Birding goals for 2023 (3 Viewers)

[Paul Chapman]

I have settled on the following:-

1. Get my world list complete & at least one photo of each species photographed into eBird - some omissions on the first & a few hundred species probably missing on the second;

2. Record my bird & moth lists throughout the entire year - I always run out of steam at some point;

3. Photograph over 1,000 bird species worldwide in 2023 - this should be possible with the trips planned but some trips need to be firmed up; &

4. Spend more time in the field moth trapping - 19 field sessions in 2022 of which 9 were at a rewilding survey site - this should be possible getting the year off to a better start.

All the best

Paul

 

[bonxie birder]

If you miss Blue Whale in Sri Lanka...They are pretty reliable on whalewatches from San Francisco in summer.

Sri Lanka is high on my birding trip wishlist, so looking forward to a trip report!

We went to Monterey a few summers ago, had a great couple of hours birding the 17 mile drive. Our whale watching trip happened two days after a party of orcas moved through. Cleared out all the blues ☹️ Saw my first albatross however

 

[opisska]

3. Photograph over 1,000 bird species worldwide in 2023 - this should be possible with the trips planned but some trips need to be firmed up; &

I have incidentally just yesterday checked how many birds I have on iNaturalist for individual years - it's probably not always a complete yearlist as I did not retroactively put in all common birds from Czechia/Poland, but it's roughly representative for the last couple of years. The totals for the three best years are between 700-800 and that includes a lot of travelling, so 1000 is a relatively bold target. But seeing as you have seen roughly double the amount of species in Thailand as I did, it should not be that difficult

 

[Paul Chapman]

I have incidentally just yesterday checked how many birds I have on iNaturalist for individual years - it's probably not always a complete yearlist as I did not retroactively put in all common birds from Czechia/Poland, but it's roughly representative for the last couple of years. The totals for the three best years are between 700-800 and that includes a lot of travelling, so 1000 is a relatively bold target. But seeing as you have seen roughly double the amount of species in Thailand as I did, it should not be that difficult

I decided that was a more controllable goal than total birds seen. It also means that it can keep me going between trips. Looking forward to House Sparrow on Sunday. (It also means that I can have a Plan B or C if some of the planned bigger trips do not happen...)

All the best

Paul

 

[earthdragon64]

In the last couple of years there has been a concerted effort by a few people to map the distribution of Purple Hairstreak in some areas of Scotland, and the dots on the map have been moving northwards with eggs being discovered as far north as Deeside earlier in the year.

I'm the butterfly recorder for VC95 Moray in the north of Scotland and there is a record from 1877 of Purple Hairstreak in the northern part of the VC with just a 10KM square reference, which has always intrigued me. In summer this year, adult Purple Hairstreak were found just 4KM south of VC95 and so I'd love to find some in my VC and intend to have a really good look for eggs over the winter, and for the adults in summer.

I don't have anything specific planned for birding this year, but am having a week on Orkney in June, so would love to see some Short-eared Owls and anything else that's around.

 

[raymie]

I have a trip to Sax-Zim Bog planned in January - I'd like to get all the major stuff I missed last time I went (Sharp-tailed Grouse, Black-backed Woodpecker, Boreal Chickadee, Northern Hawk-Owl). Boreal Owl would be great too, of course, but I doubt I'd run into that one.

As for Wisconsin, I still need Kirtland's Warbler on my life list. I missed it a bunch last year so hopefully I get it this year. I'd like to view a prairie-chicken lek again, I've done it once before but it's such a magical experience. I also haven't been down to Wyalusing SP yet, so I need to get down there and add Kentucky and Yellow-throated Warblers (and Worm-eating if I'm lucky) to my life list.

 

[Mysticete]

I have a trip to Sax-Zim Bog planned in January - I'd like to get all the major stuff I missed last time I went (Sharp-tailed Grouse, Black-backed Woodpecker, Boreal Chickadee, Northern Hawk-Owl). Boreal Owl would be great too, of course, but I doubt I'd run into that one.

As for Wisconsin, I still need Kirtland's Warbler on my life list. I missed it a bunch last year so hopefully I get it this year. I'd like to view a prairie-chicken lek again, I've done it once before but it's such a magical experience. I also haven't been down to Wyalusing SP yet, so I need to get down there and add Kentucky and Yellow-throated Warblers (and Worm-eating if I'm lucky) to my life list.

Sax-Zim really should be something I try to hit up soon...I just combines the two of my least favorite things in birding: Car birding (at least by myself) and winter birding.

I've been lucky enough to get a vagrant Yellow-throated Warbler on my local patch, but still need Kentucky and Worm-eating for the life list, and I am missing Kirtland's and Hooded for the state list. Maybe this year I can knock off at least one of those.

 

[Lerxst]

Also since I have a life goal of audio recording at least 1,000 species, my goal for 2023 is to reach at least 800. I am currently in the low 600s.

 

[lockbreeze926]

I'm having a struggle to quote properly, but what does it mean to get one's "world list complete"?

I ask that on the assumption that it is impossible to check off 10,500 species, not least because - by the moment you did it - a whole rake of PNG honeyaters would be split, generating another 20 targets. And so on, ad infinitum.

As for myself, my year targets seldom persist beyond the end of January, so maybe I'll settle for a hundred new species this year.

 

[Paul Chapman]

I'm having a struggle to quote properly, but what does it mean to get one's "world list complete"?

I ask that on the assumption that it is impossible to check off 10,500 species, not least because - by the moment you did it - a whole rake of PNG honeyaters would be split, generating another 20 targets. And so on, ad infinitum.

As for myself, my year targets seldom persist beyond the end of January, so maybe I'll settle for a hundred new species this year.

It simply means to put in some missing records. I have some records from a couple of holidays missing. Three in total I think - Sri Lanka, Antigua & Florida. All non-birding trips. I would need to find those lists first...

 

[lockbreeze926]

It simply means to put in some missing records. I have some records from a couple of holidays missing. Three in total I think - Sri Lanka, Antigua & Florida. All non-birding trips. I would need to find those lists first...

Ah! That makes sense.

I once discovered that I'd never seen a Common Tern, to my surprise.

 

[David_]

I will once more focus on local birding and day trips within North Rhine-Westfalia. Thought about a trip to Nepal but have to push back the trip for another year. Hopefully I will manage some shorter trips within Europe. Thinking about Spain for birds and to try for Iberian Lynx. Definitely want to go to Heligoland in autumn for bird migration.

Targets for 2023

1. owls: haven’t seen Pygmy, Boreal and even Long-eared owl (shouldn’t be too hard to do short a day trip to see one this winter). Boreal probably the hardest to find. Even if it’s not a lifer I finally want to see the Eagle Owl I heard a couple of times in walking distance from my apartment.
2. Grey-headed woodpecker and Spotted Nutcracker. I remember seeing them during family holidays during childhood but I haven’t seen ether since I started listing 2 years ago. Both plus Pygmy owl could be possible on a weekend trip to the Sauerland area (ideally Boreal owl too)
3. Tick the three missing “easy“ waders from my Düsseldorf list (Ruff, Jack Snipe, Woodcock) and at least one of Spotted Redshank, Whimbrel, Curlew, Temminck‘s and Little stint (all rarely seen in Düsseldorf).
4. Hazel and Garden dormouse

 

[Nightjar61]

Now that we can travel again, I'm planning on going on two international birding trips a year. I have a trip to Ghana booked for May. I'm trying to decide where to go later in the year, September or November, but it's hard to decide. Everyplace I consider looks good.

Closer to home, my goal is to see at least 200 species in Preston County, West Virginia. That's my goal every year, but it's not a goal I always reach. I did get to 200 species last weekend with a long overdue Redhead.

Dave

 

[raymie]

Sax-Zim really should be something I try to hit up soon...I just combines the two of my least favorite things in birding: Car birding (at least by myself) and winter birding.

I've been lucky enough to get a vagrant Yellow-throated Warbler on my local patch, but still need Kentucky and Worm-eating for the life list, and I am missing Kirtland's and Hooded for the state list. Maybe this year I can knock off at least one of those.

I get not liking car birding, but winter birding? The landscape is so pretty and peaceful. I love winter birding. Last time I was at Sax-Zim the entire bog was covered in freshly fallen snow and the temperature was nice -10 degrees with now wind. Perfect weather for all the winter finches, plus Gray Jays, Black-billed Magpies and Great Grey Owls.

 

[Farnboro John]

From trip reports and blogs I've read people see some good mammals out there as well.

John

 

[Swindon Addick]

Birds: I always set myself two targets, at least one UK lifer in the year and at least one year-tick each month. My birding trips for the past year or so have been mainly to places in the UK, in a rough priority order according to how much I sulked about not having to visit them in 2020. So probably Pembrokeshire and Lancashire rather than anywhere that's likely to deliver lots of ticks.

Insects: I used to target one new odonata a year but that gets tricky in the UK now, so the target is at least one trip aimed at either seeing something I haven't seen (eg 2021 yielded my first female Southern Migrant Hawker after lots of males) or something I haven't got a photo of (finally nailed Clubtail this year). Also hopefully at least one new butterfly; there are still a few available within day-trip range.

 

[raymie]

From trip reports and blogs I've read people see some good mammals out there as well.

John

I assume you're referring to Sax-Zim? Mustelids such as martens, Fishers, and ermine are supposedly spotted frequently, but I didn't see any. Similar story for porcupines and Snowshoe Hares.

 

[Val35]

1. Getting my Corsica list to 240. I'm at 235 (could reach 236 tomorrow if the two long tailed ducks that have been spotted yesterday are still there ), this is possible as I'm still missing some regular but rare birds for the island on my list such as Ortolan Bunting, Ruddy Turnstone, Kentish Plover or Western Bonelli's Warbler.

2. Participate in new local bird surveys (probably one on sparrows incoming this year + French breeding birds Atlas)

3. Go on at least one nice WP birding trip (considering Morroco and Southern Spain).

 

[Julie50]

I just want to go to my local patches more often

 

[Farnboro John]

I assume you're referring to Sax-Zim? Mustelids such as martens, Fishers, and ermine are supposedly spotted frequently, but I didn't see any. Similar story for porcupines and Snowshoe Hares.

Larger animals such as Canada Lynx and Wolf are not unknown either. Most of the species we've mentioned would be a thrill for me.

John