Life List

[Beverlybaynes]

I sat down yesterday and totalled up my life list from the jottings made in my field guide (National Geographic, 3rd ed).

And while I won't bore you all with the complete list, it totalled out at 198 -- a few more than I expected!

It, of course, includes birds I've seen all my life (before becoming a birder) such as the Northern Cardinal, American Crow, Blue Jay, etc. I'd estimate that I could probably identify around 20 species before I actually got into the whole thing.

The birds are all from Indiana (of course), Ohio (from trips to the Lake Erie shoreline) and one trip to southern California in 1994.

The most out-of-range birds on the list include Glossy Ibis (well north) and Yellow-Headed Blackbird (well east), both of which were seen along Lake Erie.

The most unusual bird of all, which I DON'T include in my 198, was a Paradise Shelduck seen at Muscatatuck NWR in March of 1994. As the bird is native to New Zealand, it was assumed that perhaps it was an escape from a Florida zoo or collection, following Hurricane Andrew in August of 1993. Escape or not, it was a beautiful thing to see flying free -- and seen by many.

[T0ny]

Originally posted by Beverlybaynes
The most unusual bird of all, which I DON'T include in my 198, was a Paradise Shelduck seen at Muscatatuck NWR in March of 1994. As the bird is native to New Zealand, it was assumed that perhaps it was an escape from a Florida zoo or collection, following Hurricane Andrew in August of 1993. Escape or not, it was a beautiful thing to see flying free -- and seen by many.

That's not the attitude, Beverly - if the bird can fly, it's tickable, by the ZP 4.00 club rules ;)

Good list, anyway - how big is Indiana (approx) compared with UK ?

Tony

[dennis]

Hi Beverly,

198... nice! Do you keep other lists?(county,state) I'm an addict. I keep ABA(American Birding Assoc. area) , state, county, world. I've recently purchased Clement's, "Birds of the World, a Checklist". Now I'm recording all my world birds in that phone-book sized monster. I really could use some counseling.

dennis

[birdman]

Hi Beverlybaynes,

Don't feel obliged, but if you have the time, I would be happy to see you full life list posted.

(Maybe you're just better organised than I am, but I use BF as my notebook!)

[Paul 42]

Well done Beverly. You must be very brave to plough through all those notebooks going back all those years. Or very well organized! I’ve never made a life-list as I’m too lazy, perhaps I should follow your example and dig out my old notebooks. I certainly won’t have as many birds as you though!

[Hanno]

I keep a life list (of course) and a few country lists (Kenya, China, Vietnam, U.A.E., Venezuela, and a few European countries. Whilst not a compulsive twitcher, these lists give me great joy, as I can remember, for many birds, the location and circumstances I first saw them, and most of those memories are pretty good! I am still trying to explain to my wife though how it is that I can remember the first time I saw Nightingale (La Crau, France 1994), but have forgotten our wedding anniversary four years in a row:-)

Hanno

[Beverlybaynes]

Ok, I'll post the entire list -- but not this morning!

I'll show off my ignorance and admit to not knowing how large the UK is, but Indiana covers 36,870 sq. mi. (thank you, Rand McNally), 38th in size in the US. The population is somewhere between 5-6 million, less than London.

My home county, Allen, is right at 600 sq. mi., which I believe is about the same size as Greater London! And when I drive from one corner of the county to the other, it's amazing to me that the same-sized piece of land would be fully urban there! Where you have black taxis, we can have (especially in the NE sections) teams of Belgian draft horses pulling plows and harrows. Instead of red double-deckers, we have Amish families in open buggies.

I'm not really that good about listing. I'm always making a trip list when I'm out and about, but never have been too good about keeping all of them -- which is why I'm glad I've jotted notes in my field guide.

