: Rural | Shore, Wetland, Forest
  • First Visited: Jan 2025
  • Last Visited: Jan 2025
  • Birds: Bald Eagle, Canada Goose, Carolina Wren, Downy Woodpecker, Great Blue Heron, Hermit Thrush, Hooded Merganser, Killdeer, Mallard, Northern Cardinal, Northern Mockingbird, Ring-billed Gull, Turkey Vulture, Whistling Swan, Wilson’s Snipe
  • Comments: A perfect place for birding in Maryland, the most iconic bird being bald eagle. With woods, wetlands and ponds around the wildlife drive, you can see a variety of birds here. Also, the visitor center’s pick of merchandises is superb.
  • Links: Friends of Blackwater check the webcams | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service: Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge

New York City, NY: Liberty Island

Liberty Island, Jan 2024

Liberty Island, Jan 2024
  • Type: Urban | Island
  • First Visited: Jan 2024
  • Last Visited: Jan 2024
  • Birds: American Herring Gull, Brant, European Starling, Ring-billed Gull
  • Comments: While New York City is full of fat rock pigeons, the liberty island is surprisingly a good place to watch waterfowls, and of course, gulls. Just mind your food, the gulls are really aggressive.
  • Link: /

Harpers Ferry, WV: Maryland Heights

View of Harpers Ferry from Maryland Heights, Mar 2024

View of Harpers Ferry from Maryland Heights, Mar 2024
  • Type: Rural | Mountain, River, Stream
  • First Visited: Mar 2024
  • Last Visited: Mar 2024
  • Birds: Canada Goose, Mallard, Great Blue Heron, Turkey Vulture
  • Comments: The streams in the woods are a good place to catch up with our geese and heron friends.
  • Link: National Park Service: Harpers Ferry

Durham, NC: Duke University

Duke University, May 2022

Duke University, May 2022
  • Type: Rural | Forest, Pond
  • First Visited: Jan 2022
  • Last Visited: Jan 2024
  • Birds: Red-tailed Hawk, Northern Cardinal, Eastern Bluebird, Carolina Chickadee, American Robin, Carolina Wren, House Finch, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, White-breasted Nuthatch
  • Comments: With birdfeeders everywhere, the Sarah P. Duke Garden is a great place for backyard birds like northern cardinal and eastern bluebird. I saw a red-tailed hawk with its nest near the old chemistry building. There are also some exotic waterfowls in the ponds of Duke Garden, like mandarin ducks & ruddy shelducks, you can check the link below.
  • Links: Exotic Waterfowls in Duke Garden | Duke Gardens

Seattle, WA: Discovery Park

Discovery Park, July 2024

Discovery Park, July 2024
  • Type: Rural | Forest, Shore
  • First Visited: July 2024
  • Last Visited: July 2024
  • Birds: Caspian Tern, Glaucous-winged Gull, Great Blue Heron, American Crow
  • Comments: With all its natural beauty, the discovery park is a great place to enjoy the views of volcano, forests and sea at one time - and of course, gulls.
  • Link: Seattle.gov: Discovery Park

Cannon Beach, OR: Haystack Rock

Haystack Rock, July 2024

Haystack Rock, July 2024
  • Type: Rural | Shore, Cliff
  • First Visited: July 2024
  • Last Visited: July 2024
  • Birds: Brown Pelican, California Gull, Tufted Puffin, Common Murre, Brandt’s Cormorant, American Crow
  • Comments: It’s just heaven if you love seabirds and shorebirds - in summer, various birds are nesting on the cliff of haystack rock. Remember to bring your binoculars since there’s a sign saying ‘birds only beyond this point’ - you would not be able to get too close to that rock. The volunteer is very friendly and helpful, and tide pools are also great fun to explore. Also, if you reside in Portland, be sure to check out Powell’s books, it has a great collection of field guides as well as other gems.
  • Links: Friends of Haystack Rock check the webcams | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service: Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge

New Orleans, LA: Maurepas Swamp

Maurepas Swamp - Where the Voodoo Swamp Witch Lies, Mar 2022

Maurepas Swamp - Where the Voodoo Swamp Witch Lies, Mar 2022

End Notes

The Place Where It All Begins

The Place Where It All Begins

Thanks Qinyi who introduced me to the world of birding. I will always remember watching night heron with you sitting next to Bixia Pond back in 2019 in the afternoon before taking a Biology exam.