2009 is drawing to a close. The end of the year is the traditional time for doing a summary, and some reflection.

The opportunity to travel during the year opened up a new avenue for creativity and led me increasingly to expand of my birding hobby with photography. Photography is slowing down my birdwatching, making me more patient, more observant, and more appreciative of the birds.

Birding has been a component of travel, but not the sole component - history, culture, flora and fauna, are all important ingredients and I hope will remain so.

That being said, this is a blog mostly about birds, and a summary of my birding year is in order.

In 2009 in North America I logged 365 species and expanded my North American life list to 565, adding 18 new species. A surprise in those 18 new species is that 4 were in New England, my home base. I keep thinking that the odds are getting longer and longer for new species in the region where I do most of my birding. But each year something new turns up.

So for my year end summary, here is the list of new species, with photographs of the one that stood still long enough for me to document the sighting.

Dusky Flycatcher
01/11 - Patagonia Nature Conservancy, AZ

Rufous-crowned Sparrow
01/11 - Patagonia Rest Stop, AZ

Gray Flycatcher
01/11 - Patagonia Lake State Park, AZ

Rufous-winged Sparrow
01/11 - Patagonia Lake State Park, AZ

Rufous-capped Warbler
01/12 - Florida Canyon, nr. Madera Canyon, AZ

Painted Redstart
01/13 - Madera Canyon, AZ

Montezuma Quail
01/24 - Cave Creek Canyon - 2 clear observations of covey of about 12 on 2 different days

Elegant Trogon
01/26 - Cave Creek Canyon

Bar-headed Goose
04/18 - Brattleboro Retreat - probably an escapee - so not officially a countable but species, but what the heck ...

Henslow’s Sparrow
07/01 - Montague, MA

Manx Shearwater
8/10 - Pelagic trip out of Newburyport, MA

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
10/22 - Orange, MA

Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl
11/12 - King Ranch, TX

Sprague’s Pipit
11/12 - King Ranch, TX

Hooded Oriole
11/13 - nr Falcon Dam, TX

White-collared Seedeater
11/13 - Salenos, TX

Bronzed Cowbird
11/14 - Harlingen, TX

Rose-throated Becard
11/16 - Estero Llano Grande WBC, TX

As a summary, a year in which there were many good things, not least of which was plenty of Good Birding!

Pelagic Trip - Documentation

Monday I did a Bird/Whale Watch from Newburyport. Trip went out about 20 miles. In addition to the whales, this trip also "pursued" birds, and included staff from Joppa Flats Audubon Center for spotting. Following the trip, I went briefly to Plum Island, and next morning back to the island before heading to NH for Mississippi Kite.

For now, just some documentation photos of the pelagic birds, beginning with ...

Manx Shearwater (lifer) ...

Cory's Shearwater ...

Greater Shearwater ...

Sooty Shearwater ...

Parasitic Jaeger ...

Wilson's Storm-Petrel ...

... and a shorebird, but one often seen far out at sea. Only my second sighting, and much better than last year when I first ticked it.

Red-necked Phalarope ...

More later when I have finally processed the photos.

Good birding!!