And I still don't know about 'including' that Shelduck -- birders around here are already yammering on about whether or not one could include free-flying Whooping Cranes. The ones that can (in theory) be seen flying with the Sandhill Cranes through NW Indiana are from the first 'classes' of ultra-lite-led birds from Operation Migration (and there's just a very, very few, so far -- single digit numbers) are birds raised in captivity, then released. Some birders have said that until the free-flyers are in their 7th generation, they cannot be considered truly wild, and therefore are not countable til then!

Of course, I'd have to actually FIND and SEE one before I could get in on the debate! LOL! But count it, I probably will!

Of course, that's the beauty of it all. I can make my list be what I want it to be! Last time I looked, there were no listing police.

[dennis]

Ah.... Beverly,

Dennis Miller here(aka. dennis)
F.O.L.P.(Fraternal Order of Listing Police)

If you list that Shelduck, I'm coming over with some white-out.

Just kidding! You're right. A list is anything you say it is. I use the ABA rules. Since most of my companions are members, this settles arguements in the early stages.

Wish I could see a Whooping Crane! I guess I'll make a trip to Texas some winter.

[Beverlybaynes]

Never fear, Officer Miller, I'm keeping that Shelduck as a footnote (otherwise, couldn't I count that beautiful Cinnamon Teal I saw at SeaWorld in San Diego?).

Two things:

1. So what's the ABA's stand on captive-born-but-free-flying Whoopers? If you see one of the Operation Migration Whoopers, could you 'legally' list it?

2. I'm putting my full list into an Microsoft Excel spreadsheet on my computer at work. Is a spreadsheet 'postable' here? (I'm trying to avoid retyping the whole thing in Word). It'll take a few days more, though, to get done. Don't get a lot of time to work on 'personal' stuff.

[dennis]

Hi Beverly,

The ABA doesn't allow any captively born birds to count. Sorry.

As far as posting your list.....good luck. I might try and send mine as an attachment one of these days. I'm just finishing updating it from my last trip. I have it in Word on a floppy. That was a lot of typing. I'm up to 830 species with common and latin names, location seen and date). Of course it is a labor of love!

dennis

[mymantra]

Beverly -
If you complete your list in Excel, you can use "Save As", save it as text, then cut and paste it into a post here, hope this helps.

[Hanno]

Just as an aside, I've been using BirdRecorder32 for years, excellent for life, year, regional, and whatever other lists you care about. (And no, I don't work for them:-)))

[birdman]

Hi Beverlybaynes,

In line with Paul Sansom's post... but you can simply copy and paste you list direct from Excel to BF.

In fact, if you want to be really jazzy about it, you can do a lot of your formating in Excel by using the [functions].

Looking forward to your list!

[Beverlybaynes]

Dennis: 830!!!?!!!

No more traveling than I get to do, I'll have to live a VERY long time to ever reach that number -- or win a very big lottery jackpot!

[Beverlybaynes]

OK, had a little more time than I thought this morning, to finish typing up this list. Needless to say, I haven't included scientific names or sighting notes, as that would make this far too long.

Hope this works!


