My 2018 Birding Year

I ended the year with 371 species which was my lowest total for the year since my first year of keeping records on eBird (2011), and the first time I saw less than 400 species in that time. I saw 304 in North America (all but 3 in the United States) again missing the optimistic 350 target I had given myself.  I had 208 species in Arizona and 203 in California, meeting the goals of 200 I had set myself in each state. At the county level I saw 170 species in Coconino and 180 in Santa Clara, exceeding the respective targets of 150 and 175. Remarkably my totals for Santa Clara county and for California were exactly the same as in 2017for each place. 

I saw 2 lifers in 2018, Fischer’s Lovebird and Great-crested Flycatcher, although the first these is not countable in North America. Black-winged Stilt was a UK life bird. Common Crane was a fourth ABA bird.  I added 4 species to my Arizona list with Pine Grosbeak, Eastern Kingbird and both Black and Gray-crowned Rosy Finches. Vermilion Flycatcher, Fox Sparrow, Herring Gull and Curve-billed Thrasher were also new for Coconino County. A Vesper Sparrow took my yard list to 98. I added 17 species to my California list, and a further 4 to those in Santa Clara County.

My bird of the year was my long sought after Great Crested Flycatcher, that I saw with my son in Chicago. 

Birding highlights included finally catching up on Pine Grosbeaks and Rosy Finches in Arizona - the first time these species had visited the state for many years, and seeing the thousands of Ross's Geese at Merced National Wildlife Refuge.

Life List
ABA List	579
Arizona List	409
Coconino County List	298
Yard List	98

My 170 species in Coconino had me in 19th spot – four spots higher than in 2017 - and my 180 in Santa Clara had me in 25^th for the second year running. But these are a function of the number of people eBirding as much as anything else