I ended the year with 709 species, a hundred more than my target
due to more international travel than expected. My ABA total ended on 386 which
was many more than in 2011 or 2012 due to my North Carolina bird tour (which replaced my planned trip to High Island, Texas). I could have reached 400.
I had some embarrassing omissions from my list – Grace’s Warbler,
Ash-throated Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo, Green-tailed Towhee, Band-tailed
Pigeon and Common Nighthawk had all been around in good numbers close to home.
I missed Merlin on the Mormon Lake CBC although one of my team members had one!
Bad weather stopped me heading to the Grand Canyon for Varied Thrush and
California Condor, and I was bitten by a dog while heading to find Clark’s
Nutcrackers. I forgot to go to Site Six to pick up and easy Red-necked Grebe. I
missed Hammond’s Flycatcher and Tropical Kingbird when both should have been
gettable, and I had no luck with American Dipper or Chestnut-collared Longspurs
on my single attempts to get these. The year ran out before I could try for the
Swamp Sparrow found at Picture Canyon on the Flagstaff CBC.
With some chasing at the end I reached my target of 250 species in
Arizona, but only 5 were new state birds – Brown Booby, White-tailed Kite, Willet,
Marbled Godwit and Bobolink - but I got
to see two previous heard only birds,
Elf Owl and Elegant Trogon. My Coconino
county total of 140 was well down on the 181 from the previous year but I increased
my county total by seven.
I had 55 lifers in 2013 including some long that were long wished
for: Noisy Pitta, Freckled Duck, Cotton Pygmy-goose, Oriental Darter,
Red-cockaded Woodpecker and Brown-headed Nuthatch. I also caught up with many
eastern birds on my North Carolina trip, and got to enjoy Philip Island’s
Penguin Parade for the third time. The best day of the year was my day with Lee
where he delivered 3 species of pitta and two species of trogon!
My year end totals are as follows:
Life List
|
|
ABA List
|
550
|
Arizona List
|
388
|
Coconino County List
|
257
|
Yard List
|
94
|
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