Pacific Loon
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Pied-Billed Grebe
Western Grebe
American White Pelican
Brown Pelican
Double-Crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Green Heron
Little BlueHeron
Snowy Egret
Great Egret
Great Blue Heron
Glossy Ibis
Trumpeter Swan
Mute Swan
Snow Goose
Ross's Goose
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Mallard
American Black Duck
Gadwall
Green-Winged Teal
American Widgeon
Northern Pintail
Northern Shoveler
Blue-Winged Teal
Canvasback
Redhead
Ring-Necked Duck
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Common Goldeneye
Bufflehead
Common Merganser
Red-Breasted Merganser
Hooded Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Northern Harrier
Golden Eagle
Bald Eagle
Sharp-Shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Broad-Winged Hawk
Red-Shouldered Hawk
Red-Tailed Hawk
Rough-Legged Hawk
American Kestrel
Merlin
Ring-Necked Pheasant
Wild Turkey
California Quail
Northern Bobwhite
Sora
Common Moorhen
American Coot
Sandhill Crane
Black-Bellied Plover
Killdeer
American Avocet
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Spotted Sandpiper
Ruddy Turnstone
Short-Billed Dowitcher
American Woodcock
Heermann's Gull
Bonaparte's Gull
Ring-Billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-Backed Gull
Forster's Tern
Common Tern
Black Skimmer
Rock Dove
Mourning Dove
Short-Eared Owl
Great Horned Owl
Barred Owl
Eastern Screech-Owl
Northern Saw-Whet Owl
Common Nighthawk
Chimney Swift
Ruby-Throated Hummingbird
Anna's Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Red-Headed Woodpecker
Red-Bellied Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Acadian Flyatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Loggerhead Shrike
White-Eyed Vireo
Yellow-Throated Vireo
Blue-Headed Vireo
Red-Eyed Vireo
Philadelphia Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Blue Jay
Western Scrub-Jay
American Crow
Horned Lark
Tree Swallow
Purple Martin
Bank Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Northern Rough-Winged Swallow
Barn Swallow
Tufted Titmouse
Black-Capped Chickadee
Carolina Chickadee
Brown Creeper
White-Breasted Nuthatch
Red-Breasted Nuthatch
House Wren
Winter Wren
Carolina Wren
Sedge Wren
Golden-Crowned Kinglet
Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher
Eastern Bluebird
Wood Thrush
Gray-Cheeked Thrush
Swainson's Thrush
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Prothonotary Warbler
Blue-Winged Warbler
Northern Parula
Chesnut-Sided Warbler
Cape May Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Yellow-Rumped Warbler
Black-and-White Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Black-Throated Green Warbler
Yellow-Throated Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Pine Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Hooded Warbler
Northern Waterthrush
Common Yellowthroat
Yellow-Breasted Chat
American Redstart
Scarlet Tanager
Eastern Towhee
American Tree Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow
Henslow's Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-Throated Sparrow
White-Crowned Sparrow
Dark-Eyed Junco
Rose-Breasted Grosbeak
Northern Cardinal
Dickcissel
Blue Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Bobolink
Eastern Meadowlark
Western Meadowlark
Yellow-Headed Blackbird
Red-Winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Rusty Blackbird
Brown-Headed Cowbird
Orchard Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
Purple Finch
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow

OH! It worked!!

[birdman]

Fantastic list Beverlybaynes!

Of course most of these are exotics for me, so it makes for some pretty exciting reading.

Thanks everso for posting, and here's to 200 in the v. near future!

[Yve_M]

Hey Beverly, great list, thanks for taking the time to post it for us. Dennis, you can put that white-out away! Some wonderful birds on there. Here's to number 199, soon I hope.

[dennis]

Nice list Beverly. Western Grebe, Philadelphia Vireo and Henslow's Sparrow would all be lifers for me. Maybe if I'm ever in Indiana, you'll help me add those. Keep us posted as to what turns out to be #200. I'll put away the white-out for now.....but I'll be watching.

dennis

[T0ny]

Beverly,

I've seen 42 of the species on your list without leaving the UK !

Tony

[Reader]

I managed 46 off that list, unless I missed something.

BTW I did a search on my data base and my British list stands at 333 (which isn't too bad for only just over 7 years birding) and in total my list, including birds seen abroad, now stands at 430. How many species in the world, 9,500 plus. I think I have a bit of catching up to do don't you?

[Hanno]

Yupp, got 42 off that list too. Never been to the US, went to Venezuela a few years ago, though. My life list is at 1,374, hoping to visit a few national parks here in Vietnam later this year and get it up to 1,500:-)))))

[columbidae]

OK, as a relatively new birder, I have a couple of questions about lists... probably things I should know, but have never really seen in print anywhere...
1. What information should be included? I'm assuming species name, date, place where seen... what else?

2. I think this was answered earlier in this thread, but should I include species that I have seen before becoming a birder, but haven't seen since I started birding?

Since I started birding this past year, I've got 62 species, which feels kind of pathetic compared to others who have posted here...maybe if I can do some traveling sometime I can get caught up.

