Got this idea from KatDoc.
2008 was a pretty mediocre birding year for me, in that I saw few lifers. But then, I only went to Cape May for a day, and we spent most of the time just giggling. The rest of the time, I saw a lot of birds but not many lifers.
My 2008 lifers, and where and when I saw 'em:
Out on the marsh behind my former home, I saw
Rusty Blackbird (March)
Prairie Warbler (May)
Warbling Vireo (May)
At the Coburn Rail Trail (where I think I'm gonna bird this weekend), I saw
Hooded Warbler (April)
On a trip to the Big Valley south of here, I saw
Pine Siskin (January)
Horned Lark (January)
On my way home through Penns Valley, I saw a
Ruffed Grouse (April)
In Cape May, I saw
KatDoc (October)
Lynne (October)
Yellow-crowned Night Heron (October)
In the big city of State College, I saw
Common/Northern Raven (December)
During atlasing runs, I saw
Louisiana Waterthrush (June) (forgot I'd seen this!)
Veery (June)
Hairy Woodpecker (June)
Black Vulture (June? July? can't remember, and I didn't write it down!)
House Wren (June)
While camping, I saw
Eastern Kingbird (July)
I think those are all the lifers I got last year. That's only 15. In 2007, I probably increased my lifelist by like 40 or more birds, especially after the first Cape May Flock Invasion.
2009 will prove to be a HUGE year for me, as I'll be trying to round up east-coast lifers by July and then moving to the west coast to get bunches of new lifers! It won't be long 'til I get my 200th bird. Who knows? Maybe I'll even hit 300 in 2009? That's a lot of lifers, though. We'll see what happens.
6 comments:
I don't know, Delia, but 15 sounds like a lot to me. Especially the Lynne and Katdoc ones--they are rare birds indeed.
All right. Now I have to see if I can figure out what lifers I gained this year. I don't recall off the bat that there were a huge number, but we did see some that we've been wanting to see for years.
If giggling was a way to bring in birds, we would all be honorary ornithologists.
There are 300 different birds? I'm stuck on about 13!
Varied Thrush ... yes .. a bit like a Robin. Great Trilly call right about now - in fact I heard the first one here yesterday.
Point Reyes/West Marin County - fabulous. But, take a sack lunch or bring large amounts of money! No, just kidding, but Marin County is well, Marin County.
TAGGED! You’re it, doll.
Now I need to go back and read your posts ...
KGMom--15 just seems kinda lame, though Lynne and Katdoc were definite high points! There was also a Beth-the-no-longer-lurker and John from DC Birding Blog!
Earl--I bet you've seen a few, what with all your pleading to the Birding Goddess.
Susan--Amen to that, sister.
Rabbits' Guy--I've heard about the high cost of, well, everything out there.
Beth--gotcha.
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