Martin (Brussels) 2015 List (1 Viewer)

22 May

Visited University of British Columbia and went to Wreck Beach for about an hour...

Wreck Beach, Vancouver, BC, Canada
152. Glaucous-winged Gull (New Lifer)
153. Northwestern Crow (New Lifer)

23 May

Went biking around Stanley Park for around 2 hours.

Stanley Park, Vancouver, BC, Canada
154. Wood Duck
155. Red-breasted Sapsucker (New Lifer)


World life list: 418 (Red-breasted Sapsucker, Vancouver, BC, Canada; May 2015)
Canada life list: 15 (Red-breasted Sapsucker, Vancouver, BC, Canada; May 2015)
2015 year list: 155 (Red-breasted Sapsucker, Vancouver, BC, Canada; May 2015)

8 June

On a run in Brussels enjoyed seeing this bird.

Parc de Woluwé (Brussels)
156. Middle spotted woodpecker (New Lifer)

13 June

Chevy Chase, MD, USA
157. Gray Catbird

World life list: 419 (Middle spotted woodpecker, Brussels, Belgium; June 2015)
USA list: 131 (Savannah Sparrow, Newport Beach, CA, USA; May 2015)
2015 year list: 157 (Gray Catbird, Chevy Chase, MD, USA; June 2015)

18 June

I'm in Macau for a few days for a conference and was able to go birding both this morning (thanks to jet lag) and this evening, before dinner. Very happy to see 17 birds, among which 10 lifers!

On the other hand, I would have loved to have been birding with a guide, or even a local, as I let many birds go (probably about 30%) that I was not certain about. Despite my studying up, the Asian birds are quite different than what I am used to.

Avenue Marginal, Macau
158. Yellow Bittern (New Lifer)
159. Intermediate Egret (New Lifer)
160. White-breasted Waterhen (New Lifer)
161. Oriental Magpie-Robin (New Lifer)
162. White-shouldered Starling (New Lifer)

Praia de Nossa Senora de Esperanca, Macau
163. Chinese Pond-Heron (New Lifer)
164. Spotted Dove (New Lifer)
165. Light-vented Bulbul (New Lifer)
166. Crested Myna (New Lifer)
167. Black-collared Starling (New Lifer)

World life list: 429 (Black-collared Starling, Macau; June 2015)
Macau list: 17 (Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Macau; June 2015)
2015 year list: 167 (Black-collared Starling, Macau; June 2015)

19 June

My second and last day in Macau has also been very good. I met a Portuguese birder yesterday who gave me some tips on what to look for and where. Much appreciated!

Praia de Nossa Senora de Esperanca, Macau
168. Little Grebe
169. Oriental Turtle-Dove (New Lifer)
170. Greater Coucal (New Lifer)
171. Pacific Swift (New Lifer)
172. Azure-winged Magpie (New Lifer)
173. Red-whiskered Bulbul (New Lifer)

World life list: 434 (Red-whiskered Bulbul, Macau; June 2015)
Macau list: 25 (White Wagtail, Macau; June 2015)
2015 year list: 173 (Red-whiskered Bulbul, Macau; June 2015)

12 July

Spending a week in Portugal I was able to see a few new year birds, but no lifers.

Aurora, Portugal
174. Lesser Black-backed Gull
175. Common House-Martin
176. Sardinian Warbler

World life list: 434 (Red-whiskered Bulbul, Macau; June 2015)
Portugal life list: 19 (Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Aurora, Portugal; July 2015)
2015 year list: 176 (Sardinian Warbler, Aurora, Portugal; July 2015)

23 August

Just now a bird landed on our porch - the Nortern "Red-Shafted" Flicker. I got a really good look, which is great as it is new lifer for me!

My yard, Chevy Chase, Maryland
177. Northern Flicker (New Lifer)

World life list: 436 (Northern Flicker, Chevy Chase, MD, USA; August 2015)
USA life list: 132 (Northern Flicker, Chevy Chase, MD, USA; August 2015)
2015 year list: 177 (Northern Flicker, Chevy Chase, MD, USA; August 2015)

26 August

Saw a new lifer along the running trail!

Chevy Chase, MD, USA
178. Eastern Towhee (New Lifer)

31 August

Stayed in beautiful Annapolis, Maryland for a two day work "offsite" and got some good birding in. Seeing 20 for the day, 6 of which year-birds and 3 new lifers!

