What a year 2015 was, I visited California (3x), Florida (4x), Texas (2x) hoping to pick up as many life birds as I could.  I finished with 42 life birds (40 photographed).  Missed out on a number of lifers, that had left,  Slaty-backed Gull (Washington), Common Crane (New Mexico), Falcated Duck (California), Grey-headed Yellowthroat (Texas), Thick-billed Vireo (Florida) and the one that hurts the most was, the one I saw but my camera was on manual and I couldn’t get a photo, the Key West Quail-Dove, but that’s birding.

My Lovely Photo of a Key West Quail-Dove

Meeting up with old friends Chris Feeney, Doug Koch, Dan Brown, Kerry Perkins and new friends Neil Hayward, Debi Shearwater, BJ Stacey and of course Wes Fritz.   I saw and photographed some amazing new birds, insects and mammals.

Starting with my whirlwind trip in January….

Tundra Bean Goose (Oregon)

Rustic Bunting (California)

Smooth-billed Ani (Florida)

The in February I had to decide whether to go for the Grey-headed Yellowthroat in Texas or the Fieldfare and Eurasian Kestrel in Nova Scotia.

Fieldfare  (Spicer Home, Apple River)

Eurasian Kestrel (Halifax)

Texas was good to me this Year….

Audubon’s Oriole

California Pelagic’s with Shearwater Journey’s brought the best bird of 2015,  a Code 5 White-chinned Petrel.

Black-footed Albatross

California birding with Sue and Dan Brown more good birds….

Many I’d search for a long time,

Nuttel’s Woodpecker

Spotted Dove

Some Very New to the List – Ridgeways Rail

Dark-phased Ross’s Goose

Close-up of a Gr. White-fronted Goose (until one showed up recently at (Andy Hayden)

Best Ever Bufflehead

Yellow-footed Gull

Florida Swallow-tailed Kite

Point Pelee – Scarlet Tanager

Newly added – Scaly-breasted Munia

Not an ABA bird yet but should be, big thanks t0 Wes Fritz on this one

Rose-ringed Parakeet

A bird that I’ve tried for 9 times without luck, thanks to BJ Stacey’s excellent hearing.

Lawrence’s Goldfinch

Green Kingfisher –  Estero

While Sue was competing for Canada in Spain, I managed to get out for a few days of birding.  Some of my better images.

Common Chiffchaff

Eurasian Hoopoe

Grey Heron

Little Stint

Spotless Starling

Zitting Cisticola – Streaked Fantail Warbler

I could post so many more of the 40 but all you have to do is go back and look in this years threads.

I can’t wait to see what adventures and birds, 2016 will bring.