My 2017 Birding Year

I ended the year with 535 species which exceeded my initial goal of 400 species and a later one of 500 species that I had given myself once it was clear that I would spend some days in the UK, Malaysia and Australia. I saw 322 in North America missing the optimistic 350 target I had given myself.  I had 230 species in Arizona and 203 in California, ahead of the 225 and 175 I had set for myself. At the county level I saw 164 species in Coconino and 180 in Santa Clara, exceeding the 150 targets for each place. 

I saw 3 lifers in in North America in 2017, Emperor Goose, Red-masked Parakeet and Louisiana Waterthrush, plus an uncertain number in Malaysia. I need to find my Excel file and make a proper determination. Common Crane was a fourth ABA bird.  I added 5 species to my Arizona list with Trumpeter Swan, Brown Thrasher, Red Knot as well as the crane and the waterthrush. And I added 8 species to my Coconino list.

My bird of the year was the Rufous-backed Dwarf Kingfisher that I saw in Ulu Langat, Malaysia. The Snowy Owl and Short-eared Owls seen on a family trip to the Pacific Northwest were my favorites in North America. My year end totals are as follows: 

Life List
ABA List	578
Arizona List	405
Coconino County List	290
Yard List	97

My 163 species in Coconino had me in 23^rd spot, and my 180 in Santa Clara had me in 25^th. But these are a function of the number of people eBirding as much as anything else.