An interesting start to the year

Every year I keep track of what I seen. This includes plants, animals and fungi. Typically, by this time of year I’ve seen 2-300 total species. This includes starting the year in Oregon. This year I have vowed to be more observant and pay attention to the “little” things such as lichens and fungi. In the past there were many times that I “assumed” that I’d see something later in the year so didn’t go looking for it. Then I’d forget and never see it. For instance last year when we went to the Yukon and then I went to Brazil. I “should” have seen more living organisms than ever. With birds I did manage to see more than in any year previously. But as far as everything else goes I wasn’t even close. Why? I was lax. So, 2026 will be an improvement.

What I see and when I see it of course depends on what’s here – especially with birds. This year we’ve had Red-winged Blackbird and Common Grackle at our feeders at Whitefish Point in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. That’s outrageous, especially when you consider that we haven’t see Common Redpoll (or as it’s currently called “Redpoll”). Crazy.

I’m still hoping to see another 8-10 species of birds before we head south in ten days. But as far as anything else it’s unlikely that I’ll add anything to my annual species list. Currently I have 66 species of birds and 410 total including plants, other animals and fungi. The best February that I’ve had is 951 and 900 species. Both of those involved spending all of February in the south. This year we’re only spending 4 days in February. But we’ll be there all of March.

Five lichens on the left, an evergreen bagworm moth cocoon in the middle and a red fox on the right.

So, I’ll periodically update my quest “to see everything” as the year proceeds. Who knows where it’ll end. But I do know it will be fun, keep me outside and keep me looking and learning.

More later…