[mou] New birds for the year?

[Derek Bakken]

Hello,

I started birdwatching in the summer of 2005 and finished the year  
with 138 species.  By the end of 2006 I was at 215 and excited about  
chasing after 300 and then on.

But something happened to me when I traveled to Duluth to see the  
Northern Hawk-Owl that was hanging out near the coffee shop on the  
north end of Duluth. The Northern Hawk-Owl was the bird that I have  
wanted to see more than anything since I started birding and I could  
not contain my excitement.   I drove up from the Twin Cities,  
followed the directions posted, saw the owl, ate dinner, went home  
feeling rather let down.  I wasn't let down by the owl - It gave me  
great looks and never left the area.  I guess that I just find it  
more interesting to suddenly discover a bird while out birding,  
either alone or in a group.

I will remember my first sighting of many other birds more vividly  
than I will remember the Hawk-Owl and that bothers me.

I will finish out 2007 with a life list of 265.  Nothing wrong with  
265 birds in your first two years of birding.   I could of easily had  
many more if I had chased after a few birds but the Hawk-Owl changed  
something in me and I've decided that I don't want my first ever  
sighting of a bird to be "expected".  It gave me the same feeling as  
seeing a bird in a zoo.

This past June I traveled with my fiance and family to Florida for a  
few days.  Over 3 days of birding, I saw 31 life birds and every one  
of them was a surprise.  It felt great and I decided that chasing  
numbers was not why I got into birding.  I got into birding because I  
loved the thrill of finding and having to ID a bird on the spot  
without already knowing where it is (or should be).

Anyway, this is not any sort of criticism of anyone or the trend in  
birding.  I still keep a detailed life list (down to the county  
level) and love checking off a new bird - I just like it when I  
didn't see it coming.

Anyone else ever feel the same way?



-Derek Bakken