My 2014 Birding Year

I ended the year with 425 species, 75 less than my target due to less travel than expected. My ABA total ended on 321 which was less than my totals from 2011, 2012 or 2013. Out of state strips were in the winter months to Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois, short trips to Mississippi, Arkansas and Washington which did not allow for much birding and a weekend in New Mexico which was very disappointing. .

I had some embarrassing omissions from my list. I did not catch up with Olive, Townsend’s and Black-throated Gray Warblers, Yellow-breasted Chat, Cordilleran or Gray Flycatchers before my summer travel, did not run into American Goldfinch in Arizona and could not find Red Crossbill in the fall when they had been reported everywhere! Somehow White-throated Swift and Crissal Thrsher, Cassin's Kingbird and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher eluded me. I did not get Juniper Titmouse until December 22nd! I had no luck with Harris Hawk, Zone-tailed Hawk or Great Horned Owl and could not find Brown Pelican when I stopped by Tempe Town Lake where they were supposed to be guaranteed! But the biggest miss was of Yelloe-eyed Junco. My son took a photo of this bird in Madera Canyon in August when I was standing next him!

With some chasing over Thanksgiving weekend I reached my target of 250 species in Arizona, ending with 254. Of these 6 were new state birds – Eastern Bluebird and Black Tern weren't much to shout about but the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper that Jason found at Rimmy Jim was a great state bird chased by many of the state's best birders. Early in the year I got to go to Florida Canyon, and with Ed's help had great views of a Rufous-capped Warbler. A trip to Madera Canyon in the summer yielded the other two state birds - Mexican Whip-poor-will and another star bird, Buff-collared Nightjar.  My Coconino county total of 158 was an improvement on last year and some of these birds were new for me in the county. Calliope Hummingbird and Downy Woodpeckers were new to my yar.

I had 14 lifers in 2013, much fewer than I had been hoping for and insufficient for my longer term goals. But I saw some great ones! At the Sax-Zim Bog festival I completed the set of North American woodpeckers with a Black-backed Woodpecker, added Pine Grosbeak. Ruffed Grouse and Boreal Chickadee to my list. But owls were my reason for going and I saw both Snowy Owl and Northern Hawk Owl at the festival. I missed my main target on that trip but returning with my wife in December saw my bird-of-the-year: Great Grey Owl.  I saw several Scissor-tailed Flycatchers in Arkansas and finally caught up with Wood Sandpiper and Little Gull in England but my best bird there was the heavily twitched Short-toed Eagle.

My year end totals are as follows:
 

Life List
ABA List	563
Arizona List	395
Coconino County List	269
Yard List	96