Personal bird of the year

[paulos]

What was the best or favourite bird you encountered this year?

Mine is a White-faced Ibis that made a 1-day stopover at the local pond by my house in July. 

[graeme45]

White-tailed Ptarmigan at the top of the Jasper Tramway.  My only lifer of the year.  The more you add, the harder it becomes to add more.

[nickinthegarden]

The best bird(s) I got to see in 2021 was the American White Pelicans. I got a glimpse of a large flock as I was driving over the Mission Bridge, I drove to Blackie Spit and got a very distant view of a large flock out in Boundary Bay and the best was to see one just off the Keith Wilson Bridge grooming with it Gull buddies and I was able to watch it for over an hour. It had been several years since I had seen any.

[kestrel]

Mine would have to be Surfbird near Sechelt.

[ed]

So much about birding is subjective experience. The kind of day or trip one is having will influence your choice of bird of the year. For example this year I watched a Red Knot way out through a telescope. It was grey and mostly silhouetted along with hundreds of other shore birds out on Boundary Bay. I had never chased one and finally got out there to see it, one of 2 lifers this year. Good bird but not completely satisfying.
In contrast my other lifer this year was the Whooping Crane. A 5 day trip to Saskatoon and back with a like minded partner who didn’t mind being in the car for 14 hours. This was a trip to a completely different kind of terrain and environment with the possibility of other species not found on the West Coast. Also I know the Red Knot has an interesting story as every bird would, however the mystique, the majesty and the grand survival story of this regal bird makes it my favourite.

[oldfulica]

After birding for over 25 years I finally got to see Ancient Murrelets. I don't know how these birds eluded me but on a Whale Watching trip out of Port Mcneil we saw about 25. Although we also found 1000s of Short-tailed Shearwaters on the same trip the jinx of the Murrelets was finally broken and was the highlight of the year.

[oldfulica]

Jan 4, 2022 17:12:19 GMT -8 ed said:

So much about birding is subjective experience. The kind of day or trip one is having will influence your choice of bird of the year. For example this year I watched a Red Knot way out through a telescope. It was grey and mostly silhouetted along with hundreds of other shore birds out on Boundary Bay. I had never chased one and finally got out there to see it, one of 2 lifers this year. Good bird but not completely satisfying. .

One of my highlights this year was also 2 Red Knots, Ed. Not because it was a lifer but because, like you, I had only seen them through a scope. At Cluxewe on Van. Isle we had 2 roosting about 20 feet away and they were there for 2 days in the same spot.

[Gord]

I think I also have to go for White-faced Ibis. Jamie and I found one in Merritt as it was a lifer for both of us. Seeing one in Chilliwack with Benny as a lifer for him and new Fraser Valley birds for me and Jamie increases the fondness of the species.

Enjoyed hearing about your faviourites, everyone. Len, fantastic photo of that Knot.