My 2011 birding year

I ended the year with 590 species, far more than I had expected courtesy of a guided trip to Thailand. My ABA total ended on 346 and there is no doubt that I should have made 350: I had failed to locate a Cassin's Vireo seen by my Camp Verde CBC team mates on January 2nd, seemed to be the only birder in Flagstaff to miss the Winter Wren at Picture Canyon in early January, did not chase warblers hard enough in the early summer and ended without Grace's and Red-faced Warbler. If you add to these the fact that I also failed to run into Virginia Rail, Williamson's Sapsucker or Red-breasted Nuthatch, and missed California Condor, Golden Eagle and Black-billed Magpie (which I would've got with more effort), I would have made it to 600.

 My best birds in North America, both seen in Arizona, were Fan-tailed Warbler and Nutting's Flycatcher. Of my favorite birds, I saw 31 species of Anseridae, 4 grebes and 4 loons with Barrow's Goldeneye, Yellow-billed Loon and Red-throated Loon all being lifers. I also managed 11 gull species for the year, a definite personal best!

My year end total are as follows:
 

Life List
ABA List	488
Arizona List	366
Yard List	94