[Hanno]

Hi Dan,

Can't speak for others, but my list includes date, time, location, weather, other observers (if any), species, sex and/or age (if known), number of birds, any notes of interest on behaviour. Like I mentionend earlier, I use a specific software for that, which makes the process of entering and retrieving data pretty easy.

Again, personal opinion: Why not include brids that you have seen before you became a birder? (as long as you are sure about the ID). After all "you don't have to officially be declared as having "become" a birder to notice birds, do you.

I believe the record of total species seen by a single person is 8,000+, guess you need to be pretty rich, and have a lot of free time to get anywhere near that. Definitely out of my league:-( Luckily, my job takes me to different parts of the world, would you believe that that is why I chose this profession (don't tell my boss).

Happy birding,

Hanno

[Ashley beolens]

Firstly a very impressive list, there seems to be a lot of european birds on it!! I managed 56, although I must admit to being a bit thrown by some names, Pacific/common loon I know one of them is known as Black-throated diver here but can't remember which.

Columbidae, Its totally up to you hwo you record your list, I usually add dates of the first I see, although, I can't remebr on some. 62 is a good count, it doesn't matter if you have seen 50 or 500 its the enjoyment that counts.

As for World lists, It is all about travel, time and money, my world list is only about 100 higher than my british list, but I can't afford major travel (either in time or money).

[oldsquaw]

I love to see birders getting into the challenge of listing. I began listing in 1965 as a 14 year old. I kept lists each year and still have them, and continue. You'll find you will edit them through the years. I didn't really identify that bird or did I. Boy that was a stupid call. etc... Now through birding throughout the U.S and Canada, I have over 650 species (someday Alaska) and over 420 in Colorado, with 385 in my home county (Pueblo) here in Colorado. So enjoy and keep listing. Van

[bcurrie]

Great list Beverly. Even more so for the limited area you have birded in.

Dennis, with ABA, is the rule that once they breed and hatch a brood in the wild, then you can count birds from that brood?

[tf1044x]

Hi Ashley,
I think it is Arctic Loon that is called Black-throated, Common Loon is what we call Great-northern. Pacific Loon occurs on the west coast of the US and, although it does resemble B-t, it is a seperate species. Hope you don't mind me giving you this info.

The list that Beverly provided I have managed 62 in the UK and my life list is around 2000. British list when I stopped twiching in 1987 was 420

[birdman]

OK, I'll join in...

Hi again Beverlybaynes,

From your list, allowing for misunderstanding the names, I reckon I've seen (a paltry) 23 of your list. Hey-ho. Looks like I'll have to save up for a trip Stateside!

[MikeMules]

Well, I only get a paltry 5 spp. from that list, mostly waders or introduced spp. Looks like I need to cross the Pacific sometime.

[dennis]

Brian,

The American Birding Assoc.(ABA) has this to say about reintroduced species....."may be counted when the population meets the ABA Checklist's definition of being established or when it is not possible to reasonably seperate the reintroduced individuals from naturally occuring individuals"

Since the second generation would probably not be tagged or banded, it could sneak in as countable because it can not be seperated from naturally occuring individuals. If it is banded or tagged, my understanding would be "not countable".

dennis

[Beverlybaynes]

I do keep track of when and where I've seen a new bird (and have tried to supply such from memory when necessary). I didn't include that info in this list because it would have been far too long!! But as I said before, my sightings ALL come Indiana, Ohio, or California.

And the list DOES include the birds I was familiar with before 'becoming a birder' -- I think most people could identify 15-20 species on average without working too hard at it. Birds are everywhere, after all!

The weather this afternoon in northern Indiana is just spectacular -- in the 50s and brightly sunny, with the weekend predicted to be even warmer. Ducks are on the move northward, which means I'll be getting in my car both Saturday and Sunday to head out to see what I can see!! There's several good places around here for ducking, and the problem will be deciding which one to choose.

[Harry Hussey]

Hi Beverley et al,
47 on that list without ever having gone to America.
Harry

[Karl J]

12 from your list but I did see some Flamingo at Sea World a few years ago so can I add them .... no thought not.
A point about the list question - being relatively new myself I know that I can 'recognise' several more birds than are on my list having seen them about in my pre-birdwatching life but as I've never actually watched them with the id book out and put names to them my list isn't as long as it could be. Hope that makes sense ... but it's not the length of the list that matters really is it. It's about the enjoyment you get from watching - whether a new species or not.

[danysloan]

Hey people. Since 1991, when I started, I have around 250-260 species. I am in the process of fixing my list and putting it on the web right now. I did not do that much birdwatching between 1997 & 2000 and 2000 & 2002. Most of the list is from PA, but I have also been across the country once, made one trip to Minnesota, and daytrips to nearby states (NJ, NY, DE, MD, and whatnot)

[Beverlybaynes]

Pleasesleep, in your location, you're really very close (Ok, at least within a couple hours) to some incredible birding hotspots: Cape May, Bombay Hook, Great Swamp, Jamaica Bay (you're already onto that one!), and the grandaddy of all hawk watches, Hawk Mountain.

Not to mention -- Central Park. I know there's a very regular birding group there. You should check it out, being in NYC regularly like you are.


Look forward to seeing you list!

[danysloan]

I grew up about an hour from Hawk MT, so unfortunately I got bored of that place quickly. I haven't been there in a few years, so I am itching to go back. My first time (Nov. 1991) I saw a Bald Eagle and Golden Eagle, my 4th and 5th lifers.

[danysloan]

OK, so the list is basically posted, except for a few gaps between 97-00 and 00-03. Enjoy!

http://members.tripod.com/~pastworn/lifelist.html

[Beverlybaynes]

Nice list, Pleasesleep!!! Your trips west and south were surely worth it, weren't they?

[danysloan]

Yeah, but unfortunately, I did not have nearly enough time to bird as I would have liked to. My friend and I were rushed at some points, esp. Texas and after.

[danysloan]

there shouldn't be a comma after "unfortunately"

[Geoff Pain]

Great list Beverly,if you count your Paradise Shelduck can I count the 3 I saw on Walney Island in Cumbria last year? ;)


Geoff :t:

[T0ny]

If you know there were three, surely you've already counted them ?

Tony

[marcus]

Good morning Beverly
While reading your life list about 20 minutes ago, checking to see how many of the birds I have seen, I just saw my first Peregrine Falcon. Gliding and circling around above a few Turkey Vultures.
marcus

[Beverlybaynes]

How terrific, Marcus! I've yet to see my first wild peregrine. Would be very cool to have it be my next lifer! They nest here in town, so you'd think my chances would be fairly good -- but not so far!

[tf1044x]

Hi Beverly,
I have just counted my list for the birds I have seen in N. America, in total I have spent 10 weeks there, the list is 488.

[KCFoggin]

That is an impressive list Beverly and this whole thread has been quite educational.

[Beverlybaynes]

I now amend my list to include my newest lifer:

RED-NECKED GREBE

seen 4-20-03 at Eagle Creek Park, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

Yippee!!!

[rile's]

Beverly, your name looks familiar. Do I know you from somewhere????? LOL

OK bev, if you don't get that darn 200th bird soon, than I am going to personally fly out there and drive you around untill we find it.....
Bev I have 318 ABA birds now...Can you beleive it....
The interesting thing is, that it is pretty much my year list also, except for a handfull of birds I have seen in Canada.
So I am thinking of going for 500 for the year...It occured to me that maybe nobody has done that in there first full year of serious birding....What do you think??
Riley

[cuddy]

Nice list Beverly Not sure about my own but must be approaching 300 in the uk.
I have seen quite a few of your list in the uk but it is the White- Throated Sparrow at Flambourough Head last year that stands as my favourite USA bird so far.

Cuddy

Ps. just checked and there is a White Throated Sparrow just turned up in the Shetlands Scotland, we have a Lesser Yellowlegs in Northumberland at the moment been, here about a week If i send a list can you send us more of your great birds Beverly;)

[pauco]

beverly thats a list to be proud of, tick that shellduck. keep up the birding. rgds bert.

[dennis]

Don't do it Beverly(Shelduck). Don't weaken!

Speaking of unlistables. I was in Naples, Florida last month. You can just about trip over Muscovy ducks in that town. The ABA says they are unlistable because the were introduced. You can count them in Texas, near the Mexican border but not in Florida. I believe the ABA will change its' stance though since they're established and spreading. Heck, they allow Rock Dove and I saw more Muscovys than RDs in Naples!

dennis

[Beverlybaynes]

Well, I've a couple of birds to add to the list!!

On the Saturday after Easter, I added SWAMP SPARROW, seen at Fox Island here in Allen County. It was just a brief look, but enough to count! And when I think of how many times I've looked in that particular swampy area before......

Then last Saturday, my efforts in the GGBC gave me my lifer LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH!! Hey, I was even the one who spotted it! It was skulking along a snag at the waterline of Rivir Lake at Chain O'Lakes SP. It was a lifer for my friend Lisa, too, so that made it a nice double-whammy!

Riles, any time you wanna come to Indiana, we'll drive around and get both of us some lifers!! There's some nice things to see in western Indiana, and it's only 3 hours to Crane Creek!

And as for counting that shelduck...good grief, a platoon of Listing Police, with Officer Dennis at their head, would come swooping out here, armed with White-Out -- I just KNOW they would! LOL!

[Beverlybaynes]

Added PEREGRINE FALCON today in downtown Fort Wayne -- six of them!!

Parents Roosevelt and Liberty with their nearly-fledged four babes were easily visible from atop the city parking garage.

And since we calculated that this was probably Generation Nine or so from the reintroduction in 1992, these are definitely WILD falcons and countable (even if they are still monitored and banded)!!

Even got to see a food exchange in mid-air, which was utterly COOL!!

[dennis]

Congrats Beverly! I better go find some more lifers. You're going to catch me!

dennis

[Hanno]

Just got back from Thailand, and boy, did I ever add to my life list. I am currently working on my trip report, which I will, of course, publish in the birdforum, but here a few highlights:
Great Hornbill (dozens)
Hooded Pitta (no Blue Pitta though, which I was after)
Rufous-necked Kingfisher
Pheasnt-tailed Jaccana
and lots more, must have added at list 50 lifers to my list!

[Larry Lade]

I have traveled to the following states: Washington, Texas, Florida, Arizona, New Jersey, Colorado to bird and to visit relatives. I live in Missouri and have birded some in the surrounding states of Nebraska, Kansas, Illinois, Iowa, etc. My list total for the "lower 48 states" is 533. My Missouri List stands at 330. My Missouri List for the year 2002 is 289. And the list of birds I have seen in/from yard in Saint Joseph is 130. My wife and I went to Costa Rica on an Elderhostel Birding Trip (it was fantastic) a few years ago. I added some great birds there to bring my World List to 693. This was the only time I birded outside the United States.

Larry Lade

[pauco]

beverly
phew!! thats a list to be proud of. with that and birdman the other week with his list I really am thinking about sorting mine
out its just the kick up the backside I needed, thanks and good
birding.
bert
man is the only animal that blushes and needs to.

[birdman]

Hey Beverly...

So does that mean you're up to 203?

(I think the Red-necked Grebe was 200 up.)

I'm still 30-odd behind you!!!

[Wildflower]

Beverly, any new spiecies lately?
You need to plan your trip to the Southeastern part of Arizona in April. We hired a guide (from 6 am until 1 pm) and were able to see almost 100 spiecies during 7 hours. I have detailed list if you are intersted but I would have to type a whole thing unless someone is able to help me with finding blank lists on line. Our guide was so fantastic that we are going with his small group to Mexico in February. Anyway, Happy Birding!