An avid birder in my tweens and early teens, I downgraded to a fair-weather birder from around 15 to 45 (birding mostly while in new regions). But in the past two years, I’ve slowly become somewhat more avid again. Part of this change came from moving to the country into a house with lots of easily accessible habitats: wet meadow, dense forest, creek valley, “prairie.” Since moving here in July 2022, my kids and I have been documenting all the bird species we see on or from the property.

In June 2025, I reached the milestone of 100 bird species seen or heard on (or from) the property! The bird that put me into the three digits was a green heron. On December 11, 2025, I saw bird registered #112, a Barred Owl. Here is the complete list (July 1, 2022, to present):

1. Snow goose, Anser caerulescens (Oct 20, 2025)
2. Canada goose, Branta canadensis
3. Cackling goose, Branta hutchinsii (Sept 26, 2025)
4. Trumpeter swam, Cygnus buccinator (May 4, 2025)
5. Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos
6. Wood duck, Aix sponsa (May 2025)
7. Common merganser, Mergus merganser (Feb 1, 2024)
8. Wild turkey, Meleagris gallopavo (2023) (bred on property in 2023 and 2024)
9. Ruffed grouse, Bonasa umbellus
10. Rock pigeon, Columba livia
11. Mourning dove, Zenaida macroura
12. Black-billed cuckoo, Coccyzus erythropthalmus (July 16, 2025; lifer)
13. Common nighthawk, Chordeiles minor
14. Chimney swift, Chaetura pelagica
15. Ruby-throated hummingbird, Archilochus colubris
16. Killdeer, Charadrius vociferus (April 2025)
17. Solitary sandpiper, Tringa solitaria (June 25, 2025, heard only)
18. Greater yellowlegs, Tringa melanoleuca (September 15, 2025)
19. American woodcock, Scolopax minor (April 10, 2025; mating display; lifer)
20. Ring-billed gull, Larus delawarensis
21. Great blue heron, Ardea Herodias
22. Green heron, Butorides virescens (June 14, 2025)
23. Double-crested cormorant, Nannopterum auritum
24. Turkey vulture, Cathartes aura
25. Osprey, Pandion haliaetus
26. Bald eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus
27. Northern harrier, Circus hudsonius
28. Sharp-shinned hawk, Accipiter striatus
29. Cooper’s hawk, Accipiter cooperii
30. Broad-winged hawk, Buteo platypterus
31. Red-tailed hawk, Buteo jamaicensis
32. Merlin, Falco columbarius
33. American kestrel, Falco sparverius (Sept 1, 2025)
34. Asio owl, Asio otus or Asio flammeus (March 2024)
35. Barred owl, Strix varia (Dec 11, 2025) (see photo below)
36. Belted kingfisher, Megaceryle alcyon (breeds on property all years)
37. Red-bellied woodpecker, Melanerpes carolinus (breeds on property all years)
38. Yellow-bellied sapsucker, Sphyrapicus varius
39. Downy woodpecker, Dryobates pubescens
40. Hairy woodpecker, Dryobates villosus
41. Northern flicker, Colaptes auratus (bred on property in 2025)
42. Pileated woodpecker, Dryocopus pileatus
43. Eastern kingbird, Tyrannus tyrannus
44. Great crested flycatcher, Myiarchus crinitus
45. Eastern phoebe, Sayornis phoebe (bred on property in 2024)
46. Eastern Wood-Pewee, Contopus virens (May 29, 2025)
47. Least flycatcher, Empidonax minimus (May 8, 2025)
48. Golden-crowned kinglet, Regulus satrapa (March 2024)
49. Ruby-crowned kinglet, Corthylio calendula (Spring 2024)
50. Cedar waxwing, Bombycilla cedrorum
51. Blue-headed vireo, Vireo solitarius (Sept 2024)
52. Red-eyed vireo, Vireo olivaceus
53. Blue jay, Cyanocitta cristata
54. American crow, Corvus brachyrhynchos
55. Common raven, Corvus corax
56. Black-capped chickadee, Poecile atricapilla
57. Barn swallow, Hirundo rustica
58. Bank swallow, Riparia riparia
59. Tree swallow, Tachycineta bicolor
60. White-breasted nuthatch, Sitta carolinensis
61. Red-breasted nuthatch, Sitta canadensis (Sept 2024)
62. Brown creeper, Certhia americana
63. House wren, Troglodytes aedon (bred on property in 2023-2025)
64. Winter wren, Troglodytes hiemalis (Nov 2024)
65. Grey catbird, Dumetella carolinensis
66. European starling, Sturnus vulgaris
67. Eastern bluebird, Sialia sialis (February 2023)
68. American robin, Turdus migratorius
69. Veery, Catharus fuscescens (June 14, 2025, heard only)
70. Swainson’s Thrush, Catharus ustulatus (Sept 2024)
71. Hermit Thrush, Catharus guttatus (Nov 8, 2025)
72. House sparrow, Passer domesticus (2022)
73. House finch, Haemorhous mexicanus
74. Purple finch, Haemorhous purpureus
75. American goldfinch, Spinus tristis (2022)
76. Chipping sparrow, Spizella passerine
77. American tree sparrow, Spizelloides arborea (Winter 2023)
78. Swamp sparrow, Melospiza georgiana (Sept 2024)
79. Dark-eyed junco, Junco hyemalis
80. White-throated sparrow, Zonotrichia albicollis
81. White-crowned sparrow, Zonotrichia leucophrys (Sept 17, 2024)
82. Song sparrow, Melospiza melodia
83. Fox sparrow, Passerella iliaca (Oct 24, 2025)
84. Baltimore oriole, Icterus galbula (bred on property in 2025)
85. Red-winged blackbird, Agelaius phoeniceus (bred on property all years)
86. Rusty blackbird, Euphagus carolinus (Oct 6, 2025)
87. Brown-headed cowbird, Molothrus ater
88. Common grackle, Quiscalus quiscula
89. Ovenbird, Seiurus aurocapilla (May 9, 2025)
90. Black-and-white warbler, Mniotilta varia
91. Tennessee warbler, Leiothlypis peregrina
92. Nashville warbler, Leiothlypis ruficapilla
93. Canada warbler, Cardellina canadensis
94. Wilson’s warbler, Cardellina pusilla (Sept 14, 2025)
95. Mourning warbler, Geothlypis philadelphia (May 25, 2025)
96. Blackpoll warbler, Setophaga striata (Sept 2024, female/immature; lifer)
97. Bay-Breasted warbler, Setophaga castanea (Aug 25, male)
98. Northern Parula, Setophaga americana (Sept 2024; lifer)
99. American redstart, Setophaga ruticilla (Sept 2024)
100. Cape May warbler, Setophaga tigrina (May 9, 2025)
101. Black-throated blue warbler, Setophaga caerulescens (Spring 2023)
102. Black-throated green warbler, Setophaga virens (Sept 2024)
103. Pine warbler, Setophaga pinus (Fall 2022)
104. Blackburnian warbler, Setophaga fusca (Aug 2024)
105. Yellow-rumped warbler, Setophaga coronate (Fall 2022)
106. Chestnut-sided warbler, Setophaga pensylvanica (Fall 2022)
107. Magnolia Warbler, Setophaga magnolia (Sept 2024)
108. Palm warbler, Setophaga palmarum (Sept 1, 2025)
109. Common Yellowthroat, Geothlypis trichas (Sept 2024; bred on property in 2025)
110. Rose-breasted grosbeak, Pheucticus ludovicianus
111. Indigo bunting, Passerina cyanea (July 2024, bred on property in 2024 and 2025)
112. Northern cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis