Barrows Goldeneye Photo Credit: Shawn Richmond
Barrows Goldeneye Photo Credit: Shawn Richmond

15 new species have been added to the bird list for Owen Sowerwine Natural Area!

Twelve of the added species are the result of some detective work by our new Keeper of the OSNA List, Shawn Richmond. When Shawn took on this new job in November, she began digging into the ebird records for observation reports of birds at Owen Sowerwine, and came up with 12 species that had not appeared on the list before. Shawn is also responsible for adding one other species to the list this month based on her own sightings at Owen Sowerwine, and two new species in August.

The Owen Sowerwine Bird List can be found on this website under Conservation/Owen Sowerwine Natural Area. Right now you’ll find there the updated version just produced by Shawn. Newer updates will be posted as they appear, so check the section often to see what new birds have been added. And if you see a species when you visit Owen Sowerwine that is not on this list, let Shawn know and she will add it. Her contact information is at the bottom of the bird list.

Lapland Longspur Photo Credit: Shawn Richmond
Lapland Longspur Photo Credit: Shawn Richmond

For the curious, here are the twelve new species: Ring-Necked Duck, Barrow’s Goldeneye, Horned Grebe, Swainson’s Hawk, American Coot, Sandhill Crane, Merlin, Northern Shrike, Townsend’s Solitaire, Spotted Towhee, American Tree Sparrow, Common Grackle. The three species added by Shawn’s own observations are Greater Yellowlegs, Lapland Longspur, and Savannah Sparrow.