Targets for 2020 (1 Viewer)

Continuing the forum tradition of posting these...
What are your bird targets for the year 2020? A rarity which you hope to see, perhaps something uncooperative you've seen and want another try, or anything else, which bird species would you most love to see in this new year?
Here is my list, mostly raptors:
1. Spanish Imperial Eagle (Looks awesome and is rare)
2^. Cuckoo (Failed last year- MUST TAKE IMAGE THIS YEAR)
2. Lammergeier (Perhaps my favourite raptor out of all)
3. Black Vulture (Wouldn't miss out on a chance to see a veritable aircraft of a bird when visiting Spain!)
4. Short-toed eagle (Rare in Russia, but in Spain... desperate enough to even sign up for a guided tour to see these!)
5. Montagu's harrier (Pretty intent on seeing males- due to UK rarity. would never attempt to observe them in England)
6. Griffon vulture (Due to size. Hope to observe one next Sunday when I hit Montcabrer...)
7. White stork (The pair shown to me by my aunt on a picture... EXTREMELY jealous and also would love an image of it!)
8. Hazel grouse (Saw one, CAMERA-LESS!!!)
9. Nutcracker (Saw once, CAMERA-LESS!! But my aunt took an image for me, thankfully...)
10. Golden eagle (I think the Costa Blanca bird club might get irritated soon due to my persistant enquiries about this species!)
Amongst many others. Would also love to see the hen harrier on my avatar again, and spend time with family. Which are yours?

My main ABA area targets this year are:

Smith's Longspur: Pass through Wisconsin on Migration but our tough; there is a local birding club trip however specifically targeting them in Dane County.

Connecticut Warbler: A couple passed through last year in my area and I stupidly didn't chase them.

Kentucky Warbler: Breeding down near the Wisconsin border: plan on making a special weekend trip for them.

Worm-eating Warbler: Scarce overshoot migrant, with maybe a few pairs breeding in the state

Buff-bellied Sandpiper: These pass through every year, but for only like a day. Hoping to nab this one

From a state level, hoping to buff out my shorebird list which is abysmal for the state, and generally knock off some of the more uncommon local birds or common state birds. Red-headed Woodpecker and Hooded Warbler would be high on the list.

Going to Panama in May: No specific targets just a desire to knock off as many new neotropical families as possible. This will be my first trip EVER to the region, so lots of new groups of birds. By my estimation, 22 should be possible with a lot of luck, but I expect I probably won't do quite as well as that. 200 life birds seems possible overall.

Mysticete said:

Going to Panama in May: No specific targets just a desire to knock off as many new neotropical families as possible. This will be my first trip EVER to the region, so lots of new groups of birds. By my estimation, 22 should be possible with a lot of luck, but I expect I probably won't do quite as well as that. 200 life birds seems possible overall.

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I had my first trip to the Neotropics in Colombia last year and managed 19 families in 9 days...maybe a little harder for you being Nearctic based, although previous non-birding trips to the States & Canada had already given me Parulid warblers, hummers, icterids and New World vultures. Panama is on my wish list...

kb57 said:

I had my first trip to the Neotropics in Colombia last year and managed 19 families in 9 days...maybe a little harder for you being Nearctic based, although previous non-birding trips to the States & Canada had already given me Parulid warblers, hummers, icterids and New World vultures. Panama is on my wish list...

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I use a classification largely based on the Taxonomy in Flux page, with some input from a few other random lists. So the number of families possible is probably somewhat larger than just a strict IOC checklist based list.

In N. America, Grey Partridge is my nemesis bird. I intend to take a couple shots at it.

Worldwide, I'm after two gulls: White-eyed and Olrog's. I've set a goal to see all of the gulls in the world. I have 4 left, and those will get me half way to the goal.

Mysticete said:

I use a classification largely based on the Taxonomy in Flux page, with some input from a few other random lists. So the number of families possible is probably somewhat larger than just a strict IOC checklist based list.

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If you're collecting families, then Dusky-faced Tanager has to be on your target list...only member of the Mitrospingidae, just checked on eBird and see they're in Panama too. They have a bit of character too, one of my favourites from Colombia.

kb57 said:

If you're collecting families, then Dusky-faced Tanager has to be on your target list...only member of the Mitrospingidae, just checked on eBird and see they're in Panama too. They have a bit of character too, one of my favourites from Colombia.

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Actually, there are a couple of more species in the family, but yes, Mitrospingidae should be an easy add. They regularly visit the feeders at the Canopy Lodge, which I will be staying at for 3 nights.

Mysticete said:

Actually, there are a couple of more species in the family, but yes, Mitrospingidae should be an easy add. They regularly visit the feeders at the Canopy Lodge, which I will be staying at for 3 nights.

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Didn't realise that - just checked Scythebill and see there are three other species now, although no others in Central / NW S. America. You've reminded me of the Cornell fruit feeder ca which I was addicted to it for a while - I see the clay-colored thrushes are back...

I’m going to the mountains in northwest Sweden, close to Norway in June. I hope to see Strix uralensis (in lowland forests), the mighty Nyctea scandiaca, Gallinago media, the Parus cinctus and the Charadrius morinellus. Those would make my stay , going to be there for a week. ( Hope to avoid getting the Strix uralensis in my face.)

I'm taking a trip to Saint John, US Virgin Islands in may. My top targets there include...
1) Magnificent frigatebird- Should be easy to see over the course of the week but would be a lifer for me.
2) Antillean crested hummingbird and Green-throated carib- The two local hummingbirds, which appear pretty widespread
3) Bridled quail-dove- Probably the toughest of my primary targets on the island but still seems prettydoable, despite this being a trip with my wife and not strictly a "birding" trip.

Back on the mainland, I've cleaned up most of the expected species in my area so may need to do some traveling to pick up new birds...
1) Bachman's sparrow- A weekend trip out to Louisiana should give me the chance to target this declining bird in east Texas or Lousiana.
2) Ringed kingfisher- I believe there is a resident pair or individual along the Colorado River in Austin that I have missed in the past. Hopefully I have better luck during a weekend visit in March.

My year is essentially split in half as far as my vacation days go, so hopefully I can come up with another trip this fall. A trip out to Guadalupe Mountains NP in west Texas is high on my list.