Monday, December 31, 2012

My 2012 Birding Milestones

2012 was a great birding year for me due to some unexpected travel to Arizona and North Carolina. A family reunion at the Oregon Coast also was a boon to my birding lists. I was able to add 40 life birds this year! I saw 306 bird species which is the biggest year I've personally had so far.

Rufous-capped Warbler
Sandwich Tern
Prothonotary Warbler
Wilson's Plover
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
40 Life Birds Added in 2012:
Common Redpoll - Idaho
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper - Idaho
Elf Owl - Arizona
Lucifer Hummingbird - Arizona
Blue-throated Hummingbird - Arizona
Spotted Owl - Arizona
Gray Hawk - Arizona
Summer Tanager - Arizona
Dusky-capped Flycatcher - Arizona
Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher - Arizona
Red-faced Warbler - Arizona
Botteri's Sparrow - Arizona
Zone-tailed Hawk  - Arizona
Tufted Puffin - Oregon
Pelagic Cormorant - Oregon
Wrentit - Oregon
Heermann's Gull - Oregon
Brandt's Cormorant - Oregon
Black Oystercatcher - Oregon
Common Murre - Oregon
Pigeon Guillemot - Oregon
Western Gull - Oregon
Chestnut-backed Chickadee - Oregon
Prothonotary Warbler - Utah
Red-headed Woodpecker - North Carolina
Great Crested Flycatcher - North Carolina
Northern Gannet - North Carolina
Tricolored Heron - North Carolina
Clapper Rail - North Carolina
Wilson's Plover - North Carolina
Whimbrel - North Carolina
Short-billed Dowitcher - North Carolina
Sandwich Tern - North Carolina
Least Tern - North Carolina
Least Grebe - Arizona
Rufous-crowned Sparrow - Arizona
Rufous-winged Sparrow - Arizona
Olive Warbler - Arizona
Rufous-capped Warbler - Arizona
Lark Bunting - Arizona


Current Birding List Totals since July 2004:

Life List - 445
ABA area - 422

States lists over the century mark:
Idaho - 256
Arizona - 233
Utah - 219
Oregon - 161

County lists over the century mark:
Ada, Idaho 208
Davis, Utah 176
Maricopa, Arizona 157
Canyon, Idaho 143
Salt Lake, Utah 137
Harney, Oregon 117
Jefferson, Idaho 113
Valley, Idaho 112
Boise, Idaho 112


Special thanks to Swarovski Optik for the epic Arizona trip in August as part of a bird blogger summit. Thanks to North Carolina's Crystal Coast tourism board that hosted dozens of media folks earlier this year.

2 comments:

  1. Robert, LOL at your comment on my blog and Thank You! As for your list, that is quite an accomplishment as well. You have quite a few birds that I don't have, including the sharp-tailed sandpiper, the Wilson's Plover, and the puffin! Nicely done. You arranged the info nicely as well. I forgot to add the info about where I started at the beginning of the year. I may go back and amend my post now thanks to you! It sure is fun keeping tabs on you! Though we have not met in person...yet, I still feel like you are my birding buddy! You are certainly my eBird and statistics buddy! Here's to another wonderful year of birding and Birding is Fun. May your Life List grow just a wee bit slower than mine! ;-)

    (P.S. I never thought of noticing how many counties I have with lists over 100. You may have started me on a new quest!)

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  2. Well, I have 5 counties over 100 species but Davis County, Utah is at 99. I hope to get back up there this year and break through that wall! I started the year with 420 species. I only added 12 species to the list this year, but I was at 386 before moving back east in August of 2010. I am so frustrated over my Idaho list because I know I saw so many other species of birds there from when I lived there for 2 years but I don't have dates for them! I know I saw Tundra swans, cinnamon teal, and many others when I loved there. Oh well. I guess I just need to come back!

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