Musing over a life list

[Pat Hodgson]

Due to health problems, I did not get in a foreign trip this year.  Still picked up some good stuff on a mop-up (i.e. second) trip to SE Arizona.

yard: 104  +1 flyover belted kingfisher
Ontario: 303 +6 all birds found by others then seen by many, willow ptarmigan, blue grosbeak, dickcissel, tricolored heron, fork-tailed flycatcher, cattle egret (none lifers)
old ABA area (no Hawaii): 591 +12,  Arizona lifers Botteri's sparrow, five-striped sparrow, rufous-winged sparrow, western screech-owl, Montezuma quail, Lucifer hummingbird, buff-breasted flycatcher plus non-lifers rose-throated becard, tufted flycatcher, rufous-capped warbler; Colorado lifer black rail, Ontario fork-tailed flycatcher
new ABA area with Hawaii: 619 same +12
World: 2064 +8 all listed above

[Leslie Kinrys]

In January, I started 2018 with a lifer Red-cockaded Woodpecker in Florida. This month, I had an eight-day trip to Costa Rica. It was amazing! I added 173 new species, which brings my life list to 879.

[Dinusaur]

Another year gone by and another opportunity to showcase our life list. In 2018 I have added 22 life birds in Ontario; the notables are:
Tufted Duck, Barnacle Goose, Black-backed Woodpecker, Western Meadowlark, Reddish Egret, Swallow-tailed Kite, Calliope Hummingbird, Slaty-backed Gull and last but not the least Bohemian Waxwings.

In summary:
Ontario Lifers: 283
World Lifers: 451

[MikeN]

Had a good year adding to the list this year as well. Added 42 overall, 22 in Ontario and 20 from a trip to Louisiana. Highlights would be Brown-headed Nuthatches on the University of Alabama campus in Tuscaloosa, White Ibis in New Orleans and a summer of chasing rarities all over Ontario.

[Walter Fisher]

Hi all,

A 2018 update...

Ontario Birds - 318 - My only 2 additions were Barnacle Goose and Reddish Egret.
Park Birds - 197 - My 3 additons were Barred Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl and Fish Crow. (All birds observed at Rosetta McClain Gardens in Toronto)
Backyard Birds - 119 - My 6 additions were Trumpeter Swan, Red-shouldered Hawk, Belted Kingfisher, Fish Crow, Eastern Towhee, and Scarlet Tanager.

Good birding in 2019,
Walter

[thouc]

I got 10 new Ontario birds and 30 lifers (most from San Diego area) during 2018 and standing at 318 and 664 per eBird.

New Ontario birds
Lapland Longspur
Barnacle Goose
Yellow-breasted Chat (lifer)
Long-tailed Jaeger
Swallow-tailed Kite (lifer)
Little Blue Heron
Great Kiskadee (lifer)
Black-throated Grey Warbler (lifer)
Hooded Warbler (lifer)
Pine Grosbeak

And I got photos (of varying quality) of all of them except the Longspur.

/Thomas

[Dinusaur]

2019 came and gone. However, I still managed to add 13 life birds to Ontario life list, and 5 additional world wide. In Ontario the first one on Jan 6 was a Boreal Chickadee that showed up in Darlington Provincial Park. Surprisingly my many trips to Algonquin never produced one of these beauties. The last one in the province on Dec 12 is a Northern Hawk Owl or the so-called Schomberg Celebrity. The notable ones are: Golden Eagle in Newbury, Hermit Warbler in Whitby, Worm-eating Warbler in Bowmanville, Curlew Sandpiper in Belwood Lake, Black-throated Sparrow in Oakville, Western Kingbird in Hamilton and Norther Hawk Owl in Schomberg. This is where I stand as of end of 2019:

Ontario: 296
World: 468.

[thouc]

I added only two new Ontario birds in 2019, both lifers: Black-necked Stilt and King Rail.
Another six lifers from Florida.

Ontario: 320
North America: 366
World: 672

/Thomas

[MikeN]

Another solid year.
Added 30 to my lifelist, 26 in Ontario and 4 in Nova Scotia. The highlite being Atlantic Puffins on the water by our boat in the Bay of Fundy.
Looking forward to 2020, roadtrips with my birding crew and a 2 week journey around Newfoundland this summer.
Good Birding all!

[Walter Fisher]

Hi all,

My 2019 update...

Ontario Birds - 321 - My 3 new additions were Red-necked Phalarope, Hermit Warbler, and Yellow-headed Blackbird.
Park Birds - 198 - My 1 new additon was Northern Shoveler (flyover). (at Rosetta McClain Gardens, Toronto)
Backyard Birds - 124 - My 5 new additions were Great Egret (flyover), Olive-sided Flycatcher, Wood Thrush, Lincoln's Sparrow, and Orchard Oriole.

Good birding in 2020,
Walter

[Leslie Kinrys]

I was determined to get over 1,000 on my life list. Birding in 2019 ended up as my biggest year. I started in Florida. I had 10 days in Costa Rica, where my tour went to new areas for me. Spring and summer were in Ontario. I was in Iberia for 2 weeks in the fall. It was a heritage tour, but I got in 2 days of birding in Portugal and found some birds on my own.

I saw 595 species in 2019, not all of them were new to me.

My North American list stands at 572 species.

I added 178 species on my life list.

My life list is at 1064 species.

This year everyone's wings are clipped. Thankfully, there are still local patches to explore. Maybe, we'll get chances to go birding farther afield . Good birding and stay safe.

[Dinusaur]

Wow, that's an impressive life list - 10% of all bird species in the world!. I am only half of that; my march continues.

[JW Mills]

Time for an update:
Ontario 315
Canada 353
Philippines 157
Australia 155
Taiwan 3
World 642

[Walter Fisher]

Hi all,

My 2020 update...

Ontario Birds (323) - My 2 new additions were Swallow-tailed Kite and Variegated Flycatcher.
Backyard Birds (135) - My 11 new additions (as of Dec. 20) were Snow Goose, Brant, Black Scoter, Golden Eagle, Rough-legged Hawk, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Least Flycatcher, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Carolina Wren, Rusty Blackbird, and Orange-crowned Warbler.

Good birding in 2021,
Walter

[Dinusaur]

2020 saw me adding 20 life birds to my list, 13 of those came from my visit to India early this year before the lockdown kicked in. In Ontario I have 7 new birds, the first being Black-legged Kittiwake on Jan 1st and the last was a Northern Wheatear on Sept 27. I ended up missing the Variegated Flycatcher.


To date:
Ontario - 308
World - 490


Here's a composite photo of 9 of those life birds.