Birding goals for 2023 (1 Viewer)

[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

1. Found a LEO and the Eagle Owl in Düsseldorf. Didn’t manage to try for Pygmy and Boreal Owl in spring.
2. Did see Grey-headed Woodpecker and Spotted Nutcracker
3. Didn’t manage to find Jack Snipe and Woodsnipe locally. But found Spotted Redshank and Black-tailed Godwit and Ruff
4. Did see Garden Dormouse. Hazel Dormouse is still on my target list but received some good insights where to look for them. So hopefully will find one in 2024.

Because of a new job I couldn’t go to Spain in spring to search for Iberian Lynx. Currently planing to go in February.

Overall I am quite happy with my birding/ wildlife year 2023.

 

[lgonz1008]

I got the Blue Whale in Sri Lanka which was tremendous. No Sloth Bear - five minutes too late was as close as we got!

How were the Blue Whale sightings in Sri Lanka? Wondering if it's best to plan a trip to the country and add that on top or if to simply plan for a lucky pelagic in California and hope one passes by on it's way South.

 

[lgonz1008]

It's a bit of a coin flip right now, but most likely somewhere in the Old World, either trip will help me get to 1,500 in my life list.

If my Kenya trip goes through, then I'll be in Africa for the first time this upcoming May.

But my backup is just as good, I'll do Borneo (Sabah) in August, I found a good local guide that will help me target all the big targets of the island (birds and mammals), plus the chance to target Bulwer's Pheasant and a few other skulkers not covered in regular birding trips to the region. If Kenya fails, I'll likely ask for people to join me sometime in January, it would be around $4k if I get 3 people to join me.


On a nearer front, family is contemplating a trip to Northern California, which would give me a chance for Condor and the other regional specialties that I've missed in Oregon and Washington so far.

I also want to get my Florida list to 350, right now I'm missing a few targets that I could get if I did trips to the Panhandle and the Gulf Coast during winter and spring migration, like Nashville, Blue-winged and Kentucky Warbler, Snow Goose, Bell's Vireo and American Flamingo.

Goes to show how unpredictable everything is...

Kenya went through and I got around 500 lifers in that trip, which makes it to this day my best species per dollar trip in my life.

Family trips turned away from California and instead it was long weekends in Toronto and Smoky Mountains, only two lifers (Mute Swan and American Mink), but overall fun experiences.

Bonus trip to South Texas also added 20+ species to life list and 70+ to US list.

Florida list didn't go up to 350, since the Panhandle and Gulf Coast trips were put on hold until another bonus surprise shows up. Still got a few state lifers (only Bell's Vireo and American Flamingo from the original list), with both species of Sharp-tailed Sparrows, Red-throated Loon and King Eider being world lifers, and Large-billed Tern, MacGillivray's Warbler and Groove-billed Ani being state lifers.

 

[Nightjar61]

How were the Blue Whale sightings in Sri Lanka? Wondering if it's best to plan a trip to the country and add that on top or if to simply plan for a lucky pelagic in California and hope one passes by on it's way South.

I got lucky on a pelagic trip out of San Diego. A blue whale swam right under our boat. You could see half of the whale going under the starboard side and the other half coming out from under the port side. An absolutely awe-inspiring experience.

You can’t imagine how large they are until you see one up close like that. We had seen some humpback whales earlier and they were like child’s play compared to this one.

Although it was a birding pelagic, the whale was definitely one of the highlights.

Dave

 

[lgonz1008]

I got lucky on a pelagic trip out of San Diego. A blue whale swam right under our boat. You could see half of the whale going under the starboard side and the other half coming out under the port side. An absolutely awe-inspiring experience.

You can’t imagine how large they are until you see one up close like that. We had seen some humpbacked whales earlier and they were like child’s play compared to this one.

Although it was a birding pelagic, the whale was definitely one of the highlights.

Dave

That's the kind of experience I'm hoping to have, only whale I've seen so far it's Humpback and the animal was nearly a mile away, beautiful view with Mt. Rainier in the background, but leaving a lot for an up-close whale experience.

 

[Mysticete]

Blue Whales are fairly reliable out on San Francisco whale watches in summer. That's where I go my lifer, alongside non-lifer Minke and Humpback whales.

 

[Farnboro John]

How were the Blue Whale sightings in Sri Lanka? Wondering if it's best to plan a trip to the country and add that on top or if to simply plan for a lucky pelagic in California and hope one passes by on it's way South.

On boarding the boat we were warned that over the season numbers had been somewhat down and because it was now right at the very end of the season none had been seen for a week, just Fin Whales that none of us needed. But we scored nevertheless! Earlier in the year - before April - ought to be more reliable. But there are no guarantees as we all know.

John

 

[ovenbird43]

Fresh from a major international trip and with nothing firmly planned for next year - my 2023 birding goals are yet to be set. I've been eyeing Chile/Argentina as a possibility for next winter, with maybe a late summer trip to Vermont (for odonates and an escape from the oppressive Gulf Coast heat) or Montana (Baird's Sparrow).

I have more specific goals at this time for odonates - a couple of March and April trip to the western Florida panhandle for some specialties there including Hodges, Clearlake, and Blackwater Clubtails. Would also love to find an Alabama Shadowdragon, and I have a spot nearby where it's been recorded, though it's tricky to find, so we'll see!

Well it's been a rough year in my personal life, I ditched the Chile/Argentina plans because I envisioned that as a couples' trip... but I ended up putting together a different solo trip from which I have just returned - Cambodia, Laos, and southern Vietnam. I'll start a trip report soon! I also did end up doing a summer road trip that took me to North Dakota for Baird's Sparrow.

On the odonates, I missed Clearlake but got those other clubtails, plus the Alabama Shadowdragon!