2015 / 2016 Year List Update

Okay, I've fallen way behind the times here, but I still want to post my annual update about my 2015 bird year list, and better late than never, right? Since 2010 I've had a challenge going with Dave over in England, and starting in 2011 my dad joined in as well. I've never beat my dad (who tends to travel more than I do), and I've only beat Dave once (in 2014, though we miraculously tied in 2013!), but it's still fun to play. I'm afraid my lack of blogging over the last couple months has coincided with a lack of birding, so not only did I lose this year but I lost to both of them pretty badly! Here are the numbers:

	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015
Total # Bird Species	233	203	222	192	201	176
Dave's Total	237	206	275/205*	192	179	200
Dad's Total		230	204	222	250	245
# States/ Provinces	6	4	5	4	5	6
# Life Birds	23	3	6	3	11	2
# SJ County Species	133?	157	145	149	142	128
# Species by Month
January	87	114	105	110	86	84
February	19	13	52	6	57	7
March	25	12	3	14	8	49
April	21	25	12	20	13	13
May	37	17	24	10	9	8
June	24	2	14	5	6	5
July	1	4	0	1	1	1
August	2	4	3	2	0	2
September	3	5	0	1	5	0
October	2	1	6	0	11	1
November	4	4	0	22	5	3
December	8	2	3	0	0	3

Of course the listing is just for fun, and it's really all about getting out there and enjoying nature and seeing the birds. Here are some highlights of my bird-watching in the last month or so, also demonstrating all the regional travel I've been doing!

Bald Eagle in Cowichan Bay, BC

Great egret in Scappoose, Oregon

Chestnut-backed chickadee in St. Helens, OR

Barrow's goldeneye in Duncan, BC - species #171 in 2015, and #4 in 2016)

Golden-crowned kinglet in Duncan, BC (2016 year bird #33)

Trumpeter swans in Duncan, BC (2016 year bird #20)

Trumpeter swans in Cowichan Bay, BC

Trumpeter swans in Skagit County, WA

Rough-legged hawk in Skagit County, WA (2016 year bird #56)

Red-tailed hawk (dark morph) in Friday Harbor, WA

Immature bald eagle in Surrey, BC

As of now, January 13, my 2016 year list sits at 67 species. My first bird of the year was an American robin, and it was awesome to have Barrow's goldeneye in the first five species of the year. Some other early highlights include pileated woodpecker (#13), Virginia rail (#37), rough-legged hawk (#56), and short-eared owl (#59). 67 puts me just ahead of my dad at 66 as of today, but meanwhile Dave's pulled ahead to a big early lead, with 91 species through January 12, but there's plenty of time to close that gap! Stay tuned for another year of friendly birding competition!