Your Most Recent "Life" Bird (3 Viewers)

[Jeff Hopkins]

Final 2 in the UAE: Socotra Cormorant and Bank Myna.

 

[hookem2010]

Eurasian wigeon in central Texas, #525. Seen through a scope at probably 1/2 km, so not the most satisfying view. I'll take any lifer within a couple hours of my house at this point, though! This male was kind enough to return for at least a 2nd winter after I dipped on him last year.

 

[Zoroark]

Glaucous Gull at Lake Mead in southern Nevada. This is usually a bit south and inland for this species.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S156037397

 

[Chris Pringle]

We drove late this afternoon to this small estuary at the edge of town. We saw a Great Egret, a White Ibis and Yellow-crowned Night Heron. The Great Egrets were pretty far away but looked majestic. The couple of White Ibis were quite shy and flew away shortly after seeing us, but the Yellow-crowned Night Heron stuck around for a long while. I was able to catch this image of it through the binoculars with my iPhone. Location: Mazatlán, México

 

[Paul Chapman]

My 384th lifer on my Australia, New Zealand and Subantarctic Islands trip was Blue Petrel. Fluffed the pic but after missing two, a massive relief in any event. 😀

All the best

Paul

 

[Ratal]

My 384th lifer on my Australia, New Zealand and Subantarctic Islands trip was Blue Petrel. Fluffed the pic but after missing two, a massive relief in any event. 😀

All the best

Paul

Belter of a bird and what a tick!! Nicely done there.

 

[lammergeier05]

Four Bahama endemics, including the increasingly rare - since Hurricane Dorian - Bahama Swallow (together with the Woodstar, Yellowthroat and Warbler) on a weekend sojourn on Abaco

 

[Paul Chapman]

Grey-faced Petrel was my 407th lifer from a trip list of 458 species in Australia & New Zealand today and may well prove to be my last of this trip.

All the best

Paul

 

[Dutchbirder64]

White-Tailed Nightjar on Curacao

 

[Euan Buchan]

Just spotted my first ever Jay at my local patch!!!!

 

[Mysticete]

#1711 - Northern Hawk-Owl north of Sax-Zim Bog, on a very bizarre first visit to this famous winter birding destination. When one thinks of Sax-Zim Bog in winter, one doesn't think of rain, unseasonably warm weather, and mud, and it certainly impacted our ability to find other targets.

 

[hookem2010]

#526- Thick-billed (formerly McCown's) longspur. Sweet first lifer of 2024, as this was a nemesis bird and one of only two "expected" birds in central Texas that is missing from my life list.
Birding barren ag fields in the winter isn't my favorite thing to do, but the longspurs made my previous dips worth it. Instead of a flock half a kilometer away, as often seems to be the case with these birds, I had about 40 birds fly low just a few meters away, calling. They then mostly stayed somewhat hidden among dirt clods, but came out onto the road a couple of times, allowing great views.

 

[Bewick]

Waterthrush and snow buntings. After hearing the news yesterday, we all got to sleep early and left early on- showed pretty fantastically. Also finished the day off with six snow buntings at mersea.

 

[Julian Thomas]

My last lifer of 2023 (and latest so far) was Powerful Owl (an adult and 2 juveniles) by the Botanical Gardens in Sydney on 2 December.

 

[Frank van Drogen]

A Great Bittern, yesterday afternoon -- pointed out to my when I asked a birder nif there was anything special, while running with my wife.

Took me a bit to pick it up, it was well camouflaged. It then took me even longer to catch up with my wife, who had not slowed down

 

[Jon.Bryant]

Three Blue Ducks at Peg Leg Creek, Arthur’s Pass, New Zealand.

The pair and one juvenile were very close, but pretending to be asleep - eyes closed, but sometimes opened to give a beady look, and bills permanently buried in back feathers. One woke up and briefly waggled it’s head, showings it’s odd pink bill, but too quick for a pic or even a view in binoculars.

 

[Richard Prior]

A Great Bittern, yesterday afternoon -- pointed out to my when I asked a birder nif there was anything special, while running with my wife.

Took me a bit to pick it up, it was well camouflaged. It then took me even longer to catch up with my wife, who had not slowed down

Hence the expression, ‘ Once bittern, twice overtaken’
Or something like that……..

 

[Warixenjalka]

A Little Bunting had been wintering in Lauttasaari, Helsinki since November. Yesterday I had an other "business" in Helsinki so at last I went to look at it. After 20 minutes shaking in -16 Celsius and freezing wind the LB came. At some point it would certainly have come closer, but I was already completely frozen, so I disappeared from the scene...

 

[condor1992]

Pallid harrier at Warham Greens

 

[Tim L]

White-Bellied Treepie, seen on a recent trip to Thattekad in Kerala. This also brought my eBird species count up to a round 1000