Annapolis Harbor, Annapolis, MD, USA
179. Green Heron (New Lifer)
180. Black Vulture (New Lifer)
181. Osprey
182. Laughing Gull (New Lifer)
183. Brown Thrasher
184. Chipping Sparrow

I am spending all of next week in Luxembourg and look forward to seeing some new or 2015 European birds there!

World life list: 440 (Laughing Gull, Annapolis, MD, USA; August 2015)
USA life list: 136 (Laughing Gull, Annapolis, MD, USA; August 2015)
2015 year list: 184 (Chipping Sparrow, Annapolis, MD, USA; August 2015)

9 October

Visited Lima for the IMF / World Bank meetings and saw a few birds in the morning before a day of meetings. Of the 13 birds I saw, 12 were new for the year, and 11 are lifers! So a good batch of birds!

Miraflores, Lima, Peru
187. Neotropic Cormorant
188. Variable Hawk
189. Semipalmated Plover
190. Spotted Sandpiper
191. Gray Gull
192. Belcher's Gull
193. Kelp Gull
194. West Peruvian Dove
195. Tropical Kingbird
196. Long-tailed Mockingbird
197. Scrub Blackbird
198. Shiny Cowbird

World life list: 452 (Shiny Cowbird, Miraflores, Lima, Peru; October 2015)
Peru life list: 13 (Shiny Cowbird, Miraflores, Lima, Peru; October 2015)
2015 year list: 198 (Shiny Cowbird, Miraflores, Lima, Peru; October 2015)

I have had the opportunity to take a few more trips in the last two months, for work and for pleasure, and have enjoyed expanding my year list a bit further...

11 October

The Heights, Houston, TX, USA
199. White-winged Dove (New Lifer)
200. Great-tailed Grackle (New Lifer)

16 November

Tokyo Imperial Palace, Tokyo, Japan
201. Greater Scaup
202. Large-billed Crow (New Lifer)
203. Brown-eared Bulbul (New Lifer)

25 November

Clearwater Beach, FL, USA
204. Ring-necked Duck
205. Black-bellied Plover (New Lifer)
206. Willet
207. Sanderling
208. Royal Tern (New Lifer)
209. Sandwich Tern (New Lifer)
210. Fish Crow
211. House Wren (New Lifer)
212. Boat-tailed Grackle (New Lifer)

8 December

Hotel Intercontinental, Abu Dhabi, UAE
213. Kentish Plover (New Lifer)
214. Alexandrine Parakeet (New Lifer)
215. Rock Martin
216. White-spectacled Bulbul (New Lifer)

World life list: 464 (White-spectacled Bulbul, Abu Dhabi, UAE; December 2015)
UAE life list: 12 (White-spectacled Bulbul, Abu Dhabi, UAE; December 2015)
2015 year list: 216 (White-spectacled Bulbul, Abu Dhabi, UAE; December 2015)

Happy New Year to all!

With two sightings at Reed College in Portland Oregon on Christmas - including one lifer - I finish the year with a cool 218 sightings.

24 December

Reed Lake, Reed College, Portland, OR, USA
217. Hooded Merganser
218. Red Crossbill (New Lifer)

2015 in Review

The 218 sightings are a very nice improvement on last year's 165 species. I was fortunate to go on a lot of business and holiday trips in 2015 and reviewing the list now I am embarrassed I didn't see even more birds.

In 2015 I had the pleasure to bird in: Belgium (Brussels, Wallonia), Canada (Vancouver), China (Macau), Italy (Rome), Japan (Tokyo), Luxembourg, The Netherlands (Amsterdam), Peru (Lima), Portugal (Lisbon), Qatar (Doha), Switzerland (Kloisters, Zurich), UAE (Abu Dhabi), UK (London), US (California, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Texas.)

Over the year I was able to lift my Life List to 465 from 382.

My goals for 2015 were:
- To see 200 birds (saw 218)
- Raise life total to 450 (to 465)
- Lift Belgium count to 100 (ended at 71 as I moved to the US in April...)


So, a pretty good performance for me at least and I hope everyone had an enjoyable year birding!


World life list: 465 (Red Crossbill, Portland, OR, USA; December 2015)
USA life list: 147 (Red Crossbill, Portland, OR, USA; December 2015)
2015 year list: 218 (Red Crossbill, Portland, OR, USA; December 2015)