New Year, New Birds!

I have now been a birder for 3 years.  I still love it and am still, somewhat obsessive about it.  I still go out most days and have spent more days outdoors standing in the cold in the last 3 years than I probably did in the previous 25.  My ABA List is now at 633 Species, all but the Dusky Grouse seen in since I started birding in January of 2012.  My World Life List, which includes a trip to Costa Rica this year is 2 shy of 800.  I hope to get to and pass 800 in Arizona later this month.

So to wrap up 2014, I saw 555 total species,(including over 200 in Costa Rica), and added 15 ABA species to my North American List.  In 2013 I added 20, so based on the progession, 10 Lifers might be a good target to reach and surpass in 2015

Here are some of the birds from early this year, including a few local rarities

 The Evening Grosbeaks hung around into the New Year in High Park:

As did the Painted Bunting on Oakville's Arkendo Drive, along with a few friends:

 Painted Bunting:

Female Nortern Cardinal:

 Carolina Wren:

White-breasted Nuthatch:

Snowy Owls are back again in 2015, along Lake Ontario:

And the First Year Male King Eider has also hung out into the New Year: