2015 in Review: Looking Forward to 2016

2015 was a big year for me in birdwatching. I hit the 100 species mark in March of 2015, and then ended the year with 193 species on the life list (On 1.5.16 I officially broke the 200 species mark). Being able to not only increase my life list but also my knowledge of birds, hopefully 2015 was a preview of all the blessings that are still to come throughout my birdwatching career! In 2015 I birded in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine, New Hampshire, California, and Ohio. Throughout the year I not only met fascinating people, but also hopefully introduced some new people to the beautiful world of birds! It’s amazing how many times you hear “It’s so wonderful to see younger people out birdwatching!” or some variance of this phrase while out meeting people at different birdwatching hotspots.

I’ve had a wonderful time this past year in all of the journeys and adventures I have taken this past year, discovering new natural wonders while forming memories with some amazing friends that will undoubtably last a lifetime. To me, birdwatching isn’t just a hobby, and not only do I spend the whole time solely focused on birds. It’s an excuse to escape into nature, away from society; to submit yourself to the beauty and power of this planet, a planet that needs saving from the harm we are causing it. I see it as my job, as well as the job of birdwatchers everywhere, to tell the story of these creatures and show they are worth saving. I remember watching the documentary Racing Extinction recently, and one line really stuck out to me, when talking about the Florida Grasshopper Sparrow. This line talked about how people show more concern for the bigger creatures of the planet, and not the small ones. Well, all creatures are worth saving, and every one has its own special story.

As 2016 is now a month underway, and with my life list now sitting at 201, I have some highly ambitious plans regarding this next year. If all goes well, I hope to DOUBLE my life list by the end of 2016! DOUBLE! That means break 400 species! While this is still a small amount compared to many birdwatchers throughout the world, and only a fraction of the over 10,000 species that inhabit this planet, it still is a goal I strive to reach. In closing, I want to offer one piece of advice, the same advice I give to everyone the first couple times they go birdwatching. “You can sit for 10 minutes and see just a few, common birds. But in that 11th minute, you could see something fascinating. If you just look a little bit farther, and just a little bit harder, a whole new world will be opened for you.” Here’s to 2016!

Happy Birding!