I’m doing a Big Year in 2017!

In case I somehow I have not told everyone yet, I am planning on doing a birding Big Year in Ontario in 2017! I have been planning for it for over a year and whether I am fully prepared or not, 2017 is less than one day away and I’m getting excited!

Many, many mornings will be spent behind my telescope at various shores. This is a photo of me birding the shore of Lake Erie at Point Pelee in autumn 2016.

My goal is simple: to do the best I possibly can with the time, money, and skills I have at my disposal. As much as I would love to ideally beat the record, I am not overly concerning myself with that aspect of the challenge. If I give it my best shot and I beat the record, great! If I do my best and fall short of the record, then that’s great too. I'll be travelling all over the province, aiming to see virtually every breeding and migrant species, but there is of course no guarantee of success with every one of these species. 

Another Vermilion Flycatcher in Ontario would be a great highlight for my 2017 Big Year! This is a young male that I photographed in Lambton County in winter 2015.

Wondering what the current record is? One of my best friends, Josh Vandermeulen, currently holds the Ontario Big Year record with 343 species identified in 2012. This number is no easy feat, and in fact I would argue that in certain select years it’s impossible for one birder to see that many species. For example, total number of bird species identified and listed in Ontario in 2014 was 347, so if someone wanted to beat Josh`s record they would have had to miss no more than three of all the species identified in the province that year! Josh took the record from Glenn Coady, who held a very impressive record of 338 for quite a few years from 1996 I believe, a time before mass media like Facebook, thousands of participants in email alert services like Ontbirds, and frequent text messaging and photo sharing. My fingers are crossed that 2017 turns out to be a pretty strong year for bird species in Ontario, but that aspect is out of my hands for the most part.

Will I have the chance to see a Gray Kingbird in Ontario in 2017? This is a photo of one that I found in the Point Pelee area with Emma Buck and Dave Ehrenreich in spring 2015.

Why a Big Year in 2017? Well, why not? We cannot possibly know ahead of time if a year will bring great fortune to Ontario's bird watching community or not, so if one wants to do a pretty serious Big Year, he or she really has to just pick a year, plan it out, and go for it. I'm quite young still and full of plenty of energy (not saying that I do not have energetic friends much older than me, but I don't know if I will be as I age!). I am also at a point in my life that I need to take on more steady work in the near future as my expenses grow, which would greatly compromise an all-out Big Year. I've needed some practice to really hone my knowledge and skills, hence why I have waited this long. This might come as a surprise to some, but I have only been bird watching for about five years. To attempt a Big Year with less experience than I have now seems like an idea I would have regretted. This coming year has been in careful planning for over a year, and now it's almost here!

Eurasian Collared-Dove would be a great addition to my 2017 Big Year! This is a pair that I found near Leamington with the help of Michelle Valliant and Jeremy Hatt in summer 2014.

Hopefully I can find some time to update my blog somewhat regularly, so anyone interested has a convenient channel to follow along with my adventures. I like to think it will provide some friends and family with entertainment, and maybe even some vicarious birding opportunities to those who are not able to get out often enough themselves! 

Purple Sandpiper is a regularly seen species in Ontario but can be an easy miss in a Big Year if I'm not careful! This is a pair that I found at The Tip of Point Pelee in autumn 2013.

There it is - my official announcement that I'm about to begin a Big Year in Ontario. I wish anyone reading this a happy and prosperous new year, whether it involves bird watching or not. See you in the field!

Jeremy